Person:William Cowan (25)

The identity of William Cowan's parents is not known. It is generally assumed that his family was on Beverly's Manor prior to 1756, but direct evidence for this is lacking. Many think that his father was John Cowan; although, the basis for this is not clear. ^[2] William is believed to have married Jane Walker, daughter of person:John Walker (81), in 1773.

William, and his brothers Samuel, and Andrew, along with a David Cowan whose relationship is not known, came to the Castle's Woods area (modern Scott County, VA) about 1770. William married Jane Walker by 1773. ^[3]Jane was the daughter of John Walker III (81) who had moved there from North Carolina about this time, along with other family members. Williams brothers, Samuel and Andrew also married daughters of John III, though whether these marriages occurred in Castle's Woods, or earlier in North Carolina, or perhaps even earlier in Borden's Grant (modern Rockbridge County, VA), is not clear. In any case the Walkers and Cowans were among the first settlers of this community, which at the time of their arrival was the most westwardly frontier settlement in Virginia.

The Walkers and Cowan's remained in this area until shortly after the close of the Revolution. At that time William and his brother-in-law, John Walker IV (?-c1817) moved their families south to what is now Blount Co, TN. Here, William settled on the west bank of the Little River. His property extended from the mouth of Crooked Creek southeastwardly almost to Davis Ford. Brother-in-law John Walker IV (aka, "Indian Killer"), settled slightly further upstream, probably in the Long Bottom area near Tuckaleechee Gap. One of William's nephews, John Cowan (c1776-?), son of Samuel Cowan and Ann Walker, settled further to the west near what would later be called the Tellico Block House. Robert Cowan (?-?), possibly a brother or cousin of William, settled in this same area.

William died in Blount County in 1809. The DAR erected a bronze marker for him at the Clarks Grove Cemetery, though it is likely that he was not actually buried there. While Jane's death is claimed to have occurred in 1806, there is no proof for the date nor is her finally resting place known; although, while some reason she died in Blount County there is a possibility she may have died in Warren County (see Alternative Interpretation below).

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Child List

Children of Jane Walker (1755-1806) by William Cowan (1750-1809)							Edit This List
Name	DOB	POB	DOD	POD	Spouse	DOM	POM	Notes
Eleanor "Ellen" COWAN	1774	Washington Co, VA	23 Nov 1831	Blount Co., TN	James "Smoking Jimmy" GILLESPY (1772 - 1861)
Person:John Cowan (33)	1775	Washington Co., VA	12 Oct 1812	Dallas Co., AL	Rosanna GILLESPY (1777-1857)			Name sometimes given as John Alexander Cowan
Person:Samuel Cowan()	23 Jul 1779	Washington Co., VA	30 Dec 1828	Blount Co., TN	Ester Jane Gillespie HOUSTON (1792-1844)			Ester was b: 22 August 1792 d: 1844
Person:Andrew Cowan()	02 May 1782	Washington Co., VA	10 Jan 1872	Cleveland, Bradley Co., TN	1) Effie F. "Hettie" HOUSTON
					2) Margaret FISHER (?-?)	12 January 1859	McMinn Co., TN	Margaret may have been previously married.
Person:Robert Cowan()	b: 22 Jun 1784	Washington Co., VA	17 Sep 1869	Lowell, Benton Co., AR	Elizabeth COLVILLE (1793 - 1865)			Elizabeth b: 15 April 1793 d: 26 December 1865 in Benton Co., AR
Person:Polly Cowan()					? Mitchell			b: Bet. 1785 - 1798
Person:Ann Cowan()	b: Abt. 1790		Bef. 1850?	Hickman Co., TN?	George PEERY?
Person:William Cowan()	Abt. 1796
Person:James Walker Cowan()	09 Apr 1798	TN	22 Jul 1870	AR	Catherine COLVILLE (1799 - 1872)			spouse was sister to Elizabeth Colville (1793 - 1865), b: 10 November 1799 d: 07 July 1872 in Benton Co., AR
Person:David Cowan()	1799