Cowen

 John J. Cowen was born in 1827 in Tennessee. He was a son of James (23 April 1788 – 8 March 1863) and Clarissa Sharp Cowan (8 November 1790 – 29 August 1844) who married on 13 March 1817 in Tennessee. James Cowan was a son of Robert (7 January 1744 – 17 January 1824) and Nancy Ann Rutledge Cowan (18 January 1754-16 February 1840) residents of Tennessee. Robert (1744-1824) was a son of James Cowan.

John J. Cowen married Jane Been about 1849 in Illinois. Jane Been, born about1826 in Illinois, a daughter of James Allen Been (23 January 1800 – 12 July 1859) and Margaret Anderson Cox Been (17 April 1801 – 3 July 1876). James and Margaret Been were living next door to James and Jane Cowen on 13 September 1850, in Randolph County, Illinois. James and Margaret Been are buried in the Preston Cemetery in Randolph County, Illinois. Their known children are; Jane, Elizabeth, William, James A., Margaret, Reuben L., Mary, John T., and Eleanor Been. In July 1860, John and Jane Cowen with their five children were living near Mrs. Margaret Been and three of her children in Randolph County, Illinois.

On 19 July 1870, John J. Cowen, his wife Jane and their children: born in Illinois; Margaret E., a female age 18; Sarah Jane, a female age 16; James A., a male age 14; Martha, a female age 13; William J., a male age 9; and born in Texas, Absalom, a male age 6, and Mary E. Cowen, a female age 4; were living in Roaring River Township, in Barry County, Missouri. Granville Boyd, who was living with John and Jane Cowen in Illinois in 1860, was also living with them in 1870 in Missouri. On 21 June 1880, in Burleson County, Texas, Mrs. Jane Cowen, a 54 year old widow, her single children; William, a male age 18 born in Illinois, A.R. a male age 16 born in Texas, Mary E. a female age 13 born in Texas; Mrs. Cowen’s widowed daughter Sarah Jane Snodgrass a female age 28 born in Illinois with her 8 year old daughter Tabatha, born in Texas; Mrs. Cowen’s married daughter Martha Cowen Hobbs age 22 born in Illinois with husband William Jesse Hobbs , age 32 born in  Texas and the Hobbs children; Jane K age 6 born in Texas, James A. age 3 born in Texas and Martha Hobbs age 6 months born in Texas. W.A. Snodgrass had married Sarah Jane Cowen on 28 May 1872 in Burleson County Margaret Cowen, a daughter of John and Jane Cowen, married James K. Polk Snodgrass on 30 July 1874, in Burleson County, Texas Sarah Jane Cowen, a daughter of John and Jane Cowen, married William R. Snodgrass on 26 May 1872, in Burleson County, Texas.

James A. Cowen, a son of John and Jane Cowen, was born about 1856 in Illinois does not show up in any records after the 1870 Census.

Martha Cowen, a daughter of John and Jane Cowen, married William Jesse Hobbs in July 1873 in Burleson County, Texas.

William J. Cowen, a son of James and Jane Cowen, born in November 1862 in Illinois, was living in Burleson County, Texas on 18 June 1900, with his wife Lucy, born in March 1866 in North Carolina, and their children; Lewis M.; Charles; Beulah; and Vernon Cowen Those children were born in Texas. William and Lucy had a total of eleven children. They are: Lewis (1882-1937), Amanda “Mandy” (1885-1925), William (1888-1963), Beulah (1894-1922), Lee Ellen (1896-1896), Verna ( 1898-1987), Raymond (1899-1916), Viola (1900-1925), Bill (born in 1900), Bertha (1903-1981), and Verge (born in 1905). The family lived in Deanville, Burleson County, Texas. Mrs. Lucy Jane Brown Cowen died 30 January 1922 and is buried in the Old Birch Creek Cemetery in Burleson County, Texas. Mr. William J. Cowen died 10 February 1940 and is buried  the Beaman High Prairie Cemetery in Lee County, Texas.

Absalom “Abe” Riley Cowen, a son of John J. Cowen and Jane Been Cowen, born in April 1864, in Texas, married on 8 October 1884, in Burleson County, TX, Lenora “Nora” Maddox.  Lenora, a daughter of Lawson Maddox and Martha Brewster Maddox, was born 15 March 1871, in Louisiana and died 31 August 1957 in Brazoria County, Texas A.R. Cowen died on 13 January 1908 in Burleson County, TX. He and Lenora are buried in the Old Birch Creek Cemetery in Burleson County, Texas. They had seven children with six reaching adulthood: Martha Jane, born 7 November 1885, died 21 February 1924; William Riley, born 13 April 1888, died 12 October 1961;Lawson Dee, born 16 July 1890, died 19 July 1958; Jack Vernon, born 13 July 1897, died 24 August 1930; Bessie Lee, born 10 November 1903, died 11 November 1993; and Mattie Cowen, born 15 December 1907, died 30 September 1993.

Mary E Cowen, a daughter of John and Jane Cowen, married F.A. Brown on 18 January 1883, in Burleson County, Texas.

The above family information was found in the 1850 thru 1900 U.S. Census, and on internet sites; Family Search.com, Find A Grave, Gen Forum, and Texas Gen Web. It may not be accurate since it came from several unverified individuals and sites.

Last Update Wednesday, 18-Sep-2024 17:51:25 MDT