Reason Bowie Sr. (1756 - 1821)

Born Sep 1756 in Orange County, South Carolina [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Elvira Ap Catesby (Jones) Bowie — married 8 Mar 1782 in Savannah, Chatham, Georgia, USA

Descendants

Died 1821 at about age 64 in Opelousas, St. Landry, Louisiana, United States

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Rezin Bowie Sr. lived in Louisiana. Join: Louisiana Families Project Discuss: louisiana

Biography

This profile is part of the Bowie Name Study.

Rezin Bowie Sr. served with 5th South Carolina Regiment, Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Rezin Bowie Sr. was a South Carolinian.

Rezin Bowie Sr. was a Georgian.

Rezin Bowie Sr. was a Tennessean.

Rezin Bowie Sr. was a Kentuckian.

Reason Bowie, most often spelled "Rezin," son of James Bowie and Sarah Whitehead,^[1]was born in September 1756, ^[2] possibly in Orange County, South Carolina. There has been no lack of speculation regarding the origin of the name "Rezin" or "Reason." The brother of Sarah Whitehead was Reason Whitehead. The name came from his mother's Whitehead family.

Disputed date of birth

Many have accepted a 1762 birth date for Reason Bowie, in order that he will fit the narrative of his father James being the son of John Bowie and Elizabeth Pottinger of Prince George County, Maryland. John Bowie's will in 1839 named heirs, including a son James, who disappeared from the record, and many subscribe to the theory that he later became the James Bowie who was the father of the Southern Bowies.

According to three older D.A.R. records listing family sources, Reason Bowie was born in September of 1756.^[3]

Siblings

Confirming list of children of James Bowie and Sarah Whitehead, translated from the Spanish under Stanley Clisby Arthur, State Superintendent of Federal Archives in Louisiana:

New Feliciana, 4th District, April 18, 1800

Before me, John O'Connor, Alcade of the said [p.606] district, appeared Henry Karr, and having taken an oath on the Holy Gospel, he declared that he has known James [Diego] and Sarah Bowie, in the State of Georgia, United States of America, for about twenty years, more or less, and that he knew nine children that they had anmed: [named:] Reason, John, Reece, Ana, Sara, Mary, Elay, Martha and Comfort. ^[1]

Revolutionary War Patriot

He enlisted in 1779 in Col. Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion's 5th Regiment in South Carolina. He was wounded by a saber cut, likely during the Siege of Savannah, and was hospitalized.^[4]

He had returned to duty by 1781, and was listed on 1 July 1781 in Richmond County, Georgia with Col. Dunn's Regiment, 2nd Division in the Quartermaster's Report.^[5]

Marriage

He is said to have been "wounded by a saber cut and ended up in a hospital during the Revolutionary War, and in 1782, married the young woman who had nursed him back to health. Her name was Elvira Catesby Jones (1766-1837), a Welsh lady who was born in Savannah, Georgia. They were married in Burke County."^[6] A different source is cited to say he married her on 8 March 1782 in Savannah, Georgia, but the location is wrong.^[7] Savannah is located in Chatham County, which, with Burke County, is one of Georgia's original counties. But Savannah was taken by the British in the Siege of Savannah in 1779 and they did not withdraw until July 1782, so it is unlikely that Continental soldiers would have been hospitalized there. One of their sons stated that they married in Burke County, Georgia.^[8]

Migration to Tennessee in 1787

~ from The Autobiography of John Jones Bowie

My father and mother were both born in the state of Georgia. They were married in 1782 in the county of Burke of the same state; my mother's maiden name being Elvira Jones; my father's name was Rezin Bowie. During my infancy , or about the year 1787, my parents moved from Georgia to the state of Tennessee, where they remained for six or seven years.^[8]

In Sumner County, Tennessee, 1790, Reason Bowie most likely was given a grant of 400 acres of land in recognition of his military service.^[9]

Migration to Logan County, Kentucky by 1794

Records in Logan County, Kentucky Deed book dated 5 July 1794

John Jones, Deceased's heirs Phereby Jones - Stephen Jones - James McDaniel - Reason Bowie - Hiram O'Neal - Ann Lamar - Selah Jones - Marab Jones to Zach Askey one negro girl. consideration 76 L 13 sh - p.32^[10]

5 Nov 1794 - Abraham Buford, Scott Co., ky. - to Morton Maulding, Logan Co., Ky. - consideration 400 L current money of Kentucky. - 395 a. land = Logan County to Wipperwill Creek. Wit: Robert Ewing - Justinian Cartwright - Reason Bowie - Thomas Gorham. p.40 ^[10]

5 Nov 1794 - Abraham Buford, Scott Co., Ky. To Morton Mauldin - consideration 400 L current money. 395 a land in Logan County on Whipperwill & spring creek. WIt: Justinian Cartwright - Robert Ewing - Thomas Goram - Reason Bowie. p. 88^[10]

Livingston County, Kentucky 1800

On Feb. 19, 1800, he moved to Livingston County, Missouri, on the Ohio River.

Bowie family members, Reason, "Rhue" and "Alesy" are listed in the Kentucky Tax records for 1800 along with brother-in-law Jesse Bouding (Bowden).^[11]

FIsh Lake Missouri 1801

Thomas Hugg, Jr. and Ch's Huff, under Rezin Bowie, claimed 380 arpents in June 1801 on Fish Lake.^[12]

Rapides District, Louisiana 1802

Rezin Bowie moved to Louisiana around 1802 and is considered to be the founder of the Louisiana branch of the family.

...and in 1802 he came and settled on the Bushley Bayou, in what was then the district of Rapides, Louisiana, and under Spanish rule. Here he remained till 1809, when he again, and for the last time, took up the line of march, and finally settled in the district of Opelousas, where he remained until he died, in 1819, in the fall of the year.

~ from "The Autobiography of John Jones Bowie"^[8]

Settled in Catahoula Summer of 1803

William Roe...states that he is well acquainted with the land, which is situated near the Big prairie, about three miles from the Cattahoula courthouse, adjoining lands originally owned by Resin Bowie, now the property of Abraham Bird; that it was actually settled and in cultivation on and before the 20th day of December, 1803, being first settled in the summer of 1803, by Resin Bowie, and afterward by Thomas Hubbs for years, and always known and called the property of said Hubbs...^[13][14]

Opelousas District, Louisiana 1809

In about 1810, the family moved again (and for good), south to St. Landry Parish, Louisiana.^[15] This is where his son Jim Bowie grew up.

Land Claim in Attakapas - 1812

Rezin Bowie claimed 640 superficial acres of land, situated on the right bank of Bayou Vermilion, in the county of Attakapas.^[16]

In 1820 he was living in Opelousas, Louisiana.^[17]

Issue of Rezin Bowie and Elve Jones

1. Larissa or Lavinia Bowie (1783-1783); born in Richmond County, Georgia; died in Burke County, Georgia.
2. David Bowie (1784-1803); born in Washington County, Georgia; died at age 19.
3. John Jones Bowie (1785-1859); born in Washington County, Georgia; died in Bowie Plantation, Chicot County, Arizona at age 74.
4. Sarah Bowie (1786-1815); born in Washington County, Georgia; died in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana at age 29.
5. Martha Bowie (1791-1845); born in Burke County, Georgia; died in 1845 in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana at age 54; m. James Nugent; 2nd m. Alexander B. Sterret, 1st settler of Shreveport, Louisiana.
6. Mary Bowie (1792-1842); born in Sumner, Tennessee; died in Hollywood Plantation, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana at age 50; m. Abraham Bird of Missouri.
7. Rezin Pleasant Bowie (1793-1841); born in Elliott Springs, (near Gallatin) Sumner County, Tennessee. Rezin Jr., married Margaret Nevil, on September 15, 1814 in the St. Landry Roman Catholic Church in Opelousas, Louisiana.
8. Jim Bowie (1795-1836) was born in Kentucky and died at the Alamo.^[15]
9. Stephen Bowie (1797-1833) was born in Elliott Springs, Tennessee and died in Adams County, Mississippi at age 36; m. Mary Compton.
10. David Bowie (1798-1816) was born in Louisiana and died in Mississippi, at age 18, drowned in the Mississippi River. ^[18]

Death

Reason Bowie died in 1821 in Opelousas, and is buried at the Bowie Plantation near Opelousas, Louisiana.^[19]

~ from "The Autobiography of John Jones Bowie"

He sleeps with the common mother Earth, without any stone or inscription to mark the resting-place of him whose bosom was so often bared, and whose hand was so often raised for the defence of his family, and the homes and firesides of his countrymen, against the secret and deadly attacks of savage foes. At his death he left four sons, myself being the eldest, Rezin, James and Stephen, and two daughters.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} __ Jennings, title unknown , p. 16 , citing Deposition of Henry Karr relative to the Bowie Family, in "Records of West Florida, East Baton Rouge Parish, LA Courthouse, Vol. IV, pp. 213 [and?] 200.
2. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed Nov 7 2020), "Record of Rezin Bowie", Ancestor # A012813. BOWIE, REZIN Ancestor #: A012813 Service: GEORGIA Rank(s): SOLDIER Birth: 9- -1756 SOUTH CAROLINA Death: 10-3-1819 ST LANDRY PAR LOUISIANA Service Source: DAVIS, GA CITIZENS & SOLS OF THE AM REV, P 94 Service Description: 1) CAPT JOHN HILL, COL JOSIAH DUNN, MILITIA DAR
3. ↑
   • DAR # 469065, Mrs. Gloria Bryant Alley, Rezin Bowie, born Sep 1756
   • DAR # 468359, Doris McKinzie Boyd, Rezin Bowie, born 1762. (The year was crossed out in DAR Headquarters, Wash DC, and corrected to read, Rezin Bowie, born Sep 1756),
   • DAR # 627156, Mary Alice Horner Scott, Rezin Bowie, born Sep 1756
   • DAR #150599, Mrs. Wilma Louise Moore, Rezin Bowie, born Sep 1756
4. ↑ U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 for Elve Ap Catesby Jones by Joseph Moore Soniat du Fosset M.D.
5. ↑ Robert Scott Davis and Hillary Neblock, Georgia Citizens and Soldiers of the American Revolution (Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1979)

   Reson Bowie, Spie, Fodarin to Spies & Wagon, Horses, 10 & 1 horse, 7 mos servis (sic). /s/ James Bowie, J P, 16 June 1782

6. ↑ U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 for Elve Ap Catesby Jones by Joseph Moore Soniat du Fosset M.D.
7. ↑ DAR Descendants Search [1]
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} James Dunwoody Brownson "J.D.B." De Bow "The Autobiography of John Jones Bowie" (New Orleans: J.D.B. De Bow) p. 379; online at The Autobiography of John Jones Bowie, Hathitrust.org
9. ↑ He was listed in "A List of the Taxable property in Captain Joseph M Ellurath's Company for the year 1790" with 400 (acres) land and 1 White Poll and 3 Black Polls, Ancestry.com., "Tennessee, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895" [2] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013) This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. ($)
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Logan County, Kentucky records #[3]
11. ↑ Ancestry.com. Kentucky, Tax Lists, 1799-1801#[4] Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006
12. ↑ The Library of Congress #[5]
13. ↑ Library of Congress #[6]
14. ↑ Year: 1810; Census Place: Orleans, Catahoula, Louisiana; Roll: 10; Page: 133; Image: 00110; Family History Library Film: 0181355
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} http://www.thealamo.org/remember/history/defenders/defenders-list/bowie.html
16. ↑ The Library of Congress #[7]
17. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLP-VRP : accessed 28 October 2019), Rezin Bowie Sr, St Landry, Louisiana, United States; citing p. 422, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 30; FHL microfilm 181,356.
18. ↑ http://www.linton-research-fund-inc.com/James_BOWIE_1739_1789_Descendants.html
19. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 28 October 2019), memorial page for Rezin Pleasant Bowie, Sr (8 Sep 1762–3 Oct 1821), Find A Grave: Memorial #134955524, citing Rezin P. Bowie Plantation, Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, USA ; Maintained by J B Williams & T Slaydon Williams (contributor 47696685) .

See Also:

• William C. Davis, Three Roads to the Alamo: The Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barrett Travis (New York: Harper Collins, 1999) pp. 36-38.
• Reason Bowie on FamilySearch
• Ancestry Family Tree ($) Ancestry Profile
• Unsourced Geocities page

Special Acknowledgement

Deepest regards to Dianne Deputy, who generously shared her research to find the deposition listing James Bowie, his wife Sarah, and all their children, and as well did the hard work to find the will of Thomas Whitehead listing his daughter Sarah as the wife of James Buoy (sic).