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Andrew Green Gowen [William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of William W. Gowen and Rebecca Townsend Green, was born in Colleton County, Beaufort District, February 13, 1837. He was 17 years old when his family moved to Camden County in 1854. His census enumerations in later years suggest that he was born in 1840. Mary A. "Mollie" Gowen Wingfield states that he was "nearly grown" when they left South Carolina.
During the Civil War, he returned to his native Carolina and enlisted in the South Carolina Seventh Infantry Regiment under the command of Col. A. C. Haskell at Pocataligo, South Carolina near Beaufort January 28, 1863. At the same time his cousins, Press E. Earle, John Earle, William Earle, E. Green, J. W. Green and Francis Marion Green, all of Colleton District, also enlisted in the Seventh Regiment. Pvt. Andrew Green Gowen served throughout the war in Company B of the regiment.
The cousins had high morale and great enthusiasm for the war. Their commander, Brigadier-Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard had resigned as superintendent of the U. S. Military Academy at West Point and rushed to Charleston to fire the first shot at Ft. Sumter which began the Civil War. The South Carolina troops had successfully held Ft. Sumter and defended Charleston against every attack. In April 1864 Gen. Beauregard, a native of New Orleans who was a Mexican War hero, was ordered to move his troops to support Robert E. Lee on the James River in Virginia.
The war was no longer a lark. Andrew Green Gowen was injured in the Battle of Drury's Bluff in May 1864 and entered the Confederate hospital at Danville, Virginia May 16, 1864 for a four-day period.
He was wounded again in the Battle of Deep Bottom on July 27, 1864 on the James River. He was left on the battlefield and with difficulty had to crawl from the scene until he was rescued. Killed in the same engagement was his cousin Press E. Earle. On the following day he was admitted in Jackson Hospital, Richmond, Virginia for treatment of his injured hand. After spending 40 days in recovery, he was furloughed for 30 days August 28, 1864 to Tebeauville, [now Waycross] Georgia. While on furlough there, he received four month's back pay of $95.40.
Recovered from his wounds, he returned to Virginia to find his proud regiment decimated, his cousins scattered and his idol, Gen. Beauregard seriously ill. The men of Company B, short of food and ammunition, mustered in rags for uniforms. After a year of fighting along the James River, the South Carolinians were mercifully surrendered at Appomattox April 9, 1865.
After the Civil War, Andrew Green Gowen returned to South Carolina and was a plantation overseer. Shortly afterward he returned to Camden County where he taught in a private school. About 1868, he operated a general store at Centrervillage followed by another at Trader's Hill, Georgia, the county seat of Charlton County. He was enumerated there September 3, 1870 living alone in Household 344-319:
"Gowen, A. G. 28, born in Georgia, clerk, country,
store, $5,000 personal property."
Nearby, in Household 346-322, was recorded the family of a widow, Eliza Vernon whose daughter he married about 1873:
"Vernon, Eliza 39, born in GA, farmer
Jane 23, born in GA, keeping house
Annie 22, born in GA, house maid
Henry 18, born in GA, farmhand
William 3, born in GA
Turner, Mary 80, born in GA, at home"
Louise Copeland Herring wrote August 16, 1992, "This census states that William Vernon was a child of Jane Vernon before her marriage to Andrew Green Gowen."
Trader's Hill became the home of Andrew Green Gowen for the rest of his life, according to a letter written December 13, 1913 by Mary A. "Mollie" Gowen Wingfield, a cousin of Rome, Georgia. The town was located on the St. Marys River which flows from the Okefenokee Swamp to the Atlantic Ocean in a big lazy S and serves as the boundary between Georgia and Florida.
He became active in politics and in 1871 was elected county treasurer. For the next 40 years he held various state and county offices Barney Alexander Gowen, family historian compiled a record of his political career: 1875, Tax Collector; 1881-1885, Clerk of Superior Court; 1886-1889, Georgia State Senator, 4th. District; 1890-1895, Clerk of Superior Court; 1896-1897, State Representative for Charlton County and 1908-1910, County Judge, Charlton County Court. Additionally, he continued to operate his farm throughout the entire period.
He was married about 1873 to Jane Vernon, daughter of Henry Vernon, a teacher at Trader's Hill and Elizabeth Turner Vernon. The household of Andrew Green Gowen, was enumerated June 29, 1880 in the Federal census of Charlton County, living at Trader's Hill, Enumeration District 1142, page 50:
"Gowen, Andrew 40, born in SC, father born in
SC, mother born in SC,
farmer
Jane 27, [probably 33] born in GA,
father born unknown,
mother born in GA, keep-
ing house
Willie 13, born in GA, father born in
SC [?], mother born in GA
farm laborer
Glenn 5, born in GA, father born in
SC, mother born in GA
Barney 4, born in GA, father born in
SC, mother born in GA
James V. 2, born in GA, father born in
SC, mother born in GA
Annie E. 5/12, born in December in GA,
father born in SC,
mother born in GA"
Alex S. McQueen writing in 1932 in his "History of Charlton County, Georgia," stated:
"The Honorable A. G. Gowen, Sr. was an outstanding leader in the affairs of the county for several generations and was one of the most intelligent men of the county in his day. He served several terms as clerk of the Superior Court, and also acted as legal advisor for the citizens of this county for many years. While not a lawyer, he was well posted in the law and could prepare a legal instrument as well as most lawyers."
In 1897 Andrew Green Gowen received a land grant of one-half section in Charlton County. He immediately donated two acres of it to Prospect Methodist Church to replace a church building which had recently burned. In 1930, his daughter, Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey gave a confirmation deed to the church.
Jane Vernon Gowen died May 30, 1884 and was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery. Andrew Green Gowen was remarried July 7, 1889 to Laura Pierce Denmark in Anniston, Alabama. She was born to William W. Denmark and Julia Pierce Denmark March 18, 1853 in Leaksville, Mississippi, according to the D.A.R. application of Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey. The 1900 census shows March 1862 as her birth month.
They were enumerated in the 1900 census of Charlton County:
“Gowen, Andrew 60, born in February 1840 in SC
Laura P. 38, born in March 1862 in MS
James V. 21, born in Dec. 1878 in GA
Andrew G. 20, born in Dec. 1879 in GA
Annie E. 7, born in Sept. 1892 in GA
Julia C. 9, born in Feb. 1890 in GA
Flora E. 7, born in July 1893 in GA
Laura M. 4, born in Nov. 1895 in GA
Denmark, Mattie 47, born in Nov. 1852 in AL”
Andrew Green Gowen made his last trip to visit his relatives in South Carolina in 1912, at the age of 75, according to a letter written by Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey. He took along his daughters, Flora Estelle Gowen, age 20, and Laura Mattie Gowen, age 16.
Andrew Green Gowen died March 5, 1925 at the age of 88 and was buried in Trader's Hill Cemetery. Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey wrote that her father had an attack while walking on his farm. "He crawled to the house on his hands and knees, just like on the battlefield at Deep Bottom. He was put to bed, and a doctor called. The night he passed away, lying on his bed, he repeated the entire "Psalm of Life" by Longfellow, these being his last words."
Mr. McQueen wrote:
"The Hon. Andrew Green Gowen, Sr. retained his vigorous mental faculties to the time of his death. It is a matter of regret by the author that he did not begin the work on the "History of Charlton County" before the death of this pioneer, for he was without a doubt, the best posted man in the county on its history. He possessed a most retentive memory and was much above average in intelligence.”
Laura Pierce Denmark Gowen died August 6, 1934 and was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery.
Children born to Andrew Green Gowen and his first wife include:
Willie Gowen born in 1867
Children born to Andrew Green Gowen and Jane Vernon Gowen include:
Glenn Washington Gowen born September 4, 1874
Barney Branford Gowen born November 15, 1876
James Vernon Gowen born March 6, 1878
Annie Elizabeth Gowen born December 14, 1879
Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. born January 29, 1882
Mary Rebecca Gowen [twin] born May 30, 1884
Annie Gowen [twin] born May 30, 1884
Children born to Andrew Green Gowen and Laura Pierce Denmark Gowen include:
Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen born Sept. 25, 1890
Flora Estelle Gowen born Feb. 7, 1892
Laura Mattie Gowen born July 21, 1895
Willie Gowen [Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of the first marriage of Andrew Green Gowen, was born in 1867. He appeared in his father's household in the 1880 census as a thirteen-year-old. When he died he was buried in Charles Cemetery.
Glenn Washington Gowen [Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Andrew Green Gowen and Jane Vernon Gowen, was born September 4, 1874 according to Barney Alexander Gowen, at Trader's Hill. He was married about 1900, wife's name Minnie M. She was born October 14, 1877 and died November 15, 1952. He died March 1, 1940 at Hilliard, Florida. They were buried in Traders Hill Cemetery. Children born to Glenn Washington Gowen and Minnie M. Gowen are unknown.
Barney Branford Gowen [Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Andrew Green Gowen and Jane Vernon Gowen, was born November 15, 1876. He was married about 1899, wife's name unknown. He lived in Folkston in 1900.
Alex S. McQueen, writing in his book in 1932, stated that Barney Branford Gowen was a farmer living in the Conner's Mill community of Charlton County. He died April 24, 1932, according to a letter from Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey. He was buried in Bethel Cemetery.
Children born to Barney Branford Gowen include:
Annie Gowen born October 10, 1900
Francis Marion Gowen born October 10, 1910
Kline E. Gowen born in 1911
[infant] born May 5, 1922
Barney Branford Gown, Jr. born June 13, 1924
Annie Gowen [Barney Branford9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], daughter of Barney Branford Gowen, was born at Folkston October 10, 1900. About 1922 she was married to Frank Mills. In January 1973 Annie Gowen Mills, a widow, was living in Natchez, Mississippi.
Children born to Frank Mills and Annie Gowen Mills include:
Vivian Mills born about 1923
Vivian Mills, only known child of Frank Mills and Annie Gowen Mills was born about 1923. She was married about 1946 to M. C. Reynolds. In January 1973 M. C. Reynolds and Vivian Mills Reynolds lived in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Francis Marion Gowen [Barney Branford9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Barney Branford Gowen, was born at Folkston, October 10, 1910. He was graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology about 1932 and was employed by International Paper Company. He was married to Margaret Roberta Simmons in 1941 at Pine Bluff, Arkansas. In 1944 they lived in Hunt County, Texas. He died in 1958 at Shreveport. In 1972 Margaret Roberta Simmons Gowen continued to live at Shreveport at 4501 Norway Drive.
Children born to Francis Marion Gowen and Margaret Roberta Simmons Gowen include:
Francis Marion Gowen, Jr. born January 18, 1944
Francis Marion Gowen, Jr. [Francis Marion10, Barney Branford9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Francis Marion Gowen and Margaret Roberta Simmons Gowen, was born January 18, 1944 at Greenville, Texas, according to Hunt County Birth Certificate No. 10727. He was married about 1964, wife's name Sue. In 1968 Francis Marion Gowen, Jr. was listed as a student at Louisiana State University living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to the city directory. In 1972 and in 1990 Francis Marion Gowen, Jr, an attorney and his wife, Sue Gowen, lived at 227 Arthur Way, Shreveport.
Kline E. Gowen [Barney Branford9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Barney Branford Gowen, was born in 1911, probably in Charlton County. He was married, wife's name unknown and died in 1940. He was buried at Traders Hill Cemetery.
Children born to Kline E. Gowen include:
James R. Gowen born in 1936
James R. Gowen [Kline E.10. Barney Branford9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Kline E. Gowen, was born in 1936, probably in Charlton County. He died in the same year and was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery.
An infant of Barney B. Gowen was born May 5, 1922 and died the same day, according to in Charlton County according to Georgia Death records [1919-1998], Certificate No. 11279-D.
Barney Branford Gowen, Jr, [Barney Branford9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Barney Branford Gowen, was born June 13, 1924, according to his “tin plate.” He died March 11, 1985 at the age of 60 and was buried in Sardis Cemetery in Charlton County.
James Vernon Gowen [Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Andrew Green Gowen and Jane Vernon Gowen, was born March 6, 1878 in Charlton County. At age 20 he enlisted in the U.S. Army for service during the Spanish-American War.
In November 1906 he was married to Mary Agnes Dean, his first cousin, once-removed. She was the daughter of Emory Franklin Dean and Maybelle Godley Dean. She was born June 16, 1882. According to a letter written by Mary Agnes Dean Gowen September 8, 1959, the couple remained in Folkston, having lived in Wayne and Charlton Counties, Georgia all their lives.
In 1932 Alex S. McQueen wrote that James Vernon Gowen was "an extensive landowner and naval stores operator of the county who now resides at Old Trader's Hill." Hazel Elizabeth Dean Overstreet advised that he owned 30,000 acres of timberland. He was a member of Charlton County Board of Education for 27 years.
He died November 26, 1956 and was buried in Prospect Cemetery. Mary Agnes Dean Gowen, at age 89 was living in Charlton County, Christmas 1972. She died there January 11, 1981. Both are buried in Prospect Cemetery.
When Genna and Roger Wangsness began their search for a small town in which to "retire" and open a bed and breakfast, Georgia was not on their list of states to visit. After traveling through states farther north and not finding the "perfect" place, they headed south on I-95 to visit their daughter in Florida. While traveling I-95, Genna took out the Georgia map to see if there was anything along the way of interest. She discovered the Okefenokee Swamp and thought it would be a worthwhile side trip. She and Roger soon learned that the small town of Folkston, which is the "Gateway to the Okefenokee Swamp", had no bed and breakfast, and according to the Chamber's executive director, there were many residents who thought the town needed one. In fact, there was an elderly lady selling a large home right down on Main Street...would they be interested in seeing it? The rest is history. Folkston would soon become their new home. After selling their home in Virginia, Roger and Genna began a year's restoration of the 12-room 1920s heart-pine bungalow they hadpurchased, and they opened Folkston's first and finest bed and breakfast in February of 1998.
When Roger and Genna purchased the house in 1997, it was 75 years old and had been home to nine previous owners. During that time, the house went through numerous structural changes at the hands of its many owners. The original heart pine of the interior of the home had been covered with plush carpeting, wallboard, dropped ceilings and paneling, and the window and door trim had been painted white. The exterior consisted of vinyl siding and shutters, and the porch railing had disappeared. In restoring the house, Roger and Genna made every effort to restore the home according to historic preservation guidelines.
According to courthouse records, the property on which the house stands was sold on May 26, 1922 to Ed Shiver, a Folkston carpenter/builder, who erected a house on the property. On August 13, 1924, he sold the house and property to the Georgia-Florida Investment Co., owned by James Vernon Gowen, a prominent citizen of Charlton County. James Vernon Gowen's family had resided at Traders Hill on the St. Marys River since his father, Andrew Green Gowen, came from South Carolina in 1864. In 1920, J.V. Gowen built a large home for his family on a hill overlooking the road between Folkston and St. George. This family home at Traders Hill still stands, but it is abandoned and the land is somewhat overgrown, making it difficult to see from the road. Today, Gowen descendants live in newer homes adjacent to the old family home.
J.V. Gowen purchased the Main Street house as a second, in-city home for when his children were attending school in Folkston. The Gowens had nine children, eight boys and one girl. The Gowens were well known and active in the community. J.V. Gowen formed the Georgia-Florida Investment company in 1910, and his business grew into one of the county's largest and most successful businesses. The company operated a sawmill, turpentine still, and related timber products, as well as a commissary at Traders Hill. Over the years Gowen acquired over 30,000 acres of land at Traders Hill. The Gowens lived on and off on Main Street for the next 28 years. After that time, the house changed hands frequently. In August of 1952 the house was sold to the Bragg family. Elizabeth DeVane and her husband Howard bought the house in February, 1959, and Ms. DeVane converted the old servant's quarters into a schoolhouse. Many local people recall attending Ms. DeVane's
kindergarten class between 1959-67.
The Whitakers lived here from 1969-1975, and they reported the presence of a ghost, a woman in a plaid dress, who appeared in the stairwell to the second story. Apparently, the ghost is that of Rachel
Templeton, a teacher who was a former resident. Allon Boatwright, currently of Valdosta, spent many boyhood hours in the house when the Flinks bought the house from the Whitakers and moved into the house in 1976. He recalls putting a chair in front of the attic door to ensure that the ghost did not
come into the upper room bedroom of one of the Flink children.
Mrs. Flink owned a bakery in the old hotel on Main Street called "Ye Olde Bakery," and they lived in the house for nine years. When Virginia Stacks purchased the house in 1985, she remodeled the house by installing vinyl siding, carpeting and wallboard. By removing a wall between two bedroom she created a poolroom with dropped ceilings and large fluorescent lights. During restoration, the bedrooms' dividing wall was rebuilt in the original location to create Hanna's Norway Room, and the other bedroom was converted into the bathrooms for Hanna's Room and Michael's Room. The Stacksremoved the back porch, and added two rooms to the back of the house, India's Oriental Room was in the inn's workroom, as well as the small side porch. The Stacks had moved from Jacksonville when their home was torn down during the building of the I-95 highway over Dames Point. She brought many things with her from the old house. The kitchen cabinets were moved here and rebuilt to fit the kitchen. She replaced the bannister and rails to the second floor with 100-year-old ones she brought with her.
The original bannister and rails were found in the garage and used to build the railing in Sarah Jane's Garden Room. Eight sons and one daughter were born to them:
James Dean Gowen born September 16, 1907
Emory Clyde Gowen born April 7, 1909
Andrew Willard Gowen born February 2, 1911
Hazel Elizabeth Gowen born November 23, 1912
Donald Lee Gowen born March 28, 1915
James Vernon Gowen, Jr. born February 2, 1917
Guy Albert Gowen born December 31, 1918
Lacy Marion Gowen born January 9, 1921
Sidney Harold Gowen born December 9, 1923
James Dean Gowen [James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Vernon Gowen and Mary Agnes Dean Gowen, was born September 16, 1907 in Wayne County. He was married September 14, 1930 to Verena Monroe of Waycross, Georgia. In a letter written June 24, 1960 James Dean Gowen advised that he was chief of surveys and engineering for the land department of Union Bag-Camp Paper Corporation, Georgia Division. He maintained his residence at Waycross, Georgia. He died July 13, 1970 and was buried in Prospect Cemetery.
Children born to him include:
James Dean Gowen, Jr. born September 29, 1938
Sidney Lee Gowen born December 7, 1942
James Dean Gowen, Jr. [James Dean10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Dean Gowen and Verena Monroe Gowen, was born September 29, 1938. He was married in July 1962 to Ann Roberts.
In October 1999, “Jimmy Dean Gowen” was chairman of an 11-member board of directors of Charlton Memorial Hospital, according to an article in the “Florida Times-Union” of Jacksonville, Florida.
Children born to James Dean Gowen, Jr. and Ann Roberts Gowen are unknown.
Sidney Lee Gowen [James Dean10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Dean Gowen and Verena Monroe Gowen, was born December 7, 1942. In 1965 he was married to Gloria Nobles. Children born to Sidney Lee Gowen and Gloria Nobles Gowen are unknown.
Emory Clyde Gowen [James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Vernon Gowen and Mary Agnes Dean Gowen, was born April 7, 1909 in Wayne County. He was married in 1935 to Ann Smith, daughter of B. E. Smith of Portal, Georgia. In October 1987 he continued in Charlton County. He died there in March 1990 and was buried in Folkston Cemetery. Ann Smith Gowen died March 8, 2002 and was buried beside her husband by Shepard Funeral Home of Folkston.
Children born to Emory Clyde Gowen and Ann Smith Gowen include
Joseph Gregory Gowen born May 22, 1948
Andrew Willard Gowen [James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Vernon Gowen and Mary Agnes Dean Gowen, was born February 2, 1911. He died April 6, 1918 at age seven and was buried in Prospect Cemetery.
Hazel Elizabeth Gowen [James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], daughter of James Vernon Gowen and Mary Agnes Dean Gowen, was born November 23, 1912. She was married in 1936 to Charles Pearce Stapleton, son of Emmet Brewer Stapleton and Rosa Pearce Stapleton. He was a pharmacist and owned Stapleton's Drugstore in Folkston. She died February 8, 1995 and was buried in the Folkston Cemetery. She had eight brothers, but was survived by only one, Harold Sidney Gowen of Folkston.
Frances Hazel Stapleton born November 11, 1944
Rosemary Stapleton born September 17, 1948
Frances Hazel Stapleton, daughter of Charles Pearce Stapleton and Hazel Elizabeth Gowen Stapleton, was born November 11, 1944. She was married about 1966 to Emmett David McDaniel. In 1995 she was a teacher in the Folkston school system.
Rosemary Stapleton, daughter of Charles Pearce Stapleton and Hazel Elizabeth Gowen Stapleton, was born September 17, 1948. She was married about 1970 to Kenneth Duane Kriner. In 1995 she was a teacher in the Folkston school system.
Donald Lee Gowen [James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Vernon Gowen and Mary Agnes Dean Gowen, was born March 28, 1915. He died unmarried July 13, 1971 and was buried in Prospect Cemetery.
James Vernon Gowen, Jr. [James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Vernon Gowen and Mary Agnes Dean Gowen, was born at Traders Hill February 2, 1917. He was married in 1937 to Ruby Harrison, daughter of Ward Harrison and Eva Bunkley Harrison. In 1987 he lived in Charlton County. He died there November 9, 1994 at age 77. He was a director of the Citizens Bank and served on the city council, board of education and historical commission. He was buried in Folkston Cemetery.
Children born to James Vernon Gowen, Jr. and Ruby Harrison Gowen include:
Mary Eve Gowen born in 1943
Sandra Gowen born in 1944
Kenneth Donald Gowen born February 15, 1947
John Vernon Gowen born in 1951
Mary Eve Gowen [James Vernon, Jr.10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], daughter of James Vernon Gowen, Jr. and Ruby Harrison Gowen, was born in 1943. He was married about 1963 to Leslie H. Blair.
Sandra Gowen [James Vernon, Jr.10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], daughter of James Vernon Gowen, Jr. and Ruby Harrison Gowen, was born in 1944 and died as an infant. She was buried in Pineview-Bachlott Cemetery.
Kenneth Donald Gowen [James Vernon, Jr.10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Vernon Gowen, Jr. and Ruby Harrison Gowen, was born February 15, 1947 and died March 18, 1967. He was buried in Pineview-Bachlott Cemetery.
John Vernon Gowen [James Vernon, Jr.10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Vernon Gowen, Jr. and Ruby Harrison Gowen, was born in 1951.
Guy Albert Gowen [James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Vernon Gowen and Mary Agnes Dean Gowen, was born December 31, 1918. He was married in October 1943 to Ethel Harrison, daughter of Ward Harrison and Eva Bunkley Harrison. He continued in Charlton County in 1987. He died there in Folkston December 18, 1994 at age 76 and was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery, according the the records of National Funeral Directors Assn. He was a farmer and in the poultry processing business.
One child was born to Guy Albert Gowen and Ethel Harrison Gowen:
Guy Albert Gowen, Jr. born about 1946
Guy Albert Gowen, Jr. [Guy Albert10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Guy Albert Gowen and Ethel Harrison Gowen, was born about 1946. He was married about 1969 to Beth Sanderson. Children born to Guy Albert Gowen, Jr. and Beth Sanderson Gowen are unknown.
Lacy Marion Gowen [James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Vernon Gowen and Mary Agnes Dean Gowen, was born January 9, 1921. He died April 3, 1928 at age seven.
Sidney Harold Gowen [James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of James Vernon Gowen and Mary Agnes Dean Gowen, was born December 9, 1923. He was married about 1946 to Ann Hopkins, daughter of Alva Hopkins and Ethel Shephard Hopkins. During World War II he served in the 88th Infantry Division, Fifth Army in the Italian campaign. No children were born to Sidney Harold Gowen and Ann Hopkins Gowen. In 1987 they continued in Charlton County.
Annie Elizabeth Gowen [Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], daughter of Andrew Green Gowen and Jane Vernon Gowen, was born December 14, 1879 in Charlton County. She was married about 1901 to the Hon. Jesse William Vickery, probably in Charlton County. He was born March 5, 1876 and died November 4, 1942. Annie Elizabeth Gowen Vickery survived him until June 5, 1958.
Children born to Jesse William Vickery and Annie Elizabeth Gowen Vickery include:
Waudelle Barney Vickery born Nov. 4, 1902
Andrew Felton Vickery born Feb. 4, 1904
[infant] born Nov. 18, 1918
Fermon Olive Vickery born June 13, 1920
Waudelle Barney Vickery, son of Jesse William Vickery and Annie Elizabeth Gowen Vickery, was born in Charlton County November 4, 1902. He was married to Mary Banks about 1922. Waudelle Barney Vickery died January 27, 1941. Mary Banks Vickery, who was born October 19, 1902, died December 28, 1958. A child born to them December 31, 1933, died on the same day.
Andrew Felton Banks Vickery, son of Jesse William Vickery and Annie Elizabeth Gowen Vickery, was born February 4, 1904 in Charlton County. He died August 16, 1904.
A unnamed child, born November 18, 1918 to Jesse William Vickery and Annie Elizabeth Gowen Vickery died on the same day.
Fermon Olive Vickery, son of Jesse William Vickery and Annie Elizabeth Gowen Vickery was born June 13, 1920 in Charlton County. He died September 25, 1931.
Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. [Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Andrew Green Gowen and Jane Vernon Gowen, was born January 29, 1882. He was married about 1905 to Mattie Rowe. Mattie Rowe Gowen was born July 28, 1884 and died September 15, 1907. She was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery. One son, name unknown, was born to Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Mattie Rowe Gowen before her death. He was remarried about 1910 to Bertha "Bertie" Shepard Grooms. She died July 26, 1939.
Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. lived in Kingsland, Woodbine and Blackshear, Georgia and Callahan, Florida. In 1940 he was married for the third time to Inez Polk Barnes. In 1960 Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Inez Polk Barnes Gowen lived at Folkston where he was a farmer and service station operator. He died Decembeer 14, 1967 and was buried at Traders Hill Cemetery.
Children born to Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Mattie Rowe Gowen include:
Cecil Eugene Gowen born June 22, 1906
Six children were born to Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Bertha Sheppard Gowen:
Althea Gertrude Gowen born January 14, 1911
Sheppard Andrew Gowen born June 2, 1912
Morris Pierce Gowen born November 4, 1916
Louie Lee Gowen born March 29, 1919
Carl Clayton Gowen born October 17, 1922
Dorothy Grace Gowen born January 1, 1924
Cecil Eugene Gowen [Andrew Green, Jr.11, Andrew Green10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Mattie Rowe Gowen, was born June 22, 1906 at Kingsland. He died April 21, 1975 and was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery.
Four children were born to him, including:
Gary E. Gowen born June 1, 1935
Gary E. Gowen [Cecil Eugene12, Andrew Green, Jr.11, Andrew Green10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Cecil Eugene Gowen, was born June 1, 1935. He was married about 1956 to Lillie Elizabeth Burnett who was born June 7, 1934. She died April 1, 1977 and was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery. In 1979, he was an attorney in Carson City, Nevada. He was remarried in 1989 to Deborah Dicey Hoffman, a native of Granada Hills, California. In 1990 he was practicing law in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was the owner of Sailing Vessel Margaritaville which was berthed in San Diego, California and in which he sailed extensively in the Pacific.
It is believe that he was later remarried to Betty Sue Miller. She died August 12, 2001 from injuries received in an automobile accident, according to her obituary:
“Mrs. Betty Sue Miller Gowen, 46, of Las Vegas, Nevada, formerly of Douglas, Georgia., passed away suddenly Sunday evening, August 12, 2001, near Tallahassee, Fla., following injuries received in an auto accident.
Mrs. Gowen, a native of Douglas, was the daughter of Orville W. and Pauline Lott Miller. She was member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Douglas 2nd Ward.
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Survivors include: her husband, Gary E. Gowen of Las Vegas, three sons, Michael Gowen and wife, Doralee Gowen, of Douglas, James Jarred Rutland of Las Vegas and Jeremy Keith Rutland of Keystone Heights, Florida; her parents, Orville W. Miller and Pauline Lott Miller of Douglas, Ga.; threebrothers, Charles Miller, Duaine Mil-ler and wife, Peggy, and Donald W. Miller and wife, Mary, all of Douglas.; one sister, Paula Carol Lott and husband, Tim, of Broxton, Ga.; two grandchildren, Nathan Lewis Gowen and Elisabeth Gowen, both of Douglas.
Funeral services were held at 10 a.m., Thursday, August 16, 2001, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Douglas 2nd Ward, with Bishop John Keanan, President Steve Sirmans, and Elder John Southerland presenting the eulogy and Elder Mike Gowen officiating. The invocation was presented by Elder Thurston Spivey and the benediction was offered by Elder Virgil Bennett. Interment followed in the Traders Hill Cemetery, near Folkston, Georgia with Elder James Moye presenting dedication of the grave. Ricketson Funeral Home of Douglas was in charge of the arrangements.”
Children born to Gary E. Gowen and Lillie Elizabeth Burnett Gowen include:
Alicia Diane Gowen born February 27, 1959
Gary E. Gowen, Jr. born about 1966
Alicia Diane Gowen [Gary E.12, Andrew Green, Jr.11, Andrew Green10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], daughter of Gary E. Gowen and Lillie Elizabeth Burnett Gowen, was born February 27, 1959. She died April 1, 1977.
Gary E. Gowen, Jr. [Gary E.12, Andrew Green, Jr.11, Andrew Green10, James Vernon9, Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Gary E. Gowen and Lillie Elizabeth Burnett Gowen, was born about 1962. In 1990 he lived with his father in Las Vegas. He died in 1992 and was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery.
Althea Gertrude Gowen [Andrew Green, Jr.9 Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], daughter of Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Bertha Shepard Gowen, was born January 14, 1911 at Woodbine. About 1932 she was married to Harven Quarterman. In July 1992 she lived at Woodbine.
Sheppard Andrew Gowen [Andrew Green, Jr.9 Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Bertha Shepard Gowen, was born June 2, 1912 at Blackshear. He was married to Mary Crews about 1935. He served a total of 44 months with the U. S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He retired after 30 years with the Atlantic Coast Line railroad. In 1987 he lived in Waycross. He died there January 29, 1995. He was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery along with his parents and grandparents. One daughter was born to them.
Morris Pierce Gowen [Andrew Green, Jr.9 Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Bertha Shepard Gowen, was born November 4, 1916 at Woodbine. He died October 10, 1997 and was buried at Traders Hill Cemetery.
Louie Lee Gowen [Andrew Green, Jr.9 Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Bertha Shepard Gowen, was born March 29, 1919 at Callahan. He died April 3, 1970 and was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery.
Carl Clayton Gowen [Andrew Green, Jr.9 Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], son of Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Bertha Shepard Gowen, was born October 17, 1922. He was killed on July 27, 1944 in World War II. He died with no descendants and was buried in Traders Hill Cemetery.
Dorothy Grace Gowen [Andrew Green, Jr.9 Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], daughter of Andrew Green Gowen, Jr. and Bertha Shepard Gowen, was born January 1, 1924 at Folkston. About 1946 she was married, husband's name Conner.
Mary Rebecca Gowen [Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], twin daughter of Andrew Green Gowen and Jane Vernon Gowen, was born on May 30, 1884. About 1904 she was married to the Hon. Floyd E. Brock who died in 1921. She was living in November 1961.
Children born to Floyd E. Brock and Mary Rebecca Gowen Brock include:
James Milton Brock born in 1905
Thomas Brock born about 1906
Lucille Brock born about 1907
Rivers Brock born July 19, 1909
Audie Felton Brock born in 1911
Ben Brock born about 1913
Vernon Brock born about 1916
George W. Brock born about 1917
Nell Brock born about 1918
Bessie Vera Brock born in 1919
Lucille Brock, daughter of Floyd E. Brock and Mary Rebecca Gowen Brock, was born about 1907. She was married about 1930 to Hugh McLain. They were the parents of two sons who became physicians.
George W. Brock, son of Floyd E. Brock and Mary Rebecca Gowen Brock, was born about 1917. He was married about 1940, wife's name Gerry, a teacher. He worked for Union-Camp Corporation. In 1992 they lived at Waverly, Georgia.
Annie Gowen [Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], twin daughter of Andrew Green Gowen and Jane Vernon Gowen, was born May 30, 1884 and died the same day.
Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen [Andrew Green8, William W.7, William Keating6, James5, William4, William3, Thomas2, Mihil1], daughter of Andrew Green Gowen and Laura Pierce Denmark Gowen was born at Trader's Hill September 25, 1890. She attended school in Charlton County and was graduated from Bessie Taft College, Forsyth, Georgia. She taught school in Camden, Charlton and Brantley Counties, Georgia. She was married on May 5, 1912 to William Nichols Casey, Jr. at Kingsland. He was the eldest son of William Nichols Casey and Jane Haddock Casey. He was graduated from college at Dahlonega, Georgia and had been Camden County School Superintendent.
Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey was named city clerk of Kingsland. William Nichols Casey, Jr. was postmaster at Kingsland from 1915 until 1931. In 1943 Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey was named postmistress at Kingsland and served in this post until her retirement in 1960. In April 1963 she lived with a son on a farm south of Kingsland.
Following her retirement Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey became interested in the Gowen family history and in 1973 was engaged in genealogical research. She was admitted into D.A.R. in that year.
In 1963, before she had done much research, she wrote of a family legend:
"Our ancestors came from Scotland; two brothers William and Patrick Gowrie. They changed their names to Gowen and settled on Combahee River in South Carolina. Later Patrick Gowen, being a lawyer, went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. William Gowen remained in South Carolina and became a landowner and planter. This was years before the Revolutionary War. See encyclopedia for Gowen and House of Rutherford. See Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt's book, "This I Remember" about her visit with Lord and Lady Gowen in Australia".
She was fascinated with the legend of the Georgia Gowen family that they were descendants of Scotch royalty and researched the history of the Gowrie conspiracy in which the third Earl of Gowrie attempted to assassinate King James VI. She had traced the career of the then Earl of Gowrie until his death in the 1940s at the age of 82 in Gloucestershire.
He had won the Victoria Cross as a captain attached to the Camel Corps of the Egyptian Army during the war with the Dervishes in 1898. During World War I he was severely wounded at Gallipoli. Later he was advanced to the rank of brigadier-general. He was appointed governor of Australia in 1928 and of New South Wales in 1934 and governor-general of the Antipadean Commonwealth in 1935.
Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey wrote February 7, 1979: "One time when my father was ill and I was at home with him, sitting in his room, I opened his desk, got a pencil and a sheet of foolscap and asked him about his folks in South Carolina. 'Katie,' he told me, 'hold your head high for you have royal blood in your veins. You are descended from the Earl of Gowrie of Scotland.' The Gowens had a plantation, and it was known as Gowrie Plantation. Silk, hemp, rice and cotton were shipped from there to Haversham and to Savannah. A reference to Robert Gowrie in 1734 appears in Ramsey's “Ecclesiastical History of South Carolina, 1670-1808,” page 6.
Pointing to the fact that there was a "Gowrie Tract" located astride the Camden-Glynn County line which included a Gowrie Island, Julia Catherine "Katie" Gowen Casey attempted to bridge the gap between Scotland and Georgia. In 1925 she wrote the Lord Mayor of Perth requesting his assistance:
"To the Lord Mayor of Perth
Perth, Scotland
My Dear Sir:
I take the liberty of addressing you thus and shall tresspass for a few minutes upon your valuable time. I desire a little information and feel sure you can furnish me with same, and if you cannot, will you kindly refer me to someone who might supply same.
Does Gowrie House near Perth still stand, or has it been destroyed or gone into decay with passing years? Has the line of Gowrie become extinct in Scotland, or do we still have descendants of the Earl of Gowrie holding title and name to this date? If not, to whom has the property and holdings of the Earl of Gowrie reverted? Can you give me the given names of the Ruthven brothers of the Earl of Gowrie who were reported killed in the year 1601? Also can you give me the names of the two brothers of the Earl of Gowrie who came to America in *1601?
Yours very truly,
Mrs. Julia C. Gowen Casey"
[*Jamestown, Virginia, first English settlement in America, was founded May 14, 1607; the Mayflower landed 13 years later.]
The following reply was received from the Burgh Surveyors Office in Perth:
"Mrs. J. C. Gowen Casey,
Your letter to the Hon. John Dewar, Lord Provost of Perth, regarding Gowrie House and the Ruthvens has been handed to me for attention, and I herewith send you statement which I have prepared giving you full particulars.
I shall be glad to know if this information will be sufficient for your purpose.
Yours faithfully,
Thomas McLaren
Burgh Surveyor
Gowrie House and the Ruthven Family
Gowrie House was built by the Countess of Huntley in 1520. After her death in 1526, it was acquired by Patrick, Lord Ruthven, father of the first Earl of Gowrie. He died in 1566. At the conspiracy, it was forfeited and became the property of the city. In 1746 the town of Perth presented it to the Duke of Cumberland. He sold it to the government to be converted into an Artillery Barracks, and it was so occupied until the French War of 1789. In 1805 it was purchased by the city and demolished in 1819 for the erection of the County Buildings and Justiciary Courts.
In 1913 a tablet was erected in the ancient Parish Church of St. John in Perth over the burial vault of the Gowrie family, and it was unveiled by a lineal descendant, Mr. J. Ruthven-Stuart, London. The tablet is of brass. On the top appears the arms of William, first Earl of Gowrie, and bears the motto, "Deid Schaw." At either side is a representation of Scotch Thistle.
The following is the inscription:
'In the north-east corner, in a vault close to this spot, along with William, first Earl of Gowrie, unjustly put to death May 1584 and James, second Earl of Gowrie, died 1588, are the martyred remains of John, third and last Earl of Gowrie and Lord Provost of the Burgh of Perth, and his brother, Alexander Ruthven, assassinated August 5th, 1600. The gentle and peaceable disposition of the two brothers made them to be idolised by all who knew them.'
This memorial is placed here by a lineal descendant of John, third Earl of Gowrie, Janet Ruthven-Stuart, as an act of justice and a tribute to the memory of brave, loyal and innocent men. August 5th, 1913. Post Tenebres Lux."
Lord Ruthven of Freeland, however, challenged at that time Mrs. J. Ruthven-Stuart's claim as representing the direct line, and Mrs. Stuart made the following statement in reply, "My ancestor, John, third Earl of Gowrie, was in all probability between 22 and 23 years of age at his death, and therefore man grown. Whether married or not, he left a son, that is certain, and from that son, I and many others are descended . . .
The Freeland Ruthvens were descended from a fifth son of the second Lord Ruthven of the main line, and in the male line became extinct in 1701.
Andrew Lang in his 'James VI and the Gowrie Mystery' published in 1902, on page 123 states 'that the Gowrie of the tragedy was born about 1577. He had many sisters; the eldest married the Earl of Athol, a Stewart in January 1580. Another sister of Gowrie, Sophia, married the Duke of Lennox who was at the slaughter of the Ruthvens. Another sister, Beatrix, was Maid of Honour to James's Queen. Gowrie had two younger brothers, Patrick and William, who fled to England from his castle of Dirleton, the day of the tragedy and were forfeited and persecuted by James. Patrick was long imprisoned in the Tower.
In "Historic Scenes in Perthshire," published in 1881 by Dr. Marshall, James' severity to the Ruthven family was fiendish. Two sisters were maids of honor to the queen. On his return to Falkland, on the night of the catastrophe, James dismissed them from office and expelled them from the palace, swearing that he would root out the whole race and name. Two brothers of the family, boys at school, happened to be with their mother at Dunkeld. Search was immediately made for them, that they might be destroyed; but they happily escaped in disguise to Berwick, and passed thence to England.
In 'The Gowrie Conspiracy,' published in 1903 by Samuel Cowan, the boys, William and Patrick went from Berwick to Cambridge with Elizabeth's consent, but when James ascended the throne, he issued a proclamation for their apprehension. William made his escape, but Patrick was arrested and put in the Tower of London where he lay for 28 years.
In 1616, a grant of £200 was made to him by the authorities. It is supposed that at this date his brother William was dead, as nothing more was heard of him, and that Patrick would now be the head of the Gowrie family. In 1622 he was removed by order of the King to Cambridge and awarded a pension of £500 per year. In 1624 he was released and went to Somersetshire. In 1640 he resided in St. Martins-in-the-Fields, and there he assigned 120 pounds per annum to his daughter, Mary Ruthven.
Patrick Ruthven married Elizabeth Woodford, widow of the first Lord Gerrard of Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire. In 1624 she died leaving Patrick a widower with two boys and a girl. His daughter was admitted to the royal household in the service of Queen Henrietta Maria. She was married to Van Dyke [Sir Anthony Van Dyke], the famous artist and had one daughter, Justiniana. Justiniana, who was born in 1641, married Sir John Prendergast. Patrick died and was buried at St. George's in Southwark as Lord Ruthven 24th May, 1652. On the 13th March, 1657 letters of administration were granted on his effects by the title of Patrick Lord Ruthven, late of Scotland, to his son, Patrick Ruthven, Esquire, of whom nothing is known. Patrick Ruthven, brother of Lady Van Dyke was married, wife's name Sarah.
Thomas McLaren
Perth, 21st October, 1925 Burgh Surveyor"
Immediately upon returning home King James VI influenced Parliament to enact a resolution concerning the Ruthven family: "that the surname of Ruthven shall now and in all tyme cumming be extinguischit and aboleissit for euir," and further ordained that those who bear the said surname and are innocent