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Facts and Events
Sources
- Transcript:Mathew Cowan (1766-1855) Family Bible Records
- Transcript:1850 census, Jackson, TN, Slave Schedule for Mathew Cowan
- Transcript:1860 census, Putnam, TN, Slave Schedule for Mathew Cowan
- Transcript:1806 Petitioners for Reduction of Constitutional Limits of Jackson County, TN-1806 [1]
Notes
From: Who was your longhunter ancestor
....Ned Cowan a Longhunter...explored much of middle Tn in 1769 with Uriah Stone, Robert Crockett, Kasper Mansker, Obadiah Terrell, Abraham Bledsoe and others. Ned's son, Matthew Cowan, born in 1776 and died March 21, 1865, was a captain in the war of 1812 in the battle of New Orleans and was married to Catron Trousdale...March 8, 1800 in Sumner County, TN. Catron was a sister to William Trousdale who became governor of TN in 1849. The city of Gallatin, TN in Sumner County is within what was once the Trousdale Farm.
In 1850 Census Mathew and Catherine are shown living in Jackson County TN, age 73 and 70 respectively, giving a DOB of Mathew as 1777, reasonably close to the 1776 given in the above passage. In 1860 they are shown in District 12, Putnam County TN, post office of Byrne, as age 84 and 78, which implies his DOB as 1776. She is listed as "Catron". Again, he is shown as born in TN, and she in NC.
- 1820 census, Franklin TN
- 8230 Census, Jackson County, TN
- 1840 Census, District 10, Jackson, TN
- 1850 Census District 18. jackson, TN
- 1860 census, District 12, Putnam TN
From Brenda Cowan Francis, personal communication, 25 Feb 2014
My earliest, proven ancestor is Matthew Cowan, born 1777 in Tennessee and died 1865 in Tennessee. Yes, I know it was technically North Carolina at that time, but the distinction is important. I believe his father to be Long Hunter, Ned Cowan, who came to the Caney Fork river area (now Buffalo Valley, Putnam County, TN) in 1769. I also believe Ned settled (squatted illegally) on Indian land, at that early date; the very land on which Matthew lived his entire life. The Matthew Cowan family is found continuously in the same place from the first available 1820 census through the 1860 census (the county name changing from Jackson to Putnam - back to Jackson and again back to Putnam within his lifetime). And, in the 1850 and 1860 census Matthew gave his place of birth as Tennessee, while his wife gave hers as North Carolina.
The land and home stayed in our family until 1976, when it was sold to a couple who fortunately were very interested in the history and architecture of the farm. In 2005 the Cowen Farmstead, also known as Cowan House and Fahey House, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The file has not yet been digitized.
[National HIstoric Register]
- Cowen Farmstead
- (added 2005 - Putnam County - #05000205)
- Also known as Cowan House; Fahey House
- 2671 Little Indian Creek Rd. , Buffalo Valley
- (1660 acres, 7 buildings, 3 structures)
- Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
- Architectural Style: Other
- Area of Significance: Architecture, Exploration/Settlement
- Period of Significance: 1950-1974, 1925-1949, 1900-1924, 1875-1899, 1850-1874, 1825-1849, 1800-1824, 1750-1799
- Owner: Private
- Historic Function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Domestic, Funerary
- Historic Sub-function: Agricultural Fields, Agricultural Outbuildings, Animal Facility, Cemetery, Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling
- Current Function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Domestic, Funerary
- Current Sub-function: Agricultural Fields, Agricultural Outbuildings, Animal Facility, Cemetery, Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling
The 1770-1790 Census of the Cumberland Settlements lists a Ned Cower as killed by Indians. Randal D. Williams, director of cultural resources management for the Upper Cumberland Development District, Cookeville, Putnam, Tennessee, said the following in an article he wrote, entitled, Ned Cowen: Caney Fork Long Hunter, "In the small family cemetery that still exists on the Cowen farmstead site, there is a stone burial cairn of the type utilized in the 18th centur. There is conjecture as to the possibility of this being Ned Cowen's grave . . ."
- Cumberland Alliance
Matthew Cowan married in 1800, Sumner County, Tennessee, Catherine "Catron" Trousdale. Sumner County was her home, her father James Trousdale, having received a 640 acre military land grant for his Rev War service in North Carolina. They made their home on Matthew's land, which became Jackson County, Tennessee in 1801. We have information on nine of their children, but also have an old narrative stating there were twelve children. The first descendants of this family have been traced from Tennessee to Arkansas, Texas and beyond.
Matthew Cown, William Cown and two additional Cown's -transcribed ? Cown- are listed as signers of the Petitioners for Reduction of Constitutional Limits of Jackson County, TN-1806. The petition was transcribed by Jane Hembree Crowley.
Maps
 Married 1800 Sumner County, TN | Mathew Cowan and Catherine Trousdale married in Sumner County TN.
|  lived 1820 Franklin County, TN | In the 1820 census a household headed by Mathew Cowan, is shown in Franklin County. THis is probably Mathew (1), and suggests that he is an immediate kinsmen to the Cowans who settled near Cowan, Franklni TN, around 1800. Descendants of Mathew (1) share the same YDNA signature as those of Cowan, Franklin County. Note: Although this 1820 census is indexed as Franklin County, the top of the image is missing. Handwritten on the left side of the image is Jackson County, not Franklin County. [Seven Cowan Brothers]YDNA group
|  lived 1840, 1850 Jackson County, TN | by 1840, 1850 Mathew and Catherine are in Jackson County. They were probably living in the southern portion of that county, as it was then defined.
|  lived 1860 Putnam County, TN | Between 1850 and 1860 Jackson County was subdivided, and a portion went to the newly formed Putnam County. It seems likely that they didn't move, but appear in the two counties only because the county boundaries changed.
|
 Cowans in 1830 Census, TN
References
- ↑ 1850 census, District 18, Jackson County, TN gives his age as 73, born in TN, implying an 1777 DOB. See: Ancestry The family bible record Transcript:Mathew Cowan (1766-1855) Family Bible Records gives only an age at death, implies a 1776 or 1777 DOB; The basis for the day and month of birth of 18 March is unknown.
- ↑ Transcript:Mathew Cowan (1766-1855) Family Bible Records
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