Notebook: St. John's Pequea Church, West Caln Township, Chester County, PA

Tapestry

Contents 1 Tapestry 2 Sources 3 Related 4 Data	Return to Old Chester Tapestry|Explanation	Cowan Tapestry Register Data Notebooks Analysis Bibliography Graphics YDNA Cowan Links Index
	……………………..The Tapestry Families Old Chester OldAugusta Germanna New River SWVP Cumberland Carolina Cradle The Smokies Old Kentucky

Sources

Related

Data

A distinguishing characteristics of the early Pequea Creek Cowans was adherence to the Anglican faith. The Cowans were founding members of St. John's Pequea Church in 1729, one of the most historic in Pennsylvania. The church and cemetery is Compass, PA, on the western edge of West Caln Township, Chester County--adjoining Salisbury Township, Lancaster County.

Records of baptisms and burials survive only since 1828. These records have been transcribed by church members, but have not yet been published, or place online. Records of the Vestry date back to the church's founding, but have not been transcribed. In 2009, Mr. Richard Gilfillan, a parishioner of St. John's Episcopal Church read through the extant Vestry records and made the following notations relative to the Cowan family. (Note: entries on the related Dawson family I have added from published histories of the church.)

1729--Henry Cowan and David Cowan are founding members,

1751--John Cowan is church warden, Henry Cowan and David Cowan listed as parishioners,

1752--John Cowan and David Cowan become vestrymen,

1752--Thomas Dawson, Jr. (son-in-law of John Cowan) becomes vestryman,

1752--John Cowan has pew 1, David Cowan has pew 13, Henry Cowan has pew 18,

1753--John Cowan elected church warden,

1753--Henry Cowan and David Cowan were contributors to building of new sanctuary,

1756--John Cowan and Henry Cowan become vestrymen,

1757--John Cowan elected sideman (old Anglican term for vestry official),

1758--John Cowan becomes vestryman,

1759--John Cowan contributed to building pulpit,

1761--Thomas Cowan becomes vestryman,

1762--Henry Cowan becomes vestryman,

1763--Thomas Cowan elected warden,

1764-1765--Thomas Cowan remains warden,

1767-1769--Thomas Cowan remains warden,

1767-1799--Thomas Cowan and George Cowan paid pew rents,

1776--William Dawson (son of Margaret Cowan Dawson) becomes vestryman,

1802-1816--William Cowan paid pew rents,

1808--Wiliam Cowan becomes vestryman,

1817-1827--William Cowan paid pew rents,

1828-1831--Mary Cowan now pew holder of William Cowan pew,

1832--William Cowan mentioned,

1834-1836--a Mrs. Cowan listed as communicant,

1838--a Miss Cowan listed as pew holder,

1842--Margaret Cowan listed as communicant.