David Bowers Sr (bef. 1762 - 1793)

Descendants

Died 1793 after age 31 in Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States of America

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Biography

David Bowers Sr.^[1] was born before 1762.^[2]

He served as petit juror in Ninety-Six District of South Carolina in 1783.^[2]

He appears on the census of 1790 living in Edgefield County, South Carolina with the following household members:

males)16+:3 ; -16:3

females) 6

slaves) 6.^[3][4]

David died in 1793 in Edgefield County, South Carolina.^[1][5]

David Bowers --- Last Will & Testament

In the name of God Amen, I David Bowers Senior of the County of Edgefield, State of South Carolina, Planter, being very sick and weak of body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto Almighty God calling unto mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make & ordain this my last will & testament. That is to say principally and first of all I give & recommend my soul into the hand of Almighty God that gave it & my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in decent Christian burial at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the might power of God and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, desire & dispose of the same in the following manner & form. After the payment of my just debts I give & bequeath as follows Viz.

• Imprimis. I will and bequeath unto Ann my dearly beloved wife for & during her natural life all my real estate and also all my personal estate until the youngest child comes of age. Viz, all my lands during her natural life and all my negroes, stock of cattle, horses, hogs, etc until the youngest child becomes of full age, but Ann my wife shall in no wise or manner sell alunate or make away with any of the estate whatsoever nor of the cattle, horses, hots etc, excepting to be for cloathing, schooling of the children, provision or some other thing for the use & benefit of the estate .
• Imprimis, I will & bequeath all my lands after my wife's decease or in case she should die before the youngest come of age, when the youngest child comes of full age then & not before, to be equally divided between Giles, David, Benjamin, Philip and John, my sons.
• Imprimis. I will & bequeath unto Barbara, my beloved daughter, one negro man named Dick, also
• I will and bequeath unto Mary, my beloved daughter, one negro man named Tom.
• Imprimis. I will & bequeath unto my beloved daughter Nancy a negro woman named Pheb & if she should have children the child that Pheb may have.
• I will and bequeath unto my beloved daughter Elizabeth also one old wench named Moll.
• Imprimis. I will & bequeath unto my beloved son Philip one negro named Fan.
• Imprimis. I will & bequeath unto my beloved son John one negro named Sanco.

I also will that if any of the above named children should die before they come of age or before they have heirs that then their part be equally divided among the rest & if any of the boys should so die before they come of age the land to be equally divided among the survivors.

Imps. I will that all the children keep their own stock as they now claim them and that my stock of cattle, horses, hogs, sheep etc be equally divided when the youngest attains to full age. I also will ordain constitute & appoint my beloved sons Giles, David, Benjamin my Executors unto this my last will & testament & I do hereby utterly disannul, revoke & disallow all & every other former testament, wills, legacy, bequeaths & Executors by me in any wise before named willed & bequeathed ratifying & conferring this & no other to be my last will & testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this twentieth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & ninety three. Signed, sealed, published, pronounced and delivered by the said DAvid Bowers Senr as his last will & testament in the presence of us who in the presence & in the presence of eath other have hereunto subscribed our names:

John Savage, Samuel Bergess, William Shinholrer

David (x, his mark) Bowers {Seal}

Proved in open Court by the oaths of John Savage & William Shinholrer, March Term 1793 & ordered to be recorded.

After his death, his widow Nancy appears on the 1800 census in Edgefield County, South Carolina with the following household members:

males)10-16:1 ; 16-26:2

females)16-26:2 ; 45+:1

1 slave.^[6]

In 1810 Nancy is still living in Edgefield County, and her household consists of herself and her youngest son Philemon:

males)16-26:1

females)45+:1

1 slave.^[7]

Research Notes

• Could this be him? Need to do more research to verify if so.

"United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7J14-HHPZ : 1 March 2021), David Bowers, 16 Aug 1785; citing Military Service, South Carolina, United States, Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL microfilm 103140766.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Edgefield County, South Carolina Will Book A p41 - 42]. will of David Bowers, dated 20 Feb 1793 and proven 11 Mar 1793.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Warren, Mary Bondurant. South Carolina Jury Lists 1718 Through 1783. 1977. p30.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKN-5TS : accessed 7 November 2019), David Bowers, Edgefield, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 513, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 11; FHL microfilm 568,151.

   1790 Edgefield County, South Carolina Census Transcription-

   Key:

   a. Free white males of 16 years and upward, ::including heads of families.

   b. Free white males under 16 years.

   c. Free white females, incuding heads of families.

   d. All other free persons.

   e. Slaves.

   Entry: David Bowers 3-3-6-0-6

4. ↑ United States Federal Census, 1790. Edgefield County, South Carolina. David Bowers.
5. ↑ Edgefield County, South Carolina Wills Index to Wills David Bowers entry
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRH-57P : accessed 15 January 2017), Nancy Bowers, Edgefield, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 153, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 47; FHL microfilm 181,422.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH23-ZC3 : accessed 15 January 2017), Nancy Bowers, Edgefield, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 12, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 62; FHL microfilm 181,421.