OWEN FAMILY NEWS

Volume 23, Issue 4 Published by Owen Family Association December 2008 Page 1 http//www.geocities.com/~owenfamily

Letter from the Indiana Historical Society Contributor: Karen Grubaugh

Karen Grubaugh, our past OFA Newsletter editor, received this letter from the Indiana Historical Society and contributed this information to the OFA. Thank you to Karen for sharing this information and assisting in providing the Indiana Historical Society with the most current OFA organization informa- INSIDE THIS ISSUE tion. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Our Feature Article: Letter from the July 15, 2008 Descendants of William and Indiana Historical Society Drucilla Echols Owen—Part 4 Re: Exchange Program with The Hoosier Genealogist: Connections Page 1 C. Owen Johnson Family history journal from the Indiana Historical Society Press

Page 52 Letter from our President To Whom It May Concern: ThomasReuben Pickett Evan Owen and HisPage Descendants: 2 On behalf of the Indiana Historical Society I would like to thank your organization Adrian Boone Owen for participating in the exchange program with The Hoosier Genealogist: Connec- OwenJody DNAMoeller Update and tions. Currently, we are updating our files to ensure that we have the correct contact ByLee Whit Gentemenn Athey information for each participating organization and that each organization still plans Page 55 to participate in the exchange. Page 3 IN FUTURE ISSUES Conclusions of The Please take the time to check the address on the label below and let us know of any Reverend- March FeatureRichard Article Owings - changes. Also, if you have an organizational Web address or e-mail address, we Descendantsarticle of William and would like to add it to our files. Please e-mail your response to Drucilla Echols Owen—Part 5 [email protected], or mail it to: by C.Pages Owen 3-5Johnson ≈ Roger Lawton John,Descendants Thomas, of and THG Exchange Reuben PickettWilliam: Owen—Part 4 Indiana Historical Society Press Theby Devil’s Josephine in theMoeller Details 450 West Ohio Street Pages≈ 6-9 Indianapolis, Indiana 4620 – 3269 A David Franklin Owen Owen ListNarrative Moderator Thank you very much for sharing your periodical(s) with the Indiana Historical Soci- by HughPages Goodman 10 ety so that we can share them with researchers for decades to come! We appreciate ≈ the time and effort you give through this valuable program. Descendancy of IN HenryFUTURE “Buck” ISSUES Owen Sincerely, ByEphraim Marshall Owen Thomas By David Owen≈ Jackson M. Teresa Baer Ewing Elmer Fidler Story Managing Editor GenealogyBy Louis OwenTidbits Family History Publications By Carla Grune Indiana Historical Society Press Owen Histories [email protected] Chris Hanlin 317-234-0071

Volume 23, Issue 4 Owen Family News December 2008 Page 2 Editorial Staff of the The President’s Message Owen Family News from Thomas E. Owen

Editor & Officer Greetings to all in the Owen Family Association (OFA), fall

Carla Grune is a great time of year. Those of you way up north have al- 784 S. Villier Ct. ready pulled out your coats while those of us who are in the Virginia Beach, VA 23452 south are thinking about putting on a sweater. (757) 570-7079 [email protected] I was rereading the Thomas Owen family history by Clifford Publisher & Officer Owen that appeared in our last news letter. It was interesting to see how many common first names there were in that Margaret Owen Parsons Owen family and my own. Clifford Owen certainly has done 10300-142 Kings River Rd. Reedly, CA 93654 some outstanding research, thanks Cliff for sharing that fam- (559) 250-0740 ily history with us. [email protected]

Contributing Editors Let me review with all of you just a few of the OFA objec- tives: Jane Owen Hillard Document our family histories, Kimberly Ayn Owen Collect narratives, C. Owen Johnson List of cemeteries where there are Owen family plots, William P. Owen, III Publish news letter,

Proofreading Committee Aid others who are looking/searching for family histories.

Margaret Owen Parsons This is not a complete list of our objectives (complete list at Michael Patrick Owen end of news letter); I would like this to serve as a reminder Alan D. Smith and also to say there are two very capable individuals who Carolee Moncur, PhD would be willing to help any OFA member. Josephine Moel- Raye Puckett ler is our genealogist and Jane Owen is our historian. You Marsha Carmack Owen Sue Owen will find their contact information at the end of the news let- ter. Typist Volunteer Needed I hope you all have a joyous Christmas season. May your

Publication Dates families come together to share love for one another and all March, June, September & December mankind, and may the new year be a prosperous and healthy Deadlines are the 1st day of the month preceding publication. year for each of you.

Submission of lineages, biographies, Tom Owen photographs, historical and genealogical data about any Owen anywhere is encour- aged! Your ideas for the newsletter are also solicited, please contact the editor.

Volume 23, Issue 4 Owen Family News December 2008 Page 3

Update: The Owen DNA Project By Whit Athey ([email protected])

This update covers the last six months of the Owen DNA Project. 16 new participants have joined the DNA pro- ject in the period covered, and there have been six upgrades to more markers (usually to 37 markers). Incoming results during the quarter have added four new participants to Owen Group 2 (displacing Group 1 as the largest group), and one new participant to each of Owen Groups 1, 7, 8, 12a, and 13. Four new participants presently have no matches in the project. Two of the new participants match each other and form a new Owen Group 20 and one new participant matches a previously unmatched participant and they form a new Owen Group 21.

With this issue of the newsletter the full DNA results table will be provided as a separate pdf attachment for those subscribing by e-mail. Our US Mail subscribers will receive a printed updated DNA results table with the June 2009 issue of the Owen Family News. As always, the most current results may be viewed at our web site. Note that the web site has a new address since June: http://www.hprg.com/owen/. The new web site has a slightly dif- ferent look and the most current results table may be downloaded as an Excel file for any who would like to have it in that form.

Five of our new participants have ordered their testing through Ancestry.com, taking advantage of the initial pro- motional sale in August. These participants have ID numbers that start with an “A.” Another fairly new testing lab is Genetree. These two companies have different standards on a small number of markers from those of Fam- ily Tree DNA. Hopefully, the different labs will soon standardize their approaches to all markers to avoid confu- sion, but for now, the results from Ancestry have to be adjusted in a few cases in order to be comparable to Family Tree DNA.

For those who would like to join the project, but are reluctant to spend the money, keep in mind that there is a “free” option. You can be tested through the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF) by ordering a test kit from their web site (http://www.smgf.org). The disadvantage of this approach is that it takes over a year for your results to become available, and even then the results are not provided directly to you. Your results sim- ply show up in the SMGF database with no notification, so you have to go looking for them by searching on your surname or an ancestor of yours. If you need more information on this option, you can contact me at wa- [email protected].

Please see the updated DNA table for new results on this project. For questions on the results or project or ques- tions on how to participate in the OWEN DNA project, please contact Whit Athey.

Conclusions of The Rev. Richard Owings article (By David Owings, [email protected])

I would like to thank David Owings for contributing this information on The Reverend Richard Owings. With no further a due, the OFA presents the diary and concluding information on The Reverend Richard Owings.

Monday, March 8th 1773 “Rose this morning with a determination to fight or die; I spent an hour in earnest prayer. Lord, keep me ever watchful. I was also much comforted by a letter which I received from Richard Owings, part of which follows:

“I know not what it will come to. Almost every person seems to be under a religious concern. There are about twenty-two persons already joined in society at Seneca. At Georgetown four have been lately enabled to rejoice in God: one at Rock Creek. Blessed be God; who hath not forgotten to be gracious.” Volume 23, Issue 4 Owen Family News December 2008 Page 4

Lord’s Day (Sunday), August 29th 1773 “After preaching at Mr. Joshua Owings in the morning, and at Mr. Daniel Evans in the afternoon, I rode thence to town under heavy exercises of mind. Surely there will be good done here, or the place must be given up.”

Monday, September 13th 1773 “Found it necessary on a particular occasion to get to Pipe creek; and while preaching to a large number of people at Richard Owings, the power of the Lord was present.”

Thursday, December 23rd 1773 “Richard Owings informed me that the work of God was gaining ground in Frederick County.”

Lord’s Day (Sunday), January 30th 1774 “It appears that the people have a great desire to know the truth; for though it rained and froze as it fell, yet a great many attended to hear. It was a very solemn time at night, while I discoursed on the awful day of Judgement. Sam- uel Owings is tenderly affected for the salvation of his soul. Glory to God for these things! Set out on Monday for our quarterly meeting, and met the preachers at brother Owings’.”

Friday, March 11th 1774 “Blessed be God! Samuel Owings seems determined to give up all for Christ.”

Tuesday, March 14th 1774 “…preaching at Joshua Owings…”

Tuesday, March 28th 1775 “Mr. Otterbein, the Dutch minister, accompanied me to Joshua Owings, where we had a blessed and refreshing sea- son.”

Tuesday, June 11th 1776 “…on Wednesday the congregation at Joshua Owings were so impenetrable that neither promises nor threats could move them.”

The first Methodist Society established in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia was organized at Stephensburg, Frederick County in 1775 when traveling ministers Rev. Richard Owings and Rev. John Hagerty preached at the home of Major Lewis Stephens. A church was built there sometime in the late 1780’s on land Major Stephens do- nated. This church belonged to the Winchester Circuit of the Baltimore Conference until 1891 when it was divided into two charges for Stephens City and Middleton. Caleb Hobbs who resided in Cooksville, Maryland within the Frederick Circuit wrote about Rev. Richard Owings preaching: “We had no book, and it was a matter of utter astonishment to the people that a man could preach without a book. The people became interested and stirred up, to see if these things were true, and went from house to house to consult the Scriptures, and finding that Owings doctrine was the Word of God, they gave heed there- unto.” Thomas Scott wrote of him: “Till late in the Fall of 1783, no itinerant minister of the Methodist Church had passed the entire rage of the Allegheny Mountains and unfurled the standard of the cross in the Redstone settlements. That honor was reserved for Richard Owings. I had the honor of hearing him preach in Oldtown, Maryland, on his outward and homeward bound journey. Being then in the eleventh year of my age, I was too young to form a correct estimate of his talents as a preacher. I, however recollect his personal appearance, and the silent awe which seemed to pervade the entire congregation. . He was nearly six feet in height, slender, stooped in his shoulders, sandy hair and florid complexion. A large majority of the settlers in and about Beesontown (Uniontown), and Redstone, Old Fort in Pennsylvania, and in present counties of Ohio and Brooke in Virginia had emigrated either from the State of Maryland, or the South Branch of the Potomac. With the heads of several of these families Mr. Owings had been personally acquainted prior to their emigration, and the appearance of Mr. Owings among them was hailed with joy.”

Volume 23, Issue 4 Owen Family News December2008 Page 5

The Methodist Episcopal Church was established at the Baltimore Christmas conference in 1784. The Methodist were urged to remain in the Angelican Church but “…those efforts were in vain, the Methodist Society which sprang from the home of Joshua Owings acquired a piece of ground upon which to build.” The Methodist memorial marker in Leesburg, Virginia reads: “In Memory of Richard Owings. First native born Methodist local Preacher. He was converted under the ministry of Robert Strawbridge and received of trial in 1775. He served Baltimore Circuit in 1775 and as a local Preacher he traveled extensively in the Fall of 1783. He was the First Methodist Preacher to cross the Allegheny Mountains unfurling the standard of the Cross in Redstone, Pennsylvania and gathering a class which became the Redstone Circuit. Ordained Deacon in 1786 he served Fairfax Circuit May 21, 1786 to October 7, 1786. During which time he was pastor of the “Old Stone” Methodist Church which stood within the bounds of this cemetery.” In his will dated two days before his death, October 5th, he wrote: “To wife Rachel: the plantation where she lives with utensils, stock, negroes, and furniture, except as below. Ne- groes Will and Ester I hope she will set free. At her death or marriage, all to be sold and money equally to my 5 children, George, Joshua, Mary, John and Catherine Owings. All my Kentucky lands devised to children: the 1000 acres John Reed was to clear. To daughter Catherine: Negro girls Lindey, and Milley, mare, colt saddle, several livestock, bed and furniture when she marries or at age 18. Wife and son-in-law John Baysman, Richard Owings ex- ecutors.” Will was not freed and was sold to cover Rev. Owings traveling debts – Will’s valued represented 38 per- cent of the estate being sold. Richard’s eulogy was provided by the Rev. William Watters at the Old Stone Methodist Church “On my way home, I saw my old friend and fellow-laborer, Richard Owings, in Leesburg, dangerously ill, and it proved the last time my seeing him, for in a few days he resigned his soul into the hands of his merciful God. He was the first American Methodist Preacher, though for many years he acted only as a Local Preacher. He was awakened under the preaching of Robert Strawbridge. He was a man of a respectable family, of good natural parts, and of consider- able utterance. Though encumbered with a family, he often left wife and children and a comfortable living, and went into distant parts, before we had any Traveling Preachers among us, and without fee or reward freely published that Gospel to others which he had happily found to be the power of God unto his own salvation. After we had regular Circuit Preachers among us, he, as a Local Preacher, was ever ready to fill up a gap, and, by his continuing to go unto neighborhoods were there was no preaching, he was often the means of opening the way for enlarging old or forming new circuits. Several years before his dissolution, after his children were grown up and able to attend to his family concerns, he gave himself entirely to the work of the ministry, and finished his course in Leesburg, Fairfax Circuit, in the midst of many kind friends, but at some distance from his home. As his last labors were in the circuit where he lived, I had frequent opportunities of being in his company, both in public and in private, and had every reason to believe that he had kept himself unspotted from the world, and had the salvation of souls much at heart. I wish it was in my power to hold him up in his real character, as an example to our present race of Local Preachers. He was plain in his dress, plain in his manners, industrious and frugal; he bore a good part of the burden and heat of the day in the beginning of that work which has since so gloriously spread over this happy continent, and was as anx- ious to be a general blessing to mankind as too many now are to get richer and make a show in the world. I shall need to make no apology for giving this short account of so worthy a man to any who knew him.”

In 1792, Rev. Owings window Rachel was named one of three “sisters” as class leaders for the Baltimore area by Bishop Asbury. It is unknown why Rev. Owings was not returned the some seventy miles to his home for burial – perhaps they felt in a sense the church was his home. Twenty-four years after Rev. Owings death in September of 1810 a thirty-one year old female with the initials “A.O.” was laid to rest next to Richard – her identity unknown to the present.

Volume 23, Issue 4 Owen Family News December 2008 Page 6 John, Thomas, and William: The Devil’s in the Owen Details by Margaret Owen Thorpe

Rumor says that there were, in 18th century Virginia, men named something other than John Owen, Thomas Owen, or William Owen. I’ve found George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Light Horse Harry Lee. Other than that, we have a bunch of John, Thomas, and William Owens – with one each of Augustine, Bartholomew, and Walter Owen for garnish.

The good news: we now have Y-DNA tests to help sort the guys. The bad news: the Y-DNA results now confirm that there were several different Owen families in early Virginia and North Carolina. The DNA results, however, can’t un- ravel the tangling together of both families and individuals that happened way back when struggling genealogists had to make do without online records and DNA tests.

Here’s one example of tangling – turning two (or more) people into one. A genealogy posted on Rootsweb shows:

Name: John OWEN · Sex: M · Birth: 15 NOV 1691 in Henrico Co., VA · Death: 9 AUG 1804 in Prince Edward Co., VA · Note: John Owen, was a vestryman in Antrim Parish from 1752 to 1765.

John Owen, son of Thomas, was born about 1695, in Henrico County, Virginia. He had eight children: Thomas, Richardson, Isabella, Mary, Fanny, Mildred, John and Eliza Owen. In 1741 he was married to Mildred Grant (daughter of Thomas Grant and Isabella Richardson).

What’s wrong?

It’s not that it shows John Owen as living to 113 years. John Owen, born 1695 and son of Thomas, did live to be 109. But, first, the posting shows two different birth dates – 1691 and 1695. More significant, John, born 1695 and son of Thomas, didn’t die in Prince Edward County, Virginia. He died in Granville County, North Carolina. The John Owen who died in Prince Edward County died there about 1767 – and was born about 1676 - and was the brother of Thomas and the uncle of John born 1695, died 1804.

Further, there was a John Owen who was a vestryman in Antrim Parish. But there’s no evidence that he was the same John Owen as either Prince Edward John or Granville John. Instead, there is some evidence that he was neither of them – but yet another John Owen.

Some posted genealogies tangle the two Johns further, showing Mildred Grant as a third wife of Uncle John. She was- n’t. Uncle John’s actual wives, Sarah Brackett and Phoebe Brackett – who seems to have been widowed before marry- ing John – occasionally are garbled, too. Before we had the DNA tests, it was easy – and, no doubt, satisfying – for a dogged genealogist to find a William Owen and conclude, “Well, this must be ‘my guy’ – right name, more or less right place.” Thus were built many of the genealogies we continue to try to work from today. The problem is – they aren’t right – because there were more Johns, Thomases, and Williams than any of the earlier researchers imagined. Find a guy – paste him in as the father – or a son. Looks good – but he’s the wrong guy. Often, he’s two or three guys, all tangled into one. The DNA results tell us we need to untie some of our beloved forebears and restore them to their right families.

The clue that there was more than one guy with the same name always existed. As early as 1704, the Virginia Quit Rent List – the list of people owning Virginia land – included two John Owens – one in Prince Georges County and one in Princess Anne – and – two William Owens, one in Charles City County and one in Norfolk. There was also a “Collonell” [sic] Owen, and a David, Gilbert, Jonathan, Ralph, and Hugh. Even earlier, we have: Volume 23, Issue 4 Owen Family News December 2008 Page 7

• 1652 – William Owen buys 360 acres on “northeast side Skiminoe Creek” – with William Morgan • 1670 – Will Owen buys 350 acres on Mattadegun Creek – with James Evans • 1672 – William Owen buys 938 acres on Mattadegun and Black Creeks • 1678 – John Owen buys 298 acres – no further info – with Hugh Williams • 1694 – John Owen, acres not given, in Richmond County, Northern Neck grants – between Rappahanock & Potomac “in the forrest” [sic]

Are these William Owens the same fellow? The 1670 and 1672 purchases look by location to be the same guy. But what about the 1652 fellow? And the two Johns? Who knows? Were they ancestors of the later Owens? Or not?

More: • 1702 – William Owen, 100 acres, south side of Chickahominy River (probably Henrico County) • 1712-3 – Thomas Owen, 100 acres, south side of Chickahominy Swamp (probably Henrico)

Looks, by location, as if these two fellows are related. Brothers? Cousins? Father and son?

But what about all the other Johns, Thomases, and Williams buying and/or receiving Virginia lands up through 1780? Are they descendants of the 17th century fellows? Or not?

• 1715 - John Owen and William Rowley, Richmond County, Northern Neck grants • 1728 – John Owen, 400 acres north side of Appomattox River, Henrico • 1730 – John Owen, 400 acres north side of Appomattox, Goochland • 1731 – Thomas Owen, 400 acres on north side of James River, Henrico • 1736 – John and Thomas Owen, 200 acres, Prince Georges County, south of James R. • 1736 – William Owen, 100 acres, Prince Georges County, “great branch” of Warwick • 1744 – John Owen – 328 acres, Amelia County, lower side of Flatt Creek • 1744 – Thomas Owen, 496 acres, “near John Sheppard and Robert Webb”, Henrico County. (This entry is of special interest as the Thomas Owen of Henrico County presumed to be the “patriarch” of the DNA Group #1 has probably died, as his will ws probated in 1744. Did he buy this before dying? Or is this his son – or a different Thomas?) • 1747 – Owen Evan Owen, 527 acres, Sappony Creek, Henrico County. (Only entry anywhere – deeds, tithables, wills - for this fellow. Who is he???) • 1751 – John Owen, Jr. – 274 acres, Lunenberg County, on Contrary Run • 1753 – John Owen – 2038 acres, Amelia County, on Sandy River • 1755 – John Owen – no acreage given, Halifax County, Reedy Creek • 1759 – John Owen – no acreage given, Lunenberg County, Banister River • 1760 – William Owen – 400 acres, Lunenberg County, Hunts Branch on Contrary Run • 1761 – John Owen – no acreage given, Reedy Creek, Lunenberg County • 1769 – William Owen – 400 acres, Halifax County, Blackwalnut Creek • 1771 – John Owen & William Owen – 400 acres on Hunts Creek, Halifax County • 1772 – William Owen – 332 acres, Albemarle County, Moremans River • 1779 – William Owen – 400 acres, Pittsylvania County on Dan River • 1780 - Thomas Owen – 334 acres, Pittsylvania County, on south side of Sandy River

Before the DNA results, we might have said that these fellows were really just the same guys, buying up Virginia and moving around. To some extent, that was probably true. But we now know that there were several Owen families – and two families in particular – DNA Group #1 and DNA Group #11 - that seem to have been tangled together when they should not have been. Worse, these are only the guys we know about – guys whose descendants claim them and who have had the DNA test! The above land records suggest that there were more Owens (oh, no!) whose descendants have not been fully documented. Unless otherwise Volume 23, Issue 4 Owen Family News December 2008 Page 8

Let’s start with John Owen – seven of them: • DNA Group #1 – John born 1676, married Sarah Brackett and Phoebe; John, born 1695, married Mildred Grant, nephew of John 1676; John, son of John and Sarah, born about 1722; • DNA Group #2 – John born 1741, died in South Carolina; • DNA Group #5 – John born 1795 probably in North Carolina, died 1876; John Ransom Owen, born 1805 probably North Carolina; • DNA Group #11 – John married Mary Ann Bruner.

How about Thomas Owen? At least seven of them as well: • DNA Group #1 – Thomas born about 1664, died 1744; Thomas, son of Thomas, born 1697, married Sarah Hobson; Thomas, son of John born 1676, born 1729, married Mary Jane Haskins/Hawkins; Thomas son of John born 1695; Thomas Owen born 1809 married Nancy Weldon; more Thomases in succeeding generations; • DNA Group #2 – Thomas Owen, born 1810 • DNA Group #11 – Thomas Owen, 1776, born in Halifax, married Sarah Stewart

And the William Owens? They’re everywhere – at least nine separate fellows: • DNA Group #1 – William Owen, born about 1699, son of Thomas born ca. 1664; William Owen born ca 1727, son of John born 1676; • DNA Group #2 – William Owen, born 1793, married Phoebe Looney; • DNA Group #6 – William Owen, born 1733, married Drucilla Echols; • DNA Group #11 – William Owen, died 1787, Wilkes County, North Carolina • DNA Group #12b – William Farrow Owen, Sr., about 1750, married Henrietta Nichols • Two strays: William Groner Owen, born about 1820; William Owen born 1770; • One mystery man – William Owen, died Wilkes County, NC, 1800, married Edey Pigg. Some say he is Group #1; others show him in Group # 11.

Anybody think we need more John, Thomas, and William Owens? I certainly don’t! * * * * * So how do we get back to who was really who? I am tempted, but I won’t digress into such subjects as “Which William Owen was the highwayman?” Now that we know about the DNA groups, we need to pay much more attention to details other than names and, particularly, to context. We need to follow patterns more than data:

• If a fellow lived 40 years in Granville County, NC, he likely didn’t die in Prince Edward County, VA, especially when his cousins who had lived in Prince Edward had pretty much moved on to Kentucky;

• Look at that tangled John Owen again. Remember the earlier doubt about his service as a vestryman in Antrim Parish? Antrim Parish is in Halifax County, Virginia. Uncle John Owen had bought over 2,000 acres of land in Amelia County in 1753. That portion of Amelia County became Prince Edward County in 1754. How likely is it that Uncle John was a vestryman in Halifax when he’d just bought all that land in Amelia? Nephew John was born in Henrico County in 1695; his son John, Jr. was born in Henrico in 1754. By the 1760s, Nephew John has moved to Granville County, North Carolina. How would he be a vestry- man in Halifax from 1752 to 1765? And why?

• The vestryman appears to be another John Owen, probably from another DNA Group. The land records do show a John Owen buying Halifax land at the right time. Perhaps he is Group #11’s John who married Mary Ann Bruner and/or the father of Tho- mas Owen who married Sarah Stewart?

• We can no longer trust posted 18th century or earlier genealogies unless there are solid primary sources to back them up. We now know that, just because William Owen appears in the will of John Owen does not mean he is the right William or the right John. We need to find more primary sources and more connections to other information in order to put the puzzles to- gether correctly; Volume 23, Issue 4 Owen Family News December 2008 Page 9

• Pay attention to the lay of the land. Just because two parcels of land are in the same county doesn’t necessarily mean the peo- ple who owned them were related. Where are the waterways? The ridges? Parcels may be in different counties but on the same river. Old maps may show old names for land features that have since disappeared. I found, for example, an 18th Virginia map that shows an Owen’s Creek running toward the James River from the Chickahominy River/Swamp. That’s where a couple of Owens bought land in the early 1700s;

• We must remember not to get carried away by apparent connections of names and neighbors. Coincidence is both prevalent and powerful. I’ve now found enough people from my mother’s tree living near folks from my father’s tree that, if I thought it was other than coincidence, I’d be my own grandma. There just weren’t a lot of folks around back then;

• Further, genes are powerful. If some person seems like an ancestor, but there’s something about the person that doesn’t fit with our current families, that person is probably not an ancestor. John Owen, Anglican vestryman in Antrim Parish, one more time: another reason I doubt he was Uncle John or Nephew John of DNA Group #1 is that succeeding generations of Group #1 include Baptists, Primitive Baptists, a few Methodists, and some undeclareds, but not members of highly structured de- nominations such as Anglican or Catholic.

I found a 1777 petition to the Virginia House of Delegates from a William Owen and John Owen requesting payment because “they were taken sick while on duty in Gloucester town, and did not recover their healths till some time after their discharge from the service; that during their sickness they should have suffered greatly, had it not been for the generosity of their cap- tain, and that they have expended their little stock of money in their sickness, and praying such relief as shall be thought just and reasonable.”

I’m 99.2% that this William and Thomas Owen were not of my tribe. My tribe spends a lot of time avoiding government, hoping it will not notice that we exist. No matter how sick or how poor we might be, we’d sooner stew the backyard squirrels than petition the government for help. Who knows? With a little chipotle, squirrel might even be tasty.

• Before you run screaming, if at all possible, go to Virginia, and look for primary documents. If you can’t visit Virginia, visit its Library at http://www.lva.lib.va.us/index.htm. It has many records online – but ten times as many on shelves. Many of those may be available through InterLibrary Loan.

Finally, with the DNA results now in, the question arises: how could there possibly be so many people who aren’t related to each other and yet have the same name – Owen – and live in the same areas? Ah, at last – an easy one to answer.

We need to put aside the lofty genealogies of 100 and more years ago that tell us, “The Owen family...is of Welch [sic] origin, de- scendants of the ancient Kings of Wales....” People named Owen are, for the most part, Welsh, but they are not of one family – descended from Kings or not.

In the 17th century, when the American colonies were settled, Wales was still moving to the use of surnames. The early registers of people who came to America include a few Welsh with the old style names – Richard ap David, John ap Howell, Owen ap Owen. The name Owen was not, in the old style, a surname. It was just the father’s name. Richard the son of David; John the son of How- ell; Owen the son of Owen. (Women were Elizabeth verch David, etc.) So the person we now call “John Owen” would have been John the son of Owen. If John ap Owen named his son William, then William was called William ap John. The name Owen was not passed down.

As the music stopped, so to speak, the most recent father’s given name became a surname, and the surname then passed down to succeeding generations, as names had not previously done. Thus, completely unrelated families of people ended up with the same surname. And then they got aboard ships. And came to America. And multiplied. And scattered unrelated Owens all about Vir- ginia and North Carolina. And named all their sons John, Thomas, and William.

1Land records used are from http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mnichols/owen/va_land_grants.htm - abstracted by Mary Nich- ols – and http://www.lva.lib.va.us/index.htm - additional data abstracted by me. 2Margaret Pilcher, “The Owen Family,” Historical Sketches of the Campbell, Pilcher and Kindred Families, Nashville, Marshall & Bruce, 1911. 3John Camden Hotten, The Original Lists of Persons of Quality, Emigrants; Religious Exiles; Political Rebels; Serving Men Sold for a Term of Years; Apprentices; Children Stolen; Maidens Pressed; and Others Who Went From Great Britain to the American Plantations – 1600 – 1700. http://www.allcensus.com/original_lists_index.htm Volume 23, Issue 4 Owen Family News December 2008 Page 10

Queries, We want Queries!

Hail Lewis (218 East Ave. Apt. 2, North Tonawanda, NY 14120) seeks information on John Hunt and Mary Owen. Please write to him with any information.

Please send queries or information on queries to Carla Grune, [email protected] or mail to 784 S. Villier Ct. Virginia Beach, VA 23452.

OWEN LIST MODERATOR Bob McCrary [email protected]

How would you like to be Administrator/Moderator for the Owen Mail List?? The list seems to be quite ac- tive and remarkably well behaved. There is not much to do except make decisions on banning spammers from the list. I do think the list administrator should be an OFA member. Please consider helping and ac- cept this position? If so please contact the present administrator at [email protected]. First applicant gets the job.

Bob McCrary

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Address______

State ______Zip______

Description of CD [Adobe PDF format] *Amount x Qty = Total Owen Source Book $10.00 ______Book 1 Owen Family Newsletters [Vol 1-8] $10.00 ______Book 2 Owen Family Newsletters [Vol 9-12] $10.00 ______Book 3 Owen Family Newsletters [Vol 13-16] $10.00 ______Book 4 Owen Family Newsletters [Vol 17-20] $10.00 ______A complete set of all five CD’s $35.00 ______Total (*includes shipping & handling) $ ______** **Send this amount by check or money order payable to Owen Family Association, c/o Jane Owen 4190 Hurricane Shores Dr. Benton, AR 72019 (Please include a copy of this form with your order) These CD’s are in Adobe PDF format and can be read on your computer by Adobe Reader software. If this software is not installed on your computer, it’s free from Adobe.com. . Volume 23, Issue 4 Owen Family News December 2008 Page 11

Welcome New Members

No new members to report at this time.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION For information or an application for membership, please e-mail [email protected] or write to: Owen Fam- ily Association c/o Josephine Moeller 401 S. 14th St., St. Charles, IL 60174.

2009 Membership Dues

It is that time again to renew your membership dues, which should be paid by 1/1/2009.

OWEN FAMILY ASSOCIATION

Persons joining anytime during the calendar year will receive all 4 issues of the OWEN FAMILY NEWS for that year. Back issues & current issues are sent at the next general mailing: March, June, September, December. We do not accept multiple-year memberships.

2009 MEMBERSHIP (1 Year) $10.00 2009 Make check payable to Owen Family Association and mail to: Owen Family Association c/o George Shirley, 508 Arbor Dr., Madison, MS 39110 (Print Clearly) Name: ______Address: ______City: ______State:______Zip Code: ______-______E-mail:______Phone: (______) ______-______Preferred Newsletter Delivery (√ one) □ E-mail □ United States Postal Service

Thanks from the Editor

Thank you to Margaret Owen Thorpe for her in-depth and insightful article, David Owings for his article on The Reverend Richard Owings, and Karen Grubaugh for sharing The Indiana Historical Society Letter with the OFA. I ran out of room in this publication but I look forward to publishing David O. Jackson’s article on Ephraim Owen in the March issue of the OFA newsletter. Also, keep the articles coming. I appreciate our members input and contributions. Our newsletter is a reflection of our wonderful contributors, so keep up the good work.

Seasons Greetings

The OFA officers would like to wish everyone a most blessed Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Owen Family News 1st class postage “Owen, a name worth knowing”

Owen Family Association Margaret Owen Parsons, Publisher 10300-142 Kings River Road Reedley CA 93654

Association Officers

Thomas E. Owen, President 1478 Dallas Circle Marietta, GA 30064 (770) 426-6647 [email protected]

M. Fred Owen, Vice President Owen Family Association P.O. Box 4805 Horseshoe Bay, The Owen Family Association was organized in 1981. TX 78657—(830) 598-6545 [email protected] The objectives of the association are: ▪ To establish and document as complete a list of descendants of Owen Jane Owen, Secretary Historian and allied families as possible. 4190 Hurricane Shores Dr. Benton AR 72019 (501)794-1751 ▪ To collect a narrative history of individual family lines of descent . [email protected] ▪ To compile and maintain a listing of cemeteries, homes and other buildings and sites associated with Owen and allied families. George Shirley, Treasurer ▪ To publish and distribute a periodic newsletter. 508 Arbor Dr. Madison, MS ▪ To bring members of the family association together for periodic reunions. 39110 (601) 856-9041 ▪ To aid association members to establish their family line and assist them in [email protected] joining hereditary and patriotic societies, if they so desire. ▪ To ultimately produce a volume documenting the verified family histories. Josephine Moeller, Genealogist ▪ To provide publications to Genealogy Libraries in order to assist Owen 401 S 14th St., St. Charles IL 60174 (630) 513-6808 researchers. [email protected] Annual dues of $10.00 are payable January 1st . The Owen Family News is published quarterly and is subject to copyright. Board of Directors Robert McCrary George Shirley C. Owen Johnson