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Facts and Events
Tapestry
Sources
- Transcript:Will of John Cowan, Lancaster PA, 1758
- Source:Fleming, 1971
Related
- The British Origins of the Pequea Valley Cowans
- Severing the Chester County, PA Cowans from the Lancaster County, PA Cowans
Overview
| According to Source:Fleming, 1971 John (39) was one of four brothers who came from County Down Ireland to Chester and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania about 1720. While we have no direct evidence for them coming from County Down, Cowan YDNA Project test results show them to be closely related to several lines of Cowans presently living in Scotland, who have traced their lineage to the Cheviot Hills region. [3] Based on the fact that they appear to have been married adults when they arrived in America, we may guess that they were probably born some c.1690.
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|  "College Valley in the Cheviot Hills. The spectacularly beautiful valley is owned and managed by College Valley Estates under a trust created by Sir James Knott MP. The Estate covers approximately 12,000 acres (49 km2) and is to manage to "increase its value as an environmental, social and economic place of excellence". From:Wikipedia, Cheviot Hills. |
| Three of Flemings four brothers, David, John, and William, settled adjacent to each other on Pequea Creek in what is now Lancaster County. Hugh, the other brother in Flemings account settled some distance away on Octoraro Creek in Chester County. [4]John Cowan settled along the western edge of Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, PA, sometime before 1722 [5] in the Pequea Valley. John owned two adjacent parcels (pale green in adjacent map), located between the property owned by his brothers. Tax records show him to be living on one of these parcels by 1722[5]
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|  Modern Amish farmstead on 1734 land grant to John Cowan, Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, PA |
Lineage
Eschleman's Tax Assessments for Pequea Township, Lancaster County, 1720-1726 identifies several Cowans in what was then Pequea Township. They are most likely thought to be the following persons on WeRelate:
- Person:David Cowan (15)
- Person:David Cowan (18)
- Person:Henry Cowan (7)
- Person:William Cowan (28)
John (39) appears to be missing from these early tax records, though land records show him clearly to be in the area. The "extra" David Cowan (Person:David Cowan (18) is poorly documented, but he and Henry (7) seem to disappear from the record after 1729. While this is speculative, they are thought to be kinsmen of David (15), John (), and William (28). David (18) may be the father of the three Cowan Brothers. Henry may be the brother of David (18), or perhaps an otherwise unrecognized son. A plausible family relationship diagram is shown below.
Dispersion
This is the lineage of John Kerr Fleming, author of Source:Fleming, 1971, aka Cowans of County Down.
From an article by Fleming in Cowan Clan United [6] :
Personal Data
| Personal Data
| | Vita | Datum | Source/Basis/Comment
| | DOB: | |
| | POB: | |
| | DOD: | c1759 | Transcript:Will of John Cowan, Lancaster PA, 1758
 John is probably buried in the St. Johns Episcopal Cemetery |
 Cowan-Rutter Graves, (front row) |
| | POD: | Salisbury Township, Lancaster, PA | Transcript:Will of John Cowan, Lancaster PA, 1758
| | Father: | David Cowan |
| | Mother: | |
| | |
| | Spouse: | Elizabeth | MySource:Will of John Cowan, 1758, Lancaster
| | DOM: | |
| | POM: | |
| | Children (* identified in will)
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| Name | DOB | POB | DOD | POD | Spouse | DOM | POM | Dispersion and Notes
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| Thomas*
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| 1770
| Lancaster PA
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| Henry*
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| To Rowan County NC, 1785
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| William*
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| To Rowan County NC, 1759
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| John*
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| To Rowan County NC, 1750
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| Catharine*
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| Margaret*
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| Abigail*
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Footnotes
- ↑ Based on fact that he was listed on the 1722 Pequea Tax list (fide Terry Cowan 18 Dec 2009---need link to online version of tax record), which implies that he was 21 or older, and therefor probably born before 1700
- ↑ Will date 1759, probate date 1760 Transcript:Will of John Cowan, Lancaster PA, 1758
- ↑ See:The British Origins of the Pequea Valley Cowans
- ↑ We now believe, based on both YDNA evidence and traditional genealogical methods, that Hugh was unrelated to David, John, and William. YDNA evidence clearly supports the view that John David, and WIlliam were closely related (if not actual brothers). The YDNA evidence for Hugh is less clear, but traditional genealogical methods suggest that he was unrelated. See: Severing the Chester County, PA Cowans from the Lancaster County, PA Cowans
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 based on his inclusion on tax assessment of 1722. Need source.
- ↑ See: Place:Cowans Ford, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States
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