Abraham Bowman (bef. 1702 - abt. 1782)

Born before 1702 in Henrico County, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Hatcher) Bowman — married 1727 in Henrico, Virginia

Descendants

Died about 1782 after about age 80 in Chesterfield, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Abraham appears to be the Abraham Bowman named as a son by Edward Bowman Sr (1656-1722) in his 1722 will recorded in Henrico County.

Will of Edward Bowman of Henrico Parish

To son Gilbert, 200 acres on third branch of Swift Creek, being my upper lot To son Henry, 100 acres joining John Steward, being land I bought of Samuel Newman To son Abraham, 100 acres on south side of Swift Creek, being the remainder of land that I gave to son in law Rice Jones. To son Abraham and son in law Rice Jones, 200 acres surveyed for me on Swift Creek, and also an entry I have joining my brother John Bowman, equally, To each of my four sons, a feather bed, and money in Mr. Perry's hands to be laid out for blanketts, ets. Son Henry to live at this plantation I live on until 21 I appoint son in law Henry Charles ________

Dated 10 May 1722

Wit: J. Bolling, Jr., Robert Hudson, Sr., Edward Tanner

To three daughters Elizabeth, Frances, and Mary, each, 1 shilling Recorded 6 Aug. 1722

NOTE: The Bowman, Hudson and Bolling families had been connected for decades prior to Edward's death. Edward's aunt Mary Bowman married Richard Hudson and received land from her father Robert Sr., located in the Roxdale Hundred. Robert Hudson Sr probably was Edward's first cousin. A Peter Hudson is named as a godson in the will of Edward's brother, John Bowman. John Bolling. Edward Bowman and John Bowman were partners in at least two Henrico County land transactions.

In this will, Edward states "To each of my four sons," and names sons Gilbert, Henry and Abraham. He also names three daughters, Elizabeth, Frances and Mary. Thus we know from this will that at the time of its making that Edward Bowman had seven living children, six of whom he names. His unnamed fourth son, Edward Jr, was a co-executor of Edward Bowman's estate, along with his brother-in-law, Henry Charles Featherstone. Edward Jr was not named specifically in all likelihood because he was the eldest son and under Virginia's then prevailing law of primogeniture he inherited his father's estate not otherwise disposed of by will. It is possible Edward's will makes no mention of a wife because he was a widower at the time he drafted his will.

By that will Abraham received 100 acres on the south side of Swift Creek, seemingly the same land described as part of the 300 acres on Swift Creek he gifted Pleasant Bowman in his 1782 will. Since Abram Bowman paid quit rents on 300 acres of land in Henrico in 1736, he seems to have acquired his land he later gifted to grandson Pleasant by 1736. This identification as the son of Edward Bowman Sr makes Abraham a grandson of Robert Bowman, Jr. (Abt 1625-1682) and a great-grandson of Robert Bowman Sr (Abt 1600-1671) the original Bowman settler in the Roxdale Hundred / Bermuda Hundred area of Henrico County. The records do not make his maternal lines of descent clear. Records do show that by Abraham's generation the extended Bowman family had a growing network of marital and social connections with the Isham, Randolph, Jefferson, Jones, Woodson, Bolling, Royall, Farrar, Hudson, Featherstone, Robertson, Knibb, Cook and Elam families who also lived in Henrico County.

Abraham married Elizabeth Hatcher, identified in the 1736 will of her father as Elizabeth Bowman. The will further gifted a 'great chist' now at Abra Bowman's to son Jno' Hatcher. With wife Elizabeth, Abraham had a namesake son, Abraham, who served in the Revolutionary War and died in that service about 1778, leaving a widow Ann Farmer Bowman and a young son, Pleasant Bowman. Both Ann Farmer Bowman and Pleasant Bowman are named in Abraham's 1782 will and no mention is made of Abraham Jr or any other son.

There is some evidence to suggest that after Abraham's death the widow Ann Farmer Bowman in late life married secondly to Daniel Bowman, the son of John Bowman and Mary Cook. John Bowman was the son of John Bowman Jr, Abraham's uncle, and Sarah Royall Bowman, a daughter of Joseph Royall Jr who as Sarah Royall was named as a granddaughter in the will of Katherine Banks Royall Isham. Daniel Bowman was a second cousin to Abraham Bowman, Jr., and thus a second cousin once removed to Pleasant Bowman. No record has been found of the Ann Farmer Bowman and Daniel Bowman marriage, but he is reported by descendants of Pleasant Bowman as being a father or step-father to Pleasant Bowman. Daniel Bowman and Pleasant Bowman moved together to Burkesville, Cumberland County, Kentucky between 1810 and 1820 when Daniel was reported as the head of household in the 1820 census. Pleasant is credited with having taken fine Virginia horses into Kentucky helping establish the bloodlines of Kentucky thoroughbred horses. It is unknown if Abraham was a breeder of horses too.

Research Notes

This profile has not yet been checked with Jerry's Notes and is included in Category: Cox-5399 jcoxffGED until it has been checked.

Note: #N8.

Notes

Weisiger, Benjamin B., III, Colonial Wills of Henrico County, Virginia, Part One, 1654-1737, page 168:

Will of Edward Bowman of Henrico Parish

To son Gilbert, 200 acres on third branch of Swift Creek, being my upper lot

To son Henry, 100 acres joining John Steward, being land I bought of Samuel Newman

To son Abraham, 100 acres on south side of Swift Creek, being the remainder of land that I gave to son in law Rice Jones.

To son Abraham and son in law Rice Jones, 200 acres surveyed for me on Swift Creek, and also an entry I have joining my brother John Bowman, equally,

To each of my four sons, a feather bed, and money in Mr. Perry's hands to be laid out for blanketts, etc.

Son Henry to live at this plantation I live on until 21

I appoint son in law Henry Charles [tear in paper, but other records prove this was a reference to Henry Charles Featherstone, who was appointed co-executor with Edward Bowman Jr of the estate of Edward Bowman Sr. Featherstone was also appointed as guardian over Edward's yet minor son, Henry, JLB.]

Dated 10 May 1722

Wit: J. Bolling, Jr., Robert Hudson, Sr., Edward Tanner

To three daughters Elizabeth, Frances, and Mary, each, 1 shilling

Recorded 6 Aug. 1722

Note N8From Weisiger's Wills of Chesterfield County, Virginia:

Will of Abraham Bowman To grandson Pleasant Bowman, 300 acres, 100 being on south side of Swift Creek and 200 on north side To daughter in law Ann Bowman, to ahve her lifetime on said land, also items Lend to wife Elizabeth, bed, etc. Rest of estate to grandson Pleasant Bowman Executors: grandson Pleasant Bowman and daughter in law Ann Dated 3 August 1782 Wit: Mark Farmer, Jeremiah Franklin, Milley Franklin

Sources

• Weisiger, Benjamin B., III, Colonial Wills of Henrico County, Virginia, Part One, 1654-1737, page 168
• Weisiger's Wills of Chesterfield County, Virginia
• Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. III, Henrico County-Southside, 1736, ; https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/12458130/person/-19446576/facts
• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900; Yates Publishing; Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004; Source number: 1152.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: MLC.;

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=worldmarr_ga&h=545257&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

• Fleet, Beverley, abstractor, "Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. XXI: Henrico County, southside, 1736"; 21H, Appendix, p 85, original pagination cited as p. 589, Will of William Hatcher, dated 29 March 1736, Probated last Monday in December 1736; https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/29401/images/dvm_LocHist013234-00045-1?pId=87
• Henrico County, southside, 1736, 21H p 20, 1736 payment of quit rents on 200 acres;

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/29401/images/dvm_LocHist013234-00013-0?pId=21

Acknowledgments

• Bowman-3144 was created by Jerry Cox through the import of jcoxff.ged on Oct 15, 2013. NOTE: Imported GEDCOM includes Jerry's notes containing parts of his years of family history research.