Does anyone know a death date/place for James Cowan, born circa 1826 in South Carolina to James Cowan and Frances Garrett? He was living in St. Clair county in 1880 with his wife Margaret and family. I found his widow living in St. Francis county Arkansas with their youngest son Louis/Lewis in 1900 and 1910. Apparently he died somewhere along the way from AL>TN>AR between 1880-1900. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to find him during this time since there is no census? Thanks for any help or suggestions. Sheila Jarrett --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions Great stuff seeking new owners! Bid now!

Many of you have been following my posts concerning Professor Hagy's 1966 thesis on Castle's Woods: Frontier Virginia Settlement, 1769-1799 written while he was a student at East Tennessee State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Degree of Master of Arts (History) I was fortunate to secure an original copy of his thesis from a rare book dealer and subsequently offered to make copies for interested researchers. The thesis contained no copyright provisions but a couple of folks encouraged me to try to locate Professor Hagy, some 37 years after he published it. The results of my search are quite interesting, but before I tell you what happened let me first give a brief overview of the Castle's Woods settlement for those who are new to the list. "This thesis is a narrative account of the frontier settlement of Castle's Woods. The community is an interesting case study of the ideas of Frederick Jackson Turner regarding the frontier. Castle's Woods in many ways fits the pattern of the typical frontier community. Apparently first settled by a long hunter, Castle's Woods, like a magnet, drew westward the classic frontier types, hunters, farmers, speculators, surveyors, artisans, and preachers. Even some aristocrates settled there. The usual frontier customs and activities were observed in the community. These included a considerable amount of lawlessness. The greatest problem for the settlers in Castle's Woods was the Indians who were a menace from the time of the first settlement until nearly the end of the eighteenth century. After the Indian problem had been eliminated, the frontier stage quickly passed away...... A large amount of primary materials were used in this study. The most important sources were county records, state archives, national archives, and the Draper Manuscripts." The importance of Castle's Woods is twofold. First, it had its day of importa nce as a stepping stone to the West. Secondly, it is important as a case study of the American frontier. It was the first permanent settlement in Russell County, Virginia, founded in 1769 and located on the Clinch River. Castle's Woods was a stopping off place for folks on their way West. A generation or two earlier many of these settlers had been in the Shenandoah Valley around Augusta and Rockbridge Counties and before that Pennsylvania and Ireland. Soon they would leave southwest Virginia and begin to populate Kentucky, Tennessee and later Texas, Arkansas, and points north and west. These were the pioneers that made Walt Disney famous; Daniel Boone, Samuel Houston, David Crockett and many like Boone, paused briefly in Castle's Woods before heading out into the pages of history. So, where does one begin to look for someone 37 years after he writes a nice research paper? My 16 year old son looked up from his computer, said "whitepages.com" and in less than five minutes I was speaking with Professor Hagy who is now almost 67 and living the good life in central Florida. We had a nice chat and I thanked him for the work he had done and told him I was making copies of his thesis for genealogists on the internet and he said that he had no plans to reprint the thesis and to "copy away." We talked mostly about how important it was to preserve obscure source materials and what a great value the internet was to accomplishing that task. I have enjoyed seeing this project grow from finding a single copy of an important, somewhat obscure document to a situation where enough people have copies that it should always be available. As in the past I make the same offer again. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of Professor Hagy's thesis please contact me privately at [email protected] for details. Regards, Robert Cowan 525 Harrogate Rd. Matthews, North Carolina 28105 If I send this post to your list it means one of two things. Your surname is in the document OR there is a very high probability your county was settled by some of the people who lived in Castle's Woods. (On your Virginia map find Abingdon and look a little to the west. You see the small community of Castlewood which is how the named evolved.) Some of the surnames are: Cowan, Walker, Russell, Montgomery, Porter, Moore, Campbell, Stuart/Stewart, Houston, Shelby, Anderson, Smith, Gist, Pitman, Robinson, Boles, Stapelton, Thompson, Fleming, Floyd, Kincaid, Knox, Woods, Fraley, Castle, Snoddy, Stoner, Dickenson, Bickley, Boone, Scott, Bryan, Preston, Christian, Crockett, Estill, Bledsoe, Lynch, Hamlin, Lewis, Harman, Bell, Gillespie, Cunningham, Osbourne, English, Kilgore, Green, Brown, Duncan, King, Johnson, Black, Davis, Wier, Kerr, McCorkle, Hill, Phillips, Best, Asbury, Alley, Walls, Jones, Barnett, Calhoun, Beavers, Ward, Price, Bowen, Carter, Logan, Kennedy and others.....

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Cowan, Glass Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DMQ.2ACIB/770 Message Board Post: Looking for any information on Jane/Jean Cowan and husband, Andrew Glass. My great, great uncle, Andrew Glass, owner of the Tam O'Shanter Inn, Ayr, Scotland, from 1857 to 1875. Son of Thomas Glass and Mary Wylie. Wife, Jane/Jean Cowan. Daughter Mary Glass. Wife, Marion Stewart. Children, Marion Stewart Glass, Andrew Cowan Glass, Margaret Glass, Thomas Glass, Alexander Stewart Glass, Jane Cowan Glass, Charles Stewart Glass. Thank you. Patti

There has been in the last 5 years a marked turn-around in Irish historical research with genealogical implications. The "post troubles" reseach is funded by university grants, written by acknowledged researchers in their respective fields and has academic credibility. The "genealogical implications" are primarily in the footnoted documentation to the facts and matters presented and in the extensive bibliography that accompanies the new publications. The writers don't fry your fish, they show you where to catch them. There is a fantastic series of hardcover books published by Geography Publications in Dublin and funded by Irish universities in Dublin, Belfast and by the Ulster Local History Trust. The Volume I am referencing is "Down, History & Society," edited by Lindsay Proudfoot, Reader in Geography, The Queen's University of Belfast who is a specialist in historical geography. There are 24 essays in the volume which cover the range of historical research in County Down from prehistorical artifacts through the 19th century. No volitile political articles. I also have the volumes for Donegal and Derry, which in my estimation are two outstanding, must read books for understanding the plantations period and subsequent development of the respective counties. There are about 8 other volumes to date but they pertain to Republic of Ireland Counties in which I have no interest. Since I have learned to pull the curtains wider on my historical window I now read some research materials that deal with events after 1796 when my Cowans left Ireland and the 1830's when my McClays got out of Derry and Tyrone. Chapeter 17 of the text is an essay, "The Irish Language in County Down" and makes a specific citation to a James Cowan in 1945 taken by a linguist researcher. On March 11, 1945 {the researcher, McPolin} visited James Cowan, farmer, Stang, aged 60. Cowan was able to repeat a number of phrases in Irish which his grandmotheer who knew the language taught him when he was a child, e. g. bless himself, count from one to ten, and such phrases as "showitchshough." At the same time he says his mother knew no Irish. She apparentlhy was born about the transition period when parents did not wish their children to learn Irish. That would be about 1840-50 in this district. Cowan's granny belonged to Drumboniff." In our country, Presbyterian services in Gaelic where held in Cape Fear as late as the 1840's. One of the first books published in Gaelic was John Knox's Catechism. The Scottish Presbyterians took an active role in speaking and publishing in Gaelic. The purpose was to gain converts among Gaelic speaking Scots and Irish. The Catholic priest showed little interest in learning and teaching Gaelic since the Mass and services were in Latin, and the Priests aspired to an education on the Continent in Spain, France or Italy. There was little or no prestiege associated with learning Gaelic. The only Gaelic I know is Turrah Lurrah Lurrah, That's an Irish Lullaby which my Grandmother always sung to me. I don't know if she sang it because she knew the Gaelic or if she just liked the song. jcmclay

Isn't that the title of a book or play or something? I didn't get much past 1634 in British Literature at UNC. So I am retarted on this recent lmaterial. Anyhow, it is important in our research to be ernest and thorough and not do projects half-way. I think it was about 1984 when my daughter was born that a distant relative and schoolteacher/genealogist sent me a pedigree chart tracing our Cowan pedigree back 7 generations. It was an astounding, incomparable gift that has influenced my life course as I vowed to continue the work and flesh it out. I was able to get copies of the original land applications and Patents from the Pennsylvania State Historical Museum that establised that my John Cowan and his brother William settled in a part of Westmoreland County that is now Armstrong County in 1796. CCD Appendix C. I also had to do a considerable education project as my relative had confused William with Hugh Cowan's son William who was a Revolutionary War officer and who left Lancaster County for Westmoreland County to meet up with some other Cowans. It was only through the 1850 and later census reports that I could convince her that our ancestors had come from Ireland. The reports of John's children made absolutely clear that the father and mother and three of their children were born in Ireland. This was a hard battle since the research of my relative was held in esteem by other family members because of her position as a teacher and her years of devoted reseach. She worked in an era in which a woman's research goals entailed membership in the DAR. She was stubborn, gritty and unrelenting, but my scholarship, in the end, has prevailed. Thus, these issues consumed a considerable amount of time, effort, correspondence and "political" encouragements to look at the facts. I just never got to searching the lines of John Cowan's 9 children as thoroughly as I did my immediate line. I went through all the volumes of the quarterly Cowan Clan United and waited out the repeated delays of Rev. Fleming's widely anticipated CCD. Always, always, in the back of my mind was the question, Ireland. Where in Ireland did my Cowans originate? It was a question unanswerable since there was no precise location. And all the issues of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland just made a complex matter just about incomprehensible. Never-the-less, I continued researching and made some small degree of progess in sorting out the lines of the other Cowan descendents. My breakthrough occured when I purchased a reprint copy of "Historical Cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong Counties Pennsylavnia." Originally published in 1891 and edited by Samuel T. Wiley. This was long after my John Cowan had died (1840) and I held little hope that I would find anything new. My eyes were opened when, in the later portions of the text, I chanced upon the Biography of Robert W. Cowan, a man I couldn't place immediately, but this was the hot kind of material I had hoped to find. It turned out that Robert W. was the grandson of John and the son of James, one of the sons born in Ireland. James would certainly have known where he and his father, mother and sisters had been born and lived in Ireland. Then I died and went to heaven. There in black and white were the words that stopped my heart and quickened my breath just as the letter did in 1984 that contained the bloodline pedigree: The Cowan family of this county, on the paternal side, is of Irish extraction, and the subject of this sketch is a son of James and Sarah Porterfield Cowan, and was born in North Buffalo township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, November 11, 1841. His paternal grandfather, John Cowan, was born in county Down, Ireland, and settled in Armstrong county." Wow. Wow. After two more very frustrating but highly informative years of reseach with LDS tapes and on-site reseach at Trinity College, Dublin and at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, I was able to find in the papers of the estate of a Welshman, Samuel Bagenal, a lease for three lives in the Townland of Sheepstown that linked my John Cowan to the family of Alexander Cowan of Newry, repleate with a hand drawn survey of the farm. Bagenal was given the lands for his service to the Crown following the Battle of Yellow Ford in 1598. The lands had once been the property of the Cistercian Abbey in Newry. In conclusion, it's important to be ernest, thorough, persistent, but it's more important to be fortunate and not have much competition. jcmaclay

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Brewster, Cowan Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DMQ.2ACIB/769 Message Board Post: >From "Who's Who in Kern County, 1939" (pub by Wilson & Peterson, 1940) BREWSTER, Frederick William. Parents, Brinkerhoff and Maria Louisa (Cowan) Brewster. Born, Auburn, N.Y., Oct. 17, 1872. If this is a good connection based on other information you have, reply to this message and I will transcribe the remaining bio information. I am not related to this family and have no other information about them. I'm just making the most of a $2.00 buy on eBay... If this helps you, please "pay it forward" by helping another researcher. Colleen Kayter

I have up stairs a very early list of Seiver County people - I want to say that it is the tax rolls of 1837 that Beulah Linn did many years ago. I saw the normal Cowans that I would expect to be there, but then in an area of Sevier County that I have not looked to see where it really happens to be - I happened to spy Jonathan Cowan. Now, we are trying to find the parents of Jonathan Cowan that got married up in Jefferson County, TN - his line is present day, Paul Cowan in Texas. I was just a little shocked to see Jonathan in Sevier County at that time. Has anyone else run across him over here in Sevier County???? Laura Cowan Cooper Kodak, TN 37764 [email protected]

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Cowan, Wheeler, Francis, Sivley, Moore Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DMQ.2ACIB/768 Message Board Post: Found book "LOST LINKS" dedicated to memory of Mrs. James Craig Cowan, written by Elizabeth Wheeler Francis and Ethel Sivley Moore in 1945, says it is " New Recordings of Old Data From Many States" E-mail me direct, Fran

I have one Martha Cowan b. 27 Dec 1771 daughter of David Cowan and Mary Gray. who were b. in PA Billie

Hello Carolyn, My 4g-grandfather was the Hugh Cowan b. 1680 who married Mary Scott. Their son David Cowan married Mary Gray. Their daughter Elizabeth Cowan married George Breckenridge. There was a Hugh Cowan who married Rachel Breckenridge. This Hugh was the son of the David Cowan and Mary Gray above and another Hugh who was the son of the Hugh and Mary Scott above. I would like to add your Hugh to my database. Could you send his birthdate and his wife's and any other pertinent information about them? I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, Billie

At 06:47 PM 1/20/02 -0600, you wrote: >Is anyone researching Cowan's in Rowan Co. NC circa late 1700's. If so, I >would like to hear from you. I need to find information on Martha "Mattie" >Cowan. She married in 1811 so I would suppose she was born about 1790 - 1795. > >Thanks, >Sherry Sherry, There are a lot of use researching the ones in Rowan County - can you give us some more details in order to place her? Now, I do understand if this is all that you know. <g> Laura Cowan Cooper Kodak, TN 37764 [email protected]

Dear List There were 3 different Hugh Cowans around Bourbon Co., KY at the same time. (1790's) I think I am going crazy trying to sort this out. We have census records which pretty well separate 2 of them (1 Hugh m. into Buchanan line & 1 Hugh m. into the Breckenridge line) & the 3rd Hugh Cowan died just before the 1800's. Anything you can give me would be appreciated & might help with this puzzle. I have a file folders full of both Buchanan & Breckenridge lines. My 4g-grandfather was the Hugh (possibly an immigrant) who married Margaret Buchanan d/o Geo. & Esther Campbell Buchanan from NY to York Co., PA to KY to IN. Thanks again...Carolyn

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DMQ.2ACIB/260.1.1 Message Board Post: I don't know of the people you were asking about. Good luck

Is anyone researching Cowan's in Rowan Co. NC circa late 1700's. If so, I would like to hear from you. I need to find information on Martha "Mattie" Cowan. She married in 1811 so I would suppose she was born about 1790 - 1795. Thanks, Sherry

I just want to remind everyone that tomorrow is a holiday. It is the birthday of Thomas J. Jackson, known by most of us as Stonewall Jackson. I am presently drinking a glass of red wine in his honor. DEO VINDICI Robert Cowan Forrest's Cavalry

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DMQ.2ACIB/260.1 Message Board Post: Any info on a William Cohen of Mississippi married to Pernicia Irene Nash in 1870s, they lived in Lowndes county at leastthrough the 1880s. If you are connected, any info will be appreciated---Len

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Cowan, Alexander, Nash, Cohen, Cowen Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DMQ.2ACIB/682.687.2 Message Board Post: Dear lil, Re William J. Cowan of Mississippi: This could be same Wm J. Cowan that married Pernicia Irene Nash in 1870s... later lived in Lowndes County (I have a 1884 court document (estate settlement document...his brother-in-law spelled his name "Cowan, Cohen, or Cohen" ) indicating they lived in Lowndes Counnty. How old or what year was the Wm J. Cowan on 1870 Yalabusha census born? thanks, Len

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Cowan, Alexander, Nash, Cohen, Cowen Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DMQ.2ACIB/682.687.1 Message Board Post: Re William J. Cowan of Mississippi: This could be same Wm J. Cowan that married Pernicia Irene Nash in 1870s... later lived in Lowndes County (I have a 1884 court document (estate settlement document...his brother-in-law spelled his name "Cowan, Cohen, or Cohen" ) indicating they lived in Lowndes Counnty. How old or what year was the Wm J. Cowan on 1870 Yalabusha census born? thanks, Len

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Cowen, Cowan, Cohen, Nash, Alexander Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DMQ.2ACIB/607.1 Message Board Post: Any possible to a William Cowan married Pernicia Irene in 1870s lived in Lowndes County, Mississippi (Columbus area?) ? ---Len

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DMQ.2ACIB/767 Message Board Post: Seeking any family connection of William Cowan and Pernicia Irene (Nash) Cowan of Lowndes County mississippi. they were married in 1870s---Len