Seeking further information about the ancestry of James Cowan, born around 1774 in VA, migrated to East TN, possibly via Jefferson Co, TN; Knox Co,TN;and then to Meigs Co.TN. He was a farmer, one of the Commissioners designated to lay off Meigs County into districts, postmaster of the town of Cowansville (name later changed to Fincannon's Ferry), trustee of Decatur Academy in 1838-1839,etc. He was married to Elizabeth(last name unknown at this time) b in PA. They had three girls and four boys: Evalina Cowan Camp (Kemp?); Wm. Wallace Cowan, Mary Elizabeth Cowan McCarty; Joseph Cowan; Jane M. Cowan Russell; John H. Cowan; and James Archibald Roane Cowan. When James Cowan died in 1841in Meigs Co., TN, he willed five separate farms and fifteen slaves to his wife, children and sons-in-law. All the children married and all were prolific. Both Wm. Wallace Cowan(1800-1854) and his brother, J.A.R.Cowan, married twice.
Wm. Wallace Cowan first married Elizabeth Chattin in 1829 and they had one daughter, Mary Catherine Cowan who married Wm. H. Hammond.. After Elizabeth died, W.W. married Isabella Cozby in 1839. They had four daughters and a son and lived in Charleston, Bradley Co., TN . W.W.Cowan, the elder, died in 1854. I descend from his son, Wm.W.Cowan (1844-1911) who, after the civil war, migrated to Tarrant Co, TX and then to Denton Co., TX. This period is described in more detail in an earlier post, but I have only recently linked up James and Elizabeth Cowan as an earlier generation of this line. James came from VA and was one of the earliest white settlers in the Meigs Co, TN area. Where in VA did he come from? Who comprised his family of origin? James' son Wm.Wallace Cowan first married a Chattin and the Chattins came from VA. What is Elizabeth's last name and, here I note, a PA connection.
Any info or advice appreciated. This is a very large group of Cowans. Hopefully, some of you have an ancestor here.
Thanks, Anita Cowan
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I am not sure I have any connecting lines but...I am looking for information on a Cowan family that lived in Bradley Co., TN. in 1851. The only first name I have for that family is Mary Cowan. This Cowan family is connected to my Wood family in Cocke Co., TN. I have a letter written in September 1851 to my g.g. grandfather, John Wood in Cocke Co., from Cleveland, Bradley, TN. The letter is written by one of John son's, Joseph Wood. It states; "then left Smiths on wensday got to Cleavland on thursday & found Cousin Cowans all well & doing well." Later in the letter it says; "Cousin Mary Cowan was fixed to start to the Alabama this day but our coming stoped her & by persuasion we are going with her." (How can you spell persuasion correctly and mis-spell stopped) I am not sure how the Cowan's are actually connected to the Wood family. John Wood was born in Pennsylvania in the 1780's and moved with his parents, Joseph Wood and unknown mother's name, to Tennessee in the early 1790's. John Wood did have a sister Elizabeth but she is married to a Smith and lives in Cooper Co., Missouri by 1825. Her husband is possibly Rueben Smith, we are not sure. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I will share what I do have. There are several of us doing research on the Wood family and we have many unanswered questions.
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I am always interested in those with the surname Cowan in Bradley County, TN during the 1800s. However, my ancestors seemed to stay up in the Charleston, Bradley County, area and I haven't established connections with those Cowans in Cleveland (only 12 miles to the south). I have only a couple of Mary Cowans in my data: 1) Mary "Polly" Cowan who married John McCarty and was the brother of James; and 2) Mary Catherine Cowan who married Wm. H. Hammond. I don't think either is the one that you have. I do note in the Bradley County Census for 1870, a Mary A. Cowan and an obituary notice for a Mary A. Cowan, age 55, in the Cleveland Banner for 13 Aug 1875 (identified as wife of John N. Cowan) The latter is cited in Death Notices in the Cleveland Banner, 1865-1883 by Wm. R. Snell and Virginia Faye Taylor. There was also a Miriam that married an Alonzo Cowan in or around Bradley, but I just have a scant note on that. Hope those with Cowans in Bradley and surrounding counties will keep sharing what they find, so that we can link up more of these Cowans.
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Thank you very much for the response to my query on the Cowan family. I appreciate it. I agree I do not think that the Mary Cowans you mention are mine. I surmise that the Mary Cowan referred to in my letter is young and not married. I base that totally on the fact that Joseph Wood is only 22 and not married and he has his 20 yr. old sister, Sarah Jane Wood, with him. It would be nice if all of our genealogy reseach was easy and fit together nice and tidy. Of course anyone who has done genealogy longer than a minute would laugh hysterically at that notion. I would appreciate hearing from you if you happen to run across any info on the Cleaveland Cowans.
Thank you again.
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Oscar J Cowan he was from Tennessee and wife name is Kittie and kids Tilman,bill and mary.f. cowan and Tilman had seven kids.
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Would be really interesting if we could untangle the various Cowans in Bradley and McMinn Co. for the 1800s.
I have an Andrew Cowan who married Ester "Hettie" Houston and died and is buried at Flint Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He died in 1872 at the age of 90!!!!
Now, there was another Andrew Cowan that could be easily confused for the above in 1840 .. however, Andrew & Hettie were living in Blount co. in 1840 and he was the census enumerator for Blount co. and has a very distinctive handwriting.
So, who were the parents of the other Andrew in the 1840 Bradley Co. census?
I'm also interested in the John N Cowan that lived in Bradley Co., TN ... and how he may be related to Andrew (m. Hettie Houston)??
My interest lies in the fact that Andrew had a brother, John [Alexander] Cowan who married Rosanna Gillespie ... their son, James Gilliespie Cowan, named his second son John Newton Cowan (b. 1847, AL). This John N Cowan was my great grandfather ... So, the John N Cowan in Bradly Co, was his middle name NEWTON. I find this John N Cowan buried in Cleveland, TN while my Cowans are buried 10 mi. south of Cleveland at Flint Springs.
Then ... am I am trying to figure out who the descendants are of the James Cowan Sr & Jr found in the 1830 McMinn Co., TN census ... they are the only Cowans in that census I cannot account for.
I know the relationship of Rosanna Cowan to the other Cowans listed in that census but not to either of the two James mentioned above.
James Cowan Sr. is in the same age group as Rosanna so I am wondering if he was possibly a brother to Rosanna's husband, John [Alexander] Cowan. I am thinking this is also the same James Cowan found in the 1820 AL state census for Dallas Co., AL ... there's David, John, Robert, and James. I can definitely identify all but James in that census. Then, I find the same names in 1830 McMinn ... again, know who everyone is but James ...
Instinct tells me that the James of the 1830 cenus are related to "my" Cowans in the 1830 McMinn Co. census: Rosanna Cowan, her son Campbell, and brothers-in-law Andrew and Robert?
I've been told there are Bradley/McMinn Co. descendants living in the area today who have researched this line ...
If you have info, please contact me at: mcowan @ erols.com
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Christy: If you have any additional information on the Tennessee relatives of J. Oscar Cowan (b. Feb. 1879), I would appreciate hearing from you. He was my grandfather and he died in Rome, Ga. Jan. 12, 1933. Look forward to hearing from you. Ms. Dale S. Haygood e-mail mdsh@comcast.net
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Tillmon Cowan had 9 kids.
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Have you investigated your connection to the Cowans of Bradley Co through your Cozby/Wood line? John Cozby 1775-1831, son of Col James Cozby and Isabella Wood, married Abigail McBee, and their daughter Isabella married William Wallace Cowan of Cleveland, Bradley, TN.
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