Sections in this issue:
1) William Cutter Gowen and Sister Succeed on Cuban Plantation;
2) Artifact Excavated on Hatteras Suggests Roanoke Connection;
3) Dear Cousins.
All Gowen Manuscript Pages and Newsletters: https://goyengoinggowengoyneandgone.com/gowen-research-foundation-pages-and-info/
GOWEN RESEARCH FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
Volume 10, No. 2 October 1998
1) William Cutter Gowen and Sister Succeed on Cuban Plantation
William Cutter Gowen, son of William Gowen and Eleanor Cutter Gowen, was born September 21, 1783 in Medford. As a young man, he went to sea, making voyages down the east coast to Cuba. Upon the death of his father in 1808, he gave his power of attorney to John Brooks, his brother-in-law. In 1810 he purchased a home on Spring Street in Medford from William Hawes.
About 1811, he removed to Cuba and established residence in Havana, then the third largest city in the western hemisphere.
William Cutter Gowen saw the business opportunities in Cuba, but realized that the Spanish franchise system stifled free enterprise there and returned to Boston. On October 10, 1815, William Cutter Gowen, “former resident of Cuba, but now of Boston, merchant,” bought a new brick building on Fort Hill from his brother-in-law, John Brooks and his second wife, Abigail “Maria” Gowen Brooks who signed a release of her dower. In that year, he also bought “property in Hamilton” from James Hooper.
In 1817, the Cuban government suppressed the tobacco monopoly, and William Cutter Gowen immediately returned to Havana. In that year he, “former resident of Boston, now of Havana, Cuba in consideration of $1 paid by his mother, Eleanor Gowen of Boston and further consideration of love and affection; leases to her for and during her natural life the house and land on Fort Hill, Boston, being the whole of the estate conveyed to him by John Brooks, said premises late in occupation by said Brooks.”
John Brooks experienced severe financial reverses shortly afterward and died in 1823, leaving his widow, Abigail “Maria” Gowen Brooks and their children almost penniless. She immediately sailed to Cuba to join her brother, William Cutter Gowen who had established a large tobacco plantation at Matanzas, Cuba.
As the health of his mother began to fail, the Fort Hill property was returned to him. William Cutter Gowen, “of Matanzas, Cuba” in 1825 sold the property to Ann Hale and took her mortgage in the transaction.
William Cutter Gowen died the following year, and Abigail “Maria” Gowen Brooks inherited his large, successful tobacco plantation and sudden riches. With this wealth, she was able to enjoy travel and the pursuit of culture. She left the Cuban enterprise in the hands of elder son, Edgar Brooks and in 1829 was living in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Hammond Gowen, son of William Gowen and Eleanor Cutter Gowen, was born July 6, 1786. In 1831, he was a merchant living in Quebec City, Quebec.
Mary Abigail “Maria” Gowen, daughter of William Gowen and Eleanor Cutter Gowen, was born in 1794 in Medford. Her father died when she was 14, and her sister, Lucretia Gowen Brooks and her husband, John Brooks, a merchant tailor took her in and provided her education. Lucretia died in 1907, and John Brooks was remarried to the 16-year-old Mary Abigail “Maria” Gowen.
Her baptismal name was simply Abigail Gowen. In 1819, the General Court of Massachusetts permitted her to take the name Mary Abigail Brooks and she was rechristened by that name at King’s Chapel in Boston July 31, 1819.
In 1823, John Brooks died in poverty and left his widow and their sons penniless. Her brother, William Cutter Gowen, immediately invited her and her sons to come and live on his tobacco plantation in Cuba. Three years later, William Cutter Gowen, died and left his immensely successful tobacco plantation to Abigail “Maria” Gowen Brooks.
It was there that she began to express her talent for poetry. Under the penname of “Maria del Occidente” she wrote the first canto of “Zophiel” which was soon published.
In 1829, she was living in Hanover, New Hampshire where she was actively seeking an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy for her youngest son, Horace Brooks. He wrote:
“My mother’s special characteristic was her individuality. She generally succeeded in her endeavors. For instance, she applied to have me sent to West Point, so sent me to Washington in 1829 with letters, etc. The appointment was promised, but by some influence was over-ruled. She then took me to Hanover, New Hampshire with a view to my entering Dartmouth College. In the meantime, she went with her brother Hammond Gowen of Quebec to Europe in 1830 where she visited Southey [Robert Southey, famous English poet of Bristol, Gloucestershire]. With Southey’s advice, she got out a London edition of “Zophiel.” She was introduced to the Marquis de Lafayette who was so pleased with her that he asked if he could be of any service to her. ‘Yes,’ said she, ‘you may get my son into West Point.’ Upon this, Lafayette wrote to Chief Engineer Bernard, and the appointment of a cadet came to me.”
Horace Brooks entered the Academy in 1831 and was graduated as a second lieutenant in 1835. Lt. Brooks was stationed at the Academy from 1836 to 1839, and Mary Abigail “Maria” Gowen Brooks lived with him. When he was transferred to Ft. Hamilton, New York in 1840, she accompanied him. During this period, she continued to write poetry and published “Idomen” in 1843.
Mary Abigail “Maria” Gowen Brooks sailed for Cuba for the last time in December 1843 and died at Matanzas November 11, 1845 at the age of 51. Horace Brooks wrote, “She was buried at Limonal by the side of my two brothers.” One of the brothers is suggested as a half brother, the son of Lucretia Gowen Brooks.
Of his mother Horace Brooks stated:
“My mother was quite a linguist. She read and wrote fluently in French, Spanish and Italian; she also sang many songs in these tongues. She was a hard student and a woman of much research, and very particular to obtain her authority from the original; and often attempted, with the assistnce of some friend, the translation of obscure languages. I remember how she kept by her a Persian grammar and often referred to it. She was also quite an artist, and several pieces painted by her in water-colours were hanging up about her rooms. She was a constant attendant at church and always carried with her an English edition of the services of the church. She was very particular about her own language, disliked all interpolations, and always referred to ‘Johnson and Walker.’ It was delightful to hear her converse. Her knowledge of present and past events and of the prominent characters of history was astonishing. She would tell anecdotes of persons so varied and interesting that her quiet and unassuming conversation was sought and listened to by many distinguished persons.”
Rufus Wilmot Griswold, critic, anthologist and editor of “Graham’s Magazine,” wrote of her work in “Encyclopedia of American Literature.” He described her as a “student of wide and accurate information, capable of thought and research quite unusual for a woman of her time.”
An account of the life and works of Mary Abigail “Maria” Gowen Brooks written by Zadel Barnes Gustafson was published in “Harper’s Monthly” in January 1879.
2) Artifact Excavated on Hatteras Suggests Roanoke Connection
Lending some credence to the Melungeon claim of descent from the English colonists of Roanoke Island, an Associated Press newstory about a new archaeological find on Hatteras Island seems to indicate a connection between Sir Walter Raleigh’s lost colony and the Croatan Indian tribe.
A 16th-century gold signet ring recently unearthed is a new clue in the 400-year-old mystery of Roanoke Island settle-ments, according to David Phelps, head of the East Carolina University coastal archaeology office. “This is the first direct tie-in we’d had with the Roanoke colonies,” said David Phelps, head of the East Carolina University coastal archaeology office.
The ring, bearing a depiction of a lion, was recently sifted from sand taken four feet from the surface in an archaeological excavation pit on Hatteras Island. A signet ring, normally used by dignitaries to sign and seal documents, may have belonged to an official of the colony. Sir Walter Raleigh’s settlements of 1585 and 1587 were located about 45 miles north on Roanoke Island.
Settlers under the leadership of John White mysteriously dis-appeared after he left them to get more supplies from England. Upon his return in 1591 he found the letters “Croatoan” carved on a tree. Many theorized the settlers joined the Croatan Indi-ans on Hatteras Island. But others believe the settlers died from disease or were killed by American Indians as described on stone tablets found in the late 1930s.
Phelps said the ring is one of the best discoveries he’s made during his 40-year career. “Its best placement in time is in the 1580s. This doesn’t necessarily mean the Lost Colony was here, but this begins to authenticate that,” he said.
The ring face, covered with a gray-brown patina, depicts the sideview of a lion standing on three legs with its front paw raised. Although the shank of the 10-carat gold is broken, it is in very good condition, Phelps said.
“It is a great find about the Roanoke colonies,” said Lebame Houston, an Elizabethan scholar from nearby Manteo, North Carolina. Houston said there’s a good chance the crest, which is part of a coat of arms, can be identified. “A crest was just as personal then as a fingerprint is today,” she said.
The excavation was a continuation of exploration of the an-cient capital of the Croatan chiefdom, the only American Indi-ans to live permanently on the Outer Banks. The site spans a half-mile area over three dune ridges. Last year’s excavation uncovered copper and brass pieces and lead dropping from bullets–findings that indicated for the first time that the En-glish could have lived among the tribe.
Twenty years before the establishment of Jamestown in 1607, Sir Walter Raleigh planted a colony on Roanoke Island and named it Virginia. Two years years earlier, Raleigh had sent Captains Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe to the island, three miles wide and 12 miles long, for exploration. They re-ported it suitable for habitation, and the first colony was landed in 1585. The first effort was a failure, and the settlers were anxious to return to England.
Sir Francis Drake is identified as the captain who came to their rescue. The swash-buckling Drake, the first to circumnavigate the world, had an intense hatred of the Spanish for grievances inflicted upon him earlier. In 1585, Queen Elizabeth placed him in command of a fleet of 25 British ships with a commis-sion to plunder the Spanish settlements in the New World.
He executed his orders with a vengeance. He captured Santi-ago in the Cape Verde Islands, Cartagena, Columbia, San Au-gustine, Florida and San Domingo [later Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.]
In May 1585, Drake had liberated a large group of galley slaves of various nationalities from Spanish bondage in Santo Domingo and Cartagena, according to “Sir Francis Drake,” by George Thompson and “Set Sail for Roanoke” by David Beers Quinn.
In the July 1994 Newsletter, Evelyn McKinley Orr wrote, “Drake decided to free the slaves, some 500 plus, in-cluding some women in the vicinity of Havana. An anti-Spanish community in a fortified harbor in Cuba would give the British a strong position in the Caribbean and serve as a base for their operations. As Drake approached Cuba, hurricane-force winds arose, and all that Drake could do was to run with the storm. He was off the coast of Virginia before the storm abated and determined to put in at Roanoke Island for provisions before making a triumphant return to Eng-land.”
In the July 1995 Newsletter, Dr. N. Brent Kennedy of Clinch Valley College wrote:
“Thompson concluded that Drake planned to reinforce the Roanoke colony with his newly-freed passengers. Gov. Ralph B. Lane whom Raleigh had placed in charge expressed no confidence in the future of the colony and requested that Drake take them aboard as well. The colonists prevailed upon Drake to take them back to England. It is assumed that some of the 500 non-paying passengers were dropped off at the Roanoke colony to make room for the Lane party aboard Drake’s ships. They, too, must have become dissatisfied with Roanoke and removed inland.”
Another attempt at colonizing Roanoake Island was under-taken in 1587 by Sir Walter Raleigh. The expedition was headed by John White who also watched his settlers become discouraged and disillusioned. To overcome their disappoint-ment, White determined that he should return to England for more tools and provisions. When he returned in 1790, every-one was gone. The only clue he found was the carving “Croatoan.”
Melungeon researchers will be watching the archaeological work on Hatteras Island with interest to see if additional dis-coveries will help to unravel the mystery of the Melungeons.
3) Dear Cousins
My William Goins was born in June 1868 in Pope County, Illinois to parents unknown. He was married in 1889 to Carrie Elizabeth [or Ann] Hogan, daughter of Harry Hogan in adjoining Hardin County. She was born there in March 1872. She died about 1909, and he died about 1922, both in Hardin County. Their children were: Sarah Jane, John H, Margaret “Maggie”, Lloyd, Lillie Mae, Josie, Katie, Frank and Tom. Please respond if you have any knowledge of or connection to this line. Vicki Permenter, 5515 Ave. M½, Santa Fe, TX, 77510, vikki0402@aol.com
==Dear Cousins==
Many Foundation members met Peggy Ann Davis White of Hopkinsville, KY during the Nashville Conference and oth-ers have exchanged research with her through the years. I wish to advise that Robert Henry Jones, 35, Peggy’s son, died in Hopkinsville October 24. He was born in Pembroke September 2, 1963.
In addition to his mother, survivors include his father, William Henry Jones; his wife, Dedra; a son, Shawn Henry Jones, a brother, Timothy Eugene Jones, grandmother, Frances Ann Powell and step-father, Floyd N. White. He was buried in Gray Cemetery, Christian County, Kentucky.
Please address your condolences to Peggy at: Mrs. Peggy Ann Davis White, 109 Underwood Dr, Hopkinsville, KY, 42240, 502/886-0432, Carlene Pagliara, 210 Robin Hill Lane, Duncanville, TX, 75137, pagliara@flash.net.
==Dear Cousins==
BUXTON, N.C. (AP) -Archaeologists have found more’e’vidence that suggests members of the Lost Colony may have joined American Indians living on the Outer Banks.
Lending some credence to the Melungeon claim of descent from the English colonists of Roanoke Island, an Associated Press newstory about a new archaeological find on Hatteras Island seems to indicate a connection between Sir Walter Raleigh’s lost colony and the Croatan Indian tribe.
A 16th-century gold signet ring recently unearthed is a new clue in the 400-year-old mystery of Roanoke Island settlements, according to David Phelps, head of the East Carolina University Coastal Archaeology Office. “This is the first direct tie-in we’d had with the Roanoke colonies,” said David Phelps, head of the East Carolina University Coastal Archaeology Office.
The ring, bearing a depiction of a lion, was sifted from sand taken four feet from the surface in an archaeological excavation pit on Hatteras Island last month. Sir Walter Raleigh’s settlements of 1585 and 1587 were located about 50 miles north on Roanoke Island.
Settlers under the leadership of John White mysteriously disappeared after he left them to get more supplies from England. Upon his return in 1591 he found the letters “Croatoan” carved on a tree. Many theorized the settlers joined the Croatan Indians on Hatteras Island.
But others believe the settlers died from disease or were killed by American Indians as described on stone tablets found in the late 1930s.
Phelps said the ring is one of the best discoveries he’s made during his 40-year career. “The chances of this type of ring being in trade networks after colonization is very slim. So its best placement in time is in the 1580s. This doesn’t necessarily mean the Lost Colony was here but this begins to authenticate that,” he said.
The ring face, covered with a gray-brown patina, depicts the sideview of a lion standing on three legs with its front paw raised. Although the shank of the 1 0-carat gold is broken, it is in very good condition, Phelps said.
“it is a great find about the Roanoke colonies,” said Lebame Houston, an Elizabethan scholar from Manteo. “It is something English that is personal that is in Croatan.”
Houston said there’s a good chance the crest, which is part of a coat of arms, can be identified. “A crest was just as personal then as a fingerprint is today,” she said.
Phelps and his team of experts, students and local volunteers resumed work on “The Croatan Project” early last month.
The four-week project was funded by a $15,580 grant from Tne Richard J. Reynolds III and Marie M. Reynolds Foundation. The excavation was a continuation of exploration of the ancient capital of the Croatan chiefdom, the only American Indians to live permanently on the Outer Banks. The site spans a half-mile area over three dune ridges.
Last year’s excavation uncovered copper and brass pieces and lead dropping from bullets – findings that indicated for the first time that the English could have lived among the tribe.
Dear Cousins
My William Goins was born in June 1868 in Pope County, Illinois to parents unknown. He was married in 1889 to Carrie Elizabeth [or Ann] Hogan, daughter of Harry Hogan in adjoining Hardin County. She was born there in March 1872. She died about 1909, and he died about 1922, both in Hardin County. Their children were: Sarah Jane, John H, Margaret “Maggie”, Lloyd, Lillie Mae, Josie, Katie, Frank and Tom. Please respond if you have any knowledge of or connection to this line. Vicki Permenter, 5515 Ave. M½, Santa Fe, TX, 77510, vikki0402@aol.com
==Dear Cousins==
Many Foundation members met Peggy Ann Davis White of Hopkinsville, KY during the Nashville Conference and others have exchanged research with her through the years. I wish to advise that Robert Henry Jones, 35, Peggy’s son, died in Hopkinsville October 24. He was born in Pembroke September 2, 1963.
In addition to his mother, survivors include his father, William Henry Jones; his wife, Dedra; a son, Shawn Henry Jones, a brother, Timothy Eugene Jones, grandmother, Frances Ann Powell and step-father, Floyd N. White. He was buried in Gray Cemetery, Christian County, Kentucky.
Please address your condolences to Peggy at: Mrs. Peggy Ann Davis White, 109 Underwood Dr, Hopkinsville, KY,
42240, 502/886-0432, Carlene Pagliara, 210 Robin Hill Lane, Duncanville, TX, 75137, pagliara@flash.net.
==Dear Cousins==
___________________________________________________________
NOTE: The above information produced by the Gowen Research Foundation (GRF), and parts of the “Gowen Manuscript” they worked on producing. It has tons of information – much of it is correct, but be careful, some of it is not correct – so check their sources and logic. I’ve copied some of their information in the past researching my own family, only to find out there were some clear mistakes. So be sure to check the information to verify if it is right before citing the source and believing the person who researched it before was 100% correct. Most of the information I found there seems to be correct, but some is not.
Their website is: Internet: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gowenrf
There does not seem to be anyone “manning the ship” at the Gowen Research Foundation, or Gowen Manuscript site any longer, and there is no way to contact anyone about any errors. The pages themselves don’t have a mechanism to leave a note for others to see any “new information” that you may have that shows when you find info that shows something is wrong, or when something has been verified.
Feel free to leave messages about any new information found, or errors in these pages, or information that has been verified that those who wrote these pages may not have known about.
Goyen Family Tree 