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« on: Tuesday 22 May 12 04:09 BST (UK) »
I would be very glad of some help or advice in tracing the background of Eliza Jane. It could well be that I've simply overlooked something vital and if so I hope someone will point this out to me. Here's what I have.
Eliza Jane HOWARD and Bowman COWELL were married 25 Aug 1872 in Tillsonburg, Oxford, Ontario.
Bowman Cowell was born 14 July 1939, Dereham, Oxford, Ontario and died 2 March 1909 Tupper Lake, Franklin, New York.
Elizabeth Jane was born 4 May 1851/2 Bayham, Elgin, Ontario and died 12 April 1925 Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
Their seven children were:
Arthur N. Cowell, b. 2 July 1873, Ontario, Canada, d.26 Mar 1961 Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida. Spouse Charlotte Emily Smith, m.12 Apr 1898 Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence, New York.
Rhoda Almina Cowell (aka Minnie, Nellie,) b.22 July 1875 Tillsonburg, Oxford, Ontario, d. 20 Sept 1957, Terrace, BC. Spouse William Charles Sparkes, m. 18 Feb 1896, Potsdam, St. Lawrence, NY.
Edith Alberia Cowell, b.6 Feb 1877, Eden, Elgin, Ontario, d. 31 Jan 1918, Dexter, Jefferson, NY. Spouse Edgar F. Covey, m.29 Oct 1894, Potsdam, St. Lawrence, NY.
Clarence Benjamin Cowell, b.26 March 1881, Ridout, Muskoka, Ontario, d.15 May 1925 . Spouse, Anna Elizabeth McGuire, m.11 Jan 1912, St. Andrew's West, Stormont, Ontario.
Truman Ernest Cowell (aka Fred E. Cowell,) b.7 April 1883, Therbourne, Haliburton, Ontario, d.5 Mar 1969 Seminole, Pinellas, Florida. Spouse Inez Rayburn, m.27 Jun 1923, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.
Lena Cowell b.26 Feb 1888, Ontario, d. 28 Dec 1977, Pinellas, Florida. Spouse Alfred Glover Alderman, m. 26 Mar 1910, Potsdam, St. Lawrence, NY.
Cora Beatrice Cowell b.8 Feb 1895 Potsdam, St. Lawrence, NY, d.21 July 1935, Petrolia, Lambton, Ontario. First spouse Alexandre Rousseau m.14 May 1912, Dickinson’s Landing, Stormont, Ontario . Second spouse Carl F. Flink of Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Married between 1930 and 1935, place unknown, possibly Ohio.
I have been able to follow Bowman and Eliza Jane subsequent to their marriage in 1872. I have also traced Bowman prior to the marriage. In the 1851 Census he is living in Dereham, Oxford, Ontario, in the 1861 Census in South Norwich, Oxford, and in the 1871 Census in Bayham, Elgin Ontario. Presumably it was while living in Bayham that he met Eliza Jane.
Eliza Jane, however, doesn’t seem to have been anywhere before she married. I haven't found an Eliza Jane Howard of the right age in Canada West/Ontario on the 1861 or the 1871 Census or even the 1851 Census.The marriage record states that she was 19 years old in 1872, born in Bayham, Elgin County and her parents were Joseph and Emeline Howard. Her Ohio death record contains no information about her parents but gives her date of birth as 4 May 1851.
Another odd fact about Eliza Jane has to do with her surname. Given the information in her marriage record, one would expect that in the BMD records of the children, their mother’s maiden name would be Howard. Of the seven children, I have only so far located birth records for two of them: Clarence and Truman (name on record is written as Freeman.) On both, the mother’s maiden name is Howard, as expected. This is also the case with the record of Cora’s first marriage.
However, on other family BMD records, Eliza Jane’s maiden name is not Howard, but STILWELL. This is the case for Truman’s marriage record and the death records for Clarence and Cora.. There is no question that all these documents refer to members of the same family. There are obituaries and other newspaper stories that provide evidence for this.
(As for the other BMD records I have found so far, Rhoda and Edith’s death records and Rhoda’s marriage record make no mention of their mother’s name. Clarence’s marriage record names his mother as Elizabeth BARNES. The priest may simply have been mistaken here. Clarence’s father is also erroneously named as Benjamin Cowell on the document.)
With respect to the Howard/Stilwell alternation, the only solution that I have been able to envision is that Eliza Jane was born a Howard but raised by Stilwells, or possibly vice versa, but this is of course pure conjecture. There is one person in the 1861 Census who appears to be a potential candidate for Eliza Jane. An eight year old female named L J Stilwell is living in Bayham, Elgin, CW, with Benj Stilwell, 32 and his wife Elnore Stilwell, 22. At 22, Elnore seems a bit young to have an eight year old daughter. Is it possible that this is Eliza Jane, having been taken in by the Stilwell family?
Was Eliza Jane a Howard or a Stilwell? Without knowing this, I'm facing a brick wall. Any information, advice and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Linda