Hi Joan, Thank you for your helpful, encouraging reply. I just had gotten to a presentation on the Huguenots which reminded me to get started on my Bowdons again. After looking for awhile I did find that folks who spelled the name BOWDON tended to live in the south. People who used Bowdoin tended to live in the north (perhaps because of the spelling of Bowdoin College?) BOWDEN was much more common and seen in both the north and south. Estelle is an "honored" name in my family. It is my grandfather's sister's name and named for the Bowdon side. Also, I loved the sweet little character of Rose of Sharon in the "Grapes of Wrath". I have shown that movie so many times to my U.S. History classes. It is one of my favorite movies. If you remember, Rose of Sharon was pregnant in the movie but due to the modesty of the period, had a stomach as flat as a pancake! I am going to take a look at her character again. Thank you so much for pointing it out. There is a sports star that is also supposed to be a relative of my Bowdons too but I can't remember his name. When you have time, I'd love to know more about DeSoto County. My Thomas Bowdon also lived there but as I think I mentioned, he moved on eventually living in AR at the end of his life. The Bowdon's were successful and looked up to by the small town where they lived. My great great grandfather, B.F. Bowdon was referred to as one of the "old settlers" in the town and called "Uncle Ben Bowdon"/ Bowden in the local newspaper. I wish copies of the paper that went back farther in history had been saved as there was only slight mention of him in the later papers that survived. Here are some books suggested by the lecturer: Van Ruymbeke, Bertrand From New Babylon to Eden: The Huguenots and Their Migration to Colonial South Carolina (University of South Carolina Press) 2006 Butler, John. The Huguenots in America: A Refugee People in a New world Society. Harvard University Press, 1983 Golden, R.M. The Huguenot Connection: The Edict of Nantes, Its Revocation and Early French Migration to South Carolina. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1988 Although you most likely have already done this, I did check a wonderful Huguenot site that I got from Cindi's List and checked Huguenot surnames who are registered and researched in order to join the International society. Both Bowdon with other spellings and your Bobo name were listed. My Martin was listed there too. I thought maybe many other names might have been listed too but they were not. For example none of my Jenkins were listed nor any of my other family surnames. I did save something from the Huguenot Society of America and will send it separately. Thanks again, it was so nice to hear from you. Karen On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 11:04:47 -0700 Joan Gipson-Fredin <jgf@cox.net> writes: > Hi Karen, > > Good to hear from you! > > I've taken another look at this family and still think that your > Thomas N.'s family is the one referenced in the abstract you noted > below. The names that ARE there look right. Maybe the informant on > the petition did not have the names of all of his children, or maybe > > there was a transcription error on the petition or on the abstract. > > It may also be possible that some of Thomas's children had died. > > I visited De Soto County, Mississippi earlier this summer and spent > > some time in the library and at the genealogical society. Your > Thomas's younger brother John W. Bowden (abt 1805-1846) and his wife > > Cynthia Hickerson had settled there. Cynthia and several > descendants > are known to be buried in Mt. Zion Cemetery in adjoining Tate > County. > It was interesting to see that some headstones said BOWDEN while > others said BOWDON, but all from the same family, I think. (I'm > still > processing notes from this trip.) > > A son of John and Cynthia's who went with BOWDON was James Travis > (1839-1909). Someone had left a family file on his line with the > genealogical society. It was interesting to see that Dorris Estelle > > BOWDON (1914-2005), who starred as Rose of Sharon in the film "The > Grapes of Wrath," was part of this family. > > I have heard from other researchers that my ancestor Travis > Bowdon/Bowden, who married Elizabeth Roebuck Bobo, died in De Soto > or > Tate County, Mississippi on 4 July 1850, and some say Travis and > Elizabeth had settled there, but they offer no original source > documentation in either case. I did not find evidence of Travis > having lived or died there, but this was not an exhaustive search. > > However, I do find Travis's widow and all of their children in the > household of his younger brother William in Monroe County, > Mississippi in 1850. (Travis's youngest child was born after death.) > > Without evidence to the contrary, it seems more likely to me that > Travis and Elizabeth had settled near William, although Travis may > have been visiting in DeSoto or Tate County when he died. > > I've not done any original research that would take us back a > generation from William Bowdon and Nancy Wiggins, but I have quite a > > bit of information on their descendants, especially on Travis's line > > if you or anyone else out there is interested in comparing notes. > Two > of Travis's daughters married Walden men, and that's where I have > the > most information. > > Like you, I believe that our Bowdens were probably of Huguenot > descent. Travis married into the Bobo family, and their Huguenot > pedigree has been well documented. > > The lecture on the Huguenots that you attended sounds interesting. > Did the presenter recommend any books in particular? I imagine that > > others on this board would also like to know. > > Joan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Today's Topics: > > > > 1. Re: Thomas Bowden, son of William and Nancy (Wiggins) > Bowdon > > (andover-mg@juno.com) > > > > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >Message: 1 > >Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2007 19:36:35 -0400 > >From: andover-mg@juno.com > >Subject: Re: [BOWDEN] Thomas Bowden, son of William and > Nancy > > (Wiggins) Bowdon > >To: bowden@rootsweb.com > >Message-ID: <20070729.193635.3616.11.andover-mg@juno.com> > >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > > >Hi again Joan, > >We corresponded about 7 months ago. I reread what you had written > and saw > >Abner Barton listed. This was so interesting because Abner Barton > is > >brother to my Ruth Barton. Ruth married Thomas Jenkins and had > a > >daughter, Parmelia Jenkins. Parmelia married my Thomas Bowdon. The > >Jenkins are really "blue bloods" going back to Edmund Crouchback > >Plantagenet. So the perfect marriage it would seem to consolidate > wealth > >and title would have been for my Bowdons to marry into the Jenkins. > The > >Bartons and Jenkins were from VA. > > > >I am concerned about the children's names that were listed after > Thomas' > >name in the will. So many are missing that I wonder if this could > be > >cousins rather than my Thomas' siblings. > > > >Have you done any work on this line of recent? I just attend a > lecture on > >the Huguenots which picqued my interest in the Bowdons again. > > > >Thanks, > >Karen > > > >On Tue, 5 Dec 2006 08:54:33 -0800 Joan Gipson-Fredin <jgf@cox.net> > >writes: > >> Karen, > >> > >> Here is an abstract of the document that was my starting point > on > >> researching the family of William Bowden and Nancy Wiggins. I > have > >> him b. abt 1773 in Granville Co., N. Carolina and her about > 1776. He > >> > >> died in 1842, and she died in 1860, both in Coffee County, > >> Tennessee. > >> > >> Coffee County, TN County Court Loose Records, abstracted by > Judy > >> Henley Phillips and Betty Moore Majors, April, 1993 > >> > >> File 81: 1860 Sept 3 - Petition to sell slaves. Petitioners > say > >> that > >> in 1842 William BOWDEN died testate . . . he gave his lands to > F.W. > >> > >> BOWDEN, G.E. BOWDEN, the tract on which he lived . . . at death > of > >> widow divided equally between children (except F.W. BOWDEN he > gave 2 > >> > >> negroes Daniel & Priscilla) and to G.E. BOWDEN two negroes > Laura > >> and > >> Ben . . . After the death of the testator F.W. BOWDEN died > testate. > >> . > >> . by his will after giving to G.E. BOWDEN his half of the land > he > >> says I wish the two negroes Daniel and Priscilla to fall back > to > >> Father's estate and be divided by Father's will . . . The widow > >> Nancy > >> BOWDEN has died recently intestate. > >> > >> William BOWDEN left as his children Thomas BOWDEN who has since > died > >> > >> intestate leaving the following children: Jordon BOWDEN, John > O. > >> BOWDEN, Benjamin BOWDEN, Nancy V. BOWDEN, Josephine BOWDEN, > James K. > >> > >> BOWDEN, Lafayette BOWDEN. > >> > >> He [William BOWDEN] left also a son John BOWDEN, who has since > died > >> > >> leaving as children: Nancy C. BOWDEN who married _.F. GARRETT, > G.W. > >> > >> BOWDEN, C.W. BOWDEN, L.A. BOWDEN, J.T. BOWDEN, E..J. BOWDEN, > T.E. > >> BOWDEN, and L. [or S.] R. BOWDEN. > >> > >> William BOWDEN also left a son who has since died intestate > leaving > >> > >> as children: Eliza _. WHIFFIN intermarried with A.M. WHIFFIN, > >> Caroline, now Caroline WALDEN, widow of A.B. WOLDEN, Hester Ann > >> SCOTT > >> wife of William SCOTT, Lucy wife of Uriah WALDEN, Sarah wife of > R.E. > >> > >> GARRETT and James K.P. BOWDEN, John BOWDEN and Francis BOWDEN, > the > >> last minors and pet. By their gdn. John W. ADAMS. > >> > >> He also left a dau. Nancy who intermarried with Charles PARKER > and > >> has since died leaving as her heirs: Nancy wife of Thomas > BAXTER, > >> James PARKER, EL_ PARKER, Samuel PARKER, Priscilla PARKER, > Daniel > >> PARKER, the last two minors with G.E. BOWDEN their gdn. > >> > >> William BOWDEN also left Sam, William, and G.E. BOWDEN and a > dau. > >> Sarah, wife of Abner BARTON. Abner BURTON has been apt'd. > admr. > >> With > >> the will annexed of William BOWDEN and administration of the > estate > >> > >> of Nancy BOWDEN. Slaves: Joseph, 55, Hannah, 53, Daniel, 32, > >> Charles, 40, Martha, 2 . . . /S/ A. BURTON. > >> > >> The names of Thomas's children are tantalizingly similar to > your > >> list. Of course, the only ones listed here would be those who > were > >> still alive in 1860. > >> > >> The original document is in the Coffee County Archives in > >> Manchester, > >> Tennessee. I have seen the original, but I have not compared it > with > >> > >> the abstract in great detail. > >> > >> I have quite a bit of descendant information on William and > Nancy > >> (Wiggins) Bowdon if you are interested but only this on Thomas. > >> > >> Good luck and happy hunting! > >> > >> Joan > >> > >> > > >> > > >> >Message: 2 > >> >Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2006 16:40:54 -0500 > >> >From: andover-mg@juno.com > >> >Subject: [BOWDEN] Thomas BOWDEN/ BOWDON/ BOWDOIN > >> >To: bowden@rootsweb.com > >> >Message-ID: <20061204.164056.2796.5.andover-mg@juno.com> > >> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > >> > > >> >I have Thomas Bowdon born 1793 Chester County, SC > >> >His children: > >> > > >> >William Jordon Bowdon Born abt: 1823 > >> > > >> >John O.Bowdon born 1825 Beddford County, TN > >> > > >> >Francis Marion Bowdon born 1827 Bedford Co, TN > >> > > >> >Jasper D.L. Bowdon born 1829 Bedford Co, TN > >> > > >> >Thomas Virgil William Bowdon Born 1832 Bedford Co, TN settled > in > >> >Limestone Co, Texas > >> > > >> >Louisa Travis Bowdon born 1835 Lauderdale Co, AL > >> > > >> >Benjamin Franklin Bowdon born 1837 Lauderdale Co, AL > > > > > >> >Victoria Ruth Caroline Bowdon Born 1841 born Lauderdale Co, AL > >> > > >> >Nancy Sarah Ann Bowdon born 1843 DeSoto Co, MS > >> > > >> >James K.P. Bowdon born 1846 DeSoto Co, MS > >> > > >> >Columbia Caroline born 1848 Phillips Co, AR > >> > > >> >I'd like to compare notes on this family. > >> >Thanks, > >> >Karen > >> > > >> ------------------------------- > >> If you would, please introduce yourself and let me (and others) > >> know > >> who/where your Bowden interests are. > >> ------------------------------- > >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > >> BOWDEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the > >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >> > >> > > > > > >------------------------------ > > > >To contact the BOWDEN list administrator, send an email to > >BOWDEN-admin@rootsweb.com. > > > >To post a message to the BOWDEN mailing list, send an email to > >BOWDEN@rootsweb.com. > > > >__________________________________________________________ > >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > >BOWDEN-request@rootsweb.com > >with the word "unsubscribe" without the quotes in the subject and > >the body of the > >email with no additional text. > > > > > >End of BOWDEN Digest, Vol 2, Issue 9 > >************************************ > > ------------------------------ > Topic: A mailing list for the discussion and sharing of information > regarding the Bowden surname (and variations) in any place and at > any time. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BOWDEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >