Edward Porter Cowan (1842 - 1890)

Born 1842 in Belfast, Ireland

Husband of Agnes (Cowan) Harrison — married 25 Apr 1866 in Down, County Down, Ireland

Descendants

Died 24 Mar 1890 at about age 48 in Craigavad House, County Down, Ireland

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Biography

Edward Cowan was born in Ireland.

Sir Edward Porter Cowan D.L. (1842 – 24 March 1890) was one of Belfast’s giants of the Victorian era.

Sir Edward Porter Cowan of Craigavad and Clintagh House, Annahilt, Co Down, Lord Lt & High Sherriff.

Coat of Arms for Belfast

Sir Edward Porter Cowan was born in 1842 in Belfast, Ireland, only son of Samuel Cowan (of Cromoe House, in the county of Antrim) and Elizabeth Porter (daughter of Mr. Edward Porter of Belfast). Sir Edward Porter Cowan, of Craigavad, was a distinguished scion. His family is of Scottish origin and settled in the county of Down early in the seventeenth centure. Corwan was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and in France.

Edward Porter was a whiskey distiller. His company, Cowan's (established in 1829), sold both Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky under their brand name – their Irish was ‘Cowan’s No. 4’ and their Scotch was ‘Loch Lomond’.

Cowan's Whisky

He had considerable landed property in County Down and also in Antrim. About 1882, Sir Edward Porter Cowan was residing at Craigavad House. Craigavad House was eventually bought by the Royal Belfast Golf Club in 1925.

In the early 1880s he was appointed Mayor of Belfast, and in 1881 he was knighted by Francis Cowper KG PC, Lord Lt of Ireland. He was Lord Lieutenant of Antrim and Custos Rotulorum for the county, responsible for the appointment of magistrates. A Magistrate for the counties of Antrim and Down, and also for the borough of Belfast.

He was Chairman of the Board of the Ulster Bank, Director of the Great Northern Railway and Director of the Belfast Steamship Company. He was actively opposed to Home Rule. He died of typhoid fever. ^[1]

Interesting Note: If you do an image search for Cowan's Whisky on the internet, there is a tremendous amount of vintage and reproduction signs and advertising for this brand.

Sources

1. ↑ Edward Porter Cowan (c.1840 - 1890)

• "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FY9T-GM5 : 10 March 2018), MARRIAGES entry for Edward Porter Cowan; citing Newtownards, 1866, vol. 6, p. 979, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,250.
• "Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGVD-WLVM : 10 August 2022), Edward Porter Cowan and Agnes Cowan, Marriage 25 Apr 1866, Bangor, Newtownards, Ireland; citing General Register Office, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,492.
• "Ireland Marriages, 1619-1898", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGH2-JG3 : 6 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan, 1866.
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPDM-Y6L : 15 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Cowan, 1867.
• "Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL34-2462 : 21 March 2023), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Cowan, 14 Nov 1867; Birth; Newtownards, County Down, Ireland; citing General Register Office, Southern Ireland; FHL microfilm 101,160.
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FRW9-V9T : 15 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Edward Arthur Porter Cowan, 1869.
• "Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGVS-BS5M : 20 March 2023), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Edward Arthur Porter Cowan, 09 May 1869; Birth; Newtownards, County Down, Ireland; citing General Register Office, Southern Ireland; FHL microfilm 101,190.
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F5GJ-DXT : 15 February 2020), Edward P. Cowan in entry for Annie Elizabeth Cowan, 1870.
• "Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGV3-NYG8 : 20 March 2023), Edward P Cowan in entry for Annie Elizabeth Cowan, 24 Jul 1870; Birth; Newtownards, County Down, Ireland; citing General Register Office, Southern Ireland; FHL microfilm 101,215.
• "Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGY4-9TDY : 20 March 2023), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Cowan, 12 Apr 1872; Birth; Unión, Córdoba, Argentina; citing General Register Office, Southern Ireland; FHL microfilm 255,856.
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F5YL-9XD : 15 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Agnes Marguerite Cowan, 1875.
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F5Y2-BY6 : 15 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Agnes Marguerite Cowan, 1875.
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGZH-5V6 : 15 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Agnes Marguerite Cowan, 1875.
• "Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGY7-NTL4 : 20 March 2023), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Agnes Marguerite Cowan, 18 May 1875; Birth; Belfast, Ireland; citing General Register Office, Southern Ireland; FHL microfilm 255,927.
• "Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGYW-MVSG : 20 March 2023), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Cowan, 16 Jan 1877; Birth; Ireland; citing General Register Office, Southern Ireland; FHL microfilm 255,968.
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FG6V-Q3V : 15 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Cowan, 1877.
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F5R5-1QW : 5 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Lionel Arthur Cowan, 1880.
• "British Newspaper Archives, Obituaries," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q26M-3RSD : 26 October 2019), Sir Edward Porter Cowan, 25 Mar 1890; citing Obituary, Manchester, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, page , Records extracted by FindMyPast and images digitized by FamilySearch. The British Library, London; FHL microfilm 102,001,126.
• "Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FTHN-PP6 : 10 March 2018), DEATHS entry for Edward Porter Cowan; citing Belfast, Apr - Jun 1890, vol. 1, p. 319, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,596.
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F5C3-B6J : 15 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for MM9.1.1/F5C3-B6N:, .
• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #179316843 (accessed 5 June 2023)
  Memorial page for Edward Porter Cowan (1842-24 Mar 1890), citing Belfast City Cemetery, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland (plot: G 222); Maintained by Cyndi (contributor 47314338).

• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F5FV-TS9 : 15 February 2020), Edward P. Cowan in entry for Annie Elizabeth Cowan, .
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F5VC-LJR : 15 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Edward Arthur Porter Cowan, .
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F5J3-6LJ : 15 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Cowan, .
• "Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPT7-QTB7 : 17 March 2023), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Lionel Arthur Cowan, .
• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F5N6-W2S : 15 February 2020), Edward Porter Cowan in entry for Agnes Marguerite Cowan, .

See also:

• FamilySearch Person: K857-LH8
• CRAIGAVAD HOUSE, County Down
• William Cowan & Co Ltd, Whisky Distillers
• THE MAGISTRACY (IRELAND)—SIR EDWARD PORTER COWAN, UK Parliament., accessed June 5th, 2023
• Former Mayors of Belfast, Belfast City Government, accessed June 5th, 2023