ITEM 5 - The Cowan Brothers of Harrodsburg Kentucky by Carolyn Cowan of Greenfield, IN [This next writing comes from data taken from the "Draper Mss. & a paper researched by Mrs. Wm May of Danville, KY. and is called "The Cowan Brothers". I decided to type it in its entirety because of the contents, however, I noticed that the wills at the bottom of page do not correspond with the names given as the brothers. It looks to me like James & John were the older brothers who had already left home & were left off the will to make their own way. If my theory is right, I need to find where the 4th brother, David went to. If anyone has other info. I would love to hear from you.] [email protected] * * * Cowan, a Scotch name, was occasionally spelled Gowan. Members of this family went to Ireland, where they became known as the "fighting Presbyterians". Later they came into Pennsylvania and Virginia and still later into Kentucky. Two of the brothers, John and James, were in James Harrod's Company that came to Kentucky in 1774. Jared (sometimes spelled Garrard) Cowan, the 3rd brother may not have come until later. Within two months after Harrod's arrival in 1774, James Cowan was dead. He was one of the surveyors in the group, & had gotten his papers wet that morning when it rained. As he was drying them before a fire he was fired upon by Indians and killed. Three of the men escaped and a 4th went to warn Harrod of the tragedy who rallied his party and went to bury the victim and recover the papers. James Cowan left one son, David Cowan. (see estate papers later). Jared Cowan has been confused with James Cowan as being the brother killed in 1774, however, from land records and the estate papers of Jared Cowan who died in Mercer Co. Ky. in the year 1795, all prove it was James & not Jared who died in 1774. Jared settled in Mercer Co., KY. one & one-half mile from Danville on the Harrodsburg-Shakertown Pikes. He married Mary Caldwell in Mercer Co in 1786 and had two sons, David and George Caldwell Cowan - they were never married. If he had other children there is no record of them in the court records, as Jared left no will. His inventory being recorded in March court 1796. (See George C. Cowan will in which he names four aunts, one brother & grandmother, not named - almost proof that he had no other brothers or sisters). Capt. John Cowan was the brother that was best known. He was one of Harrod's men in 1774 & returned with him in 1775. He entered and settled on land close to James Harrod's plantation, in now, Boyle County. He is said "never to have had a dull moment". It was also said that he furnished much of the information on the Filson map and that the information for Filson's book also was furnished by Capt. John. In a deposition he states that in the fall of 1777, he went to Valley Forge to see Gen. Washington Army - the following years went to Vincennes and Kaskaskia and sometime in the year 1777 took the first census in all of Kentucky at Fort Harrod. He counted 196 persons there. As early as 1773 he was in Kentucky with Bullitt being one of the first surveyors at the Falls on the Ohio - now Louisville. He later claimed land in Jefferson County which he left in his will to his daughters. He was married 11 Sept 1781 to Mary Craig, d/o John Craig, of the "Hanging Fork" in Lincoln Co., Ky. (no record of the marriage recorded in Lincoln Co. - would be about the time Kentucky County was established and those records have not been found). Family records stat that the same year he was married, "Thomas Jefferson commissioned him as captain of the militia in Kentucky". Capt. John seems to have been one of the most intelligent men of his day as well as the most educated in Kentucky. As a woodsman, he is said to have been hardly inferior to Daniel Boone. He was third high sheriff of Lincoln Countyu, which at the time included one third of all Kentucky. He was one of the first justices of peace of Mercer Co. He apparently caused some confusion in court one day when he refused to take the oath of allegiance to Virginia. He said he had already given it to the United States and that was enough. The court had never run into a situation of that kind & didn't know what to do. Capt. John went home but after sleeping over the matter, went back next day, took the oath and was sworn in as Justus of the Peace. Capt. John Cowan was elder of the Concord Church, as the Presbyterian Church in Danville was then called. He was entrusted with the "token bag" - bag made of striped cotton in which metal tokens were kept and issued to worthy communicants. One who did not have a token could not partake of Communion. "Dr. George Cowan (grandson of Capt. John) recalled many years later that the bag passed to his father, who guarded it lovingly, and when as a boy wanted one to use as a sinker for his fishing line was not given one". A Court record shows that Capt. John did not mind admitting that he would run if he had to, although he is known to have been as brave as the bravest - he was asked if he ever passed a certain place in 1774 - "Yes", he answered, "I was fleeing from an enemy, and I passed it". John an Mary Cowan reared a large family and many of their decendants became prominent here in this area and elswhere. * * * Mercer Co., Kentucky Records Will Bk 7, p. 198 John Cowan Will - Proved May Court 1828 Wife - tract of land where "I now live", slaves, cattle & dwelling, house, furniture & etc. Sons - William C. Cowan & Henry J. Cowan - part of tract where I now live. Daughters - Mary, & Sally - land in Jefferson Co. Sons - John, James, David Deed Book 2, p. 46 - Aug. 1793? (hard to read) Hanna Cowan of Mercer Co, KY widow of David Cowanh deceased of Lancaster Co., Penna. makes her dau. Margaret & son David her power of Atty. in settlement of property of her late husband David Cowan, deceased of Lancaster Co Penna. Will bk. 5, p. 316 Oct. Court 1816 - Hannah Cowan Will; names four daughters - Margaret, Elizabeth, Janet and Sarah Cowan. Son, David not named but names him in above deed. Jared Cowan - Will Book 2, p. 5 - Inv. returned into Court & ordered to be recorded - March Court 1796 - He left no will & settlement papers show nothing about his children's names. Deed Book 2, p. 20 - To all people to whom these present...I Jared Cowan, of Mercer Co. for love & good will toward my 2 sons, George Caldwell Cowan & David Cowan both under 21 have given unto said George and David my four negroes.. Deed of gift this day recorded July 1793 Note: George Caldwell Cowan died unmarried 1817 and leaves estate to "four aunts, Peggy, Betsy, Jenny, Sally Cowan" to brother David Cowan & grandmother , not named (I believe her name was Isabell Caldwell - his mothers mother because his other grandmother was already dead. Aunts translated because so many nicknames were used back then): Margaret (Peggy); Elizabeth (Betsy); Janet (Jenny); & Sarah (Sally) I also want to point out in this writing that when this writer kept talking about James as the other brother, I belive his name should have been David. [See father, David's Will below] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- In a book called "Stocking Up" by Nancy O'Malley at the Franklin, KY. library there is a detailed description the boundary of land disputed between James Harrod and John Cowan. Their land was side-by-side and this dispute was filed December 31, 1802 at the Lincoln County Court, Stanford. Note: At this point I want to let you know that I have a copy of the map showing some of the Pioneer Stations around Fort Harrod and if anyone has a fax machine I will be happy to send a copy of it to you. Shown on it are: Cowan's Station, Dutch, Harrod's, Lawrence's, Given's, Clarks, Crow's Fisher's, Harlan's, Caldwell's, Irvin's, Harbeson's, Wilson's, Wm. MacAfee's, Smith's, McBride's, Bowman's, Trigg's, Gordon's, McGary's Yocum's, Denton's, James McAfee's and other Stations/Forts/Blockhouses ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [Here are two 'Will Abstracts' from Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. I went to PA & have transcribed the handwriten copies from courthouse.] Cowan, John (D) May 16th 1758 - (P) June 2, 1760 -----page 154 Exec. Elizabeth & William Cowan. Salsbury (twp) W.-Elizabeth Cowan. Children 0 Catharine, Thomas, William, Margaret, Jane, Elizabeth, John, Abigail & Henry. N.B. There was a bequest to St. James Church - Pequea. Cowan, Henry - (D) ----(P)----- The records of this will are lost. -----page 154 Cowan, David - (D) Nov. 19th 1778 - (P) May 10th 1786.----page 175 Exec. William Brisbin & John Fleming. Salsbury (Twp.). W. - Hanna Cowan. Children - Jarred, David, Margaret, Elizabeth, Hannah, Janet & Sarah.