Obadiah Bowen (abt. 1628 - 1710)

Born about 1628 in Britain

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Bowen — married 1648 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died 10 Sep 1710 at about age 82 in Swansea, Bristol, Colony of Massachusetts Bay

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Richard Draper [send private message]

Biography

Obadiah Bowen immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

Birth

Obadiah Bowen was born about 1628 before his family immigrated to Salem, Massachusetts Bay.^[1]

While a specific date of 03 JAN 1627 has been suggested,^[2][3] there is no currently known documentation for the birth dates of ANY of the children of Richard Bowen.

Another specific date of 18 September 1627 has also been suggested.^[4]

Death

Date: 10 SEP 1710

Place: Swansea, Bristol Co., MA

Note: Obadiah Bowen Deceased this Life September ye 10:17 [torn] [Written a o e the line: "aged 82", and in pencil, "1710"]^[5][6]

There is a findagrave # Find A Grave Memorial# 8639469 - added by Quall-1 on 01/23/2015

Will

Date: 11 DEC 1708

Note: 'Will of Obadiah Bowen, Yeoman, of Swan., 'being Grown Ancient,' dtd. 11 Dec. 1708, prob. 14 Oct. 1710. No wife mentioned. Son Samuel Bowen of Cohansey; grsons. Aron Bowen, Daniel Bowen & Nathan Bowen sons of my son Obadiah Bowen dcd.; son Joseph Bowen; James Bowen & Hezekiah Bowen [relation not stated] get land recorded in land records as to William Bowen; son Thomas Bowen to be Exec. Dau. Hannah Brooks. To Lidia Mason [relation not stated]. Grdaus. Katherine Bowen, Sarah Bowen, Allice Bowen & Elizebeth Bowen. Mentions his lands in Attleborough, Rehoboth & Swan. Witns: Caleb Eddy, John Paddock & John Devotion. [2:290/1].

'Inv. of Est. of Obadiah Bowen of Swan., dtd. 4 Oct. 1710, pres by Thomas Bowen, Exec. Apprs: Caleb Eddy & John Cary [2:291].' Ibid.; p.49.

'Will of Obadiah Bowen of Swan, Yeoman, dtd. 11 Dec. 1708, prob. 14 Oct. 1710. Sons: Samuel Bowen of Cohanzey, Joseph Bowen, [torn] Bowen, Hezekiah Bowen & Thomas Bowen. Dau Hannah Brooks, Lidia Mason [dau.?]. Grsons: Aaron, Daniel & Nathan Bowen sons of my son Obadiah dcd.; grdaus: Katherine Bowen, Sarah Bowen, Allice Bowen & Mary Bowen. Witns: Job Eddy, John Paddock [3:1/2].'^[7]

Rehoboth

22 June 1658, Meadow Land Grant in Rehoboth

Obadiah is one among 49 men allotted land in the Meadow in Rehoboth^[8]. His father Richard, sen and his brother Richard are also received allotments. As he is not mentioned among the original planters of Rehoboth and did not receive a lot in "the Ring of Green" as his brother Richard did, it can be assumed that he was younger.

26 May 1668, North Purchase Lands divided in Rehoboth

Obadiah and his brother Richard both drew lots for meadow lands in the North Purchase^[8].

King Phillips War

Obadiah contributed 2£ 17s 8d toward the war^[8]

Swansea

1663, Reverend John Myles arrives in Rehoboth

"June 22, 1667. . . . Since the disturbances caused in the church at Rehoboth, in 1649, by Obadiah Holmes and his adherents, the religious affairs of the town had been far from being in a quiet state ; and the number of Baptists, so far from being lessened by persecution, had been gradually increasing. In 1663 it was strengthened by the arrival of the Rev. John Myles, with a part of his church, from Swansea, in Wales, (England,) whence he had been ejected for non-conformity^[8]."

Original Settler of Swansea

Obadiah Bowen Jr and Obadiah Bowen Senr are listed among the original signers of grant for the creation of the town of Swansea 1667. The town was established with a unique (for Plymouth colony) form of religious freedom which allowed Rev Myles Baptist church to be the principle meeting place for the town.^[9]

Obadiah Bowen is listed as a grantee of the second rank in Swansea 1670^[9] Obadiah is Constable 1679 and Obadiah is the Deputy from Swansea to the General Court of Plymouth colony 1681.^[9]

Religion

Religion: 6 of October 74

Obadiah Bowen Senior came this day before the Church and hath time given him till this day fortenight to be reconciled to the brethren and to endeavor reconciliation with those hee's offended with and then to answer and the church to come to a full conclusion concerning him.

Date: 06 SEP 1874

Place: Swansea Baptist Church, Swansea, Bristol Co., MA^[10]

Religion: 5 of November 74

Bro: Bowen Senior being charged with contempt of the assembling of the church together and of the lords table gives in answer; that he did apprehend that his friends did goe on in an evill course and as he thought were not willing to discourse with him in it; beeing charged with uncharitablenesse in thinking evill of our breteren the committee for management of the prudentiall affaires of the town and reporting that they had done him wrong about takeing away some of his rights in this town as to the first part of the charge, he saith he hath not done knowingly if it was uncharitableness and the later part he absolutely denies. Whereupon he was deferred from comeing to his censure this day upon the desire of some brethren that they might have further opportunity to endeavor to bring him to the sight of the evill of his ways and to wait if it may please god to bring him to repentance.

3d of december 74

Obadiah Bowen desireing his censure might be deferred till he should pribately confer with the pastor and the said pastor desireing it might be in the presence of 2 such as the said bro: Bowen shall chuse he thereupon chusing bro: Luther and bro: kingsley the church ordered that the said confeirence shall be at the said pastors house the 2d day of the next week at 11 a clock and a report given thereof the next meeting afterward to the church.

31th of 10ber - 74

Bro: Bowen being desired to give an account of gods dealing with his spirit with relation to repentance for his sins charged on him saith that he doth see and acknowledge his sin of uncharitablenesse towards the brethren; and that he acknowledgeth that he did misse in doeing contrary to the rule of gods word in abstaining from comunion so long and that it was not in any contempt of the church nor yet of the ordinance of the lords supper.

upon the full and serious cosideration of the premisses he was [with?] the full consent of the whole church, admitted to a continuance in full comunion with the church the church judgeing that his abstaining from com[munion] though actually manifesting or seeming to manifest a contempt yet that it was not in his mind to contemn the church or Lords supper.

Date: 05 NOV 1774

Place: Swansea Baptist Church, Swansea, Co. Bristol, England^[11]

Event:

Type: Biography

Note: Obedia, son of Richard Bowen... (1585-?) and grandson of James Bowen was born 18 September 1627, d. 10 September 1710 at Swansea, Massachusetts. He married 1649 Mary Clifton (1628-1697). (Colonial Families of United States by MacKenzie, Vol. 3, p. 60). They had children:

**All children are listed, with the exception of Hezekiah.**

Obediah and his wife Mary Clifton lived and died in Swansea, Massachusetts.

Obediah gave service to America as a representative of the General Court. (Genealogical Dictionary of New England by Savage; vol. 1, p. 226.)

Members have been accepted by the National Society of Founders and Patriots of America, Order of Americans of Armorial Ancestry, National Society Daughters of Colonial Wars and Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century as descendants of Obediah Bowen.^[12]

Marriage

Husband: Obadiah Bowen

Wife: Mary (Unknown) Bowen

Marriage:

Date: BEF 1651

Note: LDS - 1649/50 - Swansea, Bristol Co. MA^[13]

Children:

Child: Mary Bowen

Child: Sarah Bowen

Child: Lydia Bowen

Child: Mercy Bowen

Child: Isaac Bowen

Child: Joseph Bowen

Child: Samuel Bowen

Child: Obadiah Bowen

Child: Hezekiah Bowen

Child: Thomas Bowen

Child: Hannah Bowen

Sources

1. ↑ "Richard Bowen (1594?-1675), of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and his descendants"; Saxbe, William Bart, 1941-;Publication date 2011; Hope, R.I. : Rhode Island Genealogical Society page 27
2. ↑ Charles Shepard, Richard Bowen's Descendants to the Fifth Generation, Troy, MI, 1921 : folded chart
3. ↑ Latter Day Saints, Ancestral File, Salt Lake City, UT, 1997f: Specific date only
4. ↑ Colonial Families of United States by MacKenzie, Vol. 3, p. 60
5. ↑ Latter Day Saints, Ancestral File, Salt Lake City, UT, 1997
6. ↑ H. L. Peter Rounds, Vital Records of Swansea, Massachusetts to 1850, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, MA, 1992, reprint  : p. 225
7. ↑ H. L. Peter Rounds, Abstracts of Bristol County, MA Probate Records, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD, 1987 : pp. 48-49
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} Bliss, Jr., Leonard, (1836), “The History of Rehoboth, Bristol County, Massachusetts: Comprising A History of the Present Towns of Rehoboth, Seekonk, and Pawtcket, From their Settlement to the Present Time, Together with Sketches of Attleborough, Cumberland, and a part of Swansey and Barrinigton”. (pp 49, 62-63, 67, 118, 129). Boston, MA., Otis and Boarders, Accessed 23 Sep 2018. https://books.google.com/books?id=T5qZBD5qK2EC&printsec=frontcover&dq=history+of+rehoboth&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi52eCb5qzdAhUjL30KHZqkCokQ6AEIKzAB#v=onepage&q&f=true
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} "A history of Barrington, Rhode Island" by Bicknell, Thomas Williams, 1834-1925; Publication date 1898; Publisher Providence : Snow & Farnham, printers pages 46,58, 177, 182 of text viewed at https://archive.org/details/cu31924028840028/page/n185/mode/2up October 2020
10. ↑ New England Historical and Genealogical Register; Boston, MA: NEHGS v.139; january 1985; p.37
11. ↑ New England Historical and Genealogical Register; Boston, MA: NEHGS: v.139; january 1985; p38-39
12. ↑ Mary Coates Martin, 350 Years of American Ancestors: 38 Families, Gateway Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1989; Page: 51-52
13. ↑ Charles Shepard, Richard Bowen's Descendants to the Fifth Generation, Troy, MI, 1921

• Copy of Will at Ancestry (share link)
• gedmatch.com (non-functioning link in 2021, no reference found in WayBack Machine, was https:// and then //www.gedmatch.com/individual_detail.php?id_family=2924040&id_ged=P755

GEDmatch Ref: 2924040 : P755----