Richard Bowen (abt. 1594 - bef. 1675)

Born about 1594 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Unknown (Unknown) Bowen — married about 1619 in England or Wales

Husband of Elizabeth (UNKNOWN) Bowen — married Nov 1648 in Weymouth, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died before 4 Feb 1675 before about age 81 in Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Richard Draper [send private message], Joe Cochoit [send private message], and Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message]

Richard Bowen migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 37) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Caution: An 1884 genealogy written by E.C. Bowen^[1] has been proven to be fraudulent, and the unfortunate source of many subsequently published claims. Richard Bowen, emigrant to New England, was NOT the son of James Bowen and Eleanore/Ellen Griffith. They have been detached. See Research Notes.

"Richard Bowen, born about 1585-1600, almost certainly in England, emigrated to New England about 1640. Suggestions that he was born in Wales are part of the discredited theory regarding his parents.There is evidence to suggest that he may have lived initially in Salem (where his daughter Alice married Robert Wheaton), then Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony (where there is record of him in 1642/3), before settling in Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony, in 1643, as one of its proprietors.

His property was in the southeast portion of the Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony "Ring of the Green" in what is present day Rumford, RI^[2].

Rehoboth Ring of the Green Map

The name of his first wife (and mother of all his children-- born between 1620 and 1634) is not known. Her listing (as "Ann") in an old pedigree (published in 1884) has been shown to be fraudulent. Some have called her Ann Bourne; others have called her Ann Constable; still others have called her Esther Sutton. (Esther Sutton married his son.) Whoever she was, she probably emigrated with him, and lived for awhile, at least until 1648.

Three Rehoboth women, Ester (Esther or Hester) Sutton, who married 4 Mar. 1646 Richard Bowen,....do not fit into any other family, and therefore were probably children of John Sutton, because Julian Sutton in her nuncupative will, dated 25 Apr. 1678, refers to "the rest of the children," who were evidently then living (Plymouth Deeds (Wills), vol. 3, pt. 2, p.210)...

This would account for the two wives' names and also for the absence of Ann.^[3]

In November 1648, in Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony he married second Elizabeth _______, widow of Marsh. She is buried in Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony in 1675.^[4][5] According to another source, p. 800, she died in 1688 and was buried 6 November 1688.^[6] This should be checked; it may refer to another Bowen woman.

Richard Bowen was a large landed proprietor along the river "running under the bridge" now called Bowens bridge, a fresh water tributary of Barrington River south of Seekonk.

He was of the first Board of Selectman of Rehoboth, Dec. 9, 1644; Deputy to Plymouth General Court, 1651.

He was buried 4 February 1674/5 in Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony.^[7][8][9] There is no known gravestone, and no coat of arms cut into it.

Note: Though some of the sources mention Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts, it was in Plymouth Colony until 1691. ^[10] See Also: Rehoboth Time Line.

16 March 1645/6: At a meeting of the [Rehoboth] townsmen it was agreed that all the general fields should be fenced by the 23rd of the present month. The following men were "made choice of to men the fence and to Judge of the Sufichency of them: Richard Bowen, Robert Tytyts, William Smith, Captaine Wright, Alexander Winchester, Thomas Blise, Stephen Pain, and Thomas Coop [Cooper]" [Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book 1, p.79].^[11]

Children

The following list and order of children is suggested by his will, examination of marriage records of his children, and birth dates of the spouses of his children:

1. Alice Wheaton; b abt 1620; married about 1640
2. William, b abt 1622; died unm and bur 10 Mar 1686/7.
3. Sarah, b abt 1624; m abt 1643 Robert Fuller, no date; no dates of childrens' births; Robt Fuller moved from Salem to Rehoboth by Jan 1644/5; their children are probably the four who married in Rehoboth:
   1. Jonathan, b abt 1644/5; m 1664
   2. Samuel, b abt 1646/7; m 1673
   3. John, b abt 1648; m 1673
   4. Elizabeth, b abt 1652; m 1672
4. Richard Jr [b abt 1625; m Esther Sutton 4 Mar 1646; therefore prob born c 1626]
5. Ruth Kenericke, b abt 1626; m 1647
6. Obadiah, b about 1628 based on age at death
7. Thomas, deceased before father's will written; b abt 1634; first child born Aug 1660, therefore m abt 1659;

While it has been claimed that George Bowen, sheriff of Kittle Hill, Wales, was son of Richard Bowen emigrant to New England, George was actually son of a John Bowen.^[9] Therefore, he has been detached as son of Richard.

Descendant Notes

One branch of Richard's descendants left Massachusetts and formed a Baptist settlement in East Jersey. They called the place Bowmantown. Their stay in East Jersey was of short duration for as early as 1687 a number of the family purchased of the original proprietors, lands within Fenwick's Colony, known at that time as North Cohansay precinct, some two miles southwest of the present city of Bridgeton, in West Jersey, and at that place they made a settlement and called it Bowentown. Soon a road from Greenwich to Bridgeton, through Bowentown was in use by the early settlers. In 1769 it was regularly laid out as a four-rod road, and then passed the courthouse down the hill to Water Street (now Atlantic) thence a straight course at the foot of the bridge. Until after the Revolution, Bridgeton was but an insignificant hamlet, having not more than 150 to 200 inhabitants. The Bowmans built themselves small log dwellings contiguous to each other, similar to the first New England settlers on the south side of the Cohansey, which went under the name of New England town. They became large land owners in West Jersey, Cumberland County - which originally was a part of Salem County. They owned land on the north side of Cohansey river (Dutch Neck/Cohansey Neck) embracing all of Hopewell, part of Stow Creek and the whole of Deerfield Township, the eastern part of Upper Alloways Creek, and all of Upper Pittsgrove in Salem County, some 150,000 acres.^[12]

Estate

Richard Bowen wrote a will dated 04 JUN 1675 in Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony.^[13][14]

[3: 1: 147] The last Will and Testament of Richard Bowin senir of Rehoboth in the Collonie of Plymouth in New England exhibited to the Court held att Plymouth aforsaid the fourth of June Anno: Dom 1675 on the oath of Mr John Pecke as followeth

Be it Knowne unto all men by these prsents that I Richard Bowin senir: of Rehoboth in the Collonie of New Plymouth in New England Doe the Day and Date above written ordaine and make this my last will and Testament being in my Good and prfect Memory and understanding as followeth;

248The Will of Richard Bowin, Sr.

Item I Give to my beloved wife Elizabeth two Cowes and one heiffer a yeer old and a Mare 5 yeer old and a Mare Colt two yeer old and one Colt that followeth the Mare;

Item I Give unto my wife my best bed; with all that belonges to it; and all my linnine two Pewter platters; with som other smale peeces of pewter; both the bras kettles 1 Iron pott 1 skillett one frying pan all my poultry and halfe my swine younge and old alsoe I Give to my wife one Coffer; and halfe my provisions after my buriall; halfe my Corne; halfe my hay that is Gathered in or may be Growing att my Decease; halfe my butter Cheese Bacon and porke; one hake with the eke belonging to it; one Cherne one brewing tubb one powdering tubb one beer barrell and my milk vessells; Cushens one Candlesticke; all these foremensioned prticulars; I Give to my beloved wife to Dispose of att her Death unto whom shee will; moreover I Give unto my wife my bible my warming pan; halfe my house that prte of the Leanto, nearest unto the Chimney; as alsoe halfe my orchyard; and halfe my home lott; excepting that prte I sould unto Steven Paine senir: being an acree more or lesse; all these I say I Give unto my beloved wife, the fll tearme of her life; moreover my wife shall have libertie to mow two load of hay on my meadow att Palmers River and three load more on my meadow on the New meadow necke, every yeer soe longe as shee liveth;

Item I Give to my son Willam one hundred pounds Comonage; my lott on the East syde of the plaine my lott in the second Devision; my prte of ffresh meadow lying and being neare the mile run; my ffresh meadow att Palmers River all my meadow that I have mowed att my meadow on the New meadow necke The other pte of this meadow, I have Given unto my son Obadiah; and my son Richard, as will appeer by a Deed of Gift under my hand; Morover I Give unto my son Willam; halfe my house halfe my barne; halfe my orchyard halfe my home lott except that I sould to Steven Paine senir: and it is my Will that that after my wifes Decease that my son Willam shall have all my housing and barnes orchyard homlott with all those lands and meddowes before mensioned unto him and his heires forever;

Item I Give unto my son Willam halfe my swine halfe my Corne halfe my hay; Ingathered or may be Growing and halfe my provisions; butter Cheese bacon Porker

Item I Give to my son Willam halfe my Cart and wheeles my Cart Rope with my plow and plowirons belonging to it 2 Chaires two hogsheads, and all other Corne vessells my wife Can spare; my hake with the Ringer on it; my Great brasse pott an Iron pott and my Great brasse pan; and alsoe it is my will that hee shall have the land which is to be Devided according to the Devision of 20 acrees to the hundred pound estate; and alsoe my lott lately layed out on the necke Called Wachamaquat necke; and all such lands as shalbe Devided after the Date heerof; according to the proportion of an hundred pound estate; I alsoe Give unto my son Willam; my Chest in the hall my Coffer in the seller loft my Chaine my bay knife Dung forke Pikes Rakes hand saw augers 2 beetle ringes and all my Iron wedges; as alsoe that oxe Called Duke; and my bible after my Wifes Decease;

Item I alsoe Give unto my son Willam the bed hee now lyeth on and the furniture belonging to it; and one bed sheet and my winnow sheet; and all my boards about my house, and all my wearing apparrell;

Item I Give unto my son Obadiah halfe a hundred pounds of Comonage; my Plow Irons of my breakeing plow and my thawrtcutt saw and halfe my logy Chaine; and the other halfe I Give to my son Willam;

Item I Give to my Daughter Allice Wheaton my Daughter Sarah ffuller and my Daughter Ruth Kenericke my old mare and a Colt that suckes on her;

Item I Give to my Daughter Allice Wheaton my fflagon and two pewter platters;

Item I Give to my Daughter Sarah ffuller my warming pan after my wifes Decease; and a pewter platter when the will is proved;

Item I Give to my Daughter Ruth Kenericke one pewter platter;

It is alsoe my will that if any of these fornamed beasts [p. 148]: viz: neat beasts or horses given Doe Die or come to any lose, the lose shal be to the pticular prson or prsons unto whom they were Given; my executor shalbe free hee shall not make it Good to him or them;

Item all the Rest of my Goods lands Chattles or whatsoever I have not Given in this my Will and Testament; I Give to my son Richard whom I make and ordaine my sole executor to pay my Debts and to Discharge my legacyes and to see my body buried; witnes my hand the Day and yeer above written

WitnesThe marke R of Richard

Stephen Paine Junr:Bowin senir:

John Pecke;

Inventory

June 4, 1675

Plymouth Colony Wills 3:148-149^[15][14]

#P241

A true Inventory of the estate: viz: Lands Goods and Chattles of Richard Bowin senir of Rehoboth late Deceased exhibited to the Court held att Plymouth the 4th of June 1675 on the oath of Richard Bowin Junr: as followeth:

Impr: his wearing apparrell 004 00 00

Item a bed beding bedsteed & furniture belonging to it 007 00 00

Item 6 great pewter platters att 5. apeece001 10 00

Item 3 smale pewter platters000 10 00

Item 2 old pewter platters000 003 04

Item 2 smale pewter basons000 05 00

Item severall smale peece of pewter000 07 00

Item an old fflagon000 03 00

Item an old Chamber pott000 01 06

Item an old warming pan000 03 00

Item 2 brasse pans01 10 00

Item 2 brasse kettles one brasse skillett 1 Candle sticke and some other old brasse001 00 00

Item an Iron pott01 00 00

Item 2 old shirts 4 Capps 1 bolster Case 1 pillow Case 00007 06

Item 1 sheet and a remnant of Canvas 00110 00

Item more in sheets and a smale Table Cloth 2 towells 0017 06

Item a smale remnant of Cloth000 02 06

Item a fflocke bed & bolster and uper Covering 1 blankett and a Canvas sheet and bedsteed003 00 00

Item 20 bushells of Indian Corne003 00 00

Item a Cart Rope000 07 00

Item a paire of tonggs000 02 06

Item 2 pothangers000 06 00

Item a handsaw.000 02 00

Item 3 wedges 2 beetle ringes000 06 00

Item a bilhook and pease hook000 04 00

Item an ax and an old hatchett000 04 06

Item a frying pan000 02 00

Item an old hoe000 02 00

Item a hammer pincers and border 3 Chissells & a paire of pronggs000 04 00

Item some peeces of old Iron000 02 00

Item a Great bible000 10 00

Item 4 Chistes000 14 00

Item 2 tubbs 1 butter tubb and a Cover000 10 00

Item 3 old barrells000 03 00

Item tryed sewett000 02 00

Item 2 old Chaires 3 Cushens000 02 00

Item 2 old smale trayes a straining Dish a pudding pan000 01 06

Item an old bagg000 07 00

Item a Cherne a Cover a tray and old hatchett000 06 00

Capt. John Gorham's Family Record251

Item an hay knife and an old hatchett000 02 00

Item a spitt and pronges000 04 00

Item scales and weights and a pestell000:6 00

Item a smale barell000 01 00

Item 5 ribbs & a ringe000 02 06

Item Rye and pease000 02 03

Item a Great brasse pottooz00 00

Item a logy Chaine000 12 00

[p. 149] Item in horse kindl:00 00

Item 2 oxenlo00 00

Item 2 Cowes06 00 00

Item in hayoz05 00

Item: a plow: Chaine yoakes & Cart01 04 00

Item in Debts00 18 9

Item more in lumber00 03 00

Item in porke00 05 00

Item in houses lands and Comonage100 00 00

sume totall175 15 08

John Read senir:

Willam Carpentor

John Pecke

Research Notes

WARNING: This profile has been edited to align with findings published in a 2001 article that debunks many previously published claims about Richard Bowen's ancestry.^[9] For now, please make no link changes to his parents, children or wives. Please see the G2G discussion The forged ancestry of Richard Bowen attached (above right) for details and discussion. Thank you.

There are many genealogies that have been published that contain erroneous information about him. The first has been shown to be fraudulent, but many subsequent genealogies continued the errors published then.

1. E.C. Bowen... (1884 genealogy)
2. Cushing & Shepard, History of Cumberland, GLoucester and Salem Counties, New Jersey has some incorrect information, including that Richard and/or his son was part of a Swansea, Glamorganshire migration of baptists to Rehoboth. That emigration happened in the mid 1660s, a good 20 years after Richard was recorded in England.
3. Bowen, in this case, was NOT a corruption of Bowman, or "warriors armed with bows". Instead, Bowen means "son of Owen" and was often recorded in Welsh records as "ap Owen" (son of Owen)

Sources

1. ↑ E.C. Bowen, Memorial of the Bowen Family, (Boston: Rand, Avery, 1884), esp. 94-103; digital images, HathiTrust.
2. ↑ Rehoboth Ring of the Green Map. “Historic Bus Tour 2016: A map of the “Ring of the Green,” the original town center of Rehoboth, now located in Rumford, RI. “, Rehoboth Antiquarian Society Newsletter, March 2016, pp 3-4, original image accessed 25 Oct 2018 has been removed from the internet.
3. ↑ Howard Dakin French, "Sutton Family," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 91 (January 1937):64; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
4. ↑ Charles Shepard, Richard Bowen's Descendants to the Fifth Generation, Troy, MI, 1921, folded chart
5. ↑ C. Edward Egar, Jr, "The Hobart Journal," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 121 (January 1967):21; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
6. ↑ James N. Arnold, Vital Records of Rehoboth ... (Providence, R.I. : Narragansett Historical Pub. Co.. 1897), 42; digital images, InternetArchive.
7. ↑ Meredith B. Colket, Founders of Early American Families - Emigrants from Europe 1607-1657, General Court of the Order of Founders and Patriots of America, Cleveland, OH, 1975 p.35
8. ↑ James N. Arnold, Vital Records of Rehoboth ... (Providence, R.I. : Narragansett Historical Pub. Co.. 1897), 800; digital images, InternetArchive.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} Richard LeBaron Bowen Jr., "The Ancestry, Wives and Children of Richard Bowen of Weymouth and Rehoboth, Massachusetts", in The American Genealogist, 76 (October 2001):263-278. Link.
10. ↑ Bliss, Jr., Leonard, (1836), “The History of Rehoboth, Bristol County, Massachusetts: Comprising A History of the Present Towns of Rehoboth, Seekonk, and Pawtcket, From their Settlement to the Present Time, Together with Sketches of Attleborough, Cumberland, and a part of Swansey and Barrinigton”. Boston, MA., Otis and Boarders, Accessed 23 Sep 2018. https://books.google.com/books?id=T5qZBD5qK2EC&printsec=frontcover&dq=history+of+rehoboth&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi52eCb5qzdAhUjL30KHZqkCokQ6AEIKzAB#v=onepage&q&f=true
11. ↑ Richard LeBaron Bowen, "Early Rehoboth Families and Events," in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 99 (1945):235; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
12. ↑ Mary Coates Martin, 350 Years of American Ancestors: 38 Families, Gateway Press, Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1989, pp. 48-51
13. ↑ Plymouth Colony Wills and Inventories, Volume III, Part I, pages 147 - 149. Transcribed in Mayflower Descendant, V.17, #4, 1915; pp.247-251
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-V3JZ : 9 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 377 of 616; State Archives, Boston.
15. ↑ George Ernest Bowman, "The Will of Richaard Bowin, Sr.," The Mayflower Descendant, 17 (1915):247-251; digital images, HathiTrrust.

See Also:

• William B, Saxbe, Jr., Richard Bowen (1594?-1675) of Rehoboth, Massachusetts and His Descendants, Hope, RI: Rhode Island Genealogical Society (2011); ISBN 978-0-615-49315-2. Volume 1 - Generations 1- 3.
• Genealogy of the family of George Marsh who came from England in 1635: From the book of the same name written by E.J.Marsh, published by Leominster Press of F.N.Boutwell, 1887. Facsimile copies are available from NEHGS, Boston, USA.
• Rehoboth Time Line
• Richard Bowen, memorial 47003202; web content, Find A Grave, maintained by Kevin Avery; no gravetone image appears.

Acknowledgements

• This profile was created by the generosity and kindness of the following individuals. Thank them for their contributions--Cynthia Edgemon Rushing - created the profile, added available image, sources and the original bibliography.