OWEN FAMILY ASSOCIATION UNrelated by DNA, UNited by interest
Volume 26, Issue 1 EWSLETTER March, 2011
N Bluett Owen and Some of His Descendants By Sylvia Teague This is an account of what we know of three early generations of Owen men, three of whom are my ancestors. a name worth knowing a Bluett Owen www.owenfamilyassociation.org Bluett H. Owen was born about 1802 in South Carolina. He was one of the eleven children of John Owen and Sarah INSIDE THIS ISSUE Hatton Owen. He may have entered the world near Newberry, Front page: about 45 miles northwest of Columbia, the state capital. His Buett Owen, et al mother‘s obituary says she and her husband settled in the Sylvia Teague Newberry district and they are listed on the Censuses for that FEATURES area in 1800 and 1810. However, the 1790 and 1820 Censuses
Rev. Robert Owen list them as living in Fairfield. When John died in 1826, his will by Paul H. Owen was filed in Abbeyville, SC. page 3 Our Cemetery Project Shortly after John‘s death, Bluett‘s mother and some of Beginning lists her children moved nearly 600 miles to Shelby County, TN, the pages 6 area around what is now Memphis. That‘s where Bluett and his brother William would meet and marry two sisters. William UPDATES married Harriet West on February 11, 1829. Documents show Reunion Bluett was a bondsman for the marriage. Exactly one year later, Reservations, please on February 11, 1830, Bluett married Rebecca Clarise West. page 5 Both brides were born in Mecklenburg, NC, the daughters of DNA-update Benjamin West and Easter Bradley. Bluett and Rebecca would Dr. Whit Athey have seven children, beginning with Erastus in 1831, and a set page 4 of twin boys born in 1846. All the children had names DEPARTMENTS beginning with E. In 1840, according to Census records, Bluett Mission Statement was still in Shelby County; in 1845, he is listed as bondsman for page 12 his brother, Howard‘s, marriage.
President’s Notebook Bluett was a Methodist minister, as were two of his page 2 brothers. No records are available for Bluett‘s ministry, but Queries Methodist archivists speculate that he was a local minister, as page 11 opposed to a circuit minister, for whom there are more records Welcome New Members! available. His brother, Travis, was a circuit riding preacher in page 2 the Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee. (continued on page 8.)
2 From Our President’s Notebook Publisher Sadly, we have received word that one of our Honorary Margaret Owen Parsons Members has passed on. Mrs. Louise A. Locke (#264) died 1300 W. Olson Ave. Space 142 November 9, 2010. Our hearts go out to her daughter, Ms. Pat Reedley, CA 93654 Gardetto and other members of the family. (559) 250-0740 [email protected] We also regretfully report a severe loss to a new member who has become our new Editorial Assistant, Garry W. Owens,
and his family. His beloved daughter, Mary Kathleen (―Kathy‖) Dunn ended her long and valiant battle with cancer. She died October 12, 2010. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Garry and Mary Owens and to Kathy‘s husband, Alvin Dunn, and their three children.
Editorial Staff of the We are many separate Owen(s) families and yet (one of Owen Newsletter life‘s mysteries), we are one big Owen family. ―We‘re all in it Editor together.‖ —Jane Owen Hillard ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jane Owen Hillard A hearty warm welcome to our new members! The fact 4136 E. Village Dr. that Gene Owen hails from California and Joe Owen resides in Mason, OH 45040 North Carolina shows the reach of our Association, which is [email protected] steadily growing. Welcome, indeed!
Editorial Assistant Gene Leroy Owen (#465) 1813 Chopin Way, Modesto, CA 95358
Garry Owens (209) 404-4781 [email protected] Earliest ancestor: John & Sarah Hatton Owen, b. 1767, Northampton, NC — d. 1826, Newberry, SC Proofreader: Joseph Charles (Joe) Owen (#466) — See Queries, page 11. Carolee Moncur, PhD [email protected] Earliest ancestor: Richard Owen, b. ca 1680 — 1756, VA. Publication Dates ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ March, June, September, and WE ARE ALL INVITED! We have just received an invitation December to gather at the Athenaeum in New Harmony Village at 2:00 PM on Deadlines are the 1st day of Saturday, September 24th. There, we will be welcomed by the Director of the the month preceding New Harmony Project of the University of Southern Indiana, Evansville. We publication. will be among other groups and individuals visiting that lovely place for a Submission of lineages, brief respite from the world. biographies, photographs, The Owen Family group will be introduced and lauded for our historical and genealogical unique kind of organization, all of us representing our different unrelated data about any Owen Owen ancestors. The Director will inform the others that we have chosen anywhere is encouraged! th New Harmony as the site for our 11 biennial re-union because of its‘ Submissions are always sent association with the great industrialist-utopian, Robert Owen. to the Editor. Your ideas for We are grateful for the opportunity to be recognized!! If anyone the newsletter are also should ask any of us if we are related to the famous Robert Owen, we can solicited. proudly reply that our Host and fellow OFA member, Cliff Owen, is. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3 Rev. Robert Owen (1674-1714) by Paul H. Owen
[In the December issue, we left brothers Laurence and Edward Owen living together in Prince Georges County (1733 tax list). The story continues. —Ed].
On March 25, 1742, Richard Snowden executed a deed conveying to Edward Owen, carpenter, for 40 pounds, the 200 acre tract ―Shepherd‘s Hard Fortune.‖ This property was situated on the west side of the Patuxent adjoining ―Charles Forrest‖ and ―Brothers Content,‖ and had been patented by Richard Snowden on November 3, 1736. (P. G. Land Records, Liber Y, f.456). The location of ―Shepherd‘s Hard Fortune‖ in the northwest section of Prince Georges County proved an incentive to join his neighbors and his brother Laurence in signing a petition in 1742 to divide the county from the mouth of Rock Creek, south to the bridge near Kennedy Farrill‘s, then east to the Patuxent. (Black Books, item 454). The Frederick County Court records list Laurence Owen as an Innkeeper who renewed his license from 1750 through 1754. His tavern was located on the road between Captain John‘s Bridge and Rock Creek Bridge. (Rice, pp. 66, 78, 102, 121, 131, 138). In 1748, their 1742 petition was granted and Frederick County came into being. Edward Owen was the second name listed among those who served on the Grand jury at the first court session held March, 1748/49, and again, at the March Court, 1749/50. At the next court session. in August, he was foreman of the jury, and served again in this capacity at the March Court, 1750/51. (Rice, pp 1, 31, 42, 53, 69). ―We have visited Prickett‘s Fort several times. The blacksmith there is a gentleman named John M. Boback. He was working on his dissertation that he titled: ‗Indian Warfare, Household Competency, and the Settlement of the Western Frontier, 1749 to 1794.‘ He was kind to send us several documents that related to the Haymond family. One was a journal kept by Rev. Thomas Haymond. Thomas was the son of Calder and Eleanor, nee Owen, Haymond, and was an itinerant Methodist circuit rider. In his journal, he makes numerous references to his Uncle Thomas Owen.‖ So....Thomas Owen and Eleanor were siblings, confirming she was indeed an Owen. (Kathi Haymond email dtd. Sept. 12, 2009). In 1738, Laurence Owen married Sarah Beale, daughter of Alexander Beale and Mary Harding. They had five daughters and one son, Robert, who was born in 1850. The will of Laurence Owen, born 1 May, 1714, signed May 1, 1761, named: daughter Elizabeth Offutt (b. 1742, wife of Nathaniel Offutt daughter Anne Hoult (b. 1744) daughter Mary Owen (b. 1746) daughter Barbara Owen (b. 1748) daughter Rachel Owen (b. 1750) son Robert Owen ―my heir at law‖ (b. 1752) son-in-law Nathaniel Offutt Executor brother Edward Owen Executrix wife Sarah Owen witnesses: Wm. Williams, son of Thos, Nichs Haymond, & Basil Adamson. “Lawrence and Edward were brothers as documented in Laurence’s Will of 1761.‖ (Frederick County, MD, Wills, Box 2, Folder 40). (continued on page 9).
DNA UPDATE 4 [Some of our newer readers have asked us about our DNA administrator and the exemplary work he has been doing for the Association. We are happy to reprint this profile of Dr. Athey. - Ed] A Profile We usually reserve a page for Dr. Whit Athey‘s UPDATE explaining the recent additions to our growing portfolio of genetic testing results. We will not have the pleasure of reading about our latest ―DNA-Cousins‖ in this issue, but Whit (which is what we all call him) will be returning in June.
You may not know that in addition to giving our association so much of his time, he also does the same kind of pro bono service as Editor of the Journal of Genetic Genealogy (http://www.jogg.info). That journal is a place for people to publish their work in genetics as it applies to genealogy and anthropology. They also have an interest in the kind of inquiry which fascinates our Owen group. Dr. Athey has resigned as their Editor because of the overload and will Devote More of His Time To Our Project. It is hard to express our appreciation for what he has done for us and will continue to do for us. He apologizes for the current delay in updating our project web site, but will catch up with that soon (probably by the time you are reading this).
As you know, Whit takes the raw data from FTDNA and other research facilities who have analyzed our members‘ Y chromosome markers to see who has Owen male line connections. He groups members who match family groups expressing the same or similar Haplotypes. You can visit the project web site at any time and see the latest results: http://www.hprg.com/owen. This is a pains-taking, time-consuming task. The Update which he publishes for us is the ultimate result.
At the Biennial Reunion in Ashville, N.C., in 2007, he gave a Keynote speech about the exciting discoveries made possible by the race to reveal the entire human Genome. He later gave a workshop in which he traced the probable migratory patterns of early mankind and, using our Haplotype groupings, related the probable earliest place of residency for each of our Owen DNA Family Groups. We were all amazed, perhaps stunned, by what is being uncovered today.
Dr. Athey has pledged to attend our 2011 Reunion (his mother was an Owen descendant and will, we hope, also attend the Reunion). There, he will conduct a DNA workshop for beginners and also a one-hour workshop to bring up to date our members who have submitted DNA samples since September, 2007. We hear so much praise for Whit Athey about his fine contribution to our Association and we take this opportunity to proffer our ardent gratitude.
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Countdown to New Harmony, Indiana 5 OFA Reunion, the Nitty Gritty The clock is ticking until we all gather for the 2011 reunion of the Owen Family Association in New Harmony, Indiana. In the last issue of the ―Newsletter,‖ I wrote about what was being planned for the 2011 Reunion. Now, we must get into the subject of what this is going to cost, and what the procedures are for making reservations. Nobody likes to bring up the subject of costs, but that is just part of reality. I wrote in the last issue that reservations must be made ninety days before September 23, and that we have reserved forty rooms for September 23rd and 24th in the Riverbend Building of the New Harmony Inn and Conference Center. The rates, though steep, have been heavily discounted for the Owen Family Association because of our OWEN status, and are in line with what we were charged in Asheville, NC, four years ago. The price for a Standard Room, which has one queen bed, is $112.00 plus tax per night. The rate for the deluxe room, with two double beds, is $127.00 plus tax per night. To make reservations, call the reservations desk at the New Harmony Inn at 812 682 4431, or 800 782 8605, or go to the New Harmony Inn website at www.newharmonyinn.com. Have your credit card handy, as you will be reserving Friday night at the Inn. When you check in, they add Saturday night to the transaction (yes, the ninety day reservation is unusual but if made later, the rates will NOT be discounted. You don‘t want to know). The New Harmony Inn is the only hotel/motel in New Harmony. If you prefer lodging in another facility, our June issue will carry a list of those close enough for you to attend all our sessions at the Inn. For those who are flying in to Evansville Regional Airport, transportation is available from the airport to the Inn, a 25 mile trip. Ask the Inn‘s reservations clerk for information regarding that service. However, reservations for the Saturday evening dinner (and business meeting) have always been made through our Owen Family Association host, and the good news is that those reservations are not due until September 2nd. The Inn‘s Red Geranium Restaurant will cater a great two Entree Buffet, consisting of Roasted Round of Beef and/or Boneless, Skinless Breast of Chicken with Fresh Tarragon Cream Sauce (take one or some of both). Your reservation with check for $27.00 per person (includes tip) should be made out to Owen Family Association and mailed to me at: Reunion Host Cliff Owen, 70 Oak Valley Dr., Holland, Michigan 49424. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OUR CEMETERY PROJECT 6 Because our founders believed that information gleaned from tombstone inscriptions enhanced our pursuit of our lineages, and because we firmly believe that our compiled lists may help present and future researchers, we now begin our (on-going) publication of those lists.
ALABAMA
FAYETTE COUNTY Owens Family Cemetery – (Also buried here were families with surnames other than Owen, Laboon, Livingston, McCool, Smothers, Terry). Owen, Alma, wife of S. R. Owen, ...... May 12, 1887-Dec 18, 1916 Owen, Amanda, ...... Mar 20, 1837-Oct 25, 1907 Owen, E. P...... Sep 13, 1857-Aug 25, 1941 Owen, Emely E...... Jan 1, 1835-June 21, 1915 Owen, Exie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Owen ...... Oct 21, 1894-Dec 8, 1912 Owen, G. W...... Nov 13,1863-Feb 24, 1913 Owen, infant of N. A. & E. R. Owen, ...... Oct 10, 1886 (only one date) Owen, J. E., wife of J. M. Owen ...... June 18, 1862-Nov 26, 1939 Owen J. H. (Mrs.) ...... Dec 10, 1852-Dec 9, 1912 Owen, J. Luther ...... Feb 1, 1854-Oct 15, 1895 Owen, John Shade, ~ Co. I, 8 Ala. Cav., C.S.A...... Owen, Mary C., wife of W. B. Owen ...... Oct 15, 1849-Jan 3, 1829 Owen, Renzo, son of W. A. and M. S. Owen ...... Oct 4, 1914-Apr 7, 1925 Owen, W. A...... July 14, 1863-Apr 17, 1932 Owen, W. B...... June 10, 1845-Jan 19, 1923 Owen, W. W...... Apr 2, 1892-Aug 23, 1946 Owen, William A...... Jan 18, 1825-May 20, 1880 Owens, Claudie ...... Nov 4, 1899-Sep 67, 1955 Owens, Etta Mae ...... Jan 15, 1910-19_ Owens, Maggie Johnson ...... July 28, 1877-May 23, 1954 ~ “Mother” Owens, Nomie A...... Jan 6, 1867-Jan 4, 1952 (last name Owen?) Owens, S. R...... Oct 20, 1875-May 10, 1941 Owens, Thurman ...... Dec 194_ (only one date, hard to read)
OKLAHOMA JOHNSTON COUNTY Pontotoc Cemetery – Located Pontotoc, Oklahoma Owen, A. P...... Sep 15, 1854-May 30, 1917 Vandiver, Mary ...... Dec 10, 1848-Nov 11, 1941 (Source: Judy Peeples – This is my great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Owen, who married first, Samuel Houston Duty, in Red River County, Texas, and second, George Vandiver. She is a sister to A. P. (Alexander Petty) Owen; many of her children and grandchildren are also buried here. She was born in Haywood County, Tennessee, the daughter of Thomas E. Owen and Mary W. Petty; they were married in Halifax County, VA, July 8th, 1839).
TENNESSEE 7 SHELBY COUNTY – Source: gravestone inscriptions from Shelby County, Tennessee, Vol. 1, by Charlotte Elam, Margaret Erickson, and Ruth Hunt. copyrighted. Permission granted by author. Sanga Cemetery – located next door to New Hope Baptist Church, Cordova, TN. This cemetery was part of an early 19th century Owen family farm. (See the cover story in this issue of the Newsletter). Owen, Sarah ...... 1769-1845 Owen, John Edward ...... Oct 19, 1861-Apr 26, 1936 Owen, Christopher C...... (no dates)
[The author added, ―Sarah Owen, buried here, was the grandmother of Tennessee Virginia (Tennie) Owen Carter. Tennie married John Wesley Carter. The Carters had a daughter, Beatrice Carter Hoope, also buried here, who was, thus, a great granddaughter of Sarah Owen.‖] WEAKLEY COUNTY Owen Cemetery – Location not given. Information received from Jane Owen, source, not provided. Elizabeth Guthrie, wife of Brackett Owen, ...... Feb 8, 1779-Jan, 1855 [It is believed she was the daughter of Rev. Francis Guthrie (Guthrey) of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Also buried here:] Sallie Owen ...... Aug 3, 1813-June 27, 1895 (Daughter) Staples Owen ...... Feb 11, 1800 (Son) [The name ―Brackett‖ was popularly given to many descendants of John Owen 1691-1787, of Prince Edward County, VA.]
VIRGINIA
HALIFAX COUNTY Hudson-Owen Cemetery: north from Crystal Hill, VA, on Anderson Road to Newbill School Rd., then about three miles east; located on an uncultivated field on the left. Permission needed. Hudson, David Parker ...... May 29, 1807-Oct 26, 1866 Hudson, Mary Parker ...... Jan 20, 1811-Feb 12, 1904 [Mary Parker Owen and David Parker Hudson (married Jan 15, 1833, in Caswell County, NC, were first cousins and grandchildren of Ambrose, Jr., and Sarah Parker Owen. A very old hand-written chart, treasured by a descendant, indicates other burials with no headstones:]
Owen, Phoebe, sister of Mary Parker Owen Owen, Elizabeth (not further identified) Mrs. Sneed* and her six children *[Hudson Family Genealogy, by J. Porter Hudson, identifies her as Susannah Rebecca Hudson (Susan), who married Charles Henry Sneed Jan 1, 1833. He died in Jan., 1850, leaving six children. In his book, J. Porter says that the place of burial of Susan and her children is not known. Hopefully, this information will solve that mystery]. –Jane Owen Hillard]
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY Shockoe Baptist Church Cemetery Formerly known as the ―Owen Graveyard,‖ it was located on land owned by Julius Owen. When the Shockoe Baptist Church was built on adjacent land, he allowed the congregation to share the graveyard. Unfortunately, the earlier graves were unmarked. The site was later given to the church and acquired its‘ present name. Currently, more than forty gravesites are identified and only two are Owens:
Owen, James H...... Apr. 17, 1880-May 19, 1968 8 Owen, Nannie Hayden ...... May 19, 1878-June 21, 1956 However, since the Owen family intermarried with the large Woodson family of that community, we are including those gravesites as well:
Edmunds, Elizabeth Woodson ...... Dec.29, 1858-Dec. 7, 1929 Edmunds, Thomas H...... Dec. 29, 1856-Feb. 4, 1952 Woodson, Robert Lee ...... Sep 21, 1864-Jan 1, 1921 Woodson, Susan L., wife of R. L. Woodson ...... Apr 6, 1870-Jan 15, 1912 Fowler, Lillie Woodson ...... Sep 25, 1891-Feb 7, 1954 Woodson, Evelyn, daughter of R. L. & Susan L. Woodson ..
We are grateful for having these lists submitted by our members and hope we will hear from many others regarding their cemetery searches. We heartily commend Judy Peeples who is coordinating this effort. Address your cemetery submissions to her, Judy [email protected], or 914 Texas Avenue, 6N, League City, TX 77573. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLUETT OWEN, (continued from page 1). He was also one of the founders of the Sardis United Methodist Church, one of the largest and oldest Methodist churches in Georgia. The issue of slavery split the Methodist Episcopal Church in antebellum times, with northerners essentially taking an anti-slavery stance, and southerners favoring the continuation of slavery. By 1845, the pro-slavery faction had formed the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of which Bluett and his family were members. In fact, he and some of his siblings sold land inherited from their mother to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, for one dollar for use as a meeting house.
Rebecca Owen, a devout Methodist, died suddenly in 1848 of a mysterious sleeping sickness. The 1850 Census provides no record of Bluett, but shows that some of their children had gone to live with her sister and some had been taken in by Bluett‘s sister. The latest record we have of Bluett is the sale of some Shelby County acreage to Ezekiel Sanderlin on April 21, 1849, for $349.50. There are unconfirmed accounts that Bluett went to Texas, and some say he accompanied his son, Erasmus, there.
[We thank Sylvia Teague for this account, as will the known to be many researchers of Bluett Owen’s line. Due to space limitations, this story will have to continue in June with Bluett’s son, Erasmus, and the dramatic story of the life of Samuel; Son of Erasmus. Samuel Owen is the direct ancestor of the writer. —Ed.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRESH TIP! We have just received word that the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS can be reached at http://www.loc.gov. As we are aware, it has data on more of our ancestors than any other archivists have. Worth the search!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9 REV. ROBERT OWEN (continued from page 3). As early as 1751, the inhabitants of the new county began petitioning for a division of it, and also for a courthouse to be built ―near the land which Laurence Owen lives on.‖ The reason given was the great inconvenience in attending court at Frederick Town due to the distance involved and the impassability of the Monocacy River at times. Petitions for a solution to these problems continued through 1769 and were, of course, not realized until 1776. Another petition, signed by Edward Owen, joined by his sons Robert, Edward, Jr., and Laurence, in 1756/9, requested the division of Prince Georges‘ Parish; including also among the signatures were forebears Benjamin Perry, Thomas Nicholls, Sr., and Clement Beall.
Being a small, unincorporated town, early Rockville was known by a variety of names, including Owen’s Ordinary, Hungerford’s Tavern, Daley’s Tavern. The first recorded mention of the settlement which would later become known as Rockville, dates to the Braddock Expedition in 1755. On April 14, one of the approximately two thousand men who were accompanying General Edward Braddock through, wrote the following: ―We marched to Larance Owings or Owings Oardianary, a Single House, it being 18 miles and very dirty.‖ Owen‘s Ordinary was a small rest stop on Rock Creek Main Road (later Rockville Pike), which stretched from George Town to Frederick Town, and was then one of the largest thoroughfares in the colony of Maryland. On November, 1769, Edward Owen, Senior, leased to Edward Owen, Junior, the dwelling plantation and house of Edward Senior ―where Edward Owen Junior now lives, consisting of 292 acres, commonly called Shepherd‘s Hard Fortune.‖ Edward Owen Senior signed with his mark. Edward Junior signed his name to the lease. (Frederick County Land Records, Liber M, f. 581-2). Less than two years later, Edward, Sr., died intestate and, on February, 1771, Robert was appointed executor. An inventory by appraisors William Waters and John Baker valued his estate at 105 pounds, 9 shillings and 8 pence, with a final accounting showing a balance of 134 pounds. The next of kin approving this account were sons Thomas and Laurence Owen. Son Edward Owen, Jr. and Thomas Williams were named creditors. (Frederick County Inventory Accounts, Liber WD, No 15, f. 744). As Elizabeth was not named in the final accounting, it can be assumed the she had predeceased her husband. Children of Edward and Elizabeth ______Owen: 1. Robert, b. Feb. 1, 1729; m. 1766 Mary (Edmonston) Beall, widow of Benjamin Beall 2. Edward, b. abt 1731, d. 1774; m. Ruth Carlisle (Fred Co Land Rcds, Liber W, f.290; Liber BD. f.365 3. Thomas, b. 1736; d. after 1778; m. Rachel ______(Montg. Co. Land Records, Liber A, f. 280 4. Laurence, b. 1739; m. (1) Sarah Beall before 1774; (2) Sarah Hardy (M Co. Land Rec., Liber B, f. 280) 5. Eleanor b. 1737; d. 1785; m. Calder Hammond The will of Robert Owen, son of Edward, dated 11 May, 1779, was probated in Montgomery County, 4 July, 1779. He mentioned his wife, Mary, and named children: Edward Owen, Robert Owen, Washington Owen, Elinor Owen, Ann Owen, Elizabeth Owen, Mary Owen, Octavia Owen. All the children were minors. The tract, Shepherds Hard Fortune, where his deceased father, ―Edward Owen,‖ had lived, was to be sold. His wife had a dower right to the remaining land, which was to go to his sons. The inventory of his estate, made in 1780, listed Laurence Owen, son of Edward, as nearest of kin. (MC Estate Records A, f. 175 & 245).
On 4 November, 1769, Edward Owen, Junior, executed a deed which stated that Edward Owen, ―being legally possessed of part of resurvey on Friends Advise (“Friends Advice” lay on a branch of Little Seneca Creek, putting it northeast of present-day Poolesville, probably in Sugarloaf or Sugarland Hundred),‖ was conveying 200 acres of the tract to Lawrence Owen, for 100 pounds. Ruth Owen, wife of Edward Owen, Junior, relinquished her dower rights in the land. (FC Deeds M, f. 615).
10 Edward Owen of Frederick Co. Will dtd. 14 Sept., 1773 ... wife executor. /s/ Edward Owen. Wit. Rich. Brooke (a Quaker); Peter Carlisle, Thomas Owen. Proved, 22 March, 1774, by Carlisle and Owen. (Frederick County Wills, Book A1, pp. 483-4). November, 1774: Lawrence Owen executed a deed conveying to Mary Owen, Robert Carlisle Owen, and David Owen, heirs of Edward Owen, Jr., deceased, 100 acres of Resurvey on Friends Advise, which Edward had paid for in his lifetime. Sarah Owen, wife of Lawrence Owen, relinquished her dower right in the land. (FC Deeds W, f. 2900). ―Sarah (nee Beall) Owen, who must have died soon after this date, was the cousin of Sarah Beall Owen, wife of Edward‘s brother, Lawrence.‖ Ministers‘ returns list a marriage performed by Reverend Joseph Threlkeld: Laurence Owen married Sarah Hardy, 22 June, 1780, in Montgomery County, Maryland. Sarah was born in 1759. (Maryland, 1776, census). The 1783 tax assessment for real estate listed in Montgomery County: Laurence Owen, of Edward, Friends Advice, 100 acres; value, 112 pounds, 10 shillings. On 15 October, 1784, Laurence Owen sold to John Belmear, for 275 pounds, 100 acres of resurvey on Friends Advice. Sarah Owen, wife of Laurence, relinquished her dower right. (MC Deed B, f. 280). Laurence Owen, with many farmers of tobacco, left Maryland in the late 1780s because of the depletion of the fields overgrown for tobacco crops. Maryland records show a deed, dated 2 August, 1800, from Benjamin White Jones, sheriff, to Robert Furgusen, which states that judgement was obtained by James Gordon and others, surviving partners of John Glassford & Co., against Elias Hardy, Jesse Philips, and Mary, his wife; Kinsey Hardy, Henry Wheeler, and Rebecca, his wife; Samuel Hardy, Frederick Burns, and Barbara, his wife; Laurence Owen, and Sarah, his wife; Samuel Allison, and Fielder, his wife; and Elizabeth Holland. (This list includes all the siblings alive for the Frederick Co., MD census of 1776. The mother, Fielder, was alive in 1776, but the father, Samuel, did not appear in that census. The only children identified in the Montgomery Co., MD, 1800 census, are: Jesse Philips, 4-0-0-1-0; 1-2-0-1-0; 0; 3 and Henry Wheeler: 1-3-0-1-0; 2-0-0-1-0), who were coheirs of Samuel Hardy, late of Montgomery County. The sheriff seized a tract of land, called Grandmothers Good Will, the property of Samuel Hardy, which was sold at public sale to Robert Furgusson, the highest bidder, for 6,100 pounds of tobacco. Grandmothers Good Will had been patented by James Grove in 1756, 60 acres which lay on the west side of a branch of Broad Run. (MC Deeds, B, f. 280). Broad Run lies west of present-day Poolesville and flows into the Potomac River southwest of it. ―Laurence Owen and wife, Sarah, nee Hardy, were alive at that time by virtue of the fact that their names were listed in the settlement.‖
In the last issue, I had established that Lawrence Owen and Edward Owen were brothers and that may be critical in the link between Robert Owen and Edward. Owen. It indicates that Edward’s son, Lawrence, and my ancestor, Lawrence, must be the same person. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Owens – North, South, East, or West — in September
ALL ROADS LEAD TO NEW HARMONY, INDIANA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Queries, We Print All Queries! 11 Seeking info – David Owen b. ca. 1792-1798 in Stokes Co., NC. David is son of Thomas Owen, b. 1755 in British Isles. I have extensive records re David from 1818 through Sept., 1824, when he paid off his account at Clingman‘s Store, which was on the west side of Yadkin River in Huntsville, Yadkin, NC. The bill, ($25.60), was paid in full by David‘s tendering 64 gallons of whisky to Clingman‘s. This is the last documentation I have been able to locate on David Owen. Please address replies to Eugene P. Owen at [email protected]. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New member, Joseph Charles Owen. I have just learned that I am descended from Richard Owen, d. 1756, in Halifax Co., VA., (DNA Group 4). We believe we are descendants of Richard‘s son, James Owen, (1723-1799), of Rowan County, NC; however, there is a two- generation gap between James Owen and my g grandfather, William Franklin Owen. Any and all data will be appreciated. Joseph Charles (Joe) Owen, [email protected]. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Owen Family Association, Genealogist Jane Owen, 4190 Hurricane Shores Dr., Benton, AR 72019 E-mail: [email protected] (501)794-1751
12 Owen Family News
“Owen, a name worth knowing” Owen Family Association Margaret Owen Parsons, Publisher 1st Class 1300 West Olson Ave. Space 142 Postage Reedley CA 93654
First Class Mail
Association Officers Board of Directors Jane Owen Hillard, President C. Owen Johnson, Founder Arnold C. Owen, Past President 4136 E. Village Dr. Mason, OH Robert McCrary, Early Secretary George N. Shirley, Liaison 45040 – (513) 398-7255 [email protected]
M. Fred Owen, Vice President 111 Buggy Whip, Horsehoe Bay, Owen Family Association TX 78657-(830) 598-6545 [email protected] The Owen Family Association was organized in 1981 The objectives of the association are: To establish and document as complete a list of descendants of Owen George N. Shirley, Treasurer and allied families as possible. 508 Arbor Dr., Madison, MS 39110 To collect a narrative history of individual family lines of descent. (601) 665-2268
[email protected] To compile and maintain a listing of cemeteries, homes and other buildings and sites associated with Owen and allied families. To publish and distribute a periodic newsletter. Jane Owen,Genealogist To bring members of the family association together for periodic 419-0 Hurricane Shores Dr. reunions. Benton, AR 72019 (501) 794-1751 To aid association members to establish their family line and assist [email protected] them in joining hereditary and patriotic societies, if they so desire. To ultimately produce a volume documenting the verified family Clifford F. Owen, Historian histories. 70 Oak Valley Dr., Holland, MI To provide publications to Genealogy Libraries to assist Owen 49424 (616) 396-4596 researchers. [email protected] Annual dues of $10.00 are payable January 1st. The Owen Family News is Margaret Owen Parsons, Publisher published quarterly and is subject to copyright. (address at top of page) OWEN FAMILY ASSOCIATION
UNrelated by DNA, UNited by interest
Volume 26, Issue 2 EWSLETTER June, 2011
N
Robert Owen, a Visionary at New Lanark by Bel Bailey
(This story was published (2010) in The Highlander Magazine and is a name worth knowing a reprinted here with permission of the writer). www.owenfamilyassociation.org
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Front page:
Robert Owen, Visionary by Bel Bailey
FEATURES Erasmus Owen by Sylvia Teague page 3 OBITUARY Harry Ashton Owen page 7
UPDATES Reunion Reservations page 4 by Clifford Owen
DNA update by Dr. Whit Athey page 6 he duke of Kent, Queen Thousands of businessmen flocked Victoria’s father, was to see his ideal factory system, and DEPARTMENTS T planning a trip to see his his principles had great influences Election Time! great friend, Robert Owen, when he even throughout Europe. President’s Notebook died in January, 1820. Born in 1771, Owen started to page 2 The strapping Duke had developed work at the tender age of 10, and was Our Cemetery Project a heavy cold and fever and then died, especially interested in textiles. He page 9 leaving behind the infant Victoria, became the youngest mill manager in Web Page Data still only eight months old. Had he Manchester when he was only 20, page 8 lived, the Duke wanted to inspect his with control of 500 men. He was
Welcome New Members! friend’s model village at New already a fine businessman as well as page 7 Lanark, in Scotland. having high ideals. Queries He was not the only one; Owen From that early age, he had a page 11 was a famous public figure even vision of a better, fairer society and while he was still youthful. long before most (continued on page 5) Publisher From Our President’s Notebook 2
Margaret Owen Parsons 1300 West Olson Avenue, he busy life people experience today leaves little time Space 142 for taking on more responsibility. That is certainly true Reedley, CA 93654 (559) 250-0740 T for everyone trying to find time for research. [email protected] Two years ago, as the nominating committee chairman, I called everyone I know to beseech them to take the Association’s office of president. Everyone turned the nomination down, but many of them urged me to take the office. After dithering for two months, I finally said ―yes,‖ with the proviso that it would be for one two year term. Ergo, you’ve been subjected to my Notebook for two years.
Editorial Staff It’s ELECTION TIME again! If you know anyone (what of the about YOU, yourself?) who would like to be nominated for any Owen Family Newsletter of the offices, please let us know. All nominee’s names will be presented and the election held in the Business Meeting in New Editor Harmony, Indiana, September 24th. Attending members will Jane Owen Hillard form the quorum needed. 4136 E. Village Drive Mason, Ohio 45040 We are fortunate that, with two exceptions, our present [email protected] hard-working officers have agreed to stand for re-election. A Editorial Assistant man whom you all know by now as our 2011 Reunion Host, Clifford Owen, has agreed to run for the presidency. That Garry Owens leaves a vacancy for the office Cliff now holds as Historian. We Proofreader know that many of our members could (and would, time Carolee Moncur, PhD permitting), be good at scrap-booking the Association’s activities. It would NOT be that time-consuming, and you Publication Dates would have help in gathering material for the two-year March, June, September, and scrapbooks. Let us hear from you. December We also expect to elect a Secretary at that meeting. Deadlines are the 1st day of the month preceding publication We are extremely fortunate that Garry Owens has stepped up to the plate and will take on the time-consuming and Submission of lineages, biographies, photographs, labor-intensive job as Editor of the Newsletter. historical and genealogical data about any Owen As I take my leave, I assure you all that I’ve enjoyed my anywhere is encouraged! two jobs and treasure my association with the other members of Submissions are always sent the Executive Board—talented and loveable people all. I now to the Editor. Your ideas for return to finishing my book about my Owen family’s 350 years the newsletter are also in America. Jane Owen Hillard. solicited. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bluett Owen and Some of His Descendants 3 by Sylvia Teague (continued from the March issue) ERASMUS MILLER OWEN rasmus Miller Owen spent much of his life on the move. He was born April 28, 1832, in Shelby County, TN, the second child of Bluett and Rebecca. By the age of 17, he had already left home to establish a E new life of his own. Some biographies state Erasmus attended medical school for two years in New Orleans, leading to his nickname, ―Dr. Joe.‖ He would become a circuit riding preacher, ministering to souls and physical ailments. He would also help settle the Texas frontier. It was Christmas Day, 1849, according to Erasmus’ Confederate pension application, that he entered Texas for the first time, some 600 miles from the site of his former home near present day Memphis. Texas had joined the Union in 1845, and the U. S. war with Mexico had ended in 1848. Two years after arriving in Texas, Erasmus wed Mary Ann Carr, the 15-year old daughter of a wealthy land owner, in Jefferson County, near the present cities of Port Arthur and Beaumont. Mary Ann Carr may have been anxious to escape a cruel stepmother by marrying, but she doubtlessly was unprepared for the tough frontier life to come. Between 1853 and 1854, the couple moved from the relative comfort of southeast Texas, and undertook the rigors of settling in Central Texas. Erasmus Owen was one of the first San Saba County settlers. It was a time when Indians posed a potential threat to newcomers. It would be 1875 before most of the troublesome Indians were driven out of the state. William Carr had given his daughter and son-in-law two slaves. But unlike his father, Erasmus was opposed to the practice and set them free. According to family accounts, one of the freed slaves sent a bolt of brown or dark green velvet from the East Coast to the Owens as thanks for her freedom. The velvet was used sparingly throughout the years, and one of Erasmus’ great-granddaughters recalls having a dress made from some of the heirloom material. Erasmus worked as a farmer and a circuit preacher. The couple’s first child, Ellen, was born in 1854. Sam followed in 1856, the year Erasmus registered one of the first cattle brands in San Saba County. By 1857 he was on the first list of potential grand jurors. In 1858, seven years after her wedding, Mary Ann Carr died during childbirth. My great-grandfather, Sam Owen, was two years old. Erasmus married Mississippi native Rhoda Salome Eastman on September sixth that same year in San Saba. Their daughter, Mary, would be born in 1880. The couple would eventually have six girls and five boys. From the fall of 1852 until spring, 1885, during the Civil War, Erasmus says he helped ―defend the frontier against Indians and Mexicans‖ as a volunteer in the Texas Home Guard. In his Confederate pension application he says he served under Major George B. Erath, a fellow Mason, and Captain Jim Brown. His pension application was rejected because the War Department could not authenticate any of the officers Erasmus cited, and could not find a record of his service. However, research shows Erath, the man Erasmus cited, commanded the Second Frontier District of Texas State Troops from January, 1884, until June, 1885. The Second Frontier District included San Saba County. There seems to be no record of a Captain Jim Brown but there is a record of a Captain John H. Brown, who in 1883 and 1884, served in San Saba County in the Second Frontier District Texas State Troops. According to research from the Texas Baptist Historical Collection in Dallas, Erasmus was converted in San Saba County and joined the M. E. Church. Later, he joined the Methodist Protestants and spent 20 years preaching in their behalf. But in 1880, having found himself out of harmony with the teachings of that denomination, he severed his connection. By 1881, he was united with the High Valley Baptist Church in San Saba County, and had been baptized. Soon after, he was ordained and spent the next 36 years as a Baptist minister. (continued on page 8).
4 ENTHUSIASM? YOU BET!
A posting on Roots Web (May 31) from ―Carol‖ to her web list of Owen researchers: ―Dear List: We just registered and got a room for the Owen Gathering. We are VERY excited about going. New Harmony has got to be one of the prettiest little towns in the country!!!!!!!! (We went by there last year on another trip).‖ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE CLOCK IS TICKING For Our Reunion By Clifford Owen
ime is running out! Only 115 days left from June first to September 23rd, and less time than that before reservations must be made in order to get discounted prices at the New Harmony Inn and Conference T Center. The discounted prices end on June 25th. The Conference Center is where our Friday Night Reunion Warm-Up will take place. I can promise you that they will do everything possible to make your weekend pleasant and rewarding. I have visited there three times already.
We’re all feeling doubtful about our American economy and are keeping tabs on our expenses. So I have looked at Priceline.com and found a number of alternative places to stay. A Holiday Inn Express Evansville- North is 21 miles from New Harmony and the Quality Inn North at Haubstadt, IN, is 22 miles away. BUT WAIT! We can get you closer to New Harmony. Super 8 motel in Graysville, IL, is $40.00 per night. Graysville is a little over eight miles west from New Harmony, and the Fairbridge Inn Express in Graysville is nine miles west.
You do have choices; right now, I am paying very close to $4.50 per gallon for fuel in Michigan and getting 23 miles per gallon. Arriving and parking at the New Harmony Inn and walking is very appealing to me.
For those of you who plan on taking your R/V, there are two places to park. The smaller of the two is Murphy Park, right in New Harmony. This park is very limited in size and the size of R/V that can get in (it’s too small for my truck and 25 foot fifth wheeler). The best place is the Harmonie State Park with 200 sites5 having electricity. The park contains about 3,500 acres with large campsites located in three different areas. This park is very clean and, with school in session, there should not be any problem obtaining a flat, level site not too far from the bathrooms.
To bring up another item, I haven’t seen any checks for the Friday night Warm-Up or Saturday banquet. Send the checks or money orders to Cliff Owen, 70 Oak Valley Dr., Holland, MI 49424. The cost of the meal is $27.00 per person, tip included. There is more time to get that in. As of right now, the New Harmony Inn reports that several reservations have been made. Don’t wait too and miss out on getting a room at a very good reduced rate. If you plan to stay elsewhere, we will still need the dinner fee. The dinner is not part of the Inn reservation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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(Robert Owen, a Visionary, cont’d. from page 1). 5 of his contemporaries, Owen was indignant about Much of his factory village of New Lanark has now been restored and revitalized as a tourist ―sweated‖ labor and high profits only for the wealthy. He pushed forward his ideas in many pamphlets and attraction and also as a living community. His nursery public speeches, but when he set up in partnership to buildings to care for the orphans and young buy New Lanark Mills, in Scotland, he gained a real apprentices were especially ahead of his age. Owen’s chance to put these into practice. humane philosophy was also vindicated by increased output and higher profits, leading to the 1819 Factory Of course, he ran into trouble with other Act. capitalists who opposed his ideas. Owen strove to The Conservation Trust started its work here improve his workers’ housing, stopped employing in 1974 with a village population of around 80. Now, paupers’ children, installed safer machinery and even it is more than double that, with many modernized opened the first fair trade shop, so cheaper food was properties owned by a housing trust. Owen would offered to his workers. have strongly approved. His village store of 1813 was In 1816, Owen opened his first infant school in a forerunner of the modern cooperative movement. Britain at New Lanark. The workers sometimes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ disagreed with him—they wanted their children to COMMENTARY work in the mills to increase the family income and [As anyone knowing the history of Rev. Rapp grumbled about Owen’s stance on regulating their could tell you, no two ―Utopians‖ could be more supply of alcohol. different than Rapp and Owen. Rapp was a self-styled Socialist who exploited the workers he brought to Only when the mill had to close for four America from Germany, as well as the ones who months due to lack of raw materials did they see the followed him to a farming community in Ohio and integrity of the man. Owen paid his workers out of his thence to New Harmony Indiana. He worked his own pocket! adherents 12 hours a day, six days a week: ―Idle Religious leaders tended to disapprove of him hands are the Devil’s workshop.‖ For their efforts, his because he did not attend church and sought to get near-slaves received bare subsistence while Rapp through a Factory Act to restrict hours and raise the became rich selling their highly valued produce in five age of child employment. The 1819 Act did not go far states along the many navigable rivers. enough to satisfy this humane man but it was still a As his adherents (now thorough-going big step toward improving working conditions. Americans, wanting to be self-supporting) started After 1815, mechanization increased and led leaving the community called ―New Harmony,‖ Rapp to more unemployment, so Owen then developed sent a delegation to tout his wondrous undertaking to villages. He wanted these to be self-sufficient the well-known Utopian of Scotland, Robert Owen. communities to provide work and give men dignity. Robert Owen, by then internationally Owen himself designed cottages and schools and drew acclaimed for his productivity and philanthropy (so up village plans. He sank his own money into two trial beautifully explained in the preceding story) came to villages—one in Scotland, and one in New Harmony, America, was shown what he might do in such a Indiana. Sadly, both failed inside two years. It was a setting, and in two day’s time, bought the place. Rapp gallant failure. left rich. Owen put his entire fortune into building a working man’s paradise - and went broke. Penniless, Not deterred, Owen continued with his great he went home to his native Wales, and there died. ideals, working always towards a fairer distribution of Fortunately, his sons and one of his daughters wealth;. He formed cooperative societies and helped who had accompanied him to America, stayed on, to form the modern trade union. ―Labor, not capital, is imbued with their father’s humanity and his drive to the wealth,‖ he said. better their world. Each of them succeeded Many of Robert Owen’s beliefs are still put enormously in other fields. forward today, but he was too far ahead of his time to It is, then, that Owen family that we honor as realize his dreams. Despite this, he has been called a we hold our Reunion in New Harmony. As we Owens prophet and a visionary. Scotland can be proud of of a different Owen ancestry say, ―Owen is a name sheltering him for 30 years. worth knowing.‖—Ed.]. The DNA Project 6 an update by Dr. Whit Athey, Administrator
few new members have joined the Owen DNA Project, but it is becoming more and more difficult to count how many we have. Besides the fact that some of the ―members‖ A represent records extracted from public databases, we also now have more than one type of DNA test represented in the project. Jane Hillard has suggested to me that, since we have quite a few new members in both the project and OFA, it might be useful to reviews what types of DNA tests may be useful in genealogy and for which type of relationship each test has application.
The project began as a Y chromosome project. Because the Y chromosome, and any markers on it, are passed down only from father to son (females do not have a Y chromosome, and a Y never passes through a female), the Y follows the same line of descent as does the surname (Owen/Owens), at least when the method of naming children follows the most common convention (child takes the surname of the father, but females adopt the name of their husband upon marriage). This naming custom was adopted in England several centuries ago, but it did not become universally accepted in Wales until the early 1800s.
The Y chromosome is passed down for many generations with few changes, so a male will have substantially the same marker values as did his patrilineal (strictly male line) ancestor of 200-300 years ago. Of course, that ancestor will not usually be available to test, but you can test another patrilineal descendant of that same ancestor, and if a marker value for the two descendants is the same, you can be fairly confident that the common ancestor had that value also. If the values on a marker for the two descendants is different, then the ancestor could have had either value, and you need more descendants to figure out the ancestral value.
The results for over 180 males named Owen/Owens/Oen are shown at our project web site: http:www.hprg.com/owen. About 150 of these are in groups of two or more participants who match each other. We have about 30 distinct ―Owen Groups‖ of matching participants, plus 34 other individuals who (so far) do not match anyone else in the project. This means that the ―Owen Family,‖ rather than being one big related family, is really a collection of dozens of individual families. But the Y DNA testing can identify the Owen/Owens/Owings/Oens families to which a given person of the name belongs.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), in contrast to the Y inheritance pattern, is passed down a strictly female line. Males have it, too, from their mothers, but males do not pass mtDNA on to any descendants. For a project like the Owen DNA Project, many participants have ordered the mtDNA test, but it is unlikely that mtDNA results would have any application to your Owen/Owens genealogy. Since females (at least those with descendants) change their names at every generation, a strictly female lineage is difficult to trace. However mtDNA may be useful for proving or disproving particular hypotheses (am I related matrilineally to another specific person?), at least when a matrilineal line is involved. The mtDNA is passed down from mother to child over many generations with little change, so an mtDNA test can characterize your matrilineal line. Since mtDNA results would not have application to others of the Owens name, they are not compiled or summarized on our web site.
[Dr. Athey will explain ―Family Finder‖ and other tests in the September issue.-Ed.].
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Welcome New Members! 7
Lou Dean A. Mayes, (#467), 115 Miller’s Cove Road, Newport News, VA 23602 (757) 874-2525 [email protected] Earliest ancestor: Thornton Owens, b. abt. 1805, SC (probably son of Frederick Owens). Arthur Chase, (#468) 308 Centennial Cir., Wilmington, DE 19807 (302) 984-2006 [email protected] Earliest ancestor: William Owen, Wales – d. 23 August, 1837 Don Owen Smith, (#469), 175 New Estate Road, Littleton, MA 01460 (978) 486-3401 [email protected] Earliest ancestor: Charles Owen, b. 1801, NY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OBITUARY Harry Ashton Owen, Jr. 1920-2011 arry Ashton Owen, Junior, a proud descendant of the family we know as DNA Family Group One, passed away January 5, 2011, H at Durham, NC. He was a brother of Graham and Michael who, with OFA member Kim Owen, wrote ―The War of Confederate Captain Henry T. Owen,‖ which delineates the history of that exceptional family. From his earliest years, Dr. Owen's love was electronics. This interest eventually found full expression when he served as a U. S. Navy radar instructor during W.W. II. He went on to receive a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida and a Doctorate from N. C. State University. In 1951, he and his wife, Phyllis, moved to Durham where he began a forty year career of teaching and research in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Duke University. Sabbaticals away from Duke found Dr. Owen working for both NASA and the European Space Agency. His mentorship of many Asian graduate students produced a fondness for Chinese culture and Harry became quite adept in preparing Chinese cuisine. He and Phyllis also traveled together to Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe. Harry served Epworth United Methodist Church in Durham in many capacities. In his retirement he served on several Boards. Surviving Dr. Owen are his wife, Phyllis, sisters, Emily and Carolyn, brother, Michael, daughter, Marcia, and son, David; grandchildren, Melody, Saliima, Yasmiin, Linus, and Thomas; plus great-grandchildren Owen, Hudson, and Sienna. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8 (Bluett/Erasmus Owen, cont’d. from page 3). He was active in teaching, establishing churches and schools, including Harmony Ridge, Cherokee, and Cedar Springs. He is listed as a trustee of one of the first San Saba County school communities. He was also a Mason. Erasmus moved to Brown County, Texas, site of present-day Brownwood, in 1882. On February 19, 1889, he bought 160 acres of land there. He helped start Baptist churches in the nearby communities of May, Pleasant Grove, Bethel, and Wolfe Valley. From 1889-1891, Erasmus was a member of the Howard Payne College Board of Directors, as the school was being established in Brownwood. His wife, Rhoda, died in 1896 in Brown County. By December 24, 1913, when 81-year-old Erasmus filed his application for a Confederate pension, he was described as ―feeble.‖ The assessed value of his property was listed as $50.00. Even though he may have been ―feeble,‖ that didn’t stop him from journeying to Washington state at age 84. In 1916, the local newspaper lists Erasmus as acting Pastor of the Baptist Church in Palouse, in the southeast corner of Washington. It is also near the area where his daughter, Letitia, and her husband, Ben Mallory, lived. Erasmus Owen died May 27, 1917, near Abilene, Texas, at age 85. He is buried in May Cemetery in Brown County, next to his wife, Rhoda. Erasmus’ sons, Edgar and Conrad, also became Baptist ministers. Mark Owen, another son, was a wealthy New Mexico oilman and rancher. [Our staff apologizes for not completing this story in this issue; we had too much to cover. Our next issue will carry the story of Samuel Owen. We understand that many of Bluett Owen’s descendants are seeking to uncover the ancestry of their now earliest known ancestor and we look forward to publishing their findings. –Ed.]. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Owen Family Association Website by Margaret Owen Parsons Web Page Committee Chair We are happy to announce that the updated Owen Family Association web site is up and running. It is recommended that you use Internet Explorer to access our website. The website address is www.owenfamilyassociation.org. There is a special member login section which features our membership roster and all back issues of the Owen Family Newsletters. To request your member User Name and Password, contact [email protected]. For those members without internet access, you may go to most local libraries and use their computer to view the website. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our Cemetery Project 9 e appreciate your response (positive) to this project and hope that it is helpful to your research. We are pleased with the explanations that accompany the listings submitted. Please keep them coming! W The address of our Cemetery Committee Chair person is Judy Peeples, 914 Texas Avenue, League City, TX, 77573. KENTUCKY Allen County Motley/Witherspoon Cemetery – Highway 234 (Cemetery Road) at mile marker 6, just four miles from Warren County line. (Source for information of these cemeteries and information listed below Jim Owens, Member #106). Owen, Obadiah, Jr. B. 1785, Halifax Co., VA. D. before 1860 in Allen Co. Oby is a gr grandson of Richard Owen (1685 Elizabeth (?) Rowland). Owen, Martha Rickman, B. about1785, Halifax Co., VA, D. before 1860. (Obadiah and Martha moved to Allen County with her brother and family in 1820). Owen, Coleman B. – 1823 Allen Co., and fifth son of Obadiah and Martha. D. 1880 in Allen Co. Owen, Elizabeth Cassady, - B. 1827(?) D (?) Allen Co. (There are no markers for the above and descendants still visit the site). Warren County Old Drake Church Cemetery – Location, Drake and Boyce Rds. junction. Owen, Allen. –B. 1824 in Allen Co., 6th son of Obadiah and Martha; D. 1899 in Warren Co. Owen, Margary Goodrum. – B. 1828 Allen Co., D. 1908 in Warren Co. (Large stone for the two of them). Brunson/Owen Cemetery – Location: off highway 101 just east on 1297 about ½ mile on left. Owens, John W. – B. April 28, 1853, in Warren Co.; D. September 10, 1888, Warren Co. (Marker). Owens, Mary Washer. – B. Oct. 10, 1849, in Warren Co., D. Feb. 13, 1878, Warren Co. (Marker). Owen, Nancy. –B. Oct. 29, 1876, Warren Co.; D. 1877, Warren Co. (Marker). Owens, James. – B. Feb. 13, 1878, Warren Co.; D. Feb. 13, 1878. (Marker). Owens, Charles Lee. – B. Oct. 25, 1855, in Warren Co.; D. Mar. (?) 1879, Warren Co. (No marker). Owns, Martha Arnold. – B. April 15, in Warren Co.; D. Mar. 13, 1879, Warren Co. (No marker). (Charles and Martha died days apart of Typhoid Fever; grandparents of James Owens, the author. John W. and Charles Lee were brothers and grandsons of Obadiah and Martha Rickman Owen). Hardin County Sonora Cemetery Location: Sonora. Owens, Mason Henry. – B. Sep. 24, 1878, in Warren Co., KY; D. April 1, 1963, in Louisville, KY. Owens, Bertha Poteet. – B. Dec. 1876, in LaRue Co., KY; D. Aug 31, 1914, in Nolin, KY. (1st wife). Owens, Nina Carlton. – B. Oct. 16, 1893, in Vertrees, KY; D. Mar. 26, 1977, in Louisville, KY (2nd wife). (Mason and Nina are the parents of James Owens, the author. All of the above are descendants of Richard and Elizabeth (?) Rowland of Halifax, VA). Barren County Old Sinking Creek Baptist Church Cemetery – Location: Denton Rd., near Mary Oaks Owen, Eady. – B. 1746 in VA.; D. 1812 in Barren Co., KY. Eady was the widow of William Owen, son of John and Elizabeth Nichols Owen, and grandson of John and Sarah Brackett Owen. She moved to Barren County about 1805 with her children, joining her brother in KY. There is a marker, a hand-carved rock for her grave with E OWEN 1823.
North Carolina 10 Davidson County Owen/s Cemetery, (aka Tysinger Family Cemetery). – Located Lexington, NC. NC highway 8 south to Floyd Church Road, then left on Tysinger Family Road. This cemetery is also referred to as the Tysinger Family Cemetery in ―Find A Grave.‖ (Source, Betty Cook. This cemetery was located near the home of James and Barbara Cross Owens. James Owen/s was the son of William and Rebecca Martin Owen, and the great grandson of Richard and Elizabeth Owen of VA. James and Barbara are buried here along with some of the children and grandchildren. James Owen/s was my (Betty Cook) great great grandfather; relatives living in the area take care of this cemetery). Owen, J. Owen, B. (Barbara Cross Owens. Died 1872). Owen, Clifford Dewey May 14, 1911-Dec. 24, 1914 Owen, D. Owens, Elizabeth (Newsom). Nov. 28, 1832-Feb. 23, 1912 Owen, Eller Owen, Eveline S. Owens, Holmes Feb. 11, 1873-Apr. 5, 1954 Owen, J. Owen, James Owens, Joyseya E. Jul. 2, 1881-May 21, 1888 Owens, Lucinthy, Oct. 7, 1879-Oct. 29, 1900 Owen Margaret (Newsome) Jun. 21, 1849-Nov. 20, 1931 Owens, Mary C., Dec. 20, 1870-Sep. 7. 1954 Owen, Michael, Died Aug. 18, 1900 Owens, Nan Owens, Nancy Owens, Nancy S. Aug. 26, 1887-May 22, 1888 Owen, Ralph (Source Betty Cook) ca 1831-1880/1886 (Stone has name only). Owens, Rosina A. 1854-1938 Owens, Sampson A. 1858-1934 Owens, Samuel A. Jan. 25, 1871-Jul. 6, 1948 Owen, Wm. Owens, Wm. James Jan. 13, 1884-Mar. 9, 1913 Cox, Elizabeth (Owen) Died Apr. 8, 1914 Tysinger, Bessie Owens Aug. 9, 1897-Sep. 6, 1971 Wall, Pheby (Owens) Owens, __n: 1876-1957 (Owens, Julia Ann, Mar. 8, 1876-Jan. 6, 1957) OWEN/S FAMILY CEMETERY – Located on Highway 8 south of Lexington on Albert Drive. The cemetery is near Robert Hedrick’s house, Cotton Grove Township. Second location given as rear of J. O. U. A. M. home near Lexington. (Source Betty Cook-James Owen, son of Richard and Elizabeth Owen of Virginia, is buried here. Some tombstones are broken and others are leaning against trees that are in the cemetery). Oen, N. M. (Marker quote) Nancy Oen, the daughter of Peter Oen and Betty Ann, his wife, was born March 29, 1788, and decest Nov. 9, 1844, age _. (Marker broken and the rest cannot be read). Owen, Alfred. Co. F, NC Cavalry, C.S.A. Owen, Anne Died August 23, 1799 Owen, B. A. (Marker quote) Here lise the body of Betty Ann Owen, the wife of Peter, who departed this life Oct. the 23, 1826, aged 74 yr 1 ms 10 ds (marker is completely underground). Owen, David, Jul. 1, 1815-Sep. 29, 1890
Owen, Elizabeth 11 Owen, E. C. Here lise the body of Elizabeth Charlett Owen, the daughter of Joel Owen and Edith Owen, who departed this life Nov. 7, 1824, ae y (number of years not listed) 13 ds (all except initials buried underground). Owen, H. Owen, Hezekiah Died Jun. 11, 1832 ae 42/47y 6m 8d Owen, Hezekiah Died Nov. 30, 1832 aged 21 d (stone completely covered). Owen, James Died Jun. 26, 1799, aged 75 years Owen, James Died in the year 1801 Owen, James S. s/0 of H. and Mary Owen, born Dec. 25, 1839, died Oct. 6, 1853, aged13y, 9m, 11d (stone broken off – under pine log). Owen, Julia In memory of Julia A. J. Owen, died Sep. 5, 1834, aged 6y 9m 11d (slate marker leaning against tree). Owen, Margaret – wife of Peter Owen, who died Oct. 9, 1848, aged 59y 21d Owen, Mary, wife of Humphrey Owen, born Apr. 24, 1808, died May 19, 1852, aged 44y 25d (stone broken off-under pine log). Owen, Nancy L. – daughter of H. and Mary Owen, Jan. 1, 1837-Oct. 11, 1855 ae 18y 9m 10d Owen, Peter – Dec. 29, 1787-died Aug. 1865 aged 77 years 8 mos Owen, Peter, - Here lise the body of Peter Owen who departed this life Aug. 8, 1830 age 72 yrs 6ms 7ds (top of marker broken off). Owen, Susan, - In memory of the infant daughter and her mother, Susan, the wife of Col. Wm. Owen, who died May 19, 1847, (stone broken off – leaning against oak tree). Owen, S., - Here lise the body of Susannah Owen who departed this life Aug. 19, 1830, aged 38 years 2 months 19 days (inscription buried underground). Owen, S. A. E., - Here lies the boddy of Sarah Ann Elizabeth Owen, daughter of James and Nancy Owen, who departed this life May 23, 1828, aged 13 months and 7 days (stone broken off, lying on grave). Owen, William C., - Apr. 28, 1834-Sep. 7, 1855 aged 21y 4m 9d (stone broken in two pieces- underground).
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Queries, We Print All Queries! Seeking Info on: John Owens, the Indian Trader, at Ft. Pitt, and a militiaman under Boquet, in the Tenmile Country of the Monongahela Valley, ca. 1764. Also David Owens, John’s son or grandson (?), and George Owens, possibly a brother. There may be a connection to Tanacharison, aka, ―Half-King, an Indian leader involved in the French and Indian War. This information is from Wikipedia. John may be my connection to my gr gr grandfather, Willis Calloway Owens, b. 1811, in Indiana. Garry Owens, 615 449-7675, [email protected].
Information needed to flesh out one branch of our family. Edward P. Owen, of Halifax County, m. Elizabeth ______in 1789. Their son, also Edward P. Owen, was born in 1791. There are no records of their children although there probably were others. We would like to know where the younger Edward P. migrated to and if he did have siblings. Any suggestions appreciated. Jack Hillard, [email protected]. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Owen Family Association First “Owen, a name worth knowing” Class Owen Family Association Postage Margaret Owen Parsons, Publisher 1300 West Olson Avenue, Space 142 Reedley, CA 93654
FIRST CLASS MAIL
Board of Directors Jane Owen Hillard, President C. Owen Johnson, Founder Arnold C. Owen, Past President 4136 E. Village Dr., Mason, OH Robert McCrary, Early Secretary George N. Shirley, Liaison 45040 (513) 398-7255 [email protected] M. Fred Owen, Vice President Owen Family Association 111 Buggy Whip Horsehoe Bay The Owen Family Association was organized in 1981. TX 78557 (830) 598-6545 The objectives of the association are: [email protected] To establish and document as complete a list of descendants of Owen and George N. Shirley, Treasurer allied families as possible. 508 Arbor Dr., Madison, MS 39110 To collect a narrative history of individual family lines of descent. (601 (665-2268 To compile and maintain a listing of cemeteries, homes, and other buildings [email protected] and sites associated with Owen and allied families. Secretary, (vacant) To publish and distribute a periodic newsletter. To bring members of the family association together for periodic reunions. To aid association members to establish their family line and assist them in Jane Owen, Genealogist 4190 Hurricane Shores Dr. joining hereditary and patriotic societies, if they so desire. Benton, AR 72019 (501) 794-1751 To ultimately produce a volume documenting the verified family histories. [email protected] To provide publications to Genealogy Libraries in order to assist Owen Clifford F. Owen, Historian researchers. st 70 Oak Valley Dr., Holland, MI Annual dues of $10.00 are payable January 1 . The Owen Family Newsletter is 49424 (616) 396-4596 published quarterly and is subject to copyright. [email protected] web site: www.owenfamilyassociation.org Margaret Owen Parsons, Publisher (address at top of page).
OWEN FAMILY ASSOCIATION UNrelated by DNA, UNited by interest
Volume 26, Issue 3 EWSLETTER September, 2011
N MORE UNRELATED OWENS IN HALIFAX COUNTY Who was William Farrow Owen? by Jane Owen Hillard a name worth knowing a Just how many unrelated families, each with the surname Owen, were living in that large Virginia Colony/County in the last half of the www.owenfamilyassociation.org 1700s? Could there have been as many as eight, and possibly nine, families sharing a surname but no genetic connection? Today, it looks as FEATURES if that may have been the case.
When, in 2002, the Newsletter started publishing this writer‘s six William Farrow Owen by Jane Owen Hillard issue series called, ―All Those Unrelated Owen Families in Halifax County,‖ I thought there were six such disparate groups living there.
Samuel Owen Searching for my own family in the area, I quickly became confused with by Sylvia Teague all those Williams, Johns, and Thomases, not to mention all those page 6 Elizabeths, Sarahs, and Susannahs. I realized others may have been as discombobulated as I, thereupon realizing the task of separating them The Ubiquitous William into separate communities. Reasoning that in that dangerous, newly- Owen opened territory, blood -kin would naturally cling to each other when page 8 forming separate units . Maybe order could come out of chaos. It worked. It is gratifying that when so many of us jumped on the DNA bandwagon Harmony at New later, the family separations were proved accurate. Harmony: Reunion page 4 Our readers will remember how each group was described, starting out with my Owen ancestry. DNA-UPDATE Family 1. The Staunton River Owens. Patriarch Richard Owen, his wife, Dr. Whit Athey Elizabeth, eight sons, and three sons-in law, settled on Hunting, Ready, page 5 Black Walnut, and Difficult Creeks. (Today, DNA Owen Family Group 4). DEPARTMENTS Family 2. William Owen of Terrible Creek. He was a son of John Owen of Prince Edward Family. (DNA Owen Family Group 1). John Owen, Jr., Welcome New of Halifax County, was a brother of this William. Members! page 2 Family 3. Walter Owen and family on Childrey Creek and Cow Creek which flows NE into the Staunton River. (DNA Owen Family Group OFA Cemetery Project 11a).
page 10 Family 4. The Dan River Group. Headed by the wealthy landowner Robertson Owen, they became civic leaders, merchants, lawyers. (DNA Queries not reported). page 9 Family 5. William Owen, whom we dubbed (continued on page 3). 2
Publisher A Warm Welcome to Our New Members Margaret Owen Parsons 1300 W. Olson Ave. Gayla A. Downey-Daniel, (#470) [email protected] Space 142 1318 Fairfax St., Anderson IN 46012. (228) 365-0281 Reedley, CA 93654 Earliest known Owen ancestor: William Owens, Sullivan, IN. (559) 250-0740 [email protected] Robyn Hamilton, (471), [email protected] 1162 W. Thompson Ln., Edwards, MS 39066 (601) 852-2736 Earliest known Owen ancestor: William Owen and wife Sarah.
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We are pleased to introduce Virginia Garrison as our Editorial Staff of the new Recording Secretary. She and her husband have Owen Newsletter attended a number of our OFA Reunions and will be on hand for our 12th Biennial Reunion, September 23-24, 2011. Editor We are happy to welcome her to the Executive Board. Jane Owen Hillard 4136 E. Village Dr. * * * * * * Mason, OH 45040 We just learned, on re-reading our By Laws, that we [email protected] are supposed to include our genealogist‘s name and address, etc., in every issue of the Newsletter. Our elected genealogist, Editorial Assistant Jane Owen, browses WEB pages (from the incorporated Garry Owens services as well as family webs) and even informal chat rooms Proofreader: for clues, but in her personal family research, she accepts as proven only that which is covered by official documents. She Carolee Moncur, PhD is well acquainted with many courthouses and State Publication Dates Library/Archives, and is open to assist all members in any way March, June, September, and possible. She is also the person to contact if you or a friend December want to join our organization. Get in touch with: Jane Owen, Deadlines are the 1st day of 4190 Hurricane Shores Dr., Benton, AR 72019, or the month preceding [email protected], or (501) 794-1751. That information publication. will appear hereafter in the Welcome column. Submission of lineages, biographies, photographs, As I take my leave as President and Editor, I‘ll take this historical and genealogical opportunity to thank all of our members who have so data about any Owen graciously shared their genealogies with our readers. We urge anywhere is encouraged! everyone to submit their stories, which are the lifeblood of this Submissions are always sent publication, and the focus of our Association. We are all in it to the Editor. Your ideas for together! —Jane Owen Hillard the newsletter are also solicited. * * * * * *
3 (continued from page 1). ―William of the Will,‖ his being the first such document in Will Book O. He lived with his daughter, Joanna Kearby (Kirby) and her family. (Now known ALSO to be in DNA Family Group 11a). Replacement Owen Family Group 5. Edward Owen, with sons Edward, Solomon, and John, had multiple holdings on Little Polecat Creek. Where are their descendants today? Family 6. William Owen, who married Drucilla Echols, resided on Sandy Creek and Cane Creek, (later taken by Pittsylvania County). This family initiated The Owen Family Association. Family 7. Thomas Owen was a soldier in His Majesty‘s Royal Welch Fusiliers. After the Revolutionary War, he stayed n America, married a Halifax damsel, and lived with her family. Later moved to North Carolina and points west. Seven? We now know there were eight and possibly nine genetically unrelated Owen families living in that one fertile Colony/County in south central Virginia in the late 18th century. Here‘s the eighth. William Farrow Owen (DNA Family Group 12b). In late 2003, Jane Owen, (presently our OFA Genealogist), called to inquire what we knew about William Farrow Owen of Halifax County. Jane had traced the lineage of her husband, Ed Owen, back to the early days of Callaway County, Missouri. That lineage, back to 1850, covers nine pages of closely-packed data: names, dates of birth, marriages, dates of death, wills, and tombstones. No narrative, just recorded facts. In the 1850 census, she had found Seaton and Elizabeth Waddell Owen and a neighbor, William F. Owen, Jr., with his wife, Isabel. All had been born in Virginia. In the 1860 census, (Missouri), the elderly William F. and Isabel Owen were living in the home of Seaton. By now a seasoned researcher, Jane quickly found records of the two couples (including William F. Owen, Jr.‘s marriage) in Halifax County. She also found their father/grandfather, William Farrow Owen, Sr. By the time she called us, she had already ascertained that William Farrow Owen was not related to my Richard Owen family, although he was living in their midst, cheek-to-jowl, with that enormous grouping of Richard‘s children and grandchildren. She already knew that William Farrow possibly had a brother, Littleberry Owen. But who were they? Where did they come from? Why had they settled in among that huge clan, Richard Owen‘s family? If that middle name, Farrow, refers to William‘s maternal lineage, then he comes of a very early Virginia family of note. We note that Littleberry Owen was a friend of John Nichols, son of the wealthy John Nichols (senior) and that William Farrow Owen was friend of Byrd Nichols, son of the senior Nichols. We also know that when Byrd Nichols died intestate, William Farrow Owen was a great help in getting Byrd‘s estate settled for the widow, Henrietta, and their children. William F. and Henrietta Nichols married in 1785/6 long before Byrd Nichols‗ estate was settled. We know that Henrietta Nichols had children by her previous marriage and assume that William Farrow Owen was a widower with children, but, to date, no definitive number of children can be pinned down. William F. and Henrietta Owen had a child of their own: William Farrow Owen, Jr., and there may have been others. We know so much and we know so little. We conjecture: could William Farrow Owen and Littleberry Owen (believed to be brothers), in their push further into the interior, have been invited by the Nichols family to come to Halifax County? Purely a guess: we don‘t know. We know this: the research will go on; we know that one day, one of us will find some answers. An Owen never gives up, does he, or she, in our case? For now, we are deadlocked. FAMILY NUMBER NINE? In the meantime, what about that other possibly unrelated Owen family in early Halifax County? Due to space limitations, that problem will be examined in the December issue. * * * * * * 4 Harmony at New Harmony It is quite appropriate that this year‘s chosen Reunion venue is called New Harmony. We are participants in what is always noted to be ―the world‘s most popular hobby.‖ Indeed, harmony reigns as we, researchers all, come together to celebrate and learn. We have received several inquiries from our guests as to what they can expect at the Saturday morning ―Workshops,‖ and we tell them, ―Just what it says: roll up your sleeves, its genealogy time!‖ Some of our most adept researchers will be on hand to start the discussions on those SNAFUS which befuddle all researchers at times, and to share with us some newly discovered aids which may lead us to those ancestors who seem to be deliberately hiding from us. Bring on your questions and don‘t be afraid to discuss your ―brick walls;‖ share some of your triumphs. It‘s all in the game. Come mid-morning, Dr. Whit Athey will return to inform us about the use of DNA analysis as an adjunct to our ancestral research. As you know, Whit Athey is a microbiologist with a keen interest in genetics, and is our DNA Administrator; all of us address him as ―Whit.‖ If your DNA has already been analyzed, you already know your haplotype, you know to which of our Owen families you belong, and you likely have discovered ―DNA cousins‖ about whom you knew nothing before. Whit will lead us on a voyage of discovery which will entrance all of us. At the morning presentation, he will discuss the DNA of the male Y chromosome and what it informs over a four hundred year period. For those of you who have not heard his discussion and what it tells about your particular Owen family group, he will set a time for a second session later that afternoon to continue with your ancient ancestors‘ migratory paths in Europe as they moved from the Mediterranean area northward as the Ice Age drew to a close. Fascinating. EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED, you will want to know how your BRIT ancestors survived all those centuries ago! We break at twelve, your afternoon is free, but not for snoozing! You may want to join New Harmony‘s hour-and-a-half tour of the Village and hear its‘ history from a well- informed student from nearby University of Evansville. The walk is leisurely, although you can rent one of the ever-present golf carts for the tour. (You may opt to take that tour Friday afternoon if you arrive by 1:00 pm). Before you know it, it‘s time to gather for a delectable meal, followed by a brief business session (election of officers), and that followed by an after-dinner speaker, a retired professor from the University of Evansville. And, oh, yes, we have also received queries about dress for the weekend. Casual is in; you‘ll see slacks, shorts, open-throated shirts or golf shirts. At all our previous Reunions, men have donned jackets and ties for the dinner, and the ladies always know how to dress accordingly. See you there! * * * * * * 5 Update: The Owen DNA Project by Whit Athey, Administrator [Continued from the June issue). This continues the information about the types of tests our members may order to further their researching or to substantiate claims of a particular lineage. He will continue with his findings in the December issue. Ed.]. The newest type of DNA test is the whole genome test of markers throughout the 22 sets of autosomal chromosomes (not X, not Y). These tests can reliably detect relationships out to about the third cousins, and sometimes beyond, and these tests may be taken by males or females. However, there is nothing in the DNA results to indicate from which line a matching segment may have come. Still, if a particular relationship is suspected, this is a good way to confirm or deny that relationship. So far, we have only one pair of participants who share any DNA segments on the autosomal chromosomes. When more matches start to show up, we will start to summarize the matches and relationships (to the extent known) at the web site. Family Tree DNA has just switched its autosomal test from one ―game chip,‖ made by Affymetrix, to another made by Illumina. The Illumina chip tests about 700,000 markers, while the old one tested about 500,000. All previous autosomal tests are being rerun on the new chip at no charge. That task has now been completed.
INTERESTED IN THE OWEN DNA PROJECT? HERE’S HOW TO GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK! Beginning in 2003, many of our members took advantage of this great new ―tool‖ and are now pleased with the many resulting benefits. When Dr Athey receives the results of the tests from the Houston Laboratory, the packet includes the results from the latest Owen participants who are NOT our members as well as those who are. FT-DNA does not inform our coordinator on their membership status with our group. Adhering to the privacy clause which EACH participant has signed, Dr. Athey CANNOT divulge the results of our non- members. If he has not received a genealogical chart from our members, he does not know who you are. HERE‘S HOW TO DO IT: 1. You may already have done this, but when you first receive the DNA Kit, you will (or may already have) return your sample with your fee to Family Tree DNA. You wait! (or waited!). DNA takes time. 2. VERY important! While you are waiting for your report, send a simplified chart of your Owen lineage to Whit at 2305 Goldmine Road, Brookville, MD, 20833. [email protected]. 3. Tell him you are a member of the Owen Family Association. With that data at hand, Whit can sort out the MEMBERS from the non-members. He can then match your profile with other participants with identical, or nearly identical, DNA and publish the report in the Owen Family Newsletter. IF YOU HAVEN’T PROVIDED A CHART, PLEASE DO SO!
6 Bluett Owen and Some of His Descendants by Sylvia Teague SAMUEL OWEN Erasmus Owen‘s only son, Samuel (Sam), with his first wife, Mary Ann Carr, was born in a log house on Rough Creek, San Saba County, Texas, on February 10, 1856. The red-haired Sam, bristling at his father‘s strictness and severe ways, was only 12 when he left home to live with a friendly band of Indians, according to one family story. Other accounts have Sam leaving home at 14, after having attained roughly a fifth-grade education. Five of Sam‘s half-brothers also would leave home at age 12 or 13, and come to live with him. He set each of them up in business by the time they were 18 or 19 years old. After leaving home, Sam rode the range for a nearby rancher. He also hauled buffalo hides for hunters and was about 19 when he began breaking horses for a living, and became known for his roping skills. At 24, he met a schoolteacher named Sarah Jane Long. She was 28 and considered an old maid. They married in 1880 in San Saba. She eventually would teach him to read and write. The couple began ranching and had four daughters between 1882 and 1889. Home was a log cabin. Sam built his cattle herd by chasing strays out of the hills, rocks, and cedar thickets. If the animal was a maverick, Sam put his brand on it. Strays with a brand were returned to their owners for $5.00. When a drought hit West Texas in 1885, Sam and his neighbors drove 500 head of cattle hundreds of miles west to the Davis Mountains. After weeks of traveling, they found water but couldn‘t get leases and had to turn back. Sam‘s family eventually returned to San Saba, where an unfortunate event would mark him forever. Just after sunrise on November fourth, 1890, Sam got into an argument with a neighbor whose dogs had chased Sam‘s cattle. Armed with rifles, the men faced off on either side of a fence. Sam fired first and the other man died. Sam claimed self-defense but was convicted of manslaughter. On May 4, 1891, he was sent to prison in Huntsville for two years. He served his time during a period when inmates allegedly were mistreated by prison authorities. In ―Texas Gulag: The Chain Gang Years, 1875-1925,‖ author Gary Brown cites ―terrible incidents of brutality, cruelty, injury, and death to the prisoners.‖ Inmates were ―leased‖ to private companies, according to Brown. Sam, in his mid 30s at the time, worked on two railroad chain gangs. Prison records describe him as ―six feet tall, with blue eyes, red hair, and a red complexion. ― While Sam was in prison, his wife petitioned for his freedom. His pardon application bears signatures from the prosecutor, all but one of the original jurors in the case, and more than 100 ―reputable citizens.‖ Texas Governor James Hogg eventually granted the pardon, but by then, Sam had done most of his time. He was released in March, 1893. Tom, who was Sam and Sarah‘s only son, was born that year in San Saba. Sam‘s conviction and incarceration would remain a closely guarded family secret. Some of his descendants are still unsure of what happened. The family and their herd of cattle eventually left San Saba for Long, in Hala County, near Plainview, Texas. Agnes Arline Owen, who was Sam‘s daughter, said her mother drove the chuck wagon, according to family lore. The travelers cooked on an open fire, she said, and used ―buffalo chips‖ for fuel. As Sarah Jane would recall in her later years, ―The Owens were as tough as those dear old longhorns.‖ Around 1896, the family moved to Kent County, south of Lubbock. In 1898, Sam bought four sections of land in the northwest corner of the county and started ranching again. (continued on page 7). 7 (continued from page 6). But by 1909, at age 53, Sam had decided to try his luck at homesteading in Alberta, Canada. He sold most of his cattle, gathered most of his family, and boarded a train for their new home, near Warner in the Medicine Hat District, some 1,500 miles away. The Canada census lists Sam, wife Sarah Jane, daughters Ann and Arline, as residents in Alberta. Daughter Grace stayed for a year. The rest of the family stayed for a few more years, but eventually returned to Texas around 1914. They lived near Spur and Sam commuted to the ranch. In 1916, while stopping in at the ranch, he found a pot of stew that a caretaker had left on the stove for him. He ate some of it, got food poisoning, and eventually died on August fifth. Some say his diabetes may have made him more susceptible to the illness. He was buried in the Spur Cemetery. A writer for ―The Texas Spur‖ offered this salute upon his passing: ―Sam Owen was a good citizen and was from one of the very best families in the state of Texas. We have known the Owen family all of our life. There are no better people, and in their death, the country sustains a real loss. To the bereaved family, we extend our sincere sympathy.‖ Sarah Jane Long Owen, who lived to be 109, is buried in the state cemetery in Austin, where some of the most illustrious people in Texas history are interred. * * * * * *
WHO YA GONNA CALL?
TO JOIN THE OWEN FAMILY ASSOCIATION: contact our GENEALOGIST, Jane Owen , [email protected], or 4190 Hurricane Shores, Dr., Benton, AR 72019
TO REPORT ADDRESS/PHONE/EMAIL CHANGE OR MISSED NEWSLETTER: contact the Publisher, Margaret Owen Parsons, [email protected]; 1300 W. Olson Ave., Space 142, Reedley, CA, 93654.
TO FIND ABOUT A BIENNIAL REUNION, contact the host of the event, who will be named at least one year ahead of time.
TO SUBMIT A STORY OR QUERY OR TO COMMENT OR QUESTION A PUBLISHED ITEM: contact the Editor: [email protected], or mail to: Newsletter Editor, 4136 E. Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040. * * * * * *
8 The Ubiquitous William Owen Aside from the proven William Owens reaching back into the 1600s, we frequently see genealogies with William Owen in the mid 1800s as the earliest known Owen ancestor. Early in this Association‘s history, our newsletter was THE purveyor of information in all things Owen. Below, we have excerpted some data from an early issue (Volume 3) which you may find interesting as you reflect how far we‘ve come in the past 25+ years. Using the early data noted below, we can see how those families have grown exponentially and have left their footprints (and we are leaving their footprints) across America today. This is where many of our present members got their start. Think of the material below as a roadmap for our journey. From Volume 3: “William Owen” If the Owens of Virginia, have a favorite given name and, if it‘s not ―John,‖ then surely it is ―William.‖ It is difficult to determine with any precision to which ―William‖ the various legal records refer. Here we will try to set out the various William Owens who lived in those counties before 1790. (1) There is a William Owen who left numerous children named in his will probated in Halifax County in 1753. It was dated 23 October, 1752, and appears in abstract form in Wirt Johnson Carrington‘s History of Halifax County, Virginia, (1924), page 323. It also appears on pages 1 and 2 of Will Book O, 1752-1753, Halifax County, Virginia, by Marion Dodson Chiarito. (2) One of the children named in the preceding William Owens was William Owen, who moved in the 1780s to Wilkes County, North Carolina, where his will, written on 28 September, 1785, was probated in January, 1788. His children, including a son, William Owen, appear in North Carolina on the 1790 census. His will is in Will Book I, page 228, Wilkes County, North Carolina. (3) Another William Owen, from whom many members of the Owen Family Association descend, moved from Pittsylvania County, Virginia, to a Wilkes County in the 1780s. This Wilkes Co., however. was in Georgia, not North Carolina. This William Owen married Drucilla Echols, a daughter of Richard Echols. See Rebecca Echols Terry‘s outline of Milner Echols‘ ―Short History of Our Family,‖ written in 1850, in her Echols Notes, Volume 2, (1979), page 1. This William Owen moved, sometime in 1782, to Georgia (where there are legal records of him and his wife, Drucilla), according to the obituary of his daughter, Rhoda Owen, wife of the Reverend Malachi Reeves. Mary Overby, Obituaries Published by the Christian Index, 1822-1879. (Rhoda Owen Reeves died in Wilkes Co., Georgia, on 7 September, 1842). (4) Mrs. Lewis Brockman of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, wrote a bound manuscript, Owen Genealogy, deposited in the DAR Library in Washington. In that manuscript is the record of a William Owen, born in Goochland County, Virginia, in 1727, the son of a John Owen, whose will was probated in 1767 in Prince Edward, Co., VA. This William Owen married Lucy (surname unknown). In 1763 he moved to Contrary Run, Halifax Co., VA. (?) brother, John Owen Jr. William Owen‘s will, probated in Halifax Co., Virginia, in 1806, names his children-John Owen, Hatcher Owen, Thomas Owen, daughters _____ Brady, Lucy Powell, and Agnes Thomas. (5) The William Owen immediately preceding had a son William Owen, not named in his 1806 will, since the son‘s will was probated in Halifax County on 16 May, 1782. The son named as his executors his father, William Owen, and his mother, Lucy Owen. See Marion Dodson Chiarito‘s Halifax County, Virginia, Will Book I, 1773-1783, page 92.
(6) In her manuscript, Mrs. Lewis Brockman (mentioned previously) lists another son of John Owen, whose will was probated in 1767 in Prince Edward County, Virginia, as John Owen, Jr. He was born in Henrico County, Virginia, in 1722. In 1745 he moved to Lunenburg County, Virginia, and settled on Contrary Run, a branch of Reedy Creek. This is now in Halifax County, Virginia. Later, he moved to Pittsylvania County, Virginia, where he served as Sheriff and his will was probated on 20 March, 1786. He names in his will his eldest son, William Owen. See pages 61 and 62 of Lela C. Adams‘ Abstracts of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, 9
Wills, 1767-1820. On 24 February, 1769, this William Owen married Edey Pigg, daughter of John Pigg. The surety was John Owen. Catharine Linsay Knorr‘s Marriage Bonds and Minister‘s Returns, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, 1767-1805, page 63.
(7) In his will probated in June, 1756, Richard Owen, Senior, mentioned his seven sons and three daughters. See pages 2 and 3, Marion Dodson Chiarrito‘s Will Book O, 1752-1773, Halifax County, Virginia. That lineage has not been well documented.
(8) Walter Owen, whose will was probated in 1765 in Lunenburg County, Virginia, left a son, William Owen. I don‘t know if he ever lived in Pittsylvania or Halifax Counties. [Today we know he did, with farms on Childrey and Cow Creeks near the northern border of the county. Some of his line migrated first to Wilkes County, N.C., then to Barren County, KY, and eventually to Texas].
(9) Thomas Owen, whose will was probated in Henrico County, left a son, William Owen. Margaret Pilcher, in Halifax Sketches of Campbell, Pilcher, and Kindred Families (1911), page 319, says he died unmarried. Mary Sue Mathys, in her revised 4 February, 1986, Working Copy of Owen Connections, said the will of this William Owen was probated in Halifax County, Virginia, 8 September, 1757, and that he had married a wife, Lydia. This possibly conflicts with Mary Sue Mathys‘ description of Thomas Owen‘s brother, William, whose will was probated in Halifax County, and whose wife was Lydia.
(10) There are several William Owens living in Middlesex County, Virginia, who may never have lived in Halifax or Pittsylvania Counties: 1. William Owen, baptized 23 May, 1708, the son of Patrick and Mary Owen; 2. William Owen, born 15 October, 1711, the son of John and Hannah (Probest) Owen; 3. William Owen, the son of Augustine Owen, who died in 1726/7; 4. William Owen, born 25 January, 1734, the son of John and Sarah Owen; 5. William Owen who married Elizabeth ___and had children born in the 1750s; 6. William Owen, born 4 November, 1708, the son of John and Michaell (Bristow) Owen; William Owen, born 20 September, 1742, the son of Augustine and Mary (Clark) Owen; 8. William Owen who married Judith ___ and had children born in the 1730s, including William Owen, born 4 November, 1737. * * * * * *
Queries; We Print All Queries Let’s communicate! We solicit your queries; after all, your question may generate the data you‘ve been seeking, AND may help someone else in their research! Mail or email your Query to:
Garry W. Owens, 1851 Horn Springs Rd., Lebanon, TN 37087, or [email protected]. Seeking information about William Jackson Owens, born in Indiana, homesteaded in Republic County, KS, returned to Indiana, served in 117th Indiana Volunteers in the war, then moved to Texas. He had several children some of whom married Rogers.‘ Please contact Garry W. Owens at one of the addresses above. * * * * * *
10 OFA CEMETERY PROJECT Because our founders believed that information gleaned from tombstone inscriptions enhanced our pursuit of our lineages, and because we firmly believe that our compiled lists may be helpful in your research, we will continue publishing these lists. Please submit YOUR cemetery lists to our Cemetery Project Chairman: Judy Peeples, 914 Texas Ave., 6N, League City, Texas 77573, email [email protected], tel. (281) 316- 1792. ARKANSAS COLUMBIA COUNTY Owen Family Cemetery. Go south from Magnolia, Arkansas, on highway #79 about 10 miles to Steel Plant sign, turn right on highway #10 and continue to highway #7, turning right, traveling about one mile; cemetery on left. [Submitted by Jane Owen. She and her husband visited these two cemeteries and copied the data on the stones]. Ransom F. Owen Elizabeth Swiney Owen (Wife of R. F. Owen) B. Sep. 10, 1806 B. Aug. 7, 1811 D. Mar. 6, 1875 D. Aug. 6, 1879 Harriet N. Owen (dau. of R. F. and E. S. Owen) Wm. Benjamin Warren Wife of Wm. Benjamin Warren B. Jun. 11, 1834 B. Feb. 14, 1826 (in Gwinnett Co., GA) D. May 8, 1862 D. May 27, 1886 (Columbia Co., Ark.) Egbert Bell Owen Mary Jane Owen (wife of E.B. Owen) B. Sep. 10, 1829 B. 1831 D. Jul.8, 1890 D. May, 1872 Ben Hill Owen Peter Wiley Kerlin ( Husb. of Martha Caroline Owen) B. Dec. 24, 1862 B. Dec. 16, 1837 D. Nov. 4, 1889 D. Sep. 22, 1874 Sallie Montgomery (Wife of A. M. Owen) Mother of Leland, Bascun, Irene, Clyde CHRISTIE’S CHAPEL CEMETERY. South of Magnolia, Arkansas, on highway #10, next to Christie‘s Chapel E. L. Owens D. May 19, 1912 Age 66 years, 5 months, 8 days Lucius E. Owen Louisa F. Owen John Edgar Owen Alva W. Owen 1845 – 1912 1845 – 1944 B. Jun. 29, 1876 B. Dec. 1, 1902 D. Feb. 1, 1956 D. 1985 Otis Elzie Owen Agnes Smith Owen 1919 (B. and D.) 1886 – 1925 Carol Ray Owen Dorothy F. Owen Married Oct. 11, 1993 B. Nov. 2, 1932 B. Oct. 13, 1946 D. Jul. 28, 1994 11 Clifton Doyle Owen Lucious E. Owen Pearl Mae Owen B. 1934 B. Jan. 3, 1883 B. Nov. 2, 1902 D. 1938 D. Sep. 3, 1958 D. Aug. 13, 1987 Hazel Owen Wreyford (Mother/Grandmother B. Feb. 11, 1927 (may be still living) Birchie Kyle Owen Floyd Albert Owen B. Dec. 14, 1896 B. Dec. 14, 1892 D. May 3, 1971 D. Oct. 19, 1981 Marvin S. Owen Ivie L. Owen Married Nov. 18, 1916 B. Jul. 3, 1895 B. Sep. 9, 1898 D. Aug. 12, 1979 D. Jun.14, 1988 Maud Eudy Bridges W. E. Buddy Owen Eula Mae Maness (wife of W. E. Owen) (wife of W. E. Owen B. Jan. 6, 1886 B. Oct. 12, 1874 B. Aug. 24, 1879 D. May 9, 1957 D. Mar 15, 1968 D. Oct. 1, 1903 Mother of Father of Mother of Lloyd Bridges Dewey Owen Dewey Owen John Bridges Eva Owen Eva Owen Maureen Bridges Esther Owen Esther Owen W. E. Billy Owen W. E. Billy Owen ―Bill‖ W. E. Owen, Jr. B. May 15, 1925 D. May 15, 2010 Sallie Eudy Howe Wm. Dewey Owen Elmer Annette Howe Ina Lavora Owen (Wife of J. E. Owen) B. Jan. 18, 1889 B. Jan. 29, 1899 B. Feb. 9, 1908 B. Jul. 19, 1905 D. Nov. 25, 1976 D. Sep. 25, 1987 D. Aug. 15, 1991 D. Nov. 27, 1922 Lucy B. Elledge Harry E.. Owen (Wife of J. E. Owen) B. Dec. 14, 1876 B. May 7, 1914 D. Jan. 4, 1919 D. Aug. 12, 1975 Chester Lawrence Owen Inf. Son of Marvin and Ivie Owen April 24, 1919 Alfred M. Owen B. Sep. 11, 1856 D. Mar. 14, 1923 Arthur R. Owen Gladys T. Owen (Wife of Arthur R. Owen) 1890 – 1954 1905 - 1946 * * * * * *
Owen Family Association “Owen, a name worth knowing” First Class Owen Family Association Mail Margaret Owen Parsons, Publisher 1300 West Olson Ave. Space 142 Reedley CA 93654
Association Officers Board of Directors Jane Owen Hillard, President C. Owen Johnson, Founder Arnold C. Owen, Past President 4136 E. Village Dr. Mason, OH Robert McCrary, Early Secretary George N. Shirley, Liaison 45040 – (513) 398-7255 [email protected]
M. Fred Owen, Vice President 111 Buggy Whip, Horsehoe Bay, TX 78657-(830) 598-6545 Owen Family Association [email protected] The Owen Family Association was organized in 1981 George N. Shirley, Treasurer The objectives of the association are: 508 Arbor Dr., Madison, MS 39110 To establish and document as complete a list of descendants of Owen (601) 665-2268 and allied families as possible. [email protected] To collect a narrative history of individual family lines of descent. Virginia Garrison, Secretary To compile and maintain a listing of cemeteries, homes and other 4824 Waterside Dr., buildings and sites associated with Owen and allied families. Lexington, KY, 40513 To publish and distribute a periodic newsletter. (859) 223-3966 To bring members of the family association together for periodic [email protected] reunions. Jane Owen, Genealogist To aid association members to establish their family line and assist 4190 Hurricane Shores Dr. them in joining hereditary and patriotic societies, if they so desire. Benton, AR 72019 (501) 794-1751 To ultimately produce a volume documenting the verified family [email protected] histories. To provide publications to Genealogy Libraries to assist Owen Clifford F. Owen, Historian researchers. 70 Oak Valley Dr., Holland, MI Annual dues of $10.00 are payable January 1st. The Owen Family News is 49424 (616) 396-4596 published quarterly and is subject to copyright. [email protected] Margaret Owen Parsons, Publisher (address at top of page)