William enlisted at the age of 18 on Feb 10, 1781.
Revolutionary War Pension # S45300 Mass. line, applied from Monroe county NY. Listed 8 children, Sibil 24, married and very poor, Rina 23, married and very poor, a boy 22 who is" weakly and unable to contribute to my support," Cora age 21, Emery 19 married, Olive 15 , Elijah 11, and another son 9. This request must be after 1831, since Emery is already married
A letter in his pension request states " when a boy I was acquainted with William Bowen at Mendon and Uxbridge Worchester county Mass."
Another letter in this file mentions a wife Lenora, and these children, William 14, a boy Elaine 12, Emery, Olive 8, another boy 5, and Elijah 4, and Lewis 2. A Thomas and Elizabeth are also noted.
Below is some colateral information that has helped to find other links.
According to his Civil War pension file he was born in Monroe county New York. He was 5'11" tall, had a light complexion, blue eyes, and sandy hair. He was injured but his pension requests were refused. He married Elizabeth GORDON on May 22 1831. She was 16. The Reverand Francis Smith of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in Minden, officiated. Among the people present were, Polly ELLMAN of West Minden NY, and Sally PATNUM, Elizabeth's sister, of Georgetown (Youngstown), Niagara, NY. Other people in attendance were Mrs. Polly Ellmer, William and Jane Grundy of West Mendon, Monroe NY, Mr and Mrs Thompson also of West Mendon.
A William Bowen is listed on the 1840 Somerset, Niagara, NY census as 20-30. 2 lines below his brother-in-law Silas W Gordon.
An Elijah Bowen is listed on the 1840 Somerset, Niagara, NY census as 20-30. On the line just below William. On there father's pension request they are listed as being 10 years apart in age. So Elijah must be 20 while William would be 30.
Sibley BOWEN and Silas W GORDONTheir children include Cynthia b 1859, Mathew Silas b 1862, Ellen b 1866, Elizabeth b 1870. Mathew Silas Gordon married Nancy M Ewers listed as a child of Olive BOWEN and Asa EWERS | Olive BOWEN and Asa EWERSOlive is listed in the 1850, Ray, Macomb, MI census as 38 born in NY. Children include Nancy M , 11; Ellen(or) L, 8; Norman, 5; all born in MI and Jane 14 born NY. Jane is at the bottom of the list, does that mean anything? Emery Bowen, and his brother Amos Bowen are the 2 families listed just prior to Olive Ewers. Olive would be born about 1812. Could this Olive be a sister to Emery and Amos? Nancy M is certainly the right age and to my calculations it appears that Olive is also. |