I am looking for information on David Cowan or Cowen. The family owned land along Coldwater Creek (Lincoln Cty, Tenn) by 1811, and by 1814 they owned property (and apparently settled) where Little Bradshaw Creek flows into Elk River in the far western part of Lincoln County, in what would now be the Delrose area, and including an area once known as Cole's Bend. There was once a post office on this property known as Charleston.

David was born 23 Dec. 1780 in Virginia. He married Ruth Campbell (b. 4 March 1784 in Cecil Co. Maryland - d. 29 Dec. 1870 in Llano Co. Texas).

David Cowan was associated with the Campbell family in this same area -- all apparently migrating to Lincoln County, Tennessee from Lee County, Virginia sometime between 1805 and 1811.

Family tradition has it that David was a member of the Tennessee Assembly from Lincoln County in 1825 and 1826, but I have been unable to confirm.
The Biographical Directory of the Assembly suggests another David Cowan, but the citations are so vague that it does not confirm or deny -- it seems to make an assumption based on census records the author managed to locate.

David Cowan and his brother in law Joseph Campbell were murdered in 1826 -- I would like to find further information about this.

His son, David Calvin Cowan, led the immediate family to Texas in the mid 1840's, selling all the family lands in Lincoln County. I have considerable documentation, including photographs of David Calvin Cowan, and other family members. But the father is where my ancestor research hits a dead end.

Any help is enormously appreciated.

Ryan Cowan
rycowan@mediaone.net