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Thomas Cowan (1747 - 1817)

Captain Thomas Cowan
Born in Salisbury Township, Lancaster, Pennsylvaniamap
Ancestors ancestors
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 30 Dec 1773 in Rowan, North Carolina, British Colonial Americamap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 70 in Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 29 May 2012
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Contents

Biography

Thomas Cowan was born on Jan 23, 1747 in Salisbury, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.[1]

Parents: son of John Cowan “Gunsmith” and Catherine Skiles (?);

Spouse: married Mary Barkley

Capt. Thomas Cowan died 04 December 1817 in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina and was buried in Thyatira Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Mill Bridge, Rowan, North Carolina, United States of America.[2]

Daughters of the American Revolution
Thomas Cowan is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A026898.
1776 Project
Captain Thomas Cowan served with Rowan County Regiment, North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

Revolutionary War Service

Service Record: Rowan County Regiment; 1779 to 1782;1779-1781, a Captain of Light Horse under Col. Francis Locke. 1781, at the battle of Cowpens, SC under Lt. Col. David Caldwell. 1781, at Cowan's Ford under Maj. James Hall. Wounded at the battle of Eutaw Springs, SC. 1782, a Captain under Col. James Brandon in the recreated 2nd Rowan County Regiment. Born on 1/23/1748/9 in NC. Battles: Briar Creek (GA), Stono Ferry (SC), Ramseur's Mill, Kings Mountain (SC), Cowpens (SC), Cowan's Ford, Tarrant's Tavern, Eutaw Springs (SC).[3]

Pension Application

Thomas Cowan Revolutionary War Pension Application, W18922[4]

State of North Carolina
Rowan County

On this 11th day of November 1853 personally appeared before the court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions for the county aforesaid now in session, it being a court of Record, Thomas L. Cowan, a resident of the town of Salisbury in the said county, aged about seventy three years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed July 4th, 1835 granting Pensions to certain widows, - that he is the son of the identical Thomas Cowan and Mary Barkley his wife and widow. That the said Thomas Cowan deceased, serv'd as a Private and an Officer in the Army of the Revolution in the North Carolina Militia; that he has frequently heard his father speaking of his services both as a private and as a captain in the Revolutionary War; that he heard him speaking of being at the Battle of Ramsour's Mill, and of being in the Skirmish at Cowan's Foard [sic] on the Catawba, when the British crossed that River, and also at the Skirmish at Torrence's on the same day. That he thinks he has heard him speaking of being at the battle of the Cow-Pens, and various other places which he cannot now recollect; that he cannot recollect the names of the Officers under whom he served, except GenL Lincoln; and that he has often heard him speak of his services under that General. That from the tradition of the neighbourhood, he thinks he was elected Captain in the year 1780, and that he serv'd his country in that capacity untill [sic] the close of the War. He further states, that his father Thomas Cowan & Mary Barkley his mother were married on the 30th December 1773, as appears from the Record in the Family Bible; and that they lived together as man and wife, from that period untill his death, which took place on the 4th day of December 1817, - that there is no other record proof of their marriage that he is aware of, that they raised a large family of children; the following of whom are still living, Viz, Thomas Lincoln, this declarant, Anna, Jane, James & Nancy. He further states that his mother Mary Cowan liv'd a widow from the time of her said husbands death, to the period of her own death, which took place on the 5th day of August 1836. He is not aware of any other evidence existing either as to the services of the said Thomas Cowan, or his marriage to the said Mary Barkley his mother, other than that herewith rent.

Tho. L. Cowan
Sworn to and subscribed in open court November 11th ­ 1853
James E. Kerr Clk.[4]

Timeline

  • 1772—received 271 acres from father John Cowan and wife Elizabeth (17/471)
  • 1773, 30 Dec.—married Mary Barkley
  • 1774—constructed “Wood Grove” residence, now in same family for 8 generations
  • 1778—on tax roll in “Cowan’s District” with assets valued at £1,532, 5 sh., and 220 acres valued at £3,030[5]
  • 1781, Sept 8—wounded at battle of Eutaw Springs.
  • 1784—traditional naming of community “Bear Poplar”
  • 1790s—ruling elder of Thyatira Presbyterian Church

BURIAL: Thyatira Presbyterian Church Cemetery Mill Bridge, Rowan County, North Carolina, USA MEMORIAL ID 13861367[6]

Per information in Find a Grave:
Inscription:
His life was gentle and serene
his mind ……
His morals pure in every
action just….

Notes from Ancestry.com

  • Note: 35340_1536842746983_1412294871_2566081_4036133_n Link
  • Note: Wood Grove House, Rowan Co., NC (home of Thomas Cowan) Link
  • Note: Revolutionary War Soldier of North Carolina Link
  • Note: Revolutionary War service... Link

Sources

  1. Find A Grave: Memorial #13861367, Thyatira Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Mill Bridge, Rowan County, North Carolina
  2. "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QVVX-M945 : 13 December 2015), Thomas Cowan, 1817; Burial, Mill Bridge, Rowan, North Carolina, United States of America, Thyatira Presbyterian Church Cemetery; citing record ID 13861367, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
  3. J.D. Lewis Rev War Database, Link, Thomas Cowan
  4. 4.0 4.1 Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files; NARA M804. Pension File W18922 - Thomas & Mary Cowan [1], Declaration, National Archives & Records Administration, M804-667, Transcribed by Billy Markland; W18922] transcribed by Will Graves
  5. See List of Taxable Property in Rowan County in 1778, Thomas Cowin, Capt John Cowin's District, Tax 1 532-5, Aug Term 1778
  6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13861367

See also:

  • Government record: Land record or deed: rcvd 108 acres from Devault Beaver: 20 March 1816; Creek, Warren, North Carolina, United States; Devault beaver - no wife signs - lets homas Cowan Sr. (both of Rowan, NC) have 108 acres on Withrows Creek next Thomas Barkley & Thomas Cowan, for $500, wit Moses Graham & Abel Cowan & proved by the latter in Nov 1817. (This is in three different tracts conveyed to Devault Beaver by James Barkley by three different deeds; one of 69 acres got of Thomas Cowan; one of 28 acres got of Henry Barkely and one of 11 acres got of Thomas Cowan); Book 13 page 32: April 14 1791, Thomas Cowan - no wife signs - lets James Barkley (both of Rowan, NC) have 11 acrs bank Withrow Creek for 15 lbs., wit. Walt Braly, David Foster ackn 9 Feb 1793.
  • Hatcher, Patricia Law. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots. Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. Original data - Hatcher, Patricia Law. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots. Dallas, TX, USA: Pioneer Heritage Press, 1987.
  • U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Ancestry.com Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data - Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls...
  • Cowan Records, Link

Acknowledgements

  • WikiTree profile Cowan-676 created through the import of Dankowski Family Tree.ged on May 28, 2012 by Laura Mercado.




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Comments: 2

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Cowan-3094 and Cowan-676 appear to represent the same person because: Same birth and death dates and locations, same name. Likely to be derived from same records.
posted by Bethany Oesting
Cowan-1390 and Cowan-676 appear to represent the same person because: these are duplicates.
posted by Daphne Maddox

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