Well, Things with the Pennsylvania Bushongs are never a easy as one may think. Much early research and books written about this family were done with absolutely no documentation. Mostly just word of mouth including the Slaymaker book. Here's some food for thought: This does seem to bring up a lot of unanswered questions as I was under the impression from a direct descendant in New Market who knows her history well, that Mary and husband Samuel Cowan and daughter Hannah and husband Michael Hess went to Rockingham County, VA right after the settlement of her father's 1831 Will, (between 1831 - 1833). Refer back to the BOSCHONG Archives for March 2009 and April 2009. In John's 1831 Will, there is only one child mentioning belonging to Mary Bushong Cowan and that was Hannah and yet she and husband Samuel Cowan are credited with having three children: Amos, Samuel and Hannah. Since we have a Mary Cowan who died in 1855 buried in Chester County and with probate administered by John and Jacob Bushong, we are now wondering if there could have been two Mary Bushongs who married Cowans? We know there was a lot of intermarriage back then. Very strange indeed. We find a Samuel Cowan and Hannah in Rockingham County, Virginia that fit with Mary Bushong and Samuel Cowan. So..........remembering that John Bushong, the father, owned 112 acres of land in Virginia and made trips back and forth from Pennsylvania to Virginia in his lifetime, an assumption has been made that Mary was born in Pennsylvania. She might have been but then again, she might have been born in Rockingham County, VA. There is a Mary Cowan living in Rockingham County with a husband named John of the same age as the couple in Pennsylvania. And remembering that in one census you may find someone under one name and in the next a different name........ Samuel in Will and John in census......... Various Cowan's 1. Hannah Cowan born 18 March 1812, buried in Madison County, Indiana 2. Samuel B. Cowan born 1 March 1817 buried in Salem Evangelical Reformed Church, PA 3. Samuel Cowan born around 1816-17 buried in Rockingham County, VA 4. Amos B. Cowan born 25 March 1814, buried in Salem Evangelical Reformed Church, PA 1850 Federal Census: Pennsylvania Upper Leacock Township, Lancaster County Enumerated 23 August 1850 Page 135B Lines 27-29, HH 185/192 Samuel Cowen Sr. 65/Male/Butcher/Ireland Mary Cowen 71/Female/$1000/PA Samuel Cowen Jr. 27/Male/Drover/PA -------------- 1850 Federal Census: Virginia 56th District, Rockingham County Enumerated 5 November 1850 Page 125A Lines 2-4, HH 1728/1731 John Cowan 67/Male/Farmer/$15000/VA {Is his full name John Samuel or could he just be a relative not a husband?} MARY COWAN 71/Female/VA (Mary Bushong?) John Smith 30/Male/Laborer/VA Is she the Mary Cowan with husband John buried in the cemetery in Chester County, PA and with John and Jacob administrating her Estate? ---------------- 1850 Federal Census: Virginia 56th District, Rockingham County Enumerated 22 November 1850 Page 143B Lines 12-22, HH 1998/2001 Thomas Cummings 50/Male/Laborer/$1000/VA Christina Cummings 51/Female/VA Elizabeth Cummings 22/Female/VA William Cummings 26/Male/Laborer/VA Nancy Cummings 21/Female/VA Amanda Cummings 19/Female/VA Edmond Cummings 17/Male/Laborer/VA Joseph Cummings 15/Male/VA Caroline Cummings 13/Female/VA Thomas Cummings 11/Male/VA SAMUEL COWAN 34/Male/Idiot/VA {Son of Mary Cowan?} ------------------- 1850 Federal Census: Virginia 56th District, Rockingham County Enumerated 3 October 1850 Page 106B Lines 14-19, HH 1468/1471 Nearby are the families of Lohr, Fleming and Lowery Michael Hess 40/Male/Farmer/PA HANNAH HESS 38/Female/PA {Hannah Cowan Hess} Samuel D. Hess 18/Male/Laborer/AttendedSchool/PA John B. Hess 16/male/Laborer/PA Amos F. Hess 14/Male/PA Mary A. Hess 13/Female/AttendedSchool/VA ------------------- So the big question is, which of these people are the true Samuel and Mary Bushong Cowan mentioned in the 1831 Will of John Bushong. Gloria

What we need is the will of Samuel Cowan died in 1862, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, it should list Hannah Hess, Amos Cowan, Samuel Cowan, and Mary Zuck. Anyone seen one? But otherwise,it looks like the Pennsylvania Cowans are the correct line, descended from John and Eve Eckman Bushong. Only one of this Cowan line moved (with her husband) to Virginia and later to Indiana, and that's Hannah Cowan Hess. The rest stayed in the Lancaster County area, all close to Mary Bushong Hess, and close to all seven of Mary's brothers and sisters - they all are buried in Lancaster County. Below we find three of Samuel and Mary Bushong Cowan's children. In 1880 Samuel Jr. living in Lancaster, with his sister, Mary, and in 1870 daughter Hanna Bushong Hess, living in Indiana via Virginia, having moved with her husband. Their son Amos is there, 1860, 1870, 1880 In the 1880 Census, Samuel and Mary Bushong Cowan's son, is living with his sister, who married Daniel Zuck. He's listed as a laborer - one doesn't have to be smart to be a laborer (a drover in another census), but that's not an idiot. United States Census, 1880 for Samuel Cowan living with a sister, Mary Bushong Zuck Residence: West Earl, Lancaster, Pennsylvania Birthdate: 1817 Birthplace: Pennsylvania, United States Relationship to Head: Other Father's Birthplace: Ireland Mother's Birthplace: Pennsylvania, United States Martial Status: Single Age (Expanded): 63 years Occupation: Laborer Household Gender Age Daniel Zuck M 60 Mary Zuck F 60 Samuel Cowan M 63 Mary Kurtz F 38 Ellen Mullen F 9 In the 1870 Census, their daughter, Hannah Cowan Hess - born in Pennsylvania - already living in Madison County, Indiana... United States Census, 1870 New Columbus, Madison County, Indiana United States Census, 1870 for Michael Hess Estimated Birth Year: 1809 Age in 1870: 61y Birthplace: Pennsylvania, United States Home in 1870: Indiana, United States Household Gender Age Michael Hess M 61y born PA Hanna Hess F 58y born PA Rachel Grayham F 9y IN In the same census, their daughter-in-law Mary, wife of Samuel D. Hess (1832-1868), is living, with daughters Emma and Lydia F. The Mary Cowan who died 1855, and is buried in Chester County, was wife of James Cowan not John. The Mary Cowan (1779-1857), who is married to a John Cowan is buried in Strickler Family Cemetery <http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GSln=Cowan&GSiman=1&GScid=2135759&GRid=42421093&CRid=2135759&> , Rockingham County, Virginia, and is listed as the daughter of William and Barbara Woodley Pickering. That all, Rick On 7/30/2011 11:10 AM, [email protected] wrote: > Well, Things with the Pennsylvania Bushongs are never a easy as one may > think. Much early research and books written about this family were done with > absolutely no documentation. Mostly just word of mouth including the > Slaymaker book. > > Here's some food for thought: > This does seem to bring up a lot of unanswered questions as I was under the > impression from a direct descendant in New Market who knows her history > well, that Mary and husband Samuel Cowan and daughter Hannah and husband > Michael Hess went to Rockingham County, VA right after the settlement of her > father's 1831 Will, (between 1831 - 1833). > > Refer back to the BOSCHONG Archives for March 2009 and April 2009. > > In John's 1831 Will, there is only one child mentioning belonging to Mary > Bushong Cowan and that was Hannah and yet she and husband Samuel Cowan are > credited with having three children: Amos, Samuel and Hannah. Since we have > a Mary Cowan who died in 1855 buried in Chester County and with probate > administered by John and Jacob Bushong, we are now wondering if there could > have been two Mary Bushongs who married Cowans? We know there was a lot of > intermarriage back then. Very strange indeed. > > We find a Samuel Cowan and Hannah in Rockingham County, Virginia that fit > with Mary Bushong and Samuel Cowan. So..........remembering that John > Bushong, the father, owned 112 acres of land in Virginia and made trips back and > forth from Pennsylvania to Virginia in his lifetime, an assumption has > been made that Mary was born in Pennsylvania. She might have been but then > again, she might have been born in Rockingham County, VA. There is a Mary > Cowan living in Rockingham County with a husband named John of the same age as > the couple in Pennsylvania. And remembering that in one census you may find > someone under one name and in the next a different name........ Samuel in > Will and John in census......... > > Various Cowan's > > 1. Hannah Cowan born 18 March 1812, buried in Madison County, Indiana > 2. Samuel B. Cowan born 1 March 1817 buried in Salem Evangelical Reformed > Church, PA > 3. Samuel Cowan born around 1816-17 buried in Rockingham County, VA > 4. Amos B. Cowan born 25 March 1814, buried in Salem Evangelical Reformed > Church, PA > > 1850 Federal Census: Pennsylvania > Upper Leacock Township, Lancaster County > Enumerated 23 August 1850 > Page 135B > Lines 27-29, HH 185/192 > > Samuel Cowen Sr. 65/Male/Butcher/Ireland > Mary Cowen 71/Female/$1000/PA > Samuel Cowen Jr. 27/Male/Drover/PA > -------------- > 1850 Federal Census: Virginia > 56th District, Rockingham County > Enumerated 5 November 1850 > Page 125A > Lines 2-4, HH 1728/1731 > > John Cowan 67/Male/Farmer/$15000/VA {Is his full name John Samuel or could > he just be a relative not a husband?} > MARY COWAN 71/Female/VA (Mary Bushong?) > John Smith 30/Male/Laborer/VA > > Is she the Mary Cowan with husband John buried in the cemetery in Chester > County, PA and with John and Jacob administrating her Estate? > ---------------- > 1850 Federal Census: Virginia > 56th District, Rockingham County > Enumerated 22 November 1850 > Page 143B > Lines 12-22, HH 1998/2001 > > Thomas Cummings 50/Male/Laborer/$1000/VA > Christina Cummings 51/Female/VA > Elizabeth Cummings 22/Female/VA > William Cummings 26/Male/Laborer/VA > Nancy Cummings 21/Female/VA > Amanda Cummings 19/Female/VA > Edmond Cummings 17/Male/Laborer/VA > Joseph Cummings 15/Male/VA > Caroline Cummings 13/Female/VA > Thomas Cummings 11/Male/VA > SAMUEL COWAN 34/Male/Idiot/VA {Son of Mary Cowan?} > ------------------- > 1850 Federal Census: Virginia > 56th District, Rockingham County > Enumerated 3 October 1850 > Page 106B > Lines 14-19, HH 1468/1471 > Nearby are the families of Lohr, Fleming and Lowery > > Michael Hess 40/Male/Farmer/PA > HANNAH HESS 38/Female/PA {Hannah Cowan Hess} > Samuel D. Hess 18/Male/Laborer/AttendedSchool/PA > John B. Hess 16/male/Laborer/PA > Amos F. Hess 14/Male/PA > Mary A. Hess 13/Female/AttendedSchool/VA > ------------------- > So the big question is, which of these people are the true Samuel and Mary > Bushong Cowan mentioned in the 1831 Will of John Bushong. > > Gloria > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message