T H E G O W E N M A N U S C R I P T Page

James Gowen, [William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1] iden-tified as a son of William Gowen and Sarah Allan Gowen, by Adeline Evans "Addie" Wynn in "Southern Lineages" was born about 1740, probably in Stafford County, Virginia. In 1747 his family appeared in Brunswick County, Virginia in the southern part of the state on the North Carolina state line. By March 5, 1750 William Gowen had removed across the state line to Granville County, North Carolina.

In 1761, William Gowen paid taxes there on "two white polls, for himself and son, James" in County Line District in the list of Larkin Thompson. "James Gowen, planter of Granville," received land grants in St. John's Parish of that district in 1761 and 1762.

About 1765 James Gowen was married to Mary "Polly" Keating, believed to be age 15. The bride's surname is undocu-mented, but there are indications that her name was Keating. The marriage apparently took place in Beaufort District in the southern tip of the state. They lived on the Combahee River at a settlement then called Combahee Ferry.

Indications are that John "Buck" Gowen, "brother of James Gowen," accompanied him to Beaufort District, according to the Wynn research which reports:

"The two brothers became land owners in Beaufort District. The last mention of John "Buck" Gowen in the district was in connection with a land grant he re-ceived there in November 1772. William W. Gowen advised that John "Buck" Gowen removed to Cheraws District before the Revolutionary War and was located on the Upper Pee Dee River there."

The Pee Dee section of South Carolina takes its name from the Pee Dee Indian tribe that lived along the Pee Dee River in eastern South Carolina. The present-day Pee Dee area is com-posed of the nine counties that are touched by the Pee Dee river: Marlboro, Dillon, Marion, Horry, Chesterfield, Darling-ton, Florence, Williamsburg and Georgetown Counties.

James Gowen was not mentioned in the will of William Gow-en written March 10, 1785 in Ninety-Six District. Only the two children who remained in the Apex section of South Car-olina, Maj. John "Buck" Gowen and his sister, Anne Gowen Easley were named as devisees.

On October 20, 1775 James Gowen appeared as "Third Lieutenant in Capt. Darius Dalton's Company of Volunteer Militia, First Council of Safety of Revolutionary Party, Prince William Parish, Beaufort District," according to "South Carolina Historical Magazine," Volume III, page 82. Fifty-four men volunteered, according to the petition:

We whose names are underwritten; having formed our-selves into a Company of Volunteers, either to act as Horsemen or Footmen, in defence of our Liberties & Country, who so loudly calls upon us for so doing; do with due submission--Petition the Hon'ble, the Council of Safety, to grant unto us Commissions for our Officers, which we have chosen by a Majority of Votes, Vizt: Darius Dalton, Capt; Charles Browne, First Lieut; Joseph Alanager, Second Lieut; & James Gowen, Third Lieut, under the names of the 'Swift & Bold,' for which we shall be thankful.

P. S. As we have sent a boy down with this, by whom the Commissions may be sent."

Among the signatures were those of Richard Keating and John Keating, believed to be brothers-in-law to James Gowen. Several Keating individuals appeared in the records of the Char-leston-Combahee Ferry area during that period. "Alexander Broughton, 2nd son of Capt. Nathaniel Broughton, was mar-ried to Mary Jones Keating, widow of Maurice Keating," ac-cording to "South Carolina Historical Magazine." "Mr. Matthew Keating, a native of Ireland, 26 years of age, died on Saturday last after a short illness," according to a report in a Charleston newspaper published "Wednesday, August 26, 1807."

In the will of George Norman, of Goose Creek [then and now a northside suburb of Charleston], St. James Parish, Berkeley County, South Carolina, who died June 22, 1768 it was re-vealed that Norman was a cousin of Richard Keating and oth-ers mentioned in the will, according to "Abstract of Wills of the State of South Carolina," page 231. Also mentioned were Mary Keating, Edward Keating and John Keating. The four Keating individuals were mentioned again in the will of Sedgewick Lewis who died in Goose Creek December 9, 1774, according to the same volume.

The company was commissioned as a "Volunteer Company of Dragoons" October 28, 1775 by the "Council of Safety, Char-les Town." Capt. Charles Browne, who apparently succeeded Darius Dalton, endorsed the commissions as company commander. The dragoons were a light cavalry unit armed with a short musket called "the dragon" and were very efficient in the guerilla warfare which developed in South Carolina.

After the Revolutionary War, James Gowen remained in Beaufort District and became a successful businessman. He was a practical man, according to descendants, who reported that he "kept the Sabbath and everything else he could lay his hands on." His wife, apparently a very liberated woman for the time, also went into business for herself as a storekeeper. James Gowen took the precaution to declare in the District's legal records that he would not be responsible "for any act or obligation" that his wife might undertake in connection with her store.

The State of South Carolina issued a stub indent to "Mr. James Gowen for 9:5:1 sterling for forage and rations for Continentals, State Troops and Militia in 1779, 1781 and 1782," according to the research of Mary Alice Seyle, G.R.S. of Green-ville, South Carolina.

"James Gowan" was qualified as a petit juror in 1783 in Beaufort District, according to "South Carolina Jury Lists, 1718-1783" by Mary Bondurant Warren.

On June 29, 1785 James Gowen and Mary "Polly" Keating Gowen "of Combahee" and Richard Keating signed a contract. For a consideration of five shillings paid to James Gowen by Richard Keating "the said James Gowen agreeing not to interfere with his wife's business, but that he, his heirs or executors shall not be liable for any debt or debts which the said Mary Gowen shall, or may hereafter, contract in carrying out her sole, separate trade." To reciprocate James Gowen gave his bond to Richard Keating "in trust to and for the said Mary Gowen in the penal sum of £200 sterling."

The agreement was witnessed by James Lunsden and Susanna Donovan, and it was acknowledged in Charleston June 29, 1785 and recorded November 18, 1785 in Charleston Mixed Record Book, page 20.

James Gowen was not listed as the head of a household in the "Heads of Families, South Carolina, 1790," and he did not appear as the head of a household in the 1800 census of Beaufort District.

"James Gowen, white male over 45" living alone was enumerated in the 1800 census of Beaufort District, page 100. This individual is believed to be James Gowen, Jr, son of James Gowen and Mary "Polly" Keating Gowen.

On February 26, 1802 "James Gowen of Prince William Par-ish" [possibly James Gowen, Jr.] gave a bill of sale to George Keckley for a slave named Grace and her child, Liddy, accord-ing to Beaufort District deed records discovered in the South Carolina Archives by Hazel Dean Overstreet, a descendant of James Gowen.

Certainly James Gowen died before May 16, 1804, the date of the settlement of the estate of John William Gowen, son of Maj. John "Buck" Gowen. James Gowen [possibly James Gowen, Jr. or James M. Gowen, brother of John William Gowen] had an unpaid note for $100 due November 25, 1802 to be paid to John William Gowen. Additionally "the widow, Polly Gowen, Combahee" had an outstanding note payable to William Gowen, which she acknowledged.

"Mary Gowan" was enumerated as the head of a household, located near that of her eldest son in the 1810 of Beaufort District, page 123:

A grave located in Sheldon Churchyard, Granville County, [later renamed Beaufort County] South Carolina is possibly that of Mary Keating Gowen. Engraved on the tombstone is "Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Mary Gowen who departed this life December 24, 1813, age 63 years," according to "South Carolina Historical Magazine," Volume 18. The publication places the churchyard "on the road from Port Royal Ferry to Purysburg."

W. Jackson Greene of Hilton Head, South Carolina undertook the research of the Gowen family of Beaufort County in 1995. He wrote:

"Not much has changed about the Combahee River since Lt. James Gowen and Mary "Polly" Keating Gowen lived here 200 years ago. Their community of Combahee Ferry, South Carolina no longer exists, but the site is easy to locate. A bridge on U.S. Highway 17 now spans the Combahee where the ferry used to operate.

My fist step was to get acquainted with the geography of the area. Equipped with a British map printed in 1780, an Amer-ican map surveyed in 1820 and a modern map prepared by the State of South Carolina, I drove to the site, compared the topo-graphic features of the maps and took photographs. Every-thing seems the same.

The colonial map was meticulously done. It was surveyed by William Bull, Capt. C. H. Bryan, and William De Brahn and published in 1780 at Charing Cross. It contains South Caro-lina and part of Georgia. It shows Combahee Ferry [pronoun-ced Combee, emphasis on the first syllable; "Com" as in com-mon]) in Prince William Parish in the northwest corner of Beaufort County.

It is clearly marked, at what is now the intersection of U.S. 17 and the Combahee River. There is no settlement at the ferry on either side, just scattered houses. Landowners are indicated by location and name. No listing is found for either Gowen or Keating. There are two locations for a Godin to the north, across the Combahee River in Colleton County, including one at the intersection of the same road and the Ashepoo River.

The largest group of houses are at Garden, near the current site of Garden's Corner. The Sheldon Church is marked, on a road northwest of Garden, now called Old Church Road, in what appears to be the same location. The church was burned twice, once in the Revolutionary War and again by Gen. Wil-liam Tecumseh Sherman in the Civil War. It was not rebuilt the last time, but portions of the building remain.

The 1820 map of Beaufort District of South Carolina was surveyed by C. Vignoles and H. Ravenel. It was published in Mills Atlas of 1825. It was composed of maps of all South Carolina districts.

Combahee Ferry is still marked in 1820, but there is no men-tion of Prince William or any other parish. Perhaps the parish was a terminology of the British system, because although the 1780 map was after the start of the Revolutionary War, it was published in England. Landowners are marked frequently in other sections of the map but not in the vicinity of Combahee Ferry. There is no mention of Gowen or Keating in Beaufort District, or on the Colleton District map in the same atlas.

The river is still tidal at this point, about 10 miles from the Atlantic. Sometimes it is salty; sometimes fresh. It varies in level, and the land is less than five feet above the water, so a ferry could easily have taken traffic from the land at this point.

I would place the Gowens and the Keatings south of the bridge in Beaufort County. Here are woods, swamps and open mar-shes. U.S. 17 is fairly new, only two lanes, but straight, long curves, well raised over the low water levels. The crossing is on a similarly shaped "neck" of land on the Colleton County side. The river turns toward Colleton County both upstream and downstream of the bridge, in the same relationship to the ferry in the early maps.

North across the Combahee now is open marsh for a mile and a quarter before a woody swamp, so there is no clue of an old roadway. There is no clue at the bridge either; there is a boat ramp now, west of the bridge. Gardens Corner, the closest community, about five miles south, was in 1820 and is now in a T-shaped intersection at the same place, a junction with one road going northeast to Charleston, about 30 miles, and the other going west to Yemassee, about eight miles.

The trail to Mary Gowen's gravestone mentioned in the Foundation manuscript was easy to follow. Photographs of the church and stone are enclosed. I drove to the ruins of the old Sheldon Church located about two miles west of Gardens Corner.

Although I had been told that there were remains, I was amazed at the good condition of brick walls and stone col-umns. The graveyard is still used, with 1994 gravestones. The Mary Gowen stone is maybe 100 feet behind and to the left of the church, more or less east. A small chunk of the stone has chipped off, so that the "3" in 1813, her death date, is missing. There is no writing on the rear of the stone, and nothing else visible nearby. There is no other stone for a Gowen or Keating among the maybe 40 others scattered in the yard around the ruins. If Lt. James Gowen is buried here, he lies in an unmarked grave.

Also enclosed are photos of the area at or near where Com-bahee Ferry probably was. Photocopies of the area in ques-tion, from maps in 1780 and 1820 are enclosed. The land ownership maps were quite good, so there is not much ques-tion about the geography, but there is no mention of Gowen or Keating on the land ownership maps.

The Foundation manuscript quotes correctly the "South Carolina Historical & Genealogical Magazine," Volume 18, which states that the churchyard is "on the road from Port Royal Ferry to Purysburg." On pages 180-182, the magazine gives an accurate description of the church, but a misleading location for it. Today, well-marked Old Sheldon Church Road turns to the north off U.S. Highways 17 and 21, just west of Gardens Corner. The church is two miles out, on the right, with a historical marker. The settlement of Sheldon is on U. S. 17 & 21, not at the church.

The 1780 map shows Purisburg and Port Royal both well to the south and east of Sheldon. However, features of the topo-graphy, a wide river and swamps, may have caused a traveler from Port Royal to Purisburg to go through Sheldon, even if it is not on the direct line. The Broad River lies between Port Royal and Purisburg, and it is a windswept tidal river, more than a mile wide.

Maps of 1780 and 1820 show no ferry across the Broad. So the "Port Royal ferry" may have been north over the Coofaw River, the one called Mr. Priolau's Ferry, or the one at Coch-ran's Point. Roads from both crossings passed west through Sheldon and intersected a road which turned south and east to Purisburg, avoiding the extensive swampland and marshes.

The name of Lt. James Gowen does not jump out from the records of Beaufort [pronounced "Beu-fort," as in Beulah] County, so it is clear that you would have a difficult time to track him down if your were researching "from a distance." Even standing here where he stood, it is a formidable task.

The records in the Beaufort County Library do confirm his appointment as a Revolutionary War officer. James Gowen was commissioned October 28, 1775 as a third lieutenant in the Volunteer Company of Dragoons of Prince Williams Parish [The Swift and Bold] under Capt. Charles Browne.

In future installments I will also do an analysis of the early census records of South Carolina as they pertain to Gowen families. There seems to be a discrepancy in the census records of Lt. James Gowen when compared to what appears in the Foundation manuscript. However, this is a complex problem, further complicated by illiteracy, enumerator indif-ference and a general tendency of the citizens to avoid contact with government officials of any kind whom they regarded with suspicion during that period.

I will work on the task again soon. In particular, I will clarify the census records and check the county clerk records for deeds, tax renditions and other records dealing with property. The county court records may also yield a lot of Gowenana. They routinely deal with probate, appointment of administra-tors, executors and guardians, care of the indigent and insane, paternity suits, bastardy, apprenticeships, road and bridge ven-ires, court venires, licensing of ordinaries, taverns, millseats, proving of wills, deeds and contracts, bond issuance, jail and flogging sentences, the remarriage of widows, the taking of depositions relating to military pensions and many other act-ions that may open a window on the facets of life in South Carolina at that time.”

Children born to James Gowen and Mary "Polly" Keating Gowen are believed to include:

William Keating Gowen, [James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1] son of James Gowen and Mary "Polly" Keating Gowen, was born about 1765, probably at Combahee Ferry.

It is believed that he received some training behind the counter at his mother's "Haymarket Tavern" and some business acu-men from his equally practical father.

"William Gowen" appeared as the head of a household enum-erated in the 1800 census of Beaufort District, page 86"

About 1800 William Keating Gowen was married to Mary Harrison, a daughter of John Harrison and Elizabeth Harrison. Although he did not appear in the 1790 census as the head of a household, "William Gowen" was enumerated as the head of a household in Prince Williams Parish in the 1800 census of Beaufort District. John Harrison appeared in a consecutive entry in the census which also included the parishes of St. Peters and St. Lukes. The household of William Keating Gowen included "two females, ages 25-45 and five slaves."

Harrison descendants state that Mary Harrison Gowen was a near relative to the Harrisons of Virginia. Legendarily she was a descendant of Benjamin Harrison, the ninth president who was a son of Benjamin Harrison, signor of the Declaration of Independence. In Prince Edward County, Virginia Thomas Gowing was enumerated in the 1790 census in an adjoining entry with Benjamin Harrison.

Benjamin Harrison, the eldest of six sons, was born at Berk-ley, Virginia and attended William & Mary College. His father and two sisters were killed by lightning. Benjamin Harrison was married to Elizabeth Bassett, a niece of Martha Washington. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1774. In 1782 he was elected governor of Virginia. He was reelec-ted in 1791, but died in April 1791 of "gout of the stomach." Benjamin Harrison and Elizabeth Bassett Harrison were the parents of seven children who lived to maturity. William Hen-ry Harrison, their eldest, was later the twenty-third president of the United States.

John Harrison died during the first decade of the 1800s, and Elizabeth Harrison, a widow, was enumerated as the head of a household in the 1810 census of Prince William Parish of Beaufort District, page 122 with 23 slaves, according to the research of Hazel Dean Overstreet a descendant of Odum, Georgia.

William Keating Gowen appeared as the head of a household in the 1810 census with 21 slaves, page 277:

St. Peters Parish in the 1800 census also included a James Gowen household, believed to be that of James Gowen, Jr.

In 1820 William Keating Gowen and Mary Harrison Gowen died, both on the same day! This information is revealed in a letter written by Mary A. "Mollie" Gowen Wingfield of Rome, Georgia July 29, 1941 to Adeline Evans "Addie" Wynn. Cause of death was not revealed. Perhaps the graves of William Gowen and Mary Harrison Gowen can be located in the vicinity of Beaufort. Combahee Ferry is no longer on the maps of the state, but it is believed to have lain on the Comba-hee River near where U. S. 17 crosses the Combahee River about 20 miles north of Beaufort.

Ann Gowen, [William Keating6, James5, William4, Wil-liam3, Thomas2, Mihil1] daughter of William Keating Gowen and Mary Harrison Gowen was born in 1802, according to the 1850 census of Beaufort District. A "white female 10-16" was reported in the household of her parents in the 1810 census. About two years before the death of her parents, she was married to Joseph Hazel, believed to have been a son of Sarah Ha-zel who appeared as a widow in the census of Charleston of 1800, residing in St. James Parish of the city. He was born in 1798.

Joseph Hazel appeared in the legal records of Beaufort District in 1837 when on March 31 of that year he witnessed the deed of 486 acres of land being transferred to his brother-in-law, Barney B. Gowen by John Talbird.

Joseph Hazel and Ann Gowen Hazel continued to make their home in Beaufort District. The 1850 census of that district enumerates them as Household 2-2, St. Helena Parish, Town of Beaufort, as:

In a consecutive entry, indicating an adjoining location was enumerated the family of Thomas Hazel:

Joseph Hazel and Capt. J. Fripp were named as commissioners to "lay out the notorious Capers and McKee Road on Ladies Island," according to "Tombee," a journal described as "a portrait of a cotton planter on St. Helena Island, Beaufort Dis-trict, South Carolina" by Thomas B. Chaplin. Theodore Ros-engarden edited the book. Joseph Hazel, "a highly successful grower of Sea Island Cotton," died in 1885, according to the volume.

Joseph Hazel and Ann Gowen Hazel continued to make their home in Beaufort when several members of their family made the hiatus to Georgia.

There were perhaps several other children born to this union, but the names of only four have been determined:

Joseph Hazel, Jr, son of Joseph Hazel and Ann Gowen Hazel, was born in 1819, according to the 1850 census of Beaufort District. He married about 1843, wife's name Mary, and continued to make his home in St. Peters Parish, were he practiced medicine. His household was enumerated in the 1850 census as 261-261:

It is not known who the last two members of the above were, but it is assumed that they were either domestics or a younger sister and brother of Mary Hazel.

Thomas Hazel, son of Joseph Hazel and Ann Gowen Hazel, was born in 1826, according to the 1850 census of Beaufort District. About 1847 he was married, wife's name Emma. He was enumerated as the head of Household 3-3 in the 1850 census of Beaufort District:

W. Gowen Hazel, son of Joseph Hazel and Ann Gowen Hazel, was born in 1828 in Beaufort District. There may be no rela-tionship, but Gowen Hazel Winn was born about 1867 to Wil-liam Allison Winn [October 12, 1830-March 25, 1905] and Mary Elizabeth Barnett Winn [February 19, 1843-February 11, 1927]. They lived in nearby Hampton County, South Carolina.

"Dr. W. Gowan Hazel was employed to treat Old Grace, a slave who had the dropsy on July 11, 1845," according to "Tombee," the journal of Thomas B. Chaplin.

W. Gowen Hazel appeared in the 1850 census at age 22, living in the home of his parents. "Dr. Gowan Hazel and Henry Ver-dier on October 16, 1856 counted the votes in the senate elec-tion in which J. D. Pope was elected," according to "Tom-bee." The volume also records that "Dr. Hazel was drowned in the hurricane of 1893."

Susan Hazel, daughter of Joseph Hazel and Ann Gowen Haz-el, was born in 1831, according to the 1850 enumeration of her father's household. Mary A. "Mollie" Gowen Wingfield, a cousin, advised in a letter written in 1914 that "a daughter of Joseph Hazel died in 1911 in Beaufort." It is probable that the individual of whom she wrote was Susan Hazel. The Wing-field letter also mentioned that "granddaughters of Joseph Hazel, Miss Fannie Hazel and Mrs. G. W. Holmes were living in Beaufort at that time.

Several members of the Hazel family were living in Char-leston in 1960. Included in the telephone directory were:

William W.[ashington?] Gowen, [William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1] son of William Keat-ing Gowen and Mary Harrison Gowen was born in 1803 at Combahee Ferry. Because he and his sister, Ann Gowen had almost reached adulthood when their parents died in 1820, they were thrust out on their own resources early in life. About 1828 William W. Gowen was married to Rebecca Townsend Greene, daughter of James Willow Greene and Mary Larisey Greene of Colleton District, South Carolina. She was one of 11 children.

In 1819 James Willow Greene was the owner of a 5,000-acre tract granted to him as a Revolutionary soldier. In that year a 94-acre tract was surveyed for him. This property was conveyed to William W. Gowen in 1843.

Gertrude Godley Durden observed in a letter written April 14, 1961 that William W. Gowen named his first son William Washington Gowen and that his sister, Ann Elizabeth Gowen Godley named one of her sons Thomas Washington Godley.

The household of William W. Gowen appeared in the 1830 census of Beaufort District, page 289 as:

On February 4, 1836 "William Gowan" gave a bill of sale to William B. Warren "for a slave named Joe," according to Beaufort District deed records.

The family reappeared in the 1840 census of Beaufort District, St. Helen's William Parish, page 247:

William W. Gowen was a slave owner, according to a sheriff's bill of sale dated February 8, 1842 in the possession of Ger-trude Godley Durden, a great granddaughter. The document read:

Know all men by these presents, that by virtue of the above writ of fieri facias [writ of execution to satisfy a debt] to me directed, as Sheriff of Colleton District, in the State aforesaid, and regularly lodged in my office, the property of the defendant was levied on and taken under execution; afterwards the property so levied on, was legally advertised for sale in the District aforesaid and on the seventh day of June 1841, it being the first Monday in said month, between the hours of eleven in the forenoon, and three in the afternoon, on said day a certain Negro Slave named Frank was sold on account of the above execution being part of the property so lev-ied on, was disposed of at public auction to William Gowen for the sum of Six Hundred and Fifty Dollars, he, at that price or sum, being the highest and last bidder for the same, according to the Custom and usage of vendue.

Now be it known, That I have received from the said William Gowen the aforesaid sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollar in pursuance hereof, I have delivered to him, the said William Gowen, the aforesaid slave according to the usage and custom in such cases, in the State aforesaid.

Identity of "Joel W. Greene, defendant" is unknown, but it is believed that he was a relative of Rebecca Townsend Greene Gowen and that William W. Gowen was salvaging some of his wife's family's property.

Rebecca Townsend Greene Gowen died about 1846, and William W. Gowen was remarried about 1850 to Elizabeth Chevalier, apparently a widow of Beaufort District. Following the birth of one child, Madison Amanda "Pinkie" Gowen on June 27, 1851, the second wife died, probably in the winter of 1851.

William W. Gowen removed from South Carolina to Georgia about 1853 with his children, [Adeline Evans "Addie" Wynn suggests ten and Mary A. "Mollie" Gowen Wingfield says seven.] The move was influenced by the fact that his grandmother Elizabeth Harrison owned Oatwell Plantation there. She and her husband John Harrison had removed from Beau-fort District to Glynn County about 1788. When her daughter and son-in-law died in 1820, she brought the two younger children, Barney B. Gowen and James Gowen to live with her on the plantation. His location on the Georgia seaboard was very near that of his brother James Gowen who had preceded him to Georgia by some 35 years.

"My grandfather, with his seven children, settled first in Camden County. Exactly where I have not learned, but I do know that he had what my father called their "sum-mer home" on the sand hills in the Burnt Fort area. In 1858 he settled on a place west of Corn House Creek in Charlton County."

James Vernon Gowen, a grandson, still owned the 1,200-acre tract in 1932. Initially William W. Gowen "did tutoring and carried the mail from St. Marys to Centervillage," according to Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey.

In 1858 William W. Gowen participated in what is believed to be the largest hanging party ever assembled in Georgia. An extra 100 feet of rope was tied to the trip line on the gallows, and 107 men took hold of the rope and, all pulling simultaneously, dropped two negro murderers to their deaths. The prisoners had confessed to the murder of a white man. To avoid being branded a lynch mob, according to the "History of Charlton County, Georgia," the group who hung the negroes wrote a declaration to justify their action:

The undersigned citizens of Charlton County and surrounding country, being about to resume for a moment their delegated rights and do execution upon two acknowledged murderers, publish to a candid world their reasons for the same.

Whereas, in the month of April last an atrocious murder was committed upon one Henry Jones, a white man, by two ne-groes named Peter and George, slaves of Dr. C. E. Ballard in this county, and said negroes on being arrested did voluntarily confess the same and pointed out the place of their victim's burial, disinter his body and acknowledge all the circum-stances of his death, thus leaving no doubt in the mind of any one of those present of their guilt. And, whereas, they have since their arrest broken from two prisons and have been re-captured after great trouble and much expense and are now in our hands under guard.

Now, therefore, we, after quiet mature deliberation, resolve that to give peace and quiet to an excited neighborhood and do an act of justice which none can condemn and which involves the principle that self preservation is the first law of nature, we do therefore condemn the said Peter and George to be hung by the neck until they are dead, and the execution shall be at Trader's Hill between the hours of 12 and 1 p.m. on Wednes-day next.

In 1932 Alex S. McQueen, the writer of "History of Charlton County, Georgia," wrote:

"The writer, upon examining this old paper, became curious about the large number of signers and went to interview three old men yet living in the county who remember quite dis-tinctly the hanging of the two slaves. It was found that this bold statement 'to a candid world' was signed by nearly every adult male in the entire county, and it was also revealed, ac-tually participated in the hanging later.

This information was gleaned by interviews with Messrs. Jes-se Grooms and John Vickery, the only two ex-Confederate soldiers now living in Charlton County and from James Rob-inson, who was a large boy at the time of this incident and who remembers it well.

A gallows was erected at Traders Hill; both negroes were placed on the scaffold at the same time, and a noose around the neck of each one was tied by Daniel R. Dodge, ex-sheriff, who was also a member of the vigilance court; a long rope was then procured and fastened to the 'trigger' and every man of the 107 who had condemned the negroes to death placed a hand on the rope, and, at a given signal, pulled the rope, springing the trap that plunged the murderers to their death."

William W. Gowen was married for the third time about 1860 to Mrs. Emily Nungeyser Strickland, widow of Julius Strick-land. She was some 27 years his junior. The Gowen family strongly disapproved of this marriage and did not associate with the offspring of this union, according to Barney Alexan-der Gowen. The widow already had at least one child by a previous marriage, according to a letter written April 14, 1961 by Gertrude Godley Durden.

On July 5, 1860 he was enumerated in the federal census of Charlton County residing in Centervillage District as House-hold 195-178, page 28:

A slave, Donas Gowen was included in the household of William Washington Gowen at approximately this time. Donas Gowen was born March 4, 1832 and died May 5, 1915, according to the inscription on his tombstone in a cemetery about five miles north of Folkston, Georgia, as copied by Barney Alexander Gowen. Donas Gowen is suggested as a son of William Washington Gowen by a family researcher.

Other family members enumerated as heads of households were recorded in the 1860 census of Camden County:

William Washington Gowen received a grant of land in Camden County, Georgia of 73 acres in 1869. He died January 5, 1891, according to a letter written March 8, 1990 by Eloise Yancey Bailey citing his probate records.

William Washington Gowen was enumerated in the 1870 census of Charlton County, Household 198-185, page 46:

The 1870 census was begun on 1 June 1870. The enumeration was to be completed within five months.

The 1870 census form called for dwelling houses to be num-bered in the order of visitation; families numbered in order of visitation; and the name of every person whose place of abode on the first day of June 1870 was with the family. The census further asked the age of each individual at the last birthday. If a child was under one year of age, months of age were to be stated in fractions, such as 1/12. Additionally, the census ask-ed the sex, color, profession, and occupation or trade of every male and female. There were also columns for disclosure of value of real estate and personal property. The 1870 census asked for the place of birth, specifically in which state or ter-ritory of the United States, or in which country if foreign born (including the province if born in Germany). The schedule provided space to indicate whether or not the father and the mother of the individual was foreign born, and if an individual was born or married within the year, the month in which the event occurred was to be entered. The census also asked for those who had attended school within the year; those who could not read; those who could not write; and the deaf and dumb, blind, insane and the “idiotic” to be identified. Finally, the schedules had space to identify any male citizen of the United States of age twenty-one and older, and any male cit-izen of the United States age twenty-one and older whose right to vote was denied or abridged on grounds other than rebellion or other crime.

The 1870 census may identify survivors of the Civil War, thus suggesting that military records may be found. Conversely, if an individual does not appear in the 1870 census as expected, it may be a clue that the person was a casualty of the war. In the absence of so many other records from the South for this era, information from the 1870 census can be especially im-portant.

The 1870 census is the first census in which parents of foreign birth are indicated—a real boon in identifying immigrant an-cestors. Immigrants who were naturalized and eligible to vote are identified, suggesting follow-up in court and naturalization sources. Indications of a person’s color that were intended to be more precise—white (W), black (B), Chinese (C), Indian (I), mulatto (M)—may be helpful in determining individuals’ origins.

Agnes Dean Gowen, a great granddaughter reported in a letter dated May 10, 1961 that William W. Gowen died at the home of William Benjamin Godley in Camden County, Georgia. He was buried in Union Church Cemetery near Colesburg, Geor-gia at the side of his brother, Barney B. Gowen.

It is believed that 14 children were born to William W. Gowen and his three wives.

Secession "Cess" Gowen may have been a daughter of Emily Nungeyser Strickland and her first husband, Julius Strickland.

William Washington Gowen, [William W.7, William Keat-ing6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1] son of William W. Gowen and Rebecca Townsend Greene, was born May 15, 1829 at Combahee Ferry, according to a letter written March 20, 1961 by Gertrude Godley Durden of Albany, Geor-gia. The census enumeration in 1840 at Combahee Ferry of "W. W. Gowin" included an unidentified son between the ages of 10 and 15, who is believed to be William Washington Gow-en.

The census enumeration in 1850 at Combahee Ferry recorded a "William Gowen, age 22, a teacher, born in South Carolina," which fits the birthdate of William Washington Gowen. The report showed him as Household 297-297, just a short distance away from the household of Benjamin Godley, 299-299.

Later William Washington Gowen migrated to Georgia with his father about 1853. He was shown to be clerk of the Superior Court of Camden County, Georgia from 1855 to 1871, according to a letter written by Barney Alexander Gowen April 13, 1961. He received a land grant in Camden County, in 1869.

In a letter written August 5, 1914 by William Washington Gowen to Adeline Evans "Addie" Wynn he states, "I know my father's name was William Gowen, but what his father's name was I do not know, but my father told me that they lived at a place called Combahee Ferry, in Beaufort District, now Beaufort County, South Carolina."

When the letter was written William Washington Gowen was residing in Camden County, in the community of Bailey's Mill. He did not marry, according to Gertrude Godley Durden.

William Washington Gowen died November 4, 1916 and was buried at Old Union Church Cemetery, at Colesburg, in Camden County. His grave and also that of his father, William W. Gowen, Barney B. Gowen and Delancey Gowen were located in the same cemetery, marked only by wooden crosses which have probably become obliterated.

In his will William Washington Gowen named Irene Gowen and Mildred Gowen, daughters of Durwood Belmont Gowen, along with Rebecca Patterson, daughter of Gowen Patterson as legatees.

Ann Elizabeth Gowen, [William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1] daughter of William W. Gowen and Rebecca Greene Gowen, was born at Combahee Ferry, December 29, 1831. About 1853 she ac-companied her father when he moved to Camden County. However, before leavng South Carolina she met and fell in love with Thomas Means Godley. He was born June 13, 1833 in Beaufort District.

Their courtship continued through letters and frequent visits. On December 7, 1854, they were married by the Rev. John J. Richards, O. M. in Camden County, as recorded by James H. Helveston, Ordinary on May 1, 1855, in Camden County Marriage Book "B", page 151. Shortly afterwards they departed for the family home back in Beaufort District.

Thomas Means Godley was a son of Benjamin Godley, according to Barney Alexander Gowen. Benjamin Godley, whose household, No. 299-299 appeared in Prince Williams Parish of Beaufort District in the census enumeration dated November 11, 1850:

According to the census report, Thomas Means Godley was born in 1835, however, Barney Alexander Gowen stated after referring to bible records that he was born on Cat Island near the mouth of Port Royal River in Beaufort District, June 13, 1833.

Benjamin Godley was the son of Nathaniel Godley whose household was enumerated in the 1800 census of St. Peters Parish which was included in Prince William Parish in Beau-fort District in that enumeration.

The 1820 census of Beaufort District, St. Peters Parish included the household of Benjamin Godley:

The 1830 Beaufort District census reported the household of Benjamin Godley, who owned 10 slaves, in St. Helena Parish as:

The 1840 Beaufort District census, Page 247, also reported the household of Benjamin Godley in St. Helena Parish, four households away from that of William W. Gowen. The household was recorded as:

Seven members of the household were engaged in agriculture. Benjamin Godley was reported as "age 58" in the 1850 census.

Benjamin Godley died in 1893 at the age of 95, according to William Benjamin Godley, his grandson.

In the late fall of 1855 Thomas Means Godley and Anne Eliz-abeth Gowen Godley removed to Camden County and lived in a log house near the home of her father, William W. Gowen which was located about two miles north of Burnt Fort Ferry on the Satilla River.

In 1862 Thomas Means Godley enlisted in Company G, Fourth Georgia Cavalry Regiment in which he served for the entirety of the war, according to his military service record. The household of Thomas Means Godley was enumerated in the 1870 census of Camden County.

The household of Thomas Means Godley appeared in the census of Camden County in Enumeration District 13, page 43 taken June 24, 1880. The household, 431-449, was reported in a consecutive entry with that of Barney James Gowen, the brother of Elizabeth Gowen Godley as:

Descendants speak of the interest of Thomas Means Godley in progressive agriculture and report that he represented Camden County in the Georgia State Fair for 14 years. He served four years in the Georgia House of Representatives. He died January 30, 1914 and was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery at St. Marys, Georgia. Anne Elizabeth Gowen Godley died Febru-ary 14, 1915 and was buried beside him.

Maybelle Pope Godley, daughter of Thomas Means Godley and Anne Elizabeth Gowen Godley, was born at Port Royal, South Carolina September 23, 1855, according to a letter written by her daughter, Agnes Dean Gowen dated March 1, 1961. She appeared in the 1870 enumeration of her parents' household as a 15-year-old.

Maybelle Pope Godley was married July 24, 1877 to Rev. Em-ory Franklin Dean, a Methodist preacher. He was a son of Marquis Lafayette "Mark" Dean and Martha Andrews Dean and was born in Carroll County, Georgia January 3, 1853.

Emory Franklin Dean was ordained to preach at the age of 20. They were enumerated in the 1880 census of Camden County. Later they removed to northern Georgia. In 1899 they lived in Atlanta. Around 1890, Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Godley Dean moved from northern Georgia to return to Cam-den County for the remainder of their lives. Maybelle Pope Godley Dean died October 16, 1930. She was featured in the February 20, 1969 edition of "The Southeast Georgian."

He was pastor of three churches at the time of his death at age 93, February 13, 1946. They were buried in Prospect Metho-dist Church Cemetery in Charlton County.

Hazel Elixabeth Dean Overstreet, a descendant of Odom, Georgia wrote of her family in “Heritage of Montgomery County, North Carolina,” page 164

“Martha Watson Andrews, daughter of Larkin Andrews and Martha Hancock Andrews, was married January 12, 1852 to Marcus Lafayette Dean, the son of Absolum Dean and Elizabeth M. "Charity" Alney Dean.

Marcus Lafayette Dean was born November 16, 1828 in Edgefield, South Carolina. He came to Georgia at age twelve with his parents in 1840. He served in the Civil War in the Thirteenth Georgia Cavalry Regiment, Com-pany A. He died January 30, 1891. Martha Watson An-drews Dean died November 12, 1900. They were buried at Mt. Zion Methodist Church Cemetery in Carroll County, Georgia. They were the parents of six children.

Emory Franklin Dean , son of Marcus Lafayette Dean and Martha Watson Andrews Dean and my grandfather, was born January 3, 1853.

He became a Methodist preacher and was married to Maybelle Pope Godley, daughter of Thomas Means Godley and Elizabeth Gowen Godley, and they had eleven children. He died February 12, 1946 at age 93 and is buried at Prospect Methodist Church in Charlton County, Georgia. At age 17, Emory Franklin Dean was Postmaster at Buchanan, Harelson County, Georgia. He was converted at Bethel Camp Meeting in Carroll County and resigned from the post office in 1872 to en-roll in Tennessee Wesleyan College, Athens, Tennessee [Old Grant University] to prepare for the ministry. He was licensed to preach in 1875 at age 22, at the Lloyd Street Methodist Church Conference in Atlanta and was sent to South Georgia, to preach. He met Miss Maybelle Pope Godley, daughter of Thomas Means Godley and Ann Elizabeth Gowen. They were married July 14, 1877, at a little church at Daisy, Georgia, in Tattnall County, where he was preaching. He was a Methodist preacher for over 70 years.”

Thomas Lafayette Dean, son of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Godley Dean, was born July 22, 1878 at Habersham, Georgia in Banks County. On April 11, 1905, he was married to Annie Mizell, daughter of George Montgomery Mizell and Gertrude Proctor Mizell. The bride was born in Camden County April 16, 1882. She died September 24, 1955, and he died June 26, 1965. They were buried in Palmetto Cemetery in Brunswick.

Lillian Lucille Dean, daughter of Thomas Lafayette Dean and Annie Mizell Dean, was born September 25, 1906 in Glynn County. She was married in Brunswick to Robert Harry Kent who was born February 20, 1911 in Valdosta, Georgia to Jon-athan Morris Kent and Mary Viola Baker Kent. She died Jan-uary 23, 1971, and he died September 10, 1976. They were buried on St. Simons Island.

Mary Ann Kent, daughter of Robert Harry Kent and Lillian Lucille Dean, was born November 18, 1933 in Brunswick. She was married on St. Simons Island September 28, 1957 to Joe Harold Cline who was born June 17, 1935 in Cartersville, Georgia.

Joyce Marie Kent, daughter of Robert Harry Kent and Lillian Lucille Dean Kent, was born December 30, 1936. She was married in Jacksonville November 4, 1957 to John Jay Robinson. She died March 8, 1979 and was buried on St. Simons Island.

Virginia Dean Kent, daughter of Robert Harry Kent and Lillian Lucille Dean Kent, was born October 25, 1938 in Bruns-wick. She was married April 7, 1958 to Charles H. Boyer II who was born February 10, 1933. She died March 27, 1981 and was buried on St. Simons Island.

Robert Morris Kent, twin son of Robert Harry Kent and Lillian Lucille Dean Kent, was born January 6, 1941 in Bruns-wick. He was married in Glynn County August 21, 1968 to Peggy Bright who was born December 24, 1943.

Doris Lucille Kent, twin daughter of Robert Harry Kent and Lillian Lucille Dean Kent, was born January 6, 1941 in Bruns-wick. She was married on St. Simons Island to Gerald Roll-ings. Following a divorce she was remarried to Jimmy Hew-ell.

Elizabeth Eloise Dean, daughter of Thomas Lafayette Dean and Annie Mizell Dean, was born January 5, 1908 at George-town, Georgia. She was married in Fernandina Beach, Florida November 7, 1927 to Clarke Memory Yancey who was born March 8, 1907 in Douglas County, Georgia to John Memory Yancey and Carrie Lou Lane Yancey. In 1990 they lived in Woodbine.

Dorothy Eloise Yancey, daughter of Clake Memory Yancey and Elizabeth Eloise Dean Yancey, was born December 31, 1928 in St. Marys. She was married April 6, 1951 to James Wilbur Bailey. He was born November 22, 1913 in St. Marys to James Frank Bailey and Birdie King Bailey. In 1990 they continued in St. Marys where she had been a teacher for many years. He died of cancer January 3, 1992.

She, an accomplished historian, was co-author of "History of Camden County, Georgia" and has assembled much of the genealogy that appears in this section of the Gowen manu-script and has generously shared her research with the Founda-tion.

Bettina Bailey, daughter of James Wilbur Bailey and Elizabeth Eloise Dean Bailey, was born February 15, 1952 in Bruns-wick. She was married July 12, 1975 to Donald Kelly George who was born October 8, 1950 in Valdosta.

James Frank Bailey, son of James Wilbur Bailey and Elizabeth Eloise Dean Bailey, was born January 6, 1954 in Bruns-wick. He was married April 25, 1982 in Greene County, Georgia to Sue Tolbert who was born July 19, 1956 in Greenesboro, Georgia.

Thomas Clifton Dean, son of Thomas Lafayette Dean and Annie Mizell Dean, was born December 8, 1909 in Woodbine. He was married in Jacksonville June 28, 1933 to Kathleen Smith who was born April 26, 1914 in Tifton, Georgia to Mark Smith.

George Mizell Dean, son of Thomas Lafayette Dean and Annie Mizell Dean, was born August 3, 1912 at Brookman, Georgia. He was married April 17, 1937 to Joyce Weaver. Following a divorce he was remarried to Mrs. Annette McQuaig Roberts October 29, 1947. He died June 21, 1969 and was buried in Palmetto Cemetery in Brunswick.

Florence Lorena Dean, daughter of Thomas Lafayette Dean and Annie Mizell Dean, was born January 19, 1915 at Brook-man. She was married May 23 1936 to Delmas Glenn Barber. He died October 24, 1971 and was buried in Newnan, Georgia

Virginia Gertrude Dean, daughter of Thomas Lafayette Dean and Annie Mizell Dean, was born in Woodbine September 26, 1917. He was married in Kingsland June 27, 1955 to Joseph Edmond Ernest Savard who was born in 1911. He died in 1984. No children were born to them.

Emory Fuller Dean, son of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Godley Dean, was born February 7, 1880 at Burnt Fort, Georgia on the Satilla River in Camden County. On February 5, 1911, he was married to Lillie Irene Gibson who was born October 22, 1891 in Waycross to Judge Henry Gilbert Gibson and Martha L. Highsmith Gibson. He worked in the timber and turpentine industry, according to his daughter, Hazel Eliz-abeth Dean Overstreet.

Emory Fuller Dean died January 12, 1968, and she died No-vember 16, 1971. They were buried in Jesup, Georgia in Wayne County.

Henry Franklin Dean, son of Emory Fuller Dean and Lillie Irene Gibson Dean, was born April 12, 1912. He was married July 12, 1938 to Mary V. Lewis, a school teacher from Covington, Georgia.

Roscoe Emory Dean, son of Emory Fuller Dean and Lillie Irene Gibson Dean, was born October 1, 1915. He was married in 1935 to Lily White Ellis, daughter to Dr. S. F. Ellis and Alma Kicklighter Ellis. In 1990 they lived at Jesup, Georgia.

Roscoe Emory Dean, Jr, son of Roscoe Emory Dean and Lily White Ellis Dean, was born September 2, 1936. He served as a state senator for 14 years and was defeated in a bid for gov-ernor.

Ellis Wayne Dean, son of Roscoe Emory Dean and Lily White Ellis Dean, was born September 6, 1940. He became a build-ing contractor and restorer. He was employed by Pres. Jimmy Carter as a decorator in the remodeling of the White House. In the 1980s he developed leukemia and settled on the island of St. Croix for a period of recuperation. His home was demo-lished when Hurricane Hugo struck the island in 1989.

Joy Elaine Dean, daughter of Roscoe Emory Dean and Lily White Ellis Dean, was born June 11, 1950. She continued with her parents in 1990 in Jesup.

Lillie Maybelle Dean, daughter of Emory Fuller Dean and Lillie Irene Gibson Dean, was born November 24, 1917. She was married in December 1948 to Thomas Ralph O'Quinn.

Hazel Elizabeth Dean, daughter of Emory Fuller Dean and Lillie Irene Gibson Dean, was born July 4, 1920. She was married June 6, 1943 to James Overstreet. She was active in genealogical research and provided much of the material in this section to Gowen Research Foundation. In 1992 they lived at Odum, Georgia.

Carson Gibson Overstreet, daughter of James Overstreet and Hazel Elizabeth Dean Overstreet, was born March 13, 1944. She was married in 1969 to Capt. Paul Ronald Odum. He retired from the United States Air Force in 1989 as a colonel. They returned to Georgia afterwards.

Children born to Col. Paul Ronald Odum and Carson Gibson Overstreet Odum include:

Jimmie Dean Overstreet, daughter of James Overstreet and Hazel Elizabeth Dean Overstreet, was born January 30, 1960. She was graduated from the University of Georgia in 1983 with a B.S. degree in fashion marketing. In October 1988 she was employed by Polo-Ralph Lauren retail store in Paris France. In 1990 she was transferred to Brussels, Belgium.

Harry Earnest Dean, son of Emory Fuller Dean and Lillie Irene Gibson Dean, was born October 12, 1922. He died February 19, 1939 and was buried in Jesup Cemetery, according to Hazel Elizabeth Dean Overstreet.

Bessie Leigh Dean, daughter of Emory Fuller Dean and Lillie Irene Gibson Dean, was born September 21, 1925. She was graduated from Georgia Southern College and became a school teacher. She was married about 1946 to Lucien Cham-pagne. Following a divorce, she was remarried to Carl Clem-ents who was drowned on a fishing trip. She was remarried June 5, 1967 to Rev. Ira Dent, a Methodist minister. She taught school for 35 years. In 1990 she lived in Odum, Georgia. No children were born to them.

Mildred Louise Dean, daughter of Emory Fuller Dean and Lillie Irene Gibson Dean, was born January 2, 1928. She was married in October 1952 to George Clair Shuptrine. She died March 22, 1989.

Mary Agnes Dean, daughter of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Pope Godley Dean, was born June 16, 1882, probably in Camden County. In November 1906 she was married to James Vernon Gowen, III, her first cousin once-removed, according to "Charlton County, Georgia Historical Notes." She became a school teacher. He died November 26, 1956, and she died January 11, 1981. They were buried in Prospect Cemetery.

For details of the lives of the above children of James Vernon Gowen III, see his section of the manuscript.

Olive Maybelle Dean, daughter of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Pope Godley Dean, was born March 3, 1884. She died March 27, 1884 and was buried at Tarboro, Georgia in Camden County.

Clifford Edward Dean, son of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Pope Godley Dean, was born July 3, 1885. He died May 4, 1897 and was buried at DuPont, Georgia in Clinch County.

Benjamin Wilbur Dean, son of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Pope Godley Dean, was born April 19, 1887. He died May 4, 1888 and was buried at Mt. Zion, Georgia in Car-roll County.

Anna Watson Dean, seventh child of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Pope Godley Dean, was born February 17, 1889 in Atlanta, according to "Charlton County, Georgia His-torical Notes." She completed two years of college in Ath-ens, Tennessee and returned to south Georgia to teach.

She was married October 11, 1911 at Folkston to Charles Wesley Jacobs, son of Rev. General Harrison Jacobs and Eliza Robinson Jacobs of Charlton County. He was born June 9, 1886 and became a machinist.

In 1913, they lived at Lake Bird, Florida, in Charlton County in 1914, in Marion, South Carolina in 1916, in Ware County, Georgia in 1922. He died April 23, 1973 at Statesboro, Georgia and was buried in Oakland Cemetery at Waycross, Geor-gia. She was a teacher. She, the oldest living sibling of her family celebrated her 101st birthday in 1990. She died at Por-tal, Georgia June 8, 1991.

Myra Ruth Jacobs, daughter of Charles Wesley Jacobs and Anna Watson Dean Jacobs, was born April 7, 1913. During World War II she was an air traffic controller. She was mar-ried about in 1946 to Roy Lawrence Smith, a pharmacist. She was a later a teacher.

Charles Neal Jacobs, son of Charles Wesley Jacobs and Anna Watson Dean Jacobs, was born September 28, 1914 in Charl-ton County. He was married about 1937 to Georgia Lou Cad-enhead. He served as an engineer in the merchant marine ser-vice during World War II. Later he was remarried to Jackie Hancock and a third time to Nell Bennett. No children were born to them. He continued with the merchant marine until his retirement.

Emory Franklin Jacobs, son of Charles Wesley Jacobs and Anna Watson Dean Jacobs, was born August 11, 1917 at Marion, South Carolina. He died October 19, 1931 and was bur-ied in Oakland Cemetery at Waycross..

Charles Wesley Jacobs, Jr, son of Charles Wesley Jacobs and Anna Watson Dean Jacobs, was born February 17, 1922. He died in November of that year and was buried in Oakland Cemetery in Waycross.

Cecil Franklin Jacobs, son of G. H. Jacobs and Anna Watson Dean Jacobs, was born July 4, 1924. He was graduated from The Citadel and Medical College of Georgia, becoming a phy-sician.

He was married August 12, 1948 to Edith Ruth Collins who was born January 21, 1926 to Sherod Collins and Nannie Ruth Speir Collins. Dr. Jacobs served as director of the Tulsa, Ok-lahoma City-County Health Department and later in the same capacity in Charleston, South Carolina.

In 1992 he was living at Portal where he was semi-retired. He was a member of Gowen Research Foundation and an accomplished genealogical researcher.

Nancy Ellen Jacobs, daughter of Dr. Cecil Franklin Jacobs and Edith Ruth Collins Jacobs, was born September 14, 1953.

Charles Sherod Jacobs, son of Dr. Cecil Franklin Jacobs, was born May 11, 1955 in Georgia. In 1992 he lived in California where he was employed as a journalist.

Joanna Dean Jacobs, daughter of Dr. Cecil Franklin Jacobs, was born February 28, 1958 in Georgia. In 1992 she, married, lived in Florida.

Flora Evelyn Jacobs, daughter of Charles Wesley Jacobs and Anna Watson Dean Jacobs, was born January 15, 1926 in Ware County, Georgia. She attended Flora McDonald Col-lege. She was married in 1947 to Forest Hilton Shoemaker, regional manager for World Book, Inc.

Roland Ernest Dean, son of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Pope Godley Dean, was born February 26, 1892. He died February 27, 1900 at age eight and was buried at Wood-bine.

Guy Albert Dean, son of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Pope Godley Dean, was born October 27, 1893 in Charlton County. He was married August 23, 1919 to Emma Casey who was born in 1893 to Thomas E. Casey and Jane Haddock Casey of Camden County. Guy Albert Dean died June 13, 1978, and she died in 1982. They were buried in Jacksonville in Arlington Cemetery.

James Foss Dean, son of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Pope Godley Dean, was born July 26, 1897. He died June 27, 1898 and was buried at DuPont, Georgia.

Ruth Hazel Dean, daughter of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Pope Godley Dean, was born April 14, 1900 in Charlton County. She was married July 3, 1921 to Noah Madison Gibson, son of Henry Gilbert Gibson and Martha Highsmith Gibson. He was born October 28, 1895 and in July 1992 lived in a retirement home in Waycross, Georgia. She died August 15, 1967.

William Benjamin Godley, son of Thomas Means Godley and Anne Elizabeth Gowen Godley, was born June 6, 1857 at Burnt Fort Ferry, according to a letter written by Mary Agnes Dean Gowen September 8, 1959.

William Benjamin Godley found himself between the handles of a plow during the Civil War and so busied himself that he had little time for learning in what schools were available.

"Never got beyond 'baker' in the blueback speller," he related, but his mother made up the lack, nighttimes by the fireplace with a slate and stylus.

The only time in my life I was ever really embarrassed, he recalls, was when, as a boy of eight, I went to see my father at the Confederate bivouac area up the road from Jerusalem [Georgia] near the old Methodist campground.

As I was walking among the tattered tents and lean-tos of the ragged veterans of Chickamauga and Atlanta, the soldiers began laughing at me because I didn't have any shoes. I don't know why I took is so hard. Guess the men made fun of me to take their minds off their troubles. People are that way sometimes, I guess"

In 1961 he recalled the vicissitudes of the reconstruction period to a reporter for the "Jacksonville Times-Union:"

"In those days there wasn't any money. And we were thankful to have enough to eat and maybe a few warm clothes for cold weather, he recalls."

An ardent Democrat, William Benjamin Godley voted a straight party ticket in every election since the disputed Tilden contest of 1876.

I was only 19 at the time, he recalls, and I knew I was too young to vote, but my uncle told me it would be all right, so I did. My vote wasn't challenged, but when the high sheriff found out about it he made me pay double poll tax.

He was a stay-at-home by nature, rarely traveling. However, once during his twenties he drove a horse and buggy to Atlanta, a trip that consumed three or four days.

In his early life he became a turpentiner in the Georgia woods. Later he helped to establish a turpentine firm known as Cam-den Naval Stores. Consecutively he was Camden County Tax Collector for eight years, then county commissioner followed by election as president of the Kingsland State Bank.

William Benjamin Godley was an outdoorsman and an enthusiastic hunter. His closest call came with a bear. In the words of a "Jacksonville Times Union" reporter:

"There was quite a party hunting this particular bruin in Kit's Swamp including Downey Sheffield, Glenn Gowen and oth-ers, but Ben Godley's dog, as a good dog should, drove the bear right down onto his master. Ben came up with his old muzzle-loader, let the bear get right close so as to drive the slug into his throat like a rifle charge, and pulled the trigger. The cap failed to go off!

Ben got up off the log on which he was resting the gun. The bear skidded to a stop and likewise rose. Teeth looked about ten inches long, Ben recalls, though he didn't stop to admire the dentures but clubbed his gun and swung with all his might, smashing the bear across the eyes. What might have happened then, Ben can't say to this day, for the dog took a bite out the bear's leg, and it turned and lumbered off.

Ben thereupon borrowed a rifle from a youngster in the party and shot the bear the next time around. Weighed about 200 pounds dressed up."

On November 18, 1896 William Benjamin Godley, at the age 40, was married to Gertrude Armstrong Littlefield of Harriett's Bluff, Georgia, according to Barney Alexander Gowen.

Gertrude Godley Durden reported in a letter dated April 14, 1961 a different date for the wedding, "William B. Godley and Gertrude A. Littlefield were married on the 24th day of February, 1897, S. W. Brown, M. G. performed the ceremony, J. J. Vocelle, Ordinary, recorded in Camden County Marriage Book 1800, page 403."

Three children were born to this union before the death of Gertrude Armstrong Littlefield Godley in 1904. In 1958 William Benjamin Godley counted seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

William Benjamin Godley served on the Camden County Board of Commissioners and as the county tax collector for many years. He helped to organize the State Bank of Kingsland and became its first president.

"During his productive years his main civic interest was in rendering assistance to the young people of his county who were interested in higher education. He served as a steward in the Methodist Church for many years. He was not opposed to tobacco or alcohol, but urged moderation in both. "I have used tobacco in one form or another since I was 14 and still take a drink at the end of the day," he reported.

In February 1961 William Benjamin Godley was living with a daughter, Gertrude Godley Durden, at Albany, and looking forward to celebrating his 103rd birthday. Previous to that time he had maintained his residence continually at Kingsland for 102 years, according to the "Jacksonville Times-Union," which stated that he was at that time the oldest living white man in Camden County. He died June 16, 1963 at the age of 106, Camden County's oldest resident. He was survived by one daughter, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. At his request, he was buried at the foot of his mother's grave in St. Marys Cemetery.

Children born to William Benjamin Godley and Gertrude Armstrong Littlefield Godley include:

Joseph Jackson Godley, son of William Benjamin Godley and Gertrude Armstrong Littlefield Godley, was born June 4, 1898 in Camden County. He was married about 1921, wife's name Nancy. In March, 1950 he was a judge in Camden County. He died there December 24, 1955 and was buried in Burnt Fort Cemetery.

Myrtle Ann Godley, daughter of William Benjamin Godley and Gertrude Armstrong Littlefield Godley, was born June 28, 1900 in Camden County. In February 1933 she was married to Luther W. Readdick and lived at Kingsland until her death May 8, 1960.

Gertrude Dean Godley daughter of William Benjamin Godley and Gertrude Armstrong Littlefield Godley, was born July 29, 1901 in Camden County. On September 10, 1919 she was married to Adie Norman Durden. In 1923 the couple lived in Atlanta. In September 1961 Adie Norman Durden was city attorney at Albany, Georgia. The couple continued to live at 1201 North McKinley Street in Albany where William Benja-min Godley resided with them at that time.

Norma Anne Durden, daughter of Adie Norman Durden and Gertrude Dean Godley Durden, was born June 9, 1923 at Atlanta. On May 3, 1947 she was married to Lucien Taylor Al-len in Albany. Later the couple moved to Holden, Massa-chusetts.

Adie Norman Durden, Jr, son of Adie Norman Durden and Gertrude Godley Durden, was born November 3, 1926 in Camden County. On June 17, 1961 he was married to Mary Louise Spivey in the First Methodist Church of Albany, by Rev. J. Frederick Wilson.

Diana Gertrude Durden, daughter of Adie Norman Durden and Gertrude Dean Godley Durden, was born September 1, 1929 at Albany. On September 7, 1949 she was married in Albany to Joseph Meredith Goodrich, Jr. In 1952 the couple lived in Atlanta.

Children born to Joseph Meredith Goodrich, Jr. and Diana Gertrude Durden Goodrich include:

Thomas Washington "Punch" Godley, son of Thomas Means Godley and Anne Elizabeth Gowen Godley was born in Camden County April 10, 1859, according to the research of Eloise Yancey Bailey, family researcher of St. Marys. He appeared in the household of his father in the 1880 census of Camden County as Thomas W. Godley, age 21, farmer, born in Geor-gia. About 1900 he was married to Arizona Estelle "Essie" Proctor who was born May 8, 1884 to Daniel Proctor and Isabelle Caledonia Proctor. The couple lived in Kingsland until his death June 20, 1924. Arizona Estelle "Essie" Proctor Godley was living in Charlton County in November 1961. She died December 12, 1968. They were buried in Oak Grove Cemetery.

Mary Rebecca "Minkie" Godley, daughter of Thomas Means Godley and Anne Elizabeth Gowen Godley, was born December 15, 1860 in Camden County. She appeared in the household of her father in the 1880 census of Camden County as a 19-year-old school teacher. She was married September 28, 1886 to John Houston Brown. He was born August 25, 1859 to William Dean Brown and Hattie Holland Brown. John Houston Brown was elected sheriff of Camden County in 1892 and served until 1903 in that office. They lived at Mid-river, Georgia. She died November 28, 1934 and was buried in Palmetto Cemetery in Brunswick County, Georgia.

Benjamin Clifton Brown, son of John Houston Brown and Mary Rebecca "Minkie" Godley Brown, was born September 4, 1837. He was married about 1910 to Reba Rose. He died February 3, 1970.

William Houston Brown, son of John Houston Brown and Mary Rebecca "Minkie" Godley Brown, was born June 17, 1889. He was married about 1912 to Jess Hatcher. He died February 20, 1972.

Annie Bernice Brown, daughter of John Houston Brown and Mary Rebecca "Minkie" Godley Brown, was born May 1, 1892 and died in 1893.

James Hollard Brown, son of John Houston Brown and Mary Rebecca "Minkie" Godley Brown, was born May 20, 1894. He was married about 1918 to Georgia Littlefield. He died October 16, 1942.

Mabelle Beulah Brown, daughter of John Houston Brown and Mary Rebecca "Minkie" Godley Brown, was born December 5, 1896. She was married about 1914 to Robert Harley. Later she was remarried to Dr. Dwight Hood. She died May 20, 1970.

Thomas Rose Brown, son of John Houston Brown and Mary Rebecca "Minkie" Godley Brown, was born January 5, 1899. He was married about 1922 to Gerry Ulsch. Later he was married twice more. He died November 19, 1974.

Ralph Hopkins Brown, son of John Houston Brown and Mary Rebecca "Minkie" Godley Brown, was born February 1, 1900. He was married about 1923 to Daisy Gaunt. He died March 5, 1955.

Sidney Hall Brown, son of John Houston Brown and Mary Rebecca "Minkie" Godley Brown, was born November 27, 1902. He was married about 1925 to Mildred Littlefield.

James Brown Godley, twin son of Thomas Means Godley and Anne Elizabeth Gowen Godley, was born in Camden County, November 6, 1864. He appeared in the household of his father in the 1880 census of Camden County as a 15-year-old farm worker. He was married April 13, 1901 to Sarah Elizabeth Stafford, daughter of Nathaniel Stafford and Levicy Poppell Stafford. During his adult life he was a merchant. Once he served as sheriff of Camden County. On June 5, 1950 a pic-ture of James Brown Godley and his twin brother Andrew Barney Godley appeared in the "Jacksonville Times-Union," along with their brother William Benjamin Godley, in attend-ance at his birthday party June 6, 1949. James Brown Godley died October 21, 1955, and she died December 22, 1955. They were buried in Burnt Fort Cemetery.

Children born to James Brown Godley and Sarah Elizabeth Stafford Godley include:

James Edwin Godley, son of James Brown Godley and Sarah Elizabeth Stafford Godley, was born September 24, 1910 in Camden County. He continued there at Woodbine in 1992. He served as clerk of court at Woodbine for 50 years before retirement.

Andrew Barney Godley, twin son of Thomas Means Godley and Anne Elizabeth Gowen Godley, was born November 6, 1864 in Camden County. He did not appear in his father's household in the 1880 census of Camden County. It is assumed that he had already gone out on his own. He was mar-ried November 24, 1897 to Maude Pacetty who was born March 2, 1873 to Lewis Pacetty and Margaret Floyd Pacetty. Maude Pacetty Godley died March 21, 1921, and Andrew Barney Godley died April 14, 1957. He served as tax collector for Camden County for several terms. They were buried in Burnt Fort Cemetery.

Marguerite Jule Godley, daughter of Andrew Barney Godley and Maude Pacetty Godley, was born August 3, 1909. He was married about 1930 to Howell Reddick, son of John Readdick and Madison Amanda Reed Gowen Readdick.. She was co-author of "Camden County, Georgia History." She died September 22, 1990 and was buried in Burnt Fort Cemetery..

Mary Rebecca Gowen [William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], daughter of William W. Gowen and Rebecca Greene Gowen, was born April 5, 1833 at Combahee Ferry. About 1853 she was mar-ried to James McDonald Patterson. Upon the death of James McDonald Patterson she was remarried to George Watson about 1865. She died in 1918, and he was remarried to Geor-gia Readdick.

William Gowen Patterson, son of James McDonald Patterson and Mary Rebecca Gowen Patterson, was born about 1855. He was married about 1880 to Lillie Tyson. In 1970 their des-cendants lived in Norfolk, Virginia and in New Jersey, ac-cording to Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey.

Nathaniel J. Patterson, son of James McDonald Patterson and Mary Rebecca Gowen Patterson, was born about 1857. Two children were born to him. His descendants were residents of Camden County in 1970.

James Andrew Patterson, son of James McDonald Patterson and Mary Rebecca Gowen Patterson was born about 1859. He remained a bachelor and lived in Miami, Florida.

Lillia Randolph Patterson, daughter of James McDonald Pat-terson and Mary Rebecca Gowen Patterson was born about 1862 in Camden County. She was married about 1890 to James Brown. No children were born to them.

Mary Watson, daughter of George L. Watson and Mary Rebecca Gowen Patterson Watson, was born about 1867 to Col-ton Lang.

James Glenn "Buck" Gowen [William W.7, William Kea-ting6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of William W. Gowen and Rebecca Greene Gowen, was born November 18, 1835, at Combahee Ferry. James Glenn "Buck" Gowen died about 1852, shortly before his father moved to Georgia.

Barney Glenn Gowen [William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Wil-liam W. Gowen and Rebecca Greene Gowen, was born Sep-tember 1, 1835, according to Gertrude Godley Durden in a letter dated April 14, 1961. It is assumed that he died as a child.

Gowen Research Foundation 806/795-8758 or 795-9694

5708 Gary Avenue E-mail: [email protected]

Lubbock, Texas, 79413

Website: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gowenrf

I enclose payment as indicated below for

[ ] New Membership,

[ ] Renewal Membership

in Gowen Research Foundation.

$15 [ ] Member

$25 [ ] Contributing Member

$100 [ ] Sustaining Member

[ ] Please E-mail a sample copy of the Electronic Newsletter to the family

researcher(s) listed on sheet attached.

[ ] Please send Gift Membership(s) as indicated above to individual(s)

listed on sheet attached.

Name(s)_________________________________________

Address______________________Phone_______________

City________________State_____Zip________[+4]______

Lubbock, Texas, 79413-4822 GOWENMS.014, 02/05/03