The Alexander, William and Thomas Bowling Families
Over the past forty three plus years a group of cousins have been collecting information about three brothers born around the American Revolution who spent most of their lives as settlers and farmers on the new Western Frontier. The brothers are listed as Family Heads 025, 745 and 731 (Fh025, Fh745 & Fh731) respectively of family "P" in Todd Bolen's book The Bolling, Bowling, Bolen Family in America before 1800. Below is a summary of the research devoloped over the years by this group of cousins. Much thanks to Helen Bowling McKnight, my first cousin, who began this effort in 1956 and has published much of her work in "Valley Leaves" and to Joe Bowling, a descendant of William's, who has contributed most of the information on that branch.
Little is known about the three
men prior to 1805 other than birth dates and possible places.Alexander
(Family head 25 or Fh 25 in Todd Bolen’s Book, The Bowling Family in
America before 1800) was born in 1781 probably in VA or NC.
William (Fh 745) was born in 1784 in NC or VA and Thomas Boling (Fh 731)
was born 1760-70 per 1830 census. Further, it is known that Alexander and
William are brothers based upon the will of Alexander naming William, “my
brother”, executor. DNA testing
done in 2002 on descendants of Alexander, William and Thomas all matched
exactly, indicating that Thomas shares a common male Bowling ancestor with
Alexander and William. Given that
Thomas and William lived near each other for many years, interacted, had
children with the same names and that William was added to the law suit against
the heirs of Thomas in Haywood Co., TN in 1850, it is reasonable to assume that
they were closely related. Thomas
would have been between 11 and 21 years older than Alexander and 14 and 24 years
older than William. So, it is
possible that Thomas was the father to Alexander and William, possibly uncle or
older/oldest brother. Given that
William was not on the original suit against “heirs” of Thomas, is
considerably older than the rest of Thomas’ children, and was added because he
signed the bond on the original deed, I think the father/son relationship can be
ruled out, leaving brother or uncle as the probably relationship.
Also, if the father, he would have had two sons named William.
One
can make some estimates regarding the parents of Alexander and William from what
is known. Both father and mother
were alive in 1783-4. With child
bearing years being 18 to 50 and without any birth control, couples usually had
one child every two years, then if Thomas is the oldest brother and born when
mother was 18 then Alexander would have been her sixth child when she was
approximately 28 and William her seventh or eighth at 32.
Thus she would have been born between 1742-52.
The father would probably be a little older.
Thus parents born 1730-52 and if lived avg. time, then died 1790-1810.
Alexander married Elizabeth Worthy c 1798-1802 if first child is James M., b 1799 per 1820 Lawrence Co., AL census. Preston, born in TN in 1803, therefore they moved from VA/NC/SC to TN by 1803.
See Family TreeAlexander 1781-1843, Fh 025
Alexander
married Elizabeth Worthy c 1801 if first child is Preston born 1803 TN.
Therefore, they moved from VA/NC/SC to TN by 1803 and are most likely
living in Grainger Co., TN in 1804 (tax list) along with Martin Worthy, relative
to Elizabeth.
Of note is that the names Alexander, William, James, and Isham are first names used by the Alexander, Thomas and William Bowling families and other Bowlings.
There is an Alexander Bowling and two William Bowlings and Thomas Bowling living in Grainger Co., TN in an 1804 & 1805 tax list, along with several other Bowling's (Joseph, Joel, Jesse, James, David, Lisha, Stephen, and Edmund living there between 1800-10). Also living there and of significance is Martin Worthy, possible father, probable brother or uncle to Elizabeth Worthy Bowling. Neither Alexander or William are on the 1808 Grainger Co. tax list.
Alex next shows up in Lincoln Co., TN in a Nov. 28, 1810 court record being assigned to a road crew to build a road to Huntsville, AL. This would certainly have taken him through Hazel Green, AL (Madison Co., MS Terr.) where he had a land grant from John Braham in 1811. Alexander is also mentioned in two deeds as owning land adjoining them, in the second district on the waters of Freemans Fork of Flint River and adjoining a tract granted to James Bright and by him to Alexander Boling, dated 8/27/1816. In the other, it is described as on the west fork of the Flint River and adjoining Alexander Boling’s tract sold by said Bright, dated 5/26/1817 but referring to original bond of 10/5/1810. According to Timothy Marsh who has written many books on deed genealogy in Tennessee, Lincoln and other counties below Duck River in Bedford Co., TN were opened from the Indians in 1806. This participated a migration from northern Tenn. where people lived on land still owned by the Indians. Marsh also said that the tract described above would have been west of the highway from Fayetteville, Lincoln Co., TN to Hustsville, AL and near the AL/TN boarder. Further, he said the land in Lincoln Co. Was not good farm land and many settlers moved south into Madison Co., AL to cotton farm. This also led to movement westward into Mississippi and W. Tenn.
A William Boland is also in Lincoln Co., TN in a Nov. 1811 court record recording a stock mark, however, this may be the William Bowlin who died in Lincoln Co., TN in 1833 leaving wife Mildred and children: David, George, Rebecca who married Henry McCall and James Bowlin. Also, Samuel Webb guardian for James and David who arrived at full age on 8/13&15/1848 per court papers. Alexander moved to AL and is in Madison Co. by 1811 and Lawrence Co. by the 1820 census. A William Bowling appears on a Limestone Co., AL census in 1820 with 1 male over 21, 2 males under 21, 1 female over 21 and 1 female under 21.
War of 1812
During The War of 1812 both brothers would be 31 and 28 years old and probably participated in The War of 1812. Coffee's Regiment (John Coffee owned land in Lincoln Co., TN ca 1810-16), Tenn. Vol., War of 1812 was formed in Franklin, Tenn. just south of Nashville, (100-120 miles from Lincoln Co., TN). There is an Alex and William Boling in this unit. This unit moved from Franklin, Tenn. on Jan. 19, 1813 down to Washington near Natchez, Miss. After a month they were ordered disbanded and marched back to Tenn. before being disbanded. By Oct. 1813 Alex joins Burris' Miss. Militia for 19 days. Thus timewise, it is possible that Alex served in both units. If both brothers were living in Lincoln Co. c 1810-12, it is probable that they served in Coffee's unit. According to Marsh, John Coffee lived in Rutherford Co., TN and also owned land in Lincoln and Bedford Counties. He was a close friend of Andrew Jackson. This increases the probability that this is my ancestors in Coffee’s unit.
William, 1784-1870, Fh 745
From
1805 when William apprears on a tax list in Grainger Co., TN along with
Alexander, Thomas, and another William,
until 1821 his whereabouts is hard to determine.
However, there are several Williams in public records during that time
period who might be he. There is a
William Bolen on the 1809 Intruders List in the Elk River area of Tn. and again
there are two William Bowling, Sr and Jr., that signed a Sept. 5, 1810 Petition
to President James Madison as Intruders on Chickasaw Land in Mississippi.
This coud be the two Williams in Grainger Co., TN in 1805. (See http://www.tngenweb.org/giles/history/1810pet.html
) Since his brother Alexander has moved to Lincoln Co., TN near the area in the
petition, this strengthens the case that all three moved to the same area of TN
after leaving Grainger Co., TN in c 1806.
There is a William in Limestone Co., AL in 1820 which as mentioned above
could be he.
From 1821 on, William spent most of his life in the West Tenn. counties of Gibson, Madison, Haywood, (now Crockett Co.) and Hardeman. On Jan. 8, 1869, he sold land in Haywood Co. to his two grandson's Wm. Thomas and J. A.(James A.) In one deed William is identified as from Obion Co., TN. A search of the land records in Obion Co. does not list any Bowling deeds. In another Haywood Co. deed, he is listed as of Gibson Co. A search of their deed indexes list at least three deeds as William Bowling (C256, G400, G550). Additionally there are others for Lewis, Thomas, James and John. William was in Marshall Co., MS in the 1850 census, but back in Hardeman by 1860. William apparently died in 1870 as an inventory of his estate was submitted in Hardeman Co. Court on Jan 2, 1871 and dated Dec. 31, 1870.
The migration path from VA into central NC into SC to NE Tenn. to AL and north into West TN. is an established migration path. It also coincides with the Worthy's as far as Chester Co., SC and Martin Worthy into Grainger Co., TN. According to a book on the migration patterns into Tenn., many settlers from VA and NC crossed the mountains at various gaps into the valley on the west side of the mountains. From there they moved south often via the rivers including the Tenn. River which drops south into AL before going north back into Tenn. around the Haywood, Madison, Hardeman Co.'s area. If the sighting of Alex and William in Grainger and Lincoln Counties of Tenn., Madison Co. AL, and Madison Co., TN are correct as believed, this almost directly follows this migration route.
West Tenn. was purchased from the Indians in 1819 and early white settlement started in 1820-21. The following Bowling’s appeared as follows in Madison Co., TN:
1821
- Joseph Boling 1 TL (town lot) $.25 tax listWilliam Bolin 1 Black pole $.25 tax list
1822
- Joseph Boling 1 White pole $.25 tax listWilliam Boling 1 White pole $.25 tax list
1823
- Joseph Boling 1 White pole $.25 tax listWilliam Boling 1 White pole $.25 tax list
William Boling, Jr. 1 WP & carriage $.25 tax list
Lewis Boling 1 White pole $.25 tax list
A search of the Madison Co., Tenn. court minutes shows that an I. Boling first appeared in March,1822. Other Bolings in Madison Co., TN early on included Thomas 1822, our William 1821, Lewis 1823 tax list and deed witness (1825 witness on Joel Dyer deed in Gibson Co.) and Joseph 1821 from tax list, court minutes, and history.
Thus among the very first settlers of Madison Co. were Thomas, William, I, Lewis and Joseph Bowling. From court records and land records we know that they interacted and lived near each other. From census, tax and court records we know that at least Thomas, William and Joseph were born before 1800 with I. born by 1801 at the latest to be of age in 1822. We also have a David Bowling born pre-1800 showing in Haywood Co. by 1840 (Possibly David in Green Co., TN in 1812). Further we know that there were at least two and possibly three Thomas Bowling's in Haywood by 1830.
Thomas b bet 1760-1770 d c1848 Haywood Co., TN, Fh 731
The first is Thomas, Sr. b 1760-70 and who died about 1848 and certainly by May 1850 when a court action is taken by heirs of Daniel Cherry against heirs of Thomas Boling, Sr. This document list the heirs of Thomas, Sr. as William Boling, Jr., Daniel B. Boling, John R. Williams and Mary, his wife, and Lewis Boling of Haywood Co., Green B. Boling of Shelby Co., Thomas Boling, Jr. and Nancy Boling of Fayette Co. This document clears up a lot and clearly divides the Bowlings into two or three family units, i.e. William, Sr., Thomas, Sr. and Joseph. William, Sr. was later added to the suit since he had been surety on the land transaction. This would strongly indicate that he is related to Thomas to provide bond on a deed
. Thomas, Jr. was born in 1803 (1802 d 1886 if tombstone for Thomas, Jr. burried in Pine Log Cemetery in Craighead Co., Ark. is correct) and is also in 1840 census.DNA Study
In 2001 the Bolling Family Association undertook a Y-chromosome DNA study of its members in the hope of identifying the various families or haplotypes of Bollings in the U. S. Three proven descendants of Alexander, one of William and five of Thomas participated in the study. They all matched exactly using the 12 loci y-chromosome test conducted by Family Tree DNA and the Univ. Of Arizona and 36/37 for 37 marker test. This proves that they all shared a common Bowling ancestor (within 1 to 14 generations) and proves the relationship of these three men when combined with other evidence. Alexander’s will names his brother William as executor. Although Thomas Bowling, Sr. could be an uncle to the other two, it is believed that he is the oldest brother. We also know that Joseph was born 1790-1800 from 1830 Madison Co. census and that he died by 1834 when his estate inventory is entered into court records. He may be the son of Thomas, Sr. based upon a Madison Co. Court minutes book A, 17 June 1822 where Thomas Boling and sons (space with no comma) Joseph Bolin, ..... However, it is interesting that the last names are spelled differently by the writer in the original document when they are only two words apart and that none of the other sons of Thomas are called out. Perhaps this is because Joseph is of age and the other are not. It could also be because Joseph might be the brother of Thomas, William and Alexander.
Later DNA matches between members of the Bouldin family and the descendants of Alexander, William and Thomas Bowling, prove that they are all closely related. Given the fact that descendants of William Bouldin b c1665 Fh 910 and his wife Thomasin Mary Nash, through their son Col. Thomas Bouldin b 1705 and his wife Ann Wood Clark have matched descendants of Alexander Bowling 35/37 markers, it is known that they are close cousins. Also, given the fact that William and Thomasin had sons, Thomas, Alexander and William, the same names as the three subjects of this paper, lends credibility to this close relationship. Additionally, desc. of Col. Thomas Bouldin Fh 678 lived in the same area of Alabama as did Alexander Bowling and had children with the same first names including Green, James M., Thomas, William, and Joseph. Additionally, James E., son of Col. Thomas, owned land in Gibson Co., TN in 1826 just six months after William b 1784 bought land there.
The third Thomas is the Thomas who is deceased by 1831 and whose heirs owed taxes on land in Haywood. This is from the sheriff of Haywood Co., John G. Carithers, report to the court of lands and town lots belonging to non-residents on which the taxes have not been collected for the year 1831 and list "Bowling, Thomas, heirs, 184 acres, dis. 10, range 4, sect. 11"). The "land belonging to non-residents" may indicate that this Thomas was not living in Haywood, which raises the question where was he and what was his relationship to the other Bowlings in Haywood? Extensive research in Haywood Co., and Crockett Co., TN failed to turn up the original deed for this land owned by Thomas. It also failed to turn up the deed for the sale of this land by Carithers. D10, R4, S11 is in the Alamo, TN area which is now in Crockett Co. which was formed in 1845. This Thomas could well be the father of the three brothers as he owned property in the county apparently from an early date, died before 1831, and carried the name of the oldest brother.
Thus the following residents/families of Haywood/Madison/Gibson Counties 1820-1840:
Thomas Boling, Sr. b. 1760-70 per census, d bet 1848 & May 1850 per court case
wife unknown
children: Joseph b 1790-1800, dec by 1834 from estate inventory, (Madison Co. Minutes book A, 17 June 1822, ordered Thomas Boling and sons.. Joseph...)
Lewis b 1802-5 (taxable in 1823, not on list in 1821 or 1822)
Thomas, Jr. b c 1802-3, d p1886
William, Jr. b 1805-11 VA, d March 1870
Green B. b 1811 KY, d bef 1860
Daniel B. b 1814
Mary, wife of John R. Williams
Nancy
William Bowling b 1784 NC d 1870 Hardeman Co., TN
wife Mary
children: Lucretia b 1812, wife of Thomas Yandell
Nancy Ann b 1817, wife of Francis A. Edney
Isham Merriman b 1824
Alexander b 1826
Mary Adeline b 1828, wife of Ashburn Davie
Emaline T. b 1836, wife of William Henry
Matilda C., wife of John C. Davie
Others Born pre-1800
Thomas dec. by 1831 from estate inventory and probably before 1830 census since only two Thomas' in county.
David b. 1770-80 from 1840 Haywood Census
I. on court inventory in March,1822, thus b. before 1801.
Others Born 1800-1820
Burgess b. 1810-1820 (probably son of William, Sr.)
David B. b 1814 (probably son of David?)
Thus
from the DNA test it is know that Thomas Boling, Sr. and William Bowling, Sr,
were biologically related (probably brothers or uncle/nephew) and given the ages
of David and I. (Isham?) they are
from the same generation and thus could be brothers to Alexander, William and
Thomas. However, a person claiming
to be a descendant (kit 3754) of David Bowling b 1780, wife Polly Ryal, who may
be the David in Grainger Co., TN tested into a different DNA Group (5) and thus
is not related to the subject Bowlings.
Court Records for Haywood, Madison, and Gibson Counties of Tennessee
A study of the land deeds in Gibson and Haywood Co. indicated that the Bowlings can be broken into two groups that lived about one mile apart. The first Bowling purchase in Haywood Co. was by William Bowling, Alexander’s brother, on Dec. 15, 1828 of 640 acres for $1050 (A-484). He sold this land in 1834 to Benjamin Tyson and John Johnson for $3200 making a nice profit (G-337). He buys 140 acres in Gibson Co. on Sept. 28, 1833. He sells 70 acres of it in Feb. 1839. On Dec. 9, 1836 he buys 156 ¼ acres (G-394) from Spencer Payne and on Dec. 14, 1836 (G-35) he buys 640 acres from Robert P. Rhea , in D 10, R 4, S11. Witnesses to these deeds were Burgess Bowling (probably oldest son of William) and Elizabeth Boling (probably widow of Joseph Bowling), and Thomas Yandell (husband of Lucretia, William’s oldest daughter)
In 1834 Thomas Boling, Sr. makes the first of several purchases in D 10, R4, S11 from Solomon Rogers of Wilson Co. of 108 acres (G-349). This is clearly defined as part of the 1500 acres tract granted to Gen. Benjamin Smith as #632. Thus the two areas of Bowling purchases are defined early on as the John Rhea grant #E-214 and the Benjamin Smith grant #632. Both grants are in the same part of the county and are separated by the Wells & Givens grant #179 of 640 acres, thus they are one mile apart.
Thomas, Sr. owned property in the same tract as Thomas, Jr., William, Jr., and Daniel B. Boling. Also a G. B. Boling and David Boling witnessed some deeds among this group. In 1867 William Bowling, Jr. sells land to G. W. Bowling, probably his son.William Bowling, Jr. died in Haywood Co. before 1871 and his heirs are spelled out in a deed (Book 3-237, page 291) as follows: F. M.(Francis M.), J. A.(James A.), W. A.(Wm. O.), G.W (George W.)., Mary E. wife of James S. Baldridge, Charlotte E. wife of Neil M Permenter, J. S. (Joseph), L. S.(Lemuel S.), Lafayette S. and Sciota J. wife of John Clark. Names in parenthesis are from census data. There is a Franklin L. b c 1854 in 1860 census that does not appear in the above deed. In the Goodspeed on Dyer Co., TN, William Boling, father of F. M., is described as a Virginian and pioneer settler of Haywood Co., TN. Further, court records define William's wife as Elizabeth Moss, daughter of John P. Moss and wife Polly Stephenson Moss.
Other evidence of interest include early marriage and census records which disclose that an Isham Merriman (also spelled Merrimoon) was married to Luerelia Turner in Mecklenburg, VA on April 4, 1787. By 1790 he had moved from VA to Montgomery Co., NC and by 1800 he was in Mecklenburg, NC and by 1810 he is in Stewart Co., TN, just north of Madison Co. Is this Isham Merriman the namesake for Isham Merriman Bowling? And if so, is there some intermarriage? Further, the Yandell family from Mecklenburg Co., NC moved to Sumner Co., TN around 1811 and later to Haywood Co. where Lucretia Bowling, daughter of William, married Thomas Yandell. In 1800, Mecklenburg Co., NC reached to the SC boarder and was literally 10 miles from Chester Co., SC., birthplace of Elizabeth Worthy Bowling. Further, a Thomas C. Bowlin was born in Moore Co., NC, near Montgomery and Mecklenburg, in 1793 (from IGI, parents unknown). He had children named Isham, Robert, William, James, Precilla among others and moved to St. Clair, AL by 1820 when first child born there. William Worthy, Sr., probable father of Elizabeth Worthy Bowling, came from Caswell Co., NC to Chester Co., SC c 1785. A William Worthy, 100+, is living in the household of John Worthy in Cherokee Co., AL in 1860 census. A William Worthy is living with Milton Worthy in Murray Co., GA in 1850 and is listed as 98 born VA. In 1840 there is a 60-70 male with Milton, 39. Also, John, William, Samuel Worthy living in same area of Murry Co., GA.
Thus one could conclude from the name and migration pattern that these people did indeed know each other, may have been related, and may have traveled together.
Further, given the time and Indian conditions in this part of Tenn., it is almost certain that these people moved in groups for safety and were probably related and interrelated.
Working Theory
So,
here's my working theory at this time. One
of the SC Bowlings is father of my Alexander and William.
Several of the SC Bowlings are related, i.e. brothers.
Possible candidates for father of Alex are William in Pendleton Dist. SC
in 1800 with 21010-50010, James in Pendleton Dist. SC in 1800 with 20110-30110,
John in Pendleton Co., SC in 1790 with 21200, and John in Spartanburg with
24704. Joseph in Pendleton Co., SC
in 1790 with 24300 was eliminated by DNA kit 51006, Group 5.
The
two most likely candidates based upon my research are the William and James in
SC. We know that there were
two Williams in Grainger Co., TN in 1804-6 time frame, one old enough to own
property and the young William b 1784. Additionally,
the William, Sr. and Jr. in the Elk River area of TN in 1809-1810 follows the
known migration of Alexander 1781 to Lincoln Co., TN and the opening of land
from Indians in 1806 in Southern TN per Marsh.
The James in Grainger in
1830, age 70-80 who may be the same as in Pendleton in 1800.
A Mary Bowing married Michael Kearns, Jr. 3/2/1803, Grainger Co., TN,
James Bowing, Bondsman. My Alex
would have been married ca 1800-02 if Preston b 1803 is first son.
Further, Thomas Bowling in Haywood Co., TN in 1840 is 70-80 and has a
probable son Joseph who dies in 1834. Green
B. buys from his estate sale, as does his wife Elizabeth, Thomas, Sr. and Jr.,
William, G. and Daniel Bowling. A
Joseph shows up in Grainger Co., TN in 1801 when his daughter Elizabeth or Lucy
marries James Ethridge or Eastridge there on Oct. 16, 1801.
Joseph Bowling and wife Voluntine Haley, dau. of David Haley of Campbell
Co., TN and father of Larkin H. Bowling of Anderson Co., TN was in Grainger in
1800 and was the Joseph with daughter who married James Estridge/Eastridge (see
Claiborne Co, court records for Dec 1802 when Joseph was held on a peace warrent
against David Hodson and Timothy Roark and James Estridge were his security).
Joseph moved to Anderson Co., TN and may have died there.
David Haley, his son David, Jr., and
son in law, Capt. Jason
Cloud, who was in Chester Co., SC in 1790, were all in Grainger Co., TN in 1805
along with Alexander, Thomas and William Bowling.
Joseph Boling may have been in Madison Co., Ky in 1800.
Madison Co., KY needs to be researched.
Joseph Bowling was assigned land by David Haily in Henry Co., VA in
1784. Joseph and Volentine were in
96th Dist., SC (Saluda River) where they bought land from Thomas and Margaret
Roberts on March 11, 1790.
Obviously,
more needs to be learned about his desc. Likewise,
very little has been learned about Alexander,
b 29 June 1704, twin; d after September 1749; named along with brother
Thomas as kin of their brother Richard’s 1741 inventory. By 1737, he m.
Mary _____ and was still alive as of September 1749, at an unspecified
location, perhaps in the