I thought it was interesting in looking in my book William Preston and the Allegheny Patriots for the names mentioned by Carolyn. By Patricia Givens Johnson. Perhelps this data will also be helpful. Daniel Boone: And not only Virginians were clamouring for land. North Carolina Daniel Boone was spending the winter in Clinch Valley after an aborted attempt to settle in Ky for Henderson's Company. Pleas came from the Pendleton District and Watauga. Preston replied immediately promising aid. He wrote everywhere for powder and Daniel Boone carried up 200 pounds from Williamsburg. John Floyd was chasing Indain marauders in Ky in 1775. he sent Preston word that Indians had captured the Calloway sisters and Jemina, daughter of Daniel Boone. Floyd had accompanied the rescue party, killed one Indian and described the incident in detail to Preston who was well acquainted with Boone, the ubiquitous messenger to Smithfield who arrived with everything from newspapers to gun powder. Preston was relieved to learn that the young girls were saved. No mention of a Col. John Bowman. No mention of Capt. James M. Buchanan. Thomas Callaway: Colonel Thomas Callaway's militia from Fort Hickey in Bedford were ordered to the pursuit. This was pertaining to the Fort Vause attack. The state of Virginia had taken over operation of the lead mines, first under Col. Callaway and now under Charles Lynch who had been making powder in Bedford, but was coming to Fincastle where he expected to make fifty pounds per day, most welcome news to Preston. No Cowan mentioned. Col. John Floyd: To much to write. Christopher Gist: The 1752 Treaty Of Logstown showing signatures of Indains and English frontiersmen including William Preston and the explorer, Christopher Gist. (Has picture). Archibald Cary was alarmed at the Cherokee attacks and railed against Nathaniel Gist, son of Christopher Gist. Nathaniel had married Cary's daughter but had now gone to stir up the Cherokees and take an Indain wife. Nathaniel Gist, father of Sequoyah, who gave his Cherokee people their alphabet. No Harrison. No Archibald Henderson. No Isaac Hite. Gabriel Jones: Col. James Patton surveyed land for Gabriel Jones, the Valley Lawyer, he reported to Patton and recorded High Spirits 17 July 1754, Springhill. The Augusta election riot trial of Lapsley and the others was held in May. The rioters were taken under escort to Williamsburg, pled their innocence but were found guilty. Preston had lost his chance to become burgess and Gabriel Jones, The Valley Lawyer was chosen by the House to represent Augusta in James Patton's place. (Col. James Patton was killed by Indains in 1755. On page 91 is a picture of Gabriel Jones. He was born the son of a Williamsburg weaver who died when he was young. His Mother sent him to London to be educated at Christ's Hospital School. After serving an apprenticeship to an English lawyer he was back in Virginia by 1743 practicing at Fredericktown (Winchester). Jones had purchased in London books for Preston's library also for Andrew and Thomas Lewis, John Madison and William Fleming. No John Kennedy. No Linn. No John Maxwell. No McAfee. No McClelland. No Moore. No Stoner. At Greenfield, Prestons plantation he had a sick slave named Nell left by the Reverend John Todd who had come from Louisa to preach at DeNean congregation. Preston was still looking for a minister for the DeNean congregation though by 1770 Presbyterian congregations were flourishing at Fincastle Town, Craig's Creek, New Antrim at Peter's Creek on the Roanoke, New Derry near present Elliot, New Dublin, Boiling Spring at Fort Chiswell and Unity on Reed Creek. Rev. John Brown wrote about prospective ministers, one being John Todd who had earlier up loaded the slave Nell on the Prestons. Since this affair Preston had been sour toward Todd, an ancestor of Mary Todd Lincoln. The Bishop Todd speaks of getting some chunk of a girl to bring out here next spring. Floyd and Todd were feeling no pain as they drank a pretty hearty jorum of North Carolina spirits but were sure Col. Preston would excuse all. Dr. Thomas Walker: Preston seeked employment abroad and wrote in March to Dr. Thomas Walker, who answered ''as to any employment worth your acceptance I do not know of any at present- if any should offer, shall acquaint you. Andrew Lewis wanted a surveyor's position and asked Preston and Dr. Thomas Walker to go to the Masters in his behalf. Preston was far out on the frontier surveying for Dr. Thomas Walker, the round-shouldered, slight, black-haired doctor turned land speculator who was keeping the Loyal Company land registry office at William Ingles on the New River. As a young man Walker had gone through Cumberland Gap to discover Kentucky and now had Preston working, as David Robinson said somewhere between Culbertson's and Big Island on the Holston. As a comentary on Preston's meanderings Robinson addressed him to be found sometime at Greenfield. A sketch of Dr. Thomas Walker on page 98. Dr. Thomas Walker told Preston to begin surveys for the Loyal Company within the limits of their grant. Edmund Pendleton said that the grants were being issued on lapsed certificates and chaos was being created by the government in regard to western lands. While Andrew Lewis's army were marching to the Ohio the rest of Virginia was engrossed in the activities of the Virginia Convention and in sending delegates to the first Continental Congress at Philadelphia. Thomas Jefferson wrote Dr. Thomas Walker telling of the activities of the convention and Walker sent the letter on to Preston. He also encourged Preston to finish his fort and guard against surprise which Walker believed due to Preston understanding and care will never happen. Gay Nix

[email protected] wrote: > > Hi Valorie, > > Interesting post. Thanks for the contribution. I think there is a > long tradition of Cowan's being merchants. It starts with Cowane of > Stirling in the late 1500's and numerous Cowans in Glasgow. It's > impossible to prove but they are probably Colquhouns who changed the > spelling of the name but not necessarily the pronunciation. The > Colquhoun country is just to the north of Glasgow in Luss, > Camstradden, Dumbarton and the western shore area in general of Loch > Lomond. Gaelic was the spoken language there until the 1830's and > 40's. "Cowan" looked more normal of a word to an Englishman. The Colquhoun origin of our Cowans is what my Dad thinks, also. However, it seems that *our* Cowans were in Selkirkshire as far back as the OPRs go. So who knows how we are connected, if at all. Only thing to do is keep researching, I suppose. > Also, I believe you have it correct on the use of the old style "s." > It is a carry over of Elizabethan Handwriting. The handwriting > convention was for the "s" to be made with a long descender when used > internally in a word. This form of the "s" makes it seem like our > modern "f" but it is not. It is not an alternative, it's simply the > Elizabethan convention. I didn't mean alternative in the sense that one can use it or not, as one pleases. Only that it was another type of s, NOT an f. <snip> > John "Coo - whoon" MacLay > Cowan of Cowansville Valorie Cowan Zimmerman Black Diamond, Washington USA

Dear Jeff; I am glad you enjoyed my last writing. I wanted to touch base with you to let you know that I am in the process of sending out info on the KY & IN Cowans but as far as the John Cowan from Harrodsburg goes, it will take me a little time to put something together for you. I have a folder on him about an inch & 1/2 thick. I will post the basic on him as soon as I can put it together in some kind of readable form. It is one of my priorities. He was quite a guy and a lot has been written. Some of the stuff I got from the courthouse and of course I went there a while back. He was prominant in the counties of Lincoln, Mercer, Boyle. There are several books with him & his family in it. One is called "Early Days in Danville" written by Calvin Morgan Fackler. Also if you are close to a larger library with Genealogy you might find the "Draper Manuscripts" which has several writtings in it by Capt. John Cowan. My Cowans were in Bourbon & Scott Co. KY & came north to IN. to Ft. Buchanan. Several folks from Harrodsburg came also including a Ramsey. I have a fax machine but do not have a copier. I live in Greenfield, IN just 15 miles east of Indpls. if you are coming this way in future you are welcome to see my Cowan records or I will be keeping my eyes open for your connection with Eliz. & J. Ramsey. Respectfully, Carolyn Cowan Oberle

Hi Valorie, Interesting post. Thanks for the contribution. I think there is a long tradition of Cowan's being merchants. It starts with Cowane of Stirling in the late 1500's and numerous Cowans in Glasgow. It's impossible to prove but they are probably Colquhouns who changed the spelling of the name but not necessarily the pronunciation. The Colquhoun country is just to the north of Glasgow in Luss, Camstradden, Dumbarton and the western shore area in general of Loch Lomond. Gaelic was the spoken language there until the 1830's and 40's. "Cowan" looked more normal of a word to an Englishman. Also, I believe you have it correct on the use of the old style "s." It is a carry over of Elizabethan Handwriting. The handwriting convention was for the "s" to be made with a long descender when used internally in a word. This form of the "s" makes it seem like our modern "f" but it is not. It is not an alternative, it's simply the Elizabethan convention. It's like the old English letter called a "thone" that kind of looks like a backwards "p." The thone was pronounced like our "th." Most people mispronounce the thone. When printed with fonts it looked like a "y" with two little dots above it. The ignorant read this as "Yee Olde Public House." It's really "The Olde Public House." One could not study English at UNC Chapel Hill without having an understanding of the history of the language. John "Coo - whoon" MacLay Cowan of Cowansville

I too am interested in the DNA testing and have a four generation chart ready. Thanks for any info. Billie Beeler Long Beach, CA

Can someone give me information on the Cowan DNA testing? I have a male Cowan cousin who is interested in participating. Thanks, Cindy Stamps

Bob in Toronto sent this interesting link to the Scots-in-Canada list. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [SCOTS-IN-CANADA] Scottish Birth, Death & Marriage Exchange Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 02:58:56 -0400 From: "Bob Carswell" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <snip> Jones' 1787 Directory for Glasgow (reprinted in 1868) showing City Officials and Merchants, and an alphabetical list of people living in the city. Note that the f used in this text is the old style for an s. http://www.fix.law-firm.co.uk/JonesDirectory2.htm <snip> I find this misuse of 'f' very annoying, as 'f' and 's' were always separate letters -- there just was an alternate form of s. Anyway, here are the Cowans I found: Cowan Andrew, fenior, wholefale dealer in victual, Grahamftown Cowan Robert, ...................do..............Grahamftown Cowan James, Newark twift wareroom, High-ftreet, above No. 19 and, as one of "The Directors and Managers of the Town's Hofpital" Robert Cowan, Elder Hope this helps someone, Valorie

Interesting. For the entire post, see the Scots-In-Canada list archives. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [SCOTS-IN-CANADA] Burials of Scots in Nanaimo, BC, 1876-1926 Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 10:40:40 -0700 From: Paul Shaw <[email protected]> To: [email protected] In the late 1800s and early 1900s, hundreds of Scots came out to Vancouver Island. Many of them worked in the coal mines around Nanaimo. A few years ago, Nanaimo Family History Society indexed the burials in Nanaimo Municipal Cemetery for the years 1876 to 1926. At that time we sorted the list according to place of birth, if known, and posted the results to various lists. There are approx 400 burials of Scots who are buried in Nanaimo in those years. Obviously, there are many other Scots and family members buried here, but whose place of birth was not shown in the record. Burials up to the present day are also available; we haven't added them to our database YET. We have 1926 to 1976 on paper only. Best wishes Paul Shaw Nanaimo, BC The field headings are, from left to right, Range - Plot No. - Surname - Given name - Age - County of birth (if known)- Country - Date of death <snip> 4 2 COUN WILLIAM 54 AYR SCT 1877-10-01 8 41 COWAN JOHN 73 AYR SCT 1912-12-29 8 41 COWAN MARGARET 52 AYR SCT 1901-05-07 7 45 COWAN MARY 57 AYR SCT 1896-12-31 7 45 COWAN PETER 78 AYR SCT 1915-04-06 36 53 COWDEN CHRISTINA 46 LKS SCT 1924-01-16 9 92 COWIE ARCHIBALD LKS SCT 1893-11-18 9 92 COWIE ISABEL 81 SCT 1922-01-15 <snip>

Hi, Looking for anyone who can help me with the children of Elijah (d.1812 Jackson, Co, GA) and Prudence Stovall. Especially wondering if there was a will or any deeds to his children... I may be onto a clue to my missing Cowan line! thanks! Cyndi in Baltimore

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DMQ.2ACIB/732.3.1.1 Message Board Post: Not my family.

Dear Robert & List; As I said a while back I will be putting out info. occationally that I feel may be useful to someone. These are some of the ones who traveled west to certain areas in certain time periods. This is info that I have gotten from KY books when I get over there to copy.........Carolyn Cowan from IN FORT HARROD, KENTUCKY (1774-1777) Boone, Daniel Bowman, Col. John Buchanan, Capt. James M. s/o Thomas T & Catherine (Apple) Callaway, Clark, Capt. George Rogers COWAN Capt. John; Jared; James (Atty) Floyd, Col. John Gist, Christopher Harrison, Burr Henderson, Col. Archibald Hite, Isaac Jones, Capt. John Gabriel Kennedy, John Linn, ? Maxwell, John McAfee, Gen. Robert McClelland, John Moore, Stoner, Michael Todd, Gen. Levi, Col. John & Robert (brothers) Walker, Dr. Thomas Note: While reading `Commemorative Biographical Record' (pages 1212-1214) I noticed a tie-in with Buchanan's & McClelland in marriages. I then compared it with `Dark & Bloody Ground' (page 62)-was taken from Captain John Cowan Journal out of the Draper Mss. 4 CC32. Mar. 6 1777 to Sept. 17, 1777. from Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison Wis. & also from the Ill. Hist. Coll. Vol VIII.p.214-214. Miss Ida Lee d/o Lott & Drucilla (McClellan) Lee who in 1879 married Joseph W. Buchanan s/o Thomas Tilford Buchanan, s/o David Buchanan who was the s/o one of 3 immigrant brothers who came to America,1775. One stayed in NY, one went to PA., & one went to Virginia. This line is from the PA-VA. John McClellan came from PA to KY in 1788. He had a son named Samuel, who had the daughter, Drucilla.)

This passage is from Howard McKnight Wilson's book, "The Tinkling Spring: Headwater of Freedom page 178 and should help us when we decide to research in a particular area at a specific time in history. "A close examination of the list of cntributors, as compared with the list of members who built the Tinkling Spring log meeting house a QUARTER of a century earlier, reveals a large turn-over in membership. Absent from this list-some conspiciously so because of their prominence in earlier days-are the following names: Breckenridge, Cowan, Craig, Cunningham, Denniston, Edmiston, Gamble, Gay, Holme, King, Lewis, McCord, Maxwell, Miller, Patterson, Patton, Preston, Robinson and Scott. New family names are of special interest to this period, namely, Allen, Blackwood, Bratton, Coalter, Cloyd, Estill, Hittson, Jamison, Kinkead, Love, Marshall, Patrick, Pilson, Rutledge, Van Lear, and Williamson. Continued conflict with the Indians, a large exodus of substantial families, a decaying old log meeting house, the absence of a settled minister and the consequent tendency for the members to go elsewhere for worship were surely evidences of Tinkling Spring's worst day of tension and testing; but she survived with sufficient vigor to take her rightful place in defense of American freedom." In 25 years this area of Augusta county experienced a major turn-over of people and the original folks were gone, in the Cowan and Walker cases they were off to the Carolina's and then southwest Va. and east Tn. It would not help much to study Augusta county in 1840 if we knew our ancestors left there in 1740. I think the same thing would apply to Ulster. We need to study the Walkers and Cowans and whoever else we are looking for in the period of time they lived there. Regards, Robert Cowan Laggan, Sheepstown, St Johnstown, Raphoe

I'm trying to help a friend of mine who doesn't have a computer search for one of her ancestors. Does anyone on the list have information for - Lawrence C. Cowan born July 1810 Ireland? died 24 October 1876 Grayson Co. TX married Fredonia Brogdon Lawrence had a brother - Hugh Cowan married Melvina Jones I know Shirley will appreciate any help. Thanks list, Linda

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: POLLOCK, COWAN Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DMQ.2ACIB/235.273.278.1 Message Board Post: My GGGGGrandfather Robert POLLOCK, esq/md, married my GGGGGrandmother Elizabeth COWAN before 1765, in Ireland. They first appeared in records abt. 1784 in Sullivan Co., TN, then moved to Anderson Co., TN abt. 1790. He was born abt. 1740, Ireland, Coleraine Co., and she was born abt. 1740 in Ireland. He passed away abt. 1806/1808 in Anderson Co., TN. She passed away aft. May 1808. If we have any connections please let me know, I also have a list of their children, which includes a Joseph POLLOCK born before 1785 and passed away by Nov 1816 in Lincoln Co., TN. Sincerely Lela Darlene Pollock

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DMQ.2ACIB/732.3.1 Message Board Post: I see you are in Oklahoma City, do you know a Travis Cowan from Belton Texas, who from my latiest information runs a home decarating bussines. If so, I would like to get ahold of him or maybe you could locate him for me. sam

Sent this to Cowan-D on 2 April 2002. It hasn't been posted yet....thought I might have sent it to the wrong place. Thanks. Anita Cowan ----- Original Message ----- From: Anita Cowan Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 8:54 PM To: Cowlist Subject: My Cowan ancestor search Hi Cousins, Here I am..still searching for a hand-up over my brickwall... trying to find the ancestry of William Wallace Cowan of Bradley County, TN. Wouldn't it be great if some of my information would be what you are looking for? Well, here goes... I am a gggranddaughter of William Wallace Cowan,(1800-185?). According to 1850 Bradley County,TN. census records, he was born in TN. In 1833, W.W. Cowan is either buying land or acting as some sort of pay agent during the Cherokee removal in eastern TN (I cannot determine his role from the Cherokee Immigration Records, but his name is listed repeatedly with small sums of money alongside). I used to think that indicated he was buying land cheap...now I'm not so sure. In 1839, he marries Isabella Cozby of Rhea County,TN (marriage records). (Sidebar: Isabella's parents were John Cozby(1775-1842) and Abigail McBee ,sometimes written as Magby (1789-1864). Isabel's paternal grandparents were Col./Dr. James C. Cozby(1753-1831) and Isabella Woods (1747-1830). There is extant research on the Cozby ancestry. Note that these were folks from Albemarle County, VA and Castle's Woods in earlier generations.) After marrying in 1839 in Rhea Co, TN, William Wallace Cowan and Isabella Cozby appear to reside near Charleston, Bradley County, TN. In the 1850 Bradley Co. Census (where the name is spelled Cowen) William Wallace Cowan, the elder, is listed as owning 8,000 acres. They had five children who were: Sarah b. 1840 Martha b. 1842 - 1882 William W. b. 1844 - 1911 Ellen b. 1846 -1903 Evelina b. 1848 I find no further reference to William Wallace Cowan, the elder, after the 1850 census and assume that he died in the late 1850s. (death date and burial place unknown) There are two black men with the name in the 1870 Bradley census and this might be owing to the political/economic relationships of the times. William Wallace Cowan, the younger, enlists at age 17, in Company A ( Bradley County men) TN 29th Infantry, CSA in 1861, stays with it 2 1/2 years, and goes AWOL in November, 1963...a critical time when Bradley County shifts from Confederate to Union control. Family oral tradition has it that after Chickamauga he went home to help his mother get the crop in. He signs the Oath of Allegiance in Chattanooga, TN in 1864. There's also a tale that after the war, he received his inheritance early so that he could go "somewhere else". Meanwhile, his mother, Isabella Cozby Cowan had married John M. Bates (appeared to be a neighbor and friend. He and W.W. ,the elder, have signed some of the same petitions through the years) . John Bates and Isabella Cozby Cowan Bates then have children, Cora and John. both born in the 1860s. While I have no clue yet re the oldest and youngest full siblings of W.W.Cowan, the younger, I find his sister, Ellen Cowan, in marriage, census, and cemetery records for neighboring McMinn Co., TN. According to data in TN Marriages 1820-1870,she marries a Wallace N. Hoge (1841-1902). Ellen Cowan Hoge and Wallace N. Hoge are buried in the Cedar Grove Cemetery, Athens, McMinn Co., TN alongside probable children: Wallace (1867-1911), William S. Hoge (1869-1903), John Hoge(1872-?), Cora T. Hoge(1877-1967) and Isabell Hoge(1879-?). Also, I now know of rigorous research available on the descendants of the sibling, Martha Cowan. She married Thomas Andrew Jackson Bates (1834-187?) of Bradley County, TN in 1859 and went to Denton Co., TX in the 1870s. After her husband reportedly was killed by Indians in Texas, she sold out to her brother William Wallace Cowan, the younger, in 1881(Denton County, TX records) and returned to Bradley County, TN. with her eight children. So, at this point, ca 1872, I have two Cowan daughters, Sarah and Evelina, whereabouts beyond birth in Bradley County, TN, unknown; one Cowan daughter settling in McMinn County, TN: and one son and one daughter immigrating to Denton County, Texas. These arriving in north Texas are settling just a few miles from their uncle (mo's bro), James Trimble Cozby(1826-1914). Thus, there was a stream of folks coming from Bradley County, TN and going west to Denton Co., TX in the 1870s and, predictably, the Cozbys and the Cowans were related. William Wallace Cowan lived out his life in the community of Elizabethtown, Denton County, TX (now defunct except for the historical cemetery). He was Justice of the Peace 1878-1880, ran an inn, and farmed. I don't know if it was his Tennessee background, his manner, or his size (reportedly 6'6") but they called him "Squire". He married Eliza Peace (1856-1931) in 1875. Their house stood on a rise overlooking Elizabeth Creek. Some say the creek was the first night's stop on the cattle drives from Fort Worth up to Kansas and beyond. They had four children: Isabelle b. 1876 - 195? m. John C. Hysinger Maud b. 1878- 1880 William Wallace b. 1880- 195? m. Veda Carruthers James Arthur b. 1884 - 1944 m. Carrie Jackson Ogletree (my grandparents) W.W.Cowan, Eliza Peace Cowan, James Arthur Cowan, Carrie Jackson Ogletree Cowan (and one of their four sons, Emory Clay Cowan) are buried in the Elizabethtown Cemetery, Denton Co., TX. To wrap up, three scraps of remembered oral history from 40+ years ago and a few of my own thoughts and questions. Oral history first: 1) from my grandmother "they had a mercantile store back in Tennessee, but it burned and they lost all their records"; 2) from my father "the first boy must always be named William Wallace and the first girl Isabella"; 3) from my father" the Cowans are Scotch-Irish and there were several brothers that originally came over". Thoughts: By 1830, there had been several marriages (over several generations) between Woods, Cowans and Cozbys. Was the marriage of W.W.Cowan, the elder, to Isabelle Cozby in 1839, a part of that long-standing association/migration of allied families? Was there a relationship between the earliest Cowan in Bradley County documents (a John Cowan who kept a tavern), and this William Wallace, my ancestor? Questions: 1) Would someone who has a subscription to Genealogy.com's library, take a look at the Cherokee Immigration Records and tell me what you think those amounts of money were alongside the name W.W.Cowan? Just type in W.W. Cowan the search box and it should come up. 2)Does anyone know a few more details about the Oath of Allegiance( taken by W.W. Cowan) in Chattanooga, TN in 1864. I know some signed as a condition of their release as POWs, but did others voluntarily sign it by just showing up? 3)On the gravestone of Ellen Cowan Hoge's son, William S. Hoge, there are the letters I.O.O.F and F.L.T. I know what I.O.O.F stands for, but can anyone tell me what F.L.T. means? (I suppose it's First something of Tennessee). So there you have it...another William W. Cowan in eastern TN...and I'm looking for his ancestry. Hope to hear from anyone with information. Thanks to all who work to keep this site one of the most active and informative. Anita Cowan Denton, TX

I am very interested in David Cowan of early Sevier County TN. Anyone having data on his family please contact me. Thank you. F.Robert Henderson

Hi Cowan Researchers I am lifting this from another listserv to which I belong. It may be of interest to some/all of us judy arnn-knight gggggrandaughter of David Cowan of Sevier County, TN I have updated the Ireland Book Discussion, Parish History Books website at: http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/books/parishes.html It now includes over 200 books, representing all but three counties with about a dozen lookup volunteers. I you have a book to contribute or want to volunteer to do lookups for a book, let me know and I will include them on the next website revision. -- Pat Connors, Sacramento CA http://www.connorsgenealogy.com

This is a war story friends. A report from the fields, the contenders on their bellies crawling through the trenches. What kind of genealogy is going to win? The canary genealogy in which little birds tell you so? The heavy duty spiritual telepathy where people have visitations in the night from their ancestors who tell them what to seek and where they are to be found? The internet junkie, the web-site spider? The Walker ship? The scholar ship? The latest in the dramatic sequels is that a Walker daughter married a Campbell and they were from Kirnan in Ireland. And since these outlaw Campbells (murdering the MacDonalds, you know) were Cowan kin, finding Kirnan might find us some Cowans. Early Cowans, the immigrant variety from the 1720's. The Walkers have never been able to find Kirnan on their navigation charts. The Campbells unfolded their Irish road-maps but didn't find Kirnan either. Not in the alphabetical tables, and it was just too damn much trouble folding and unfolding that sucker when you didn't know which side to look on, anyhow. So it got left to the Cowans to find Kirnan. Then a lady who had been there and did Irish research contacted Robert Cowan. (The internet bursts to the lead.) It was a townland. You won't find it on most maps because most maps don't show the names of townlands anymore than most U.S. maps don't show townships. (Sugarcreek Township, Bubba, in what was Westmoreland County, PA at that time, 1776, where John Cowan built his apple mill.) But she had the OS (Ordinance Survey) map that showed where what is left is, and where it had been since the early 1600's. From Bainbridge, go west. On the border with Armagh. There's a notorious lake there where in the 1640's a Chichester captain put Gaelic families out on the ice in the winter until the thin ice broke from the accumulated weight and only a couple of kids survived. It's a terrible war. In addition, Bob's correspondent gave the information from the tables in the GAI (General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland.) Scholar ship is pulling ahead (a head?). At this juncture Bob passed the data on to me to see what kind of a tweek I could tweek it with. Man, I was in clover. This Kirnan was just up the pike from Sheepstown where I had found my Cowan ancestors in a lease from the Needhams, descendents of the Bagenal family, about 14 miles north of Newry. In a text I had acquired in the course of my Cowan research ( the internet, the web-site spiders are lagging behind) I found Kirnan, now spelled Kernan and Kernan Lake. The book, Place-Names of Northern Ireland, Vol VI, County Down IV, North-West Down/Iveagh, by Kay Muhr was published in 1996 as a project of The Northern Ireland Place-Name Project, Department of Celtic, The Queen's University of Belfast. Robert thinks there may be 9 other pinheads in this country that also have a copy. The book lists 32 references for Kernan, with 21 prior to 1800. Drumrolls. This is it. THIS IS THIS IS. IT. Items 15, 16, 17. Rent Rolls Down 4 and 7 from 1692. Just the right time for Cowans to be in Ireland, packing the luggage for the next generation to leave. Turning to the "Primary Bibliography," Rent Rolls Down ="Strangford and Lisburn rent roll no. 21," AD 1692, PRONI T372/E. Robert ... jot that reference down. We will check it out, PRONI T372/E, might just have some very interesting leases. Strangford ...haven't I heard that name before, something about Capt. Walker picking up Cowans in Strangford Lough? All of this is "Dirty," genealogy is "dirty," you have to search the right dirt to find your people. Location, Location, LOCATION. The resolution of the war seems to have been that Marshal Bagenal was rewarded by the Crown and Arthur Chichester for his service in the Irish Wars of the 1580's. He was granted the lands that had belonged to the Cistersian monks in and about Newry. The Cowans were Scottish servitors (hired swords, mercinaries)of Lord Deputy Chichester, who became Lord Donegall, and there are three of them listed in the Muster Roll of Donegall in 1630. They were probably from Stirling. Robert Cowan was awarded land in Donegall for his service, John Cowan acquired a lease in Sheepstown to the north of Newry for his. John's son was Andrew. Andrew's sons were John and Abraham. John's family moved to Hillsborough, Abraham's to Newry. I am a descendent of Abraham. Burke's Family Records. "John Cowan, of Sheepstown, Newry, co. Down, fled from Scotland in 1637 in consequence of a duel." It was a war. It has always been a war. john cowan maclay "Cowan of Cowansville" 14th PA Cavalry Survivor/Andersonville No Surrender

My g-g-grandfather was Isaac Cowan, born 1827 in Wythe County, VA (son of James and Margaret). He married Elizabeth. Some genealogical sites say her name was Carroll but ... I can find no marriage of Isaac Cowan (or Cowen...) to Elizabeth Carroll anywhere. Moreover, I cannot find him in the 1870 Census of virtually any state I've looked in. He was in Virgina (Washington County) in 1860 and 1880 but was either missed in 1870 or was somewhere else. I've got my fingers crossed he was "somewhere else" and the someone out there might know where and that may give me a clue to solve which Cowan line he (and I) belong to... Any ideas ??? Gary