William BOWDEN in Littleham by Bideford in 1814

[dhelensmith]

It was me who suggested all that many years ago, using only family search and no actual evidence. Since when I have altered/ rethought my ideas or at least tried to come up with more concrete evidence.
Such is the power of family trees posted on the internet!
Thanks
Helen

[Hemmum]

Hi Helen
I still feel your best bet may be the note on the marriage to find out more about William and Johanna.
I have most the Crossman baptism in Devon (apart of course if they were NC). The one other option time wise is;
Joanna CROSSMAN bapt 1768 02 21 Stoke Damerel f=Leonard m= Margaret IGI C052421
Joan /Joanne is a common Crossman given name but heck did they move around!

[dhelensmith]

Thanks again for that. I would have got around to it but had to get myself to the hospital fairly quickly!
Stoke Damerel is quite a distance from Wear Giffard, maybe Johanna was staying with Crossman cousins when she met and married William. The name,Johanna, doesn't appear on the Bowden side of the family in any future generation that I know about. But I have never traced John's sister,Elizabeth born 1817,Littleham.
Best wishes
Helen

[Hemmum]

Not sure if this helps but the notes on the marriage are;
a) The grooms name may have been BOWDEN
b) Joannah was single and was of the parish of Weare Giffard.
c) William was of the parish of Monkleigh a Husbandsman.
(Worked on the land and looked after animals so ties in with him as a Farmer but then a vast number worked the land in some way).
Weare Giffard and Monkleigh are in the Deanery of Hartland in the north of the county and are contiguous.

If you find out anything else about Joanna please let me know.

[dhelensmith]

Thanks again. If I do - I will!
Helen

[dhelensmith]

Just to bring you all up to date:
Joanna Crossman was born in Wear Giffard along with her siblings - John, Thomas, George, John, Frances and Emlyn (girl could be Emily/Emmeline)but she was baptised for some reason in Great Torrington at St Michael's 17 Oct 1779, daughter of John Crossman and Frances Luxon. The Wear Giffard baptisms are on ancestry but the Great Torrington one is on freereg. John Crossman, father, was buried in Wear Giffard, a pauper, 8 March 1790, aged 56 and Frances Crossman was buried there 12 April 1808, aged 65. I have not been able to trace either of them any further back as yet.
The same goes for William Bowden's father, Jeremiah Bowden he married Elizabeth Colscott on 19 Nov 1758 in Monkleigh and was buried there at St George's 25 August 1809, no age given (freereg).Wife Elizabeth was buried there 6 Aug 1803, (freereg).
 Any help with any of these would be gratefully received.
Thanks
Helen

[blackbill44]

Hi
Just found your thread.
My wife is descended from Sarah BOWDEN who married Richard ADAMS from Buckland Brewer (m. Langtree 19 June 1836).
Elizabeth BOWDEN married William ADAMS ( Richard's cousin) in Baglan on (m. 5th November 1837)

Here are my notes:
"Richard ADAMS (1811-1883) travelled from Buckland Brewer with his cousin, William ADAMS (1813-1888) to find work in the burgeoning South Wales tinplate industry.
William ADAMS married Elizabeth BOWDEN who was the younger sister of Richard's wife, Sarah BOWDEN. Elizabeth and Sarah both came from Monkleigh, Devon.
Richard's brother, James ADAMS’ wife Elizabeth (Betsy) AYRE became her brother-in-law, George ADAMS’ housekeeper (!)  who had visited James and William in Cwmavan. Not surprisingly, William AYRE (1821-1891), Elizabeth's brother joined the exodus from Devon to the South Wales tin industry and, lived very near the ADAMS families.
Coincidentally, William Francis AYRE (b. 1866) was married to Hannah JAMES, sister of Bill Price's g. grandmother. William Francis AYRE was a direct descendant of his namesake, William, above.

I would love to exchange information on the BOWDEN family.
We live in Atlanta, but have a cottage in Cornwall and will be visiting the Buckland Brewer area in June

[dhelensmith]

Final note:
thanks to findmypast and their parish records I have at last found Jeremiah Bowden who was baptised in 1728 in North Tawton. I have traced the Bowdens back to a Richard Bowden in North Tawton. (Jeremiah, 1728 to Jeremiah, 1703 to Jeremiah, 1669 to Richard), no baptism for Richard, but Richard Bowden junior died in 1716 and Richard Bowden senior died in 1686,all in North Tawton, they may or may not have been father and son) My Jeremiah could have been the son of either of these Richards.
Thanks for help.
Helen