Sections in this issue:
1) William Gowen, Scot Deported by Cromwell;
2) Serving Three Hitches . . . David S. Goins, Melungeon Ended the War at Yorktown;
3) DEAR COUSINS;
All Gowen Manuscript Pages and Newsletters: https://goyengoinggowengoyneandgone.com/gowen-research-foundation-pages-and-info/
GOWEN RESEARCH FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
Volume 1, No. 8 April 1990
1) William Gowen, Scot
Deported by Cromwell
William Gowen, a Scotch soldier captured by the troops of
Oliver Cromwell in the Battle of Dunbar September 3, 1650,
is believed to be the first member of the Gowen family in New
England. He was born in 1634, according to a deposition
signed by him in 1685. His full name appeared to be William
Alexander Gowen from tax records of Oyster River,
He was reported to be among 10,000 Scots captured by
Cromwell in the battle fought on the east coast of Scotland.
The one-sided battle which lasted only two hours was fought
between 11,000 English Parliament supporters and 26,000
Scotch Royalists led by David Leslie, later Lord Newark.
Dunbar is a seaport on the southern entrance to the Firth of
Forth, 36 miles northeast of Edinburgh. In the battle 3,000
Scots were killed and 10,000 taken prisoner. The English put
their casualties at only 20 men killed.
The prisoners taken at Dunbar were marched by the English
down to Durham and Newcastle in Northumberland. Many
perished on this march, and some were shot because they
could not or would not march, according to “History of
Dover, New Hampshire.” During the march, which took
eight days, the prisoners were given little to eat. Disease
swept off 1,500 in the course of a few weeks. The flux was
responsible for the death of 500. The English reported that the
Scots killed each other for money or clothing. In
Northumberland the prisoners were put under the care of Sir
Arthur Heselrig who wrote October 31, 1650 that “1,600 died
altogether in 58 days.”
On September 19, 1650, Cromwell’s council ordered Heselrig
to deliver to Samuel Clark 900 of the Scots for transportation
to Virginia, and 150 more “well and sound, and free from
wounds” were selected for transportation to New England.
Those bound for New England were placed under the charge
of Joshua Foote and John Becx of London who “were
interested as managers of the ironworks at Lynn, Massachusetts.”
They sailed on the “Unity” November 11, 1650.
Upon arrival at Boston, some were sent to Berwick, Maine.
There they settled in Unity Parish [named after their ship] and
began work in a sawmill. When released in 1656, they settled
Col. Charles Edward Banks wrote an article, “Scotch Prisoners
Deported to New England by Cromwell, 1651-52” on
the fate of the deported Scots which was published in “Massachusetts
Historical Society Proceedings,” Volume 61 .
The Rev. John Cotton wrote a letter reporting on the condition
of the prisoners “to the Lord General Cromwell, dated at
Boston in N. E, 28th of 5th, 1651:”
“The Scots, who God delivered into your hands at Dunbarre,
and whereof sundry were sent hither we have
been desirous [as we could] to make their yoke easy.
Such as were sick of the scurvy or other diseases have
not wanted physick and chyrurgery. They have not
been sold for slaves to perpetual servitude, but for 6 or
7 or 8 years, as we do our owne; and he that bought the
most of them buildeth houses for them, for every four
an house, layeth some acres of ground thereto, which
he giveth them as their owne, requiring 3 dayes in the
week to worke for him [by turnes] and 4 dayes for
themselves, and promiseth, as soone as they can repay
him the money he layed out for them, he will set them
“William Gowen, alias Smith,” Philip Chesley and Thomas
Footman were convicted of quarreling with James Middleton
at Oyster River in 1658, according to “History of Durham,
New Hampshire.” This volume reports that “William
Gowen, alias Smith,” was taxed at Oyster River in 1659.
“William Smith, alias Gowin,” was fined “for fighting and
bloodshed on ye Lords day after ye afternoone meeting,” June
30, 1668. “Elaxander Gowing,” who “History of Durham,
New Hampshire” reported as the same man, was taxed at
Oyster River in 1661.
William Gowen was married May 14, 1667 in Kittery, Maine
to Elizabeth Frost, daughter of Nicholas Frost and Mary
Bollen Frost, according to “John Salter, Mariner,” a
volume, written by W. T. Salter published in 1900.
Nicholas Frost was born in 1592 in England, at Tiverton. At
age 21, “Nicholas Frost of Biddeford, merchant, had license
from the Bishop of Exeter April 1, 1613 to marry Mary Bollen
of Monckleigh, gentlewoman,” according to “Pioneers of
Maine and New Hampshire.” Nicholas Frost and Mary
Bollen Frost “of Devonshire” emigrated to Massachusetts Bay
Colony, sailing from Bristol, according to “Maine Historical
& Genealogical Records.”
Nicholas Frost was recorded as “trading” at Damerill’s Cove in
1632, and he was fined and punished by the General Court of
Massachusetts Bay “upon the complaint of Dorchester
traders.” He was prosecuted again in 1636, according to
“Massachusetts Collections of Records.” He was “fined,
whipped, branded on the hand and banished for stealing from
the Indians and other crimes,” according to “New England
Frontier.” One of his associates, John Dawe, was led to the
whipping post for “intiseing an Indian woman to lye with
Following his banishment from Massachusetts he had the distinction
of being the first settler of Eliot, Maine in 1636. At
Kittery he signed a petition addressed to the governor July 27,
1639 seeking a pardon from his conviction. His signature was
“Nicholas Frost, of Pascattaquay, mason.”
In 1648 he was appointed a selectman. On November 16,
1652 he took the oath of allegiance to the Massachusetts
government. In 1658 he was appointed on a committee to
“Pitch and lay out the dividing line between Yorke and Wells
townships,” according to “Massachusetts Collection of
In Kittery William Gowen frequently signed his name as
“William Smith.” His use of the alias suggests that he might
still have some dread of the English authorities. His sons also
used the alias from time to time. It was a natural application
since the name “Gowen” in Gaelic means “Smith.”
William Gowen received a land grant at Kittery in 1666 and a
grant of a house lot in 1670. On April 13, 1672 “William
Gowine, alias Smyth” received a deed from Abraham Tilton
“of growing timber of Abraham Conly’s land at Spruce Creek,
Kittery,” according to York Deed Book 3, folio 64. He
received another grant there in 1674.
William Gowen was a freeholder in Kittery in 1675. On
September 16, 1676 “William Gowine, alias Smith bought all
right to lands on the Kennebec River from James Middleton,”
according to York Deed Book 3, folio 67. “William Gowine,
alias Smith” was appointed administrator of the estate of Tristram
Harris, deceased,” October 15, 1677, according to York
records. Harris, his comrade-at-arms was killed in a battle
with the Indians.
“William Gowen, alias Smyth” was appointed to a committee
to settle a boundary dispute April 12, 1680, according to York
Deed Book 4, folio 36. “William Gowine, alias Smyth” received
a partition deed April 13, 1680 from Charles Frost,
John F. Frost and Joseph Hammond, his brothers-in-law, to
real estate in Kittery inherited from Nicholas Frost, Jr. according
to York Deed Book 3, folio 67.
William Gowen and James Emery were appointed appraisers
of the estate of Jonathan Fletcher June 12, 1685, according to
York Court Book I, folio 37. In the “fourth month, 1685,
Elizabeth Gowen, alias Smith,” and Nicholas Frost posted
bond to become the executors of the estate of “Capt. Frost”
according to “Maine Historical & Genealogical Records.”
William Gowen made his living as a farmer and a carpenter
and apparently spent his entire life in the new world at Kittery.
He died there April 2, 1686 at age 52. His estate was valued
May 21, 1686 by John Wincoll and Nicholas Frost at “265
pounds, 9 shillings” as recorded in “York Court Records,
Part I, folio 40. Included were 258 acres of land, five oxen, 10
cows, two horses, and “in the fyre roume foure gunnes and a
The court recorded: “Elizabeth Smith alias Gowen doth Attest
vpon her oath that his Inventory aboue written of William
Smiths alias Gowein deceased is a true inventory to ye best of
her knowledge & yt more do appeare afterwards vpon oath in
Court this 21th of May 1686.”
On July 2 1695 Elizabeth Frost Gowen was sued by Phillip
White “For detaining and withholding one half of all ye estate,
both reall & personall, belonging to Tristram Harris,
deceased.” She lost the case and appealed to the next superior
court, where the decision was reversed in Boston, Massachusetts
in October 1695.
Elizabeth Frost Gowen on March 16, 1700 witnessed a receipt
signed by her daughter Sarah Gowen Smith for a distribution
of her inheritance, according to “York Court Records.”
Elizabeth Frost Gowen received in 1704 a donation of “1s. 9d”
from public funds. She was mentioned as living in the home
of her son, Nicholas Gowen when he wrote his will in 1733.
She died shortly afterward at about age 92.
In 15 generations, thousands of descendants of William
Gowen and Elizabeth Frost Gowen have been recorded since
their marriage 333 years ago. Family historians spanning
several generations have collaborated to research their
Angevine W. Gowen, a civil engineer, surveyor and historian,
who contributed much data to “History of York, Maine”
written by Col. Charles Edward Banks, was a descendant. He
was born in 1869 at York and became one of the family’s
earliest genealogists. According to John D. Bardwell, York
historian, he was “an orphan who was reared by Miss Julia M.
Gowen, his mother’s sister [sister-in-law?] and an uncle,
Joseph Gowen” who instilled in him their curiosity about their
Angevine W. Gowen was born on the home lot of his maternal
ancestor, Thomas Moulton in the house built in 1714 on the
York River by Joseph Moulton, son of Jeremiah Moulton and
grandson of Thomas Moulton, according to Bardwell.
Jeremiah Moulton purchased the property from Sir Ferdinando
Gorges in 1684 for £20.
The site was surveyed for Sir Ferdinando Gorges, “the Lord
Proprietor of the Province of Mayne” November 11, 1641. It
was described as “a division of 12,000 acres of land amongst
the Patentee of Agamentics, made by us Thomas Gorges, Esq,
Edward Godfrey and Roger Garde who are acting on behalf of
Mr. Sayward’s Patentees.”
Angevine W. Gowen learned the surveying trade from Samuel
W. Junkins, beginning as a chain carrier for him. In 1890, he
went out on his own as a surveyor. He also received
recognition as a photographer, violin maker, musician, game
warden, farmer, fisherman, astronomer, taxidermist and
woodsman, according to Bardwell. Many of his photographs
of the York area made on glass negatives survive. The Gowen
home and 20 acres of land was later acquired by Old York
A niece of Angevine W. Gowen, Mrs. Leslie Freeman of
York, continued the work, building on his research. Helen P.
Gowen continued research on the family into the 1950s when
blindness interrupted her work at the age of 84. She passed
the torch to her younger cousin Viola Allen Gowen of Sanford,
Maine. Julie Tuttle, a relative of Angevine W. Gowen,
lived at Ida Grove, Iowa in 1991. Another relative, Bradley
Moulton, lived at Cape Neddick, Maine at that time, according
to Margaret Pearson Tate of Exeter, New Hampshire.
Viola Allen Gowen suggested in her correspondence that it
was likely that William Gowen and Elizabeth Frost Gowen
were the ancestors of some of the southern Gowens in colonial
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
The most comprehensive work on this branch of the family
has been published by Yvonne Gowen of Surrey, British
Columbia, a member of Gowen Research Foundation. Over
10 years were spent in gathering data on the family. Mrs.
Gowen, an accomplished genealogist, assembled data from
many sources. Among researchers who assisted were
Margaret Pearson Tate of Exeter, NH; Almeda Gowen
Schofield of Contoocook, NH; Barbara Clements of North
Hampton, NH; Mary Driscoll of Springvale, ME and Mary
Ellen Gowen Waugh of Riverdale, MD, also Foundation
Children born to William Gowen and Elizabeth Frost Gowen
Nicholas Gowen born in 1667
John Gowen born in 1668
William Gowen born about 1672
Elizabeth Gowen born about 1673
James Gowen born about 1675
Margaret Gowen born about 1677
Lemuel Gowen born about 1680
Sarah Gowen born about 1682
James Gowen, postmaster and grocer of Highland
Lake, Maine, owned this general store in 1914 when
the above photograph was taken. James Gowen
was a descendant of William Gowen, Scotch
prisoner-of-war who arrived there in 1651. James
Gowen was also the grandfather of Henry James
Gowen of Westbrook, Maine who provided this
photograph during a visit to the Foundation office
2) Serving Three Hitches . . .
David S. Goins, Melungeon
Ended the War at Yorktown
Prepared from research developed
By Louise Goins Richardson
David S. Goins, probably a Melungeon, was born in Hanover
County, Virginia November 21, 1757, according to his Revolutionary
War pension application abstracted in “Tennessee
Heroes of the Revolution” by Zella Armstrong.
During his life he was sometimes enumerated as “white” and
sometimes as “free colored.” Apparently his family removed
to Halifax County, Virginia prior to the Revolution. He enlisted
there in a militia company commanded by “Capt.
Rogers,” according to his pension application dated February
“David Goins, a resident of Hamilton County and State
of Tennessee, aged 76 years doth appear in open court
before the Worshipful Justices of the Court of Pleas &
Quarter Sessions of Hamilton County now sitting and
on his oath make the following Declaration:
That he entered the service of the United States as a
volunteer under Capt. Rogers in Halifax County, State
of Virginia and was mustered into service under Col.
William Terry at Halifax Courthouse, to Williamsburg,
from Williamsburg to Norfolk, and from Norfolk to
Portsmouth where he was discharged, having served
“Six or eight months after his return home, he was
drafted, according to his memory under Capt. Bates
and joined the regiment at Bibb’s Ferry under Maj.
Jones. He was marched from there to Cabbin Point
below Petersburg, Virginia and was stationed there
until his term of service expired, having served three
months this tour and was discharged by Capt. Bates
and returned home.
About two years after the last mentioned service, this
applicant was again drafted, according to his memory
under Capt. Pregmore in Halifax County. They
marched to join Gen. Washington’s army at Portsmouth
where this applicant remained about two months before
the surrender of Corn Wallis. About three days
afterward, his term of service expired, and he was
discharged by Capt. Pregmore and returned home,
having served three months this tour.
Four or five years after the termination of the
Revolutionary War [October 1781], he moved from
Halifax County to Grayson County, Virginia where he
resided three years. From there he moved to Wythe
County, Virginia and resided there for 10 years. From
there he moved to Grainger County and resided there
for 14 years. From there he moved to Hamilton
County, Tennessee and has resided here twelve months
the last day of this month and still resides here.”
Apparently David S. Goins was married shortly after his return
home. “David Going” was listed in the state census of
Virginia of 1782 as the head of a household of two people in
Halifax County, according to “Heads of Households, Virginia,
1790,” page 24. He reappeared in the 1785 state census
of Halifax County as the head of a household of “four white
souls,” according to the same volume. In 1787 in Halifax
County “David Gowin” rendered for taxes “two horses and
five head of cattle.” About 1788 he removed to Grayson
County and from there he relocated in adjoining Wythe
County about 1791.
“David Gowin” was listed as the head of a household in the
1810 census of Wythe County, according to “Index to 1810
Virginia Census” by Madeline W. Crickard. About 1811 he
moved again to Grainger County “where he had a brother, Laban
Goin,” according to his pension application.
The 1820 census of Grainger County [and all but 10 counties
of Tennessee] was destroyed by a fire in Washington, and no
copy remains. “David S. Going, free negro” appeared in the
1821 tax list of Grainger County and paid a tax on “one free
poll.” “David Goan” reappeared in the 1830 census of
Grainger County, page 359, heading a household of “free colored
“David Goins, age 76” was listed as Revolutionary War Pensioner
S3406 in Hamilton County in 1834, according to
“Twenty Four Hundred Tennessee Pensioners” by Zella
David S. Goins died in 1840 in Hamilton County, “his pension
then being paid to his children” [unnamed], according to pension
records. He did not appear in the 1840 census of
Children born to David S. Goins are unknown, however
Louise Goins Richardson, Foundation Editorial Board Member,
2207 E. Lake Street, Paragould, AR, 72450 is seeking to
document him as the grandfather of her great-grandfather,
Oscar Claiborne Goins.
Laban Goins, identified as a younger brother of David S.
Goins, was born in 1764 in Virginia, probably Hanover
County. He lived in Halifax County during the Revolutionary
War, but was too young to serve in the militia with his brother.
About 1800 Laban Goins removed, apparently with several
families of relatives, to Grainger County, Tennessee. The
1805 tax list of Grainger County included “Laborn Going,
Claborn Goins, Daniel Going, Caleb Going, James Goins and
John Goins. A second version of the “Taxable Inhabitants
for the Year 1805” listed “Laban Going, Claiborne Going,
Daniel Goin, Shadrack Goin, James Going, John Going and
Although the spelling varies from the first list to the second, it
is obvious that the two lists refer to the same individuals. Of
the second group only Shadrack Goin does not appear in the
first list. “Laborn Going” was rendered as “one free poll, negro”
in the tax list.
Laban Goins preceded his brother in the move to Hamilton
County. He appeared in the 1830 census of that county, page
75, as the head of a “free colored” household. The enumerator
obviously had no way to properly record a Melungeon household.
Although he did not record the “free colored”
individuals, he did enumerate in the household “one white female,
5-10” and “one white female, 0-5.”
On February 7, 1834 Laban Goins submitted his affidavit to
the Hamilton County Court attesting to his brother’s Revolutionary
3) DEAR COUSINS
I am enclosing for the shelves of the Foundation library a
copy of “Memoirs of James M. Gowin, First Atomic Veteran.”
In addition to this 214-page book, I am sending a cassette
tape recording which provides additional information
about my life and my philosophy. I would like the Foundation
to have these and to preserve them forever.
I greatly appreciate receiving the Newsletter and applaud
all the efforts being made to preserve our heritage. I am
certain when we go back far enough the Gowins, Gowens,
Goins etc. all have some common ancestors. My
great-grandfather, Shadrack Gowin was born April 17, 1791 in
Virginia, and my grandfather, Drury Gowin, was born May
26, 1819 in Wilson County, Tennessee. My father, James
Madison Gowin was born May 11, 1841 in Crawford County,
Illinois. My cousin, Donna Gowin Johnston of Casper,
Wyoming has done an outstanding job in writing the history of
our family, and I am sure she will be a great asset to the work
of the Foundation.
I was born August 25, 1915 in Rutherford County, Tennessee
when my father was 74, which is my age today. God
has allowed the two of us 148 years on this earth. My father
was a Civil War veteran, having served in the Thirty-third
Indiana Infantry Regiment. I served in the 442nd Infantry in
World War II and did occupation duty in Japan.
We arrived there immediately after the second atomic
bomb was dropped, and five of us requisitioned a truck and
drove the 30 miles to Hiroshima. We were appalled at this
devastated city. We could not drive through, so we parked the
truck and walked through. We were the first Americans to
arrive there and had received no warning about radiation
sickness. There were some mighty dirty, sick-looking people
there digging around in the rubble. They paid us no mind nor
we them. We were about four hours walking across
Hiroshima and about four hours coming back through. We
were amazed at the power of this bomb. It had severed 3-foot
reinforced columns just as smooth as a knife cuts cheese. We
ate there twice, laying our food on the tops of these severed
On December 1, 1945 I was hospitalized with an
“unknown sickness” and on March 31, 1946 I was evacuated
on a hospital ship for home. During the next 44 years I have
fought a constant [losing] battle for my health. Since I am the
first atomic veteran, I have dedicated on my property at
Craggie Hope, Kingston Springs, Tennessee an Atomic
Veterans Memorial so that America will never forget the
horror and suffering that has been unleashed. I will be glad to
communicate with any person who is interested in this project.
James M. Gowin, Box 688, Craggie Hope, Kingston
Springs, TN, 37083 or 7347 Charlotte Place, Nashville, TN,
Thank you for sending us your Foundation Newsletter. We
are adding your series to our collection and will make it available
to our many patrons. All the best in your project in researching
the Gowen and related families. Let me add a
suggestion from years of doing the same thing with my family.
You might consider putting the data on the Personal Ancestral
File software. This way, disks of the family data can be sent
to members around the world and new data can be selectively
added in the same fashion. Since the PAF software is the
leading product, is widely available and only costs $35, we
found it to be the obvious choice. With the GEDCOM feature
it allows your members to own IBM, Apple, etc. and still be
able to swap data disks. Hope this helps. Thomas J. Kemp,
Librarian, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust
St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107.
You mentioned the Melungeon Newmans of Newman’s
Ridge in Tennessee. I am not aware of that group. Most of
the Newman researchers believe that Newman’s Ridge was
named for Walter Newman who traveled to Watauga with
Sevier during Lord Dunsmore’s War. This Walter Newman
was a grandson of Walter Newman that founded
Newmanstown, PA. There was a later Newman line that
settled at Watauga on which I have considerable information.
I hope that later this year I will have time to resume my
research on my Gowens/Goings line. Keep up the good work.
You have generated a lot of interest in the family. Kenneth L.
Newman, 906 2nd Street N.E, Jacksonville, AL, 36265.
Taking into account that the only areas of Britain that were
not conquered by the Romans and later the Vikings were Scotland,
Wales and Cornwall. There they continued to use the
Gaelic language, and so Gowens would be found in only those
This being so, then we were always Cornish. In 1936, my
mother asked a genealogist of the time to find for her the
origin of the name “Goyen.” His story was that in 1066
among the followers of William the Conqueror was a Norman
nobleman, Sir Hugh de Goy. His followers were known as
Goyens/Goynes. Goy, Goyen and Goyne are place names deriving
from a place on the River Seine in Lower Normandy
which is now spelt “Guyon.” Sir Hugh de Goy was granted
land in Cornwall. There the Goyen name was pronounced
Gowen as the old Cornish language did not use the letter “Y.”
I am enclosing [below] a copy of a newspaper account of a
collision at sea involving my g-g-grandmother and her children
while they were coming out in 1859 to join my
g-g-grandfather already here. Robert J. Goyen, 523 Sutton
St, Sebastopol 3357, Victoria, Australia.
Collision at Sea–Loss of the Elizabeth Walker
The White Star ship Red Jacket arrived at Port Phillip Heads at sundown on
Saturday and reached Hobson’s Bay late yesterday evening. Her passage to
the Equator occupied 28 days; thence to the Cape light and baffling winds.
Capt. Kirby reports the loss of the Elizabeth Walker from collision with the
Red Jacket. The following particulars were extracted from the log:
June 13, lat. 30.40 S, lon. 36.40 W at 1 a.m, clear moonlight, ship’s
course SE 1/2 S, rate of sailing 9 knots, all plain sail set and the port
foretopmast studding-sail, the man on the look-out reported a ship on the port
bow. Orders were given by Mr. Robertson, officer of the watch, to show the
port light. On ascertaining the tack and position of the ship the officer of the
watch gave orders for the helm to be put to port, as the strange vessel was
nearly on a parallel on the opposite tack to ourselves. The strange vessel then
showed a flaming torchlight. At the same time, it was discovered that she had
put her helm to starboard, and was keeping off the same as ourselves. The
officer of the watch seeing, by the two vessels continuing on the same course,
that a collision would be inevitable, ordered the helm of the Red Star to be put
to starboard, with the view of passing under the stern of the strange vessel,
and almost simultaneously, the helm on board of the strange vessel was put to
port, which luffed her across our bows, and a collision took place. Orders
were immediately given to throw all aback. To describe the confusion among
the passengers at the first shock is unnecessary; suffice it to say that the Red
Jacket had cut into the main-hatch combings of the other vessel, carrying
away her mainmast, mizen topmast, yards, etc, the Red Jacket losing
foretopmast-studsail-boom, and some of the head gear being carried away.
On looking over the bows of our own vessel, I immediately saw the dangerous
position of the other one, as she was evidently filling very rapidly with water,
and called out to them on board to leave her at once. With much difficulty the
crew got on board the Red Jacket, and in less that eight minutes from the first
shock the strange vessel went down under the bottom of the Red Jacket. At
the earliest opportunity the crew of the strange vessel was mustered. They
were all on board, and with the exception of the man that was at the wheel,
they were all uninjured. The ship proved to be the Elizabeth Walker, of
Glasgow, from Buenos Ayres, with a general cargo. When repair was
completed, sail was made with the intention to proceed on the voyage and to
put the crew on board the first ship we found homeward bound.”
Searching for parents of William Goin b1804 SC, married
Lucitha ?, v1825 Campbell Co, TN, cs1860 Fannin Co, TX.
Ch: James, Mary, Irene, Elvis/Alvis, William, John, Elizabeth,
Catherine and Matilda. Mrs. E. E. Stufflebeam, 7916 Lazy
Lane, Ft. Worth, TX, 76180.
Seeking documentation on Michael Gowen, “servant”
bc1640, a resident of tidewater Virginia and Prossa, “slave for
life” who were the parents of William Gowen. Michael
Gowen and son, William Gowen, “property of Mr. Stafford,
deceased,” were given their freedom in 1657 by Stafford’s
sister who inherited them. I was shown this record several
years ago by cousin Dennis Pettit who is now deceased, and I
can no longer locate it. Chan Edmondson, Box 141235,
Dallas, TX, 75214, 214/320-3161.
Need birth/christening date on Samuel Goyne/Gowen who
m1765 Elizabeth Trevigan. He was a blacksmith in Morval,
Cornwall and m2 Sarah Webb. If you can help the need is urgent.
Robert J. Goyen, 523 Sutton St, Sebastopol 3357,
Will gladly exchange data on Drury Goin/Going/Goins
who was b1749 in what became Greensville Co, VA, mc1767
Sarah “Sallie” Baxter who was bc1751 in Caswell Co, NC.
He served as Rev. soldier under Col. Winn in SC militia in
1781-82. He d1796 Chester Co, SC, age 47. Ch: Martha [my
ancestor], Elijah, Job, John, Isaac, James, Mary, Thomas
Baxter and Sarah. Linda Betts Essary, Rt. 1, Box 11, Floyd,
The Foundation is happy to publicize, at no charge, all family
events; reunions, anniversaries, citations, etc. Members are
also invited to forward copies of manuscripts, ancestor charts,
newspaper clippings, obituaries, census reports, bible records,
pension applications, etc. When the material is published in a
proposed series of volumes, credit will be give to every
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Gowen Research Foundation Newsletter
Arlee Gowen, Editor
Linda McNiel, Circulation
Gowen Research Foundation
Phone: 806/795-8758 or 795-9694
5708 Gary Avenue
Lubbock, Texas, 79413
NOTE: The above information produced by the Gowen Research Foundation (GRF), and parts of the “Gowen Manuscript” they worked on producing. It has tons of information – much of it is correct, but be careful, some of it is not correct – so check their sources and logic. I’ve copied some of their information in the past researching my own family, only to find out there were some clear mistakes. So be sure to check the information to verify if it is right before citing the source and believing the person who researched it before was 100% correct. Most of the information I found there seems to be correct, but some is not.
Their website is: Internet: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gowenrf
There does not seem to be anyone “manning the ship” at the Gowen Research Foundation, or Gowen Manuscript site any longer, and there is no way to contact anyone about any errors. The pages themselves don’t have a mechanism to leave a note for others to see any “new information” that you may have that shows when you find info that shows something is wrong, or when something has been verified.
Feel free to leave messages about any new information found, or errors in these pages, or information that has been verified that those who wrote these pages may not have known about.