Joseph T. Richardson

William Bowdoin (b. 1802)

Name

  • No indication in any primary source that he had a middle name or initial “B.”

Vital facts

William Bowdoin (1802-1870) tombstone, Deatsville Cemetery
William Bowdoin (1802-1870) tombstone, Deatsville Cemetery.
  • Born 1802, Randolph County, North Carolina.
    • Tombstone gives birth date of 1802. All censuses state birth in North Carolina.
    • Date of 1802 is consistent with censuses. 1850 census gives ca. 1803, 1860 and 1870 both give ca. 1802.
    • Place from conclusion that he was son of Josiah Bowdoin (b. ca. 1780) and grandson of William Bowdoin (b. ca. 1740). (More details)
  • Died 1870, Deatsville, Autauga County, Alabama.
    • Last living in Autauga County on 1870 census, 1 Aug 1870.
    • Land he deeded to his daughters near the end of his life was near Pine Flat, Autauga County.
  • Buried in Deatsville Cemetery, at Deatsville Chapel (formerly Deatsville Methodist Church).

Parents

  • Son of Josiah Bowdoin (c. 1780–c. 1857)
    and (Unknown) Read (c. 1780–c. 1826) (daughter of Arthur Read and Martha Spinks).
  • NOT son of William Bowdon (c. 1773–1842) and Nancy Wiggins (c. 1776–aft. 1850).
    • Disproven by (1) fact that William Bowdon had another son named William (b. ca. 1810–1820), (2) William (b. c. 1773) was living in South Carolina, not North Carolina, in 1802), (3) never lived in Georgia; (4) weak DNA connection compared to William Bowdoin (b. ca. 1742) family. (More details)

Siblings

These siblings are known. Several others, present on early censuses, have not been identified. These identifications are based on both documentary and DNA connections.

  1. Enoch Bowdon, born about October 1801 in Randolph County, North Carolina; died 28 Jun 1886 in Bearcreek Township, Jay County, Indiana; married (1) Delilah Hughes, 24 Sep 1824, Grainger County, Tennessee; (2) Mrs. Elizabeth Ann (Stephens) Loomis, 2 Nov 1867, Jay County, Indiana; (3) Mrs. Deborah (Lawrence) Hathaway, 21 Jun 1876, Adams County, Indiana.
  2. John Culpepper Bowden, born 5 May 1813 in Randolph County, North Carolina; died 13 Aug 1895 in Meriwether County, Georgia. Married Mary Ann Murphy.
  3. Martha Rebecca Bowden, born 6 Dec 1815 in Randolph County, North Carolina; died 27 Sep 1895 in Coffee County, Alabama; married Matthew M. Maddox, 24 Dec 1835, Monroe County, Georgia.
  4. Eliza Bowdoin, born 15 Dec 1817 in Putnam County, Georgia; died 28 Dec 1901 in Deatsville, Elmore County, Alabama; married J. Henry Hackman, 28 Jan 1838, Autauga County, Alabama.
    • Eliza came to live with William in Alabama as a young girl and became a member of his household following the deaths of William’s wife and Eliza’s husband.
  5. Catherine Bowden, born about 1824 in Georgia, probably Putnam County; died after 1880 in Meriwether County, Georgia. Married (1) Wiley Waddell, about 1840, (2) William Murphy, about 1848.
  6. James Bowden, born about 1826 in Georgia, probably Putnam County; died after 1880 in Meriwether County, Georgia. Married Sarah Murphy.

Marriage

Emily Bowdoin obituary
Obituary of Emily Elizabeth (Cooper) Bowdoin.
  • Married Emily Elizabeth Cooper, 27 Sep 1824, Montgomery County, Alabama.
    • She was born 20 Jun 1809, Orangeburg District, South Carolina, and died 30 Mar 1846, Autauga County, Alabama.
      • From obituary (see right).

Children

  1. William A. Bowdoin, born 23 Apr 1828 in Autauga County, Alabama; died 28 Jul 1886 near Deatsville, Autauga County; married Catherine Elizabeth Hull, 3 Jan 1856, Autauga County.
  2. Joseph Arthur Bowdoin, born 2 May 1830 in Autauga County, Alabama; died 14 Feb 1904 in Klamath Falls, Klamath County, Oregon; married Rebecca Shortridge, about 1865 in California.
  3. Reddin Read Bowdoin, born 31 May 1831 in Autauga County, Alabama; died 14 Mar 1877 near Deatville, Elmore County, Alabama; married Ann Elizabeth Caroline Green, 31 Dec 1852, Autauga County.
  4. Elizabeth E. Bowdoin, born about 1833 in Autauga County, Alabama; died 29 Jun 1874 in Autauga County; never married.
  5. Isaac Butcher Bowdoin, born about 1834 in Autauga County, Alabama; died 20 Jun 1901 in Clanton, Chilton County, Alabama; married (1) Milda Ann Ellis, about 1863, (2) Mrs. Mary A. Brinkman, 20 Sep 1882, Chilton County.
  6. John A. W. Bowdoin, born about 1838, Autauga County, Alabama; died 1863 in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee, while in Confederate service; never married.
  7. Epsey E. Bowdoin, born 12 Jul 1840 in Autauga County, Alabama; died 4 Jan 1926 in Deatsville, Elmore County, Alabama; married Washington Marion Pattillo, 29 Mar 1882, Autauga County.
  8. Mary A. Bowdoin, born about 1843 in Autauga County, Alabama; died between 1880 and 1900 in Elmore County, Alabama; apparently never married.

Occupation

  • Carpenter, blacksmith, farmer.
    • From census (1850 census gives occupation as carpenter, 1860 as farmer).
    • Early deeds show him mortgaging carpenter’s tools and blacksmith’s tools, owning no land; raised cattle on the open range. He later owned land north of Deatsville.

Religion

William Bowdoin licensed as exhorter
William Bowden’s license as exhorter renewed.
  • Member of Methodist Episcopal Church.
  • Served as class leader in 1840s and later an exhorter (a lay member authorized to hold meetings “for prayer and exhortation”.
    • Emily’s obituary (above) refers to his service as class leader.
    • Methodist Episcopal Quarterly Conference records refer to his service as exhorter and annual renewal of his license. (More details; original source)
  • Was never an ordained minister, preacher, or other “reverend”, despite tombstone referring to him as “Rev. Billy”.

Additional information

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