Richard A. Gowan Started Over
In East Texas After Civil War
Richard Asbury Gowan, son of John Gowan, was born about
1812 in North Carolina. About 1835, he removed with other
members of his family to Simpson County, Mississippi. Later
he lived in Smith County, Mississippi . About 1841 he was married
in Simpson County to Susan Peacock, a native of
Louisiana, according to “History of North & West Texas”
published in 1906 by Capt. B. Paddock. She was a sister to
Mariah Peacock who was married to John Gowan, brother to
Richard Gowan.
Richard Asbury Gowan “had peculiar business ability and tireless
energy and soon became one of the wealthiest planters of
Smith County, owning many slaves and having a large amount
of land and other property,” according to Capt. Paddock. The
history further states that he was primarily interested in the
breeding of blooded livestock.
The family of Richard Asbury Gowan and Susan Peacock
Gowan was enumerated in the 1850 and 1860 census of Smith
County, Mississippi. Richard Asbury Gowan lost all of his
wealth during the Civil War and elected to “start over” in
Navarro County, Texas, moving there about 1866.
Richard Asbury Gowen was enumerated in Navarro County in
1870 as the head of a household:
“Gowan, Richard A. 58, born in NC, farmer
Susan Peacock 50, born in LA, wife
Richard 14, born in MS
John 11, born in MS
Alice 9, born in MS
Melissa 5, born in MS
Hollingsworth, D. Y. 45, born in SC, farmer”
Richard Asbury Gowan died in Navarro County in 1890 at age
77. Susan Peacock Gowan died there at age 83 in 1903.
Children born to Richard Asbury Gowan and Susan Peacock
Gowan include:
Matilda Gowan born about 1842
Samantha Gowan born about 1844
Garrett Hubert Gowan born March 29, 1845
William Gowan born about 1847
Terry Gowan born about 1850
Richard R. Gowan born about 1856
John W. Gowan born about 1859
Alice Gowan born about 1861
Melissa Gowan born about 1865
RICHARD ASBURY GOWAN STARTED OVER IN EAST TEXAS AFTER CIVIL WAR
Richard Asbury Gowan, son of John Gowan, was born about 1812 in
North Carolina. About 1835, he removed with other members of
his family to Simpson County, Mississippi. Later he lived in
Smith County, Mississippi . About 1841 he was married in Simp-
son County to Susan Peacock, a native of Louisiana, according
to “History of North & West Texas” published in 1906 by Capt.
B. Paddock. She was a sister to Mariah Peacock who was married
to John Gowan, brother to Richard Gowan.
Richard Asbury Gowan “had peculiar business ability and tire-
less energy and soon became one of the wealthiest planters of
Smith County, owning many slaves and having a large amount of
land and other property,” according to Capt. Paddock. The his-
tory further states that he was primarily interested in the
breeding of blooded livestock.
The family of Richard Asbury Gowan and Susan Peacock Gowan was
enumerated in the 1850 and 1860 census of Smith County, Missis-
sippi. Richard Asbury Gowan lost all of his wealth during the
Civil War and elected to “start over” in Navarro County, Texas,
moving there about 1866.
Richard Asbury Gowen was enumerated in Navarro County in 1870
as the head of a household:
“Gowan, Richard A. 58, born in NC, farmer
Susan Peacock 50, born in LA, wife
Richard 14, born in MS, son
John 11, born in MS, son
Alice 9, born in MS, daughter
Melissa 5, born in MS, daughter
Hollingsworth, D. Y. 45, born in SC, farmer”
Richard Asbury Gowan died in Navarro County in 1890 at age 77.
Susan Peacock Gowan died there at age 83 in 1903.
Children born to Richard Asbury Gowan and Susan Peacock Gowan
include:
Matilda Gowan born about 1842
Samantha Gowan born about 1844
Garrett Hubert Gowan born March 29, 1845
William Gowan born about 1847
Terry Gowan born about 1850
Richard R. Gowan born about 1856
John W. Gowan born about 1859
Alice Gowan born about 1861
Melissa Gowan born about 1865
==Dear Cousins==
In the last five years my husband, Ed, and I have been involved
in having markers placed at my third great grandparents grave in
Meriwether County, Georgia. And we also placed markers at my
great grandparents’ and two great aunts’ gravesite in Ashley
County, Arkansas. These were for Rev. Creed Caldwell and Rachel
Clayton Caldwell of Georgia and Rev. George W. Caldwell and Mary
Elizabeth Goyne Caldwell of Arkansas. Also included were my great
aunts, Julia Caldwell Norris and Cynthia Caldwell Scott.
When we were researching at the Courthouse in Meriwether County,
we were looking for the cemetery location of my third great grand-
parents. The local cousins did not know the location. My husband,
a professional land surveyor, found the location where they lived
in the land records, and I found a cemetery book in the Probate
Court Office and wrote down the information of a Caldwell-Williams
Cemetery.
We put our information together, and voila, we knew where the
cemetery was. When we arrived out on a country road out of Du-
rand, Georgia on Georgia-Pa-cific property. We walked up to the
top of a wooded hill, and in those woods was the Cemetery, and we
found their graves along with three of their babies and a son and
his wife. We came back to Texas and had a sign made to place at
the Cemetery. I had called Georgia-Pacific and received permis-
sion to do this.
I felt Creed and Rachel’s presence so strongly and I knew they
were happy we had found them.
In Arkansas, the old marker at Rev. George W. Caldwell’s grave-
site was broken and becoming unreadable. We had a local company
in Ashley County place a marker in the center of the four graves.
We did not receive any tangible rewards for doing this, but we
had our reward in the way it made us feel.”
Gwen Caldwell Quickel
Goyen Family Tree 