Rev. Jackson J. Bowden
Narcissa Evalina Bewley
JACKSON
J. BOWDEN was
born January 22, 1814 in Oglethorpe Co. Georgia, and died November 24,
1896 in Mexia, Texas. He married (1) Selina LAY in Lawrence Co.,
Tennessee. He married (2) Narcissa Evalina BEWLEY August 12, 1852 in
Pope Co., Arkansas, daughter of Robert S. BEWLEY and
Evalina
LANGFORD.
Notes for JACKSON J. BOWDEN:
Jackson J. Bowden was born in Oglethorpe,
Georgia January 22, 1814. His parents were Anna Blackburn and John
Bowden. His family moved to Maury County, Tennessee in 1819 when
he was 5 years old. They then moved to Lawrence County,
Tennessee in 1820. Jackson J. Bowden married Selina Lay in Lawrence
Co., Tennessee where his first 3 children , all daughters, were
born. The family moved to Arkansas sometime around 1844, where 3
more children, another daughter and two sons were born.
Selina probably died in 1850 and is buried most likely in Gravel
Hill.
On August 12, 1852 and at the age of 38,
he married his second wife, Narcissa Bewley, age 18. This
marriage was performed by her uncle John M. Bewley. The couple had
10 children, 3 of whom died in infancy. From 1845 up to the
beginning of the Civil War, Jackson J. Bowden was a militia captain.
He was appointed postmaster at the Post Office in Moreland in
1866. He held this position for 3 or 4 years. He joined a
temperance organization in Dover in 1867. Despite his old age,
he raised with his own hands, two and a half bales of cotton, thirty
bushels of corn and forty bushels of sweet potatoes.
More About JACKSON J. BOWDEN:
Occupations: Methodist
minister, farmer, cotton farmer
Cause of Death: Death was caused by a
fall.
Medical Information: Somewhat deaf in
later years. Had very good eyesight, he did not need glasses to read
even in his later years. He was strong, as he farmed even in his
older years.
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NARCISSA EVALINA BEWLEY
Obituary:
Died of heart disease Aug. 4, 1885, Mrs. Narcissa E. Bowden. She
was as well as usual to within twenty minutes of her death. Subject of
the above was a daughter of R.S. and Evelina Bewly. Born in Pope
county, Arkansas, January 4th 1834, was married to the Rev. J.J.
Bowden
Aug. 12, 1852, and happily converted to God on the 4th Sunday in
September, 1854, at Gum Log camp-meeting, and she ever afterwards
lived a faithful and devoted christian. The writer during the
past 11 years has often met with her
around the sick beds of her friends, children and husband and on her
own sick bed we were frequently called to administer and wait on her,
and always found her the same dignified, modest, prudent christian
with a heart full of sympathy
and kindness for her friends and family in times of affliction, Sister
Bowden was a woman of fine native intellect, energetic and
industrious. She leaves a husband, one daughter and six sons to
mourn her departure. But while she leaves those of mature years
she has gone to meet those three little ones on heaven's eternal happy
shores. Her funeral will be preached at Gravel Hill camp
meeting, embracing the 2d Sunday in next month. May God comfort
the bereaved.
C.L. Kirksey
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Goodspeed’s Biographical and
Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas, 1891
Rev. J.J. Bowden, p.213
Rev. J.J. Bowden, farmer, Moreland, Ark. Mr. Bowden , who
is familiarly known as “Uncle Jacky Bowden” was born in Georgia,
January 22, 1814, and is the son of John and Anna (Blackburn)
Bowden, both natives also of Georgia, and of English and German
descent, respectively. The father was born in 1751, and was
married about 1796. He and wife migrated from Georgia to
Tennessee, and here they received their final summons, the father
dying at the age of ninety-five, and she at the age of sixty-five
years. Their family consisted of fifteen children, eight sons
and five daughters of whom grew to mature years. Two died in
infancy. Those living are named as follows: Polly, William,
Feriba, James, Anna, Jane, John S., Jackson J., Charles, Newton,
Wiley, Lucinda and Allen. The paternal grandfather of these children
emigrated from England to America at an early day, and fought for
independence in the Revolution. When about six years of age
Rev. J.J. Bowden emigrated with his parents to Tennessee, and there
remained until 1844, when he moved to Arkansas. While a
resident of Tennessee he met and married Miss Salina Lay, a native
of Georgia, who bore him six children, tow of whom are now living,
one in Texas, and the other in Conway County, Ark.
After coming to Arkansas Mr. Bowden settled in Gum Log Valley,
but afterward purchased eighty acres of land on Crow Mountain, where
he resided six years. He afterward purchased 300 acres at
Gravel Hill, and gave eleven acres of this to the Methodist
Episcopal Church South, the land, at the present time, being valued
at $100 per acre, upon which he has expended on his own account, and
out of his own pocket, at least $500. Later he sold this farm,
and retired to his farm at Gravel Hill, where he now resides, and
where, despite his increasing years, he still carries on his
occupation of farming, though in a limited way, having rented most
of his land to tenants. When Mr. Bowden first located on his
present farm, the country was thinly settled, and in all the country
from Cross Plains to Dover there were but two families. On
Crow Mountain, where there are now about 200 families, there were at
that time just two families.
Mr. Bowden joined the church in 1828, and has always taken a deep
interest in church work. When leaving Tennessee he brought
letters from his church, which he deposited in Gum Log Valley, in
what is now known as David Chapel, where he assisted in erecting the
first church edifice in Valley Township. And probably the first in
Pope County. Mr. Bowden was licensed to preach in 1848, by Dr.
A. Hunter; ordained a deacon by Bishop Paine in 1852, and ordained
an elder by Bishop Early in 1857. His first ministerial work
was on Crow Mountain, where he organized and erected the first
church. In 1865, after the close of the war, owing to the
unsettled condition of affairs,
Mr. Bowden was called upon to take in hand the organization of
the churches of Dover circuit, on which there were twenty-four
appointments, and to which it was difficult or impossible to send a
regular itinerant, Mr. Bowden found the churches in a demoralized
condition, but undertook the work, which he successfully
accomplished in about a month, presiding over that circuit only a
year. He organized the Sunday school at Gravel Hill, or Bowden
Chapel, directly after the war, and also assisted in the
organization of several others. He went to Little Red River in
1840, where Methodism had never penetrated, and established a
church, which has grown from the seed thus sown to a flourishing
circuit. His first wife dying in 1852, Mr. Bowden was married,
in August of the same year, to Miss Narcissa E. Bewley, daughter of
R.S. Bewley, of Pope County. The fruits of this union were ten
children, three of whom died in infancy. The remainder are all
married, with the exception of one son and a daughter. They
are named as follows: Robert S., Benjamin B., Charles D., George A.,
Anhana C., Miles E., and Sallie F., all but one of whom are members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. From 1845 up to the
beginning of the Civil War, in which he took no part, Mr. Bowden was
militia captain. He was appointed postmaster at Moreland post
office in 1866, which position he held for three or four
years. He joined a temperance organization at Dover in 1867,
and as this is a subject in which he takes a great interest,
temperance organizations have been established all over Pope
County. Although in his seventy-seventh year and somewhat
deaf, Mr. Bowden can read ordinary print without the aid of
glasses. He lost his wife in 1885. She was a member of
the Methodist Episcopal Church also, and was an active worker in the
same. Despite his old age, he raised, the present year, with
his own hands, two and one-half bales of cotton, thirty bushels of
corn and forty bushels of sweet potatoes, besides he preached nearly
every Sunday.
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Rev. J.J. Bowden Obituary
Arkansas Methodist--September
15,1897
At Rest : BOWDEN: - Rev. J.J. Bowden
was born in Oglethorpe county, Georgia,
January 22, 1814. Moved with his parents to
Murray county, Tennessee in 1819; they
moved to Lawrence county, Tennessee,
1820. Uncle Jackson, embraced religion
September 1828 and united with the
Methodist Church. He emigrated to Pope
county, Ark., in 1844, and was licensed to
preach by Andrew Hunter, at Lewisburg,
Arkansas, in the fall of 1848, ordained
deacon by Bishop Pain, at Clarksville,
Arkansas, in 1852, ordained elder by Bishop
Early, at Dardanelle, Arkansas, in 1858.
When the war closed the Church was
disorganized, but he went to work and
helped to organize the Clarksville district,
and was appointed P.C. of Dover circuit, the
first year after the war. He donated eight
acres of land near him on which he built a
large frame church with some assistance and
helped to erect an arbor and enclosed it with
a plank fence. It is known as the Bowden
Chapel camp ground. He was true to the
prayer meeting, Sunday-school, and the
ministry. Thousands no doubt will be saved
by his ministry. His death was caused by a
fall while on his why to Brownwood. He
died at the residence of his son, M.E.
Bowden, near Mexia, Texas, November 24,
1896. Uncle Jackson was well known as a
true enthusiastic preacher. Got a blessing at
every service. What a priceless legacy for his
nine children who survive him. May the
same God whom he trusted, comfort the
bereaved, and may all meet in a brighter,
better world. Allen F. Bowden. Clio, Texas
Nashville and Texas Advocates
Submitted by Jackie Blaney
[email protected]
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