Person:Michael Bowyer (2)

Michael Bowyer was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Contents 1 Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA 2 Records of Michael Bowyer in Augusta County, VA 3 Records of possible Bowyer relatives in Augusta County, VA 4 Information on Michael Bowyer		Welcome to Old Augusta Early Settlers Beverley Manor Borden's Grant Register Data Maps Places Library History Index
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Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA

Acquisition of Land from Chalkley's:

• Page 543.--15th March, 1758. Borden's executors to Michael Bowyer, of Hanover, £1, 226 acres, part of 92100. Delivered: Michael Bowyer, 30th April, 1762. (Note: the location of this tract has not been determined, it is not listed on the J.R. Hildebrand Map of the Borden Tract, although based upon this record it is clearly inside its boundaries).

Records of Michael Bowyer in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley's:

• Vol. 1 - MAY 22, 1761. - (31) Luke Bowyer, aged 16, orphan of Michael Bowyer, chose John Bowyer his guardian. (Note: this establishes Luke Bowyer's birthdate as abt. 1745).

• Page 237.--22nd May, 1761. John Bowyer's bond (with Gabriel Jones), as guardian to Luke Bowyer, orphan of Michael Bowyer (chosen).

Records of possible Bowyer relatives in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley's:

• Page 254.--__ April, 1760. Anthony Bowyer's estate appraised, by Gabriel Pickens, Jno. Davis, Jas. Dyer.

• Vol. 1 - AUGUST 20, 1760. - (393) Barbara, aged three, daughter of Alvanus Bowyer, to be bound out--he is not able to support and educate her.

• Page 160.--22d November, 1769. William Beard and Mary ( ) to Jacob Bowyer, £400, 2 tracts on Cub Run on west side Peaked Mountain Delivered: Geo. Keesle, 16th March, 1781.

• Page 334.--29th August, 1777. List of those indebted to the estate of Roger North - James Bowyer (Taylor).

• Vol. 1 - MARCH 18, 1778. - (278) Admn. of estate of James Bowyer granted Wm. Bowyer.

Information on Michael Bowyer

From "Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871", by Joseph Addison Waddell:

THE BOWYERS.

Several brothers of this name were among the early settlers of Augusta. Their father, Michael Bowyer, believed to have been of French Huguenot descent, died before the year 1761. His sons were—

1. Thomas Bowyer. He removed to Botetourt, and in 1780-1 was a captain in the 8th Virginia regiment, continental line. Afterwards he was designated as Major Bowyer. He died childless in 1785

2. John Bowyer went to the settlement in Borden's grant, in 1753, when quite a young man, and at first was a school-teacher, as appears from a deposition in an old suit. He, however, soon married Magdalene Woods-McDowell-Bordeu, and became independent. At August Court, 1763, he qualified as captain of Augusta militia. He was one of the first Justices of Botetourt, in 1770. In 1781, he was colonel of Rockbridge militia, [his residence being in that part of Botetourt which was thrown into Rockbridge on the organization of the latter county,] and went with his command to lower Virginia on the occasion of Arnold's invasion. His second wife was Mary Baker, of Maryland, aunt or cousin of Mrs. Judge Stuart and Mrs. James Lyle of Staunton. He died near Lexington, in 1806, leaving no child. He is known as General Bowyer.

3. William Bowyer was a merchant in Stauuton from 1766 to 1775, and probably longer. In 1772 he was a member of the vestry of Augusta parish, and a church warden in 1777. As Lieut. Colonel of militia, he commanded a body of men sent to reinforce General McIntosh on the Ohio river, in August, 1776. The Court Martial of the county, on April 15, 1779, fined him £10 for not attending a previous meeting. He was Lient. Colonel of Col. Sampson Mathews' regiment, in the expedition to lower Virginia, in 1781. He was Sheriff of Augusta in 1784. His first wife was a daughter of Israel Christian, by whom he had a daughter who married a Miller, ancestor of the late Fleming Bowyer Miller of Botetourt. His second wife was Margaret Ann, daughter of Thomas Lewis, and widow of John McClanahan, (son of the first Robert McClanahan.) A son of the second wife, William C. Bowyer, was a lawyer, and married a Miss Burwell. Col. William Bowyer lived at the place in Stauntou now known as Kalorama. He died intestate some time before 1808, and his step-son, John McClanahan, administered on his estate.

4. Michael Bowyer qualified as Lieutenant of militia at August court, 1763. At a meeting of the court martial, April, n, 1766, he was fined for attending without a sword. He married Frances Carpenter, in 1766, the certificate of marriage being signed by the Rev. John Jones, and witnessed by Alexander St. Clair and Chris. Graham. He was a member of the Vestry in 1773, and of the County Committee in 1775. He is said to have been a lawyer, but early in the Revolutionary war he had a store in Fincastle, which he left in charge of his nephew, Henry Bowyer, to join the army. He was the father of Capt. John Bowyer, who lived and died near Lexington, leaving a large family.

5. Luke Bowyer is believed to have been a brother of the former. Gen. John Bowyer qualified as his guardian in 1761, and in the official bond the ward is described as "orphan of Michael Bowyer." He was a lawyer, and one of the two attorneys who qualified to pratice at the opening of Botetourt County Court, in 177o.

Col. Henry Bowyer was a Revolutionary soldier, and long a prominent citizen of Botetourt, but it is not known whose son he was. Maj. Thomas Bowyer speaks in his will of Henry Bowyer as his nephew. It is said that when his uncle Michael joined the army early in the Revolution, he left his store at Fincastle in charge of Henry, who was a mere boy. The latter wound up the business in quick time, and joined the army himself, serving most of the time with the cavalry under Col. William Washington. He was Clerk of the Courts of Botetourt from 1791 till 1831, when his son, Henry M. Bowyer, succeeded him in office. He died in 1833.