Author Topic: Cowan From Scotland to Oregon  (Read 11451 times)

Offline nickgc

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Re: Cowan From Scotland to Oregon
« Reply #9 on: Friday 15 May 09 01:36 BST (UK) »
Robert Cowan is apparently dead by 1870, but Caroline "Cowen" age 48  and kids are now in Yoncalla, Douglas Co, Oregon.  She has real estate valued at $10,000, quite a bit for the time.  Also, Thomas "Cowen" age 66 is living with them.

In 1880 they are still in Yoncalla, Caroline's age now given as 60.  Son James and family next door.


Here is a Douglas County Historical Society treatment on this early Oregon family:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ordchs//Selected_Histories.htm

Nick
McLellan - Inverness
Greer - Renfrewshire
Manson - Aberdeen & Orkney
Simpson - Hereford, Devon, etc.
Flett - Orkney
Chisholm - Scotland
Wishart - Orkney
Shand - Aberdeen
Pirie - Aberdeen

-----
Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there.   -Robert Heinlein

Offline nickgc

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Re: Cowan From Scotland to Oregon
« Reply #10 on: Friday 15 May 09 01:51 BST (UK) »
RC froze up for a while after my last post...  Go to Worldconnect and look for "Robert Cowan" with spouse Caroline.  Lots of info, some stating that Caroline was nee Jones. 

Most interesting:

p. 633 Robert Cowan, a native of Scotland, emigrated to Missouri, where he
married, and joined the Oregon companies of 1847. In the following year he
settled in the Umpqua Valley, Yoncalla Precinct, and with the exception of Levi
Scott and sons, was the first white settler in Douglas County. "His cabin
stood near the old trail which the pioneer gold-seekers of 1848 and 1849
travelled, and is remembered by many as the last mark of civilization north of
the Sacramento Valley." He was killed by a splinter from a tree which he was
felling Mar 9, 1865
. Or. Statesman, March 20, 1865

(from:  Author Milne, Frances W., Mrs. Title Roster of 1847 emigrants to Oregon : a
genealogical study of their families / by Mrs. Frances W. Milne, compiled ca
1970-1995 while she lived ca NW 1450 Deane St, Pullman WA. Imprint [1995?],
then ca 2005 manuscript photocopied into 4 volumes by Kay & Warren L. Forsythe
and by ca.2005 archived at Oregon Historical Society Research Library,
Washington State University Libraries, and Clackamas County [Oregon] Historical
Society Library.)

Robert's and Thomas's parents said to be (IGI submitted) Alexander Cowan & Barbara Wilkinson.

Nick
McLellan - Inverness
Greer - Renfrewshire
Manson - Aberdeen & Orkney
Simpson - Hereford, Devon, etc.
Flett - Orkney
Chisholm - Scotland
Wishart - Orkney
Shand - Aberdeen
Pirie - Aberdeen

-----
Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there.   -Robert Heinlein

Offline snwood

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Re: Cowan From Scotland to Oregon
« Reply #11 on: Saturday 16 May 09 09:19 BST (UK) »
Thanks very much for the surprisingly earnest attempt to help in my research.  I have physically talked this week to a living relative in Yoncalla who is "getting on" in age and she said to hurry up with my research.  She has no computer but has written numerous items and one book  so she will be very pleased with the sort of information you folks can come up with.  I am sure she knows nothing about Thomas and Roberts parents.  If Alexander Cowan and Barbara Wlkinson can be further researched in Scotland, that would be great.  I will be responding in more detail when I sort everything out but want you to know I greatly appreciate this!  Oregon State is having its Sesquicentennial this year and I have been involved in some activities and meetings.  You should know that the Cowans are a big deal in Oregon.  Not many came all the way from Scotland to be the first white people to settle in this Umpqua Valley.  Especially when Robert and Caroline  had the first white child born here.  Their neighbors were Applegates and Scotts.  If you read Oregon history you will realize how important these families were in establishing the state.  One thing I mentioned to the relative referenced above was the following.  Thomas and Robert Cowan are brothers yet one is born in1805 and one in 1822.  I told her this seems unusually unless there were two different mothers, or they really were father and son.  She looked at me with amazement then said I never thought of it!  I would like to get tis right for her and posterity.  Steve
Sproat, Cowan, Lamb, Sather, Bell, Clemow, Wood, Bowen, Ainley, Lamb

Offline nickgc

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Re: Cowan From Scotland to Oregon
« Reply #12 on: Saturday 16 May 09 11:25 BST (UK) »
Quote
one is born in1805 and one in 1822.  I told her this seems unusual

Not that unusual for a time when women married young and there was no foolproof birth control.  I had a 2x grt gma who had 15 children between 1853 and 1879 - a span of 26+ years.

Important update:  Please ignore the likelihood of Alexander Cowan and Barbara Wilkinson being the parents of your Robert.  I did some additional checking, and some complete idiot found a christening for a Robert Cowan in June 1822, and stupidly assumed it was the same person... it is a little difficult for someone to be born in August and christened more than 2 months before the fact.   I don't want to be the idiot that is responsible for adding to something like this.

Nick
McLellan - Inverness
Greer - Renfrewshire
Manson - Aberdeen & Orkney
Simpson - Hereford, Devon, etc.
Flett - Orkney
Chisholm - Scotland
Wishart - Orkney
Shand - Aberdeen
Pirie - Aberdeen

-----
Theology is never any help; it is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there.   -Robert Heinlein


Offline Gadget

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Re: Cowan From Scotland to Oregon
« Reply #13 on: Saturday 16 May 09 12:06 BST (UK) »
I'll do some more checking in Kirkcudbrightshire over the weekend.

To add to Nick's comment re birth intervals, my 3 x great grandparents from Kirkcudbrightshire had their first child in 1809 and their last in 1833. The first child then had her first in 1830 and her last in 1856.


Gadget
Census &  BMD information Crown Copyright www.nationalarchives.gov.uk and GROS - www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

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Offline Gadget

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Re: Cowan From Scotland to Oregon
« Reply #14 on: Saturday 16 May 09 14:39 BST (UK) »
Hi

Again to add to Nick's comments about Robert & Thomas  Cowan and their parents.

IGI (extracted):

Marriage 22 March 1822, Innerleithen, Peebles - Alexander Cowan and Barbara Wilkinson

Baptisms to children of Alexander and Barbara

2 June 1822, Temple, Midlothian - Robert
22 Oct 1826 Temple, Midlothian - William
19 April 1840 Temple, Midlothian - Helen

These are all IGI extracted records.

1841 Census

Castleton, Borthwick, Midlothian
Parish - 674 ED 5 page 12

Cowan
Alexander, 40, Ag lab
Barbara, 40
William, 14
Jane, 11
Alison, 6
Helen, 1
All b. Midlothian

Note that in the 1841 the ages of those of 15 and over were grouped into 5 year age bands so that Alexander and Barbara would be between 40 and 44

The  most likely entry for Robert is one in Carrington (Parish 675 ED 1 Page 9). He is an Ag Lab and aged 15-19.

Given the ages of Alexander and Barbara, it would seem impossible for Thomas and this Robert to be brothers.


Gadget
Census &  BMD information Crown Copyright www.nationalarchives.gov.uk and GROS - www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

***Restorers - Please do not use my restores without my permission. Thanks***

Offline snwood

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Re: Cowan From Scotland to Oregon
« Reply #15 on: Tuesday 26 February 13 10:46 GMT (UK) »
Well it has been 4 years since I last heard from Gaget and others about Robert and Thomas Sproat who settled in Oregon's Umpqua Valley.  All the inpu I got was accurate.  Still, I have parents for them.  Has anything changed in the data bases over these years to break down this wall?  ???
Sproat, Cowan, Lamb, Sather, Bell, Clemow, Wood, Bowen, Ainley, Lamb