James H. Sowers

James married Elizabeth Kerfoot in 1798 in Frederick Co, Virginia. Elizabeth (daughter of George Kerfoot and Margaret "Peggy" McCarty) was born in 1770 in Frederick Co, Virginia; died in 1851 in Clarke Co, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Emily Ann Sowers was born in 1800 in Frederick Co, Virginia; died in 1828 in Frederick Co, Virginia.
2. Daniel Alfred Sowers was born in 1802 in Frederick Co, Virginia; died on 20 May 1852 in Clarke Co, Virginia.
3. George Kerfoot Sowers was born in 1803 in Frederick Co, Virginia; died on 26 Jul 1840 in Clarke Co, Virginia; was buried in Old Bethel Cemetery.
4. Martha Susan Sowers was born in 1805 in Frederick Co, Virginia; died after 1806.
5. Matilda E. Sowers was born on 15 Nov 1806 in Frederick Co, Virginia; died on 20 Dec 1889 in Clarke Co, Virginia; was buried in Old Bethel Cemetery.
6. James Sowers was born on 25 Jul 1811 in Frederick Co, Virginia; died on 28 Aug 1828 in Greenway, Frederick Co, Virginia.
7. John W. Sowers was born on 11 Oct 1813 in Greenway, Frederick Co, Virginia; died on 28 Dec 1888 in Farnley, Clarke Co, Virginia.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1782, Frederick Co, Virginia; Tax List

Notes:

Census:
list of Colo. Dowdall
Barnett Williams 7 white 7 blacks
Peter Williams 4 whites 0 blacks

Jacob Sowers 6 whites 2 blacks
Daniel Sowers 6 whites 0 blacks

Daniel married Catherine Jenkins (maybe) about 1770 in Frederick Co, Virginia. Catherine was born about 1750 in Frederick Co, Virginia; died on 29 Jan 1839 in Frederick Co, Virginia; was buried in Old Bethel Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Will: 29 Dec 1838, Frederick Co, Virginia

Notes:

Name:
maiden name might be Wharton or maybe Jenkins.

Will:
Will of Catherine Sowers 1838

(as transcribed by Dee Ann Buck in 'Tabulated Genealogy' pp 18-19)

This is to certify that I Catherine Sowers Relict of Daniel Sowers, Dec'd being in full possession of my ordinary and natural intellects having a desire to devise and will my properties I have in possession and that is legally mine to will and devise I therefore appoint my two Sons James and William Sowers my legal Executors.

Item 2nd That my legal Executors immediately after my Decease make arrangement to carry into Execution the following Items of this my last Will and Testament:

3th That all my just Debts, be paid and fully discharged.

4th I will and devise to my son James Sowers my Negro Woman Dinah and young child Harriet.

5th I will and devise to my Daughter Lydia Kerfoot my Negro Woman Margaret.

6th I will and devise to my son Fielding L. Sowers my Negro man Harry and Eight Day Clock and the two Bonds, that was given to me in the Division of the Estate of my deceased Husband amounting to about Fifteen Hundred Dollars the two Bonds was put into his possession some time since by me at a time I was sick on condition that the said Fielding L. Sowers has no charge against my Estate for anything I have received of him or that he may hereafter claim.

7th That I will and devise to my Daughter Mary Ann Bonham, two hundred Dollars to be paid in twelve Months after my Decease out of any money that may come into the Hands of my Executors belonging to my Estate.

Item 8th That I will and devise to my Son William Sowers my Negro Man Peter and Negro Woman Peggy and Negro Boy Elleck.

9th I will and devise that the legal Interest of two Hundred and fifty Dollars be paid to Hannah Hutchinson yearly during her natural Life and that the above Sum of two Hundred and fifty Dollars be retained in the Hands of my Executor for that the above purpose.

10th I will and devise that all the Balance of my Estate both Real and Personal be sold at Public Auction by my Executors and equally divided between my two Sons James and William Sowers.

11th I will and devise that my Executors James and William Sowers shall not be bound to give Security for their performance.

12th And Lastly I will and devise that I freely execute and set my Hand and Seal to all and each of the Items in the within and above state in this my last Will and Testament given and under my Hand and Seal this 29th Day of December One thousand Eight Hundred and thirty Eight and in the 62 Year of American Independence.

Catherine Sowers


Died:
Mrs Buck recorded the following information about Catherine Sowers: " In a letter dated Jan. 1969, from Robert W. Robins addressed to my late gr eat-uncle Hunter B. McKay, he wrote: 'My wife and I happened upon the tomb stone of her ancestor Catherine Sowers who died in January of 1839. The gr ave of Catherine Sowers is near that of her brother-in-law, Jacob Sowers J r, and I presume that her husband, Daniel, is buried beside her -- though no stone is in evidence.' My family and I visited Mt. Hebron Cemetery of Winchester Va in 1989, but could not find her stone. There are many old weather-beaten stones in evidence, and do [sic] to the fact that the office did not have a listing of these old burial stones, I guess we will never know who are buried around the cite [sic] of the German Reformed Church."32 She also includes a transcription of Catherine's will on 'Tabulated Genealogy', pp 18-19; Daniel I left no will, according to Mrs Buck's research, but she did find an inventory and valuation in the Frederick Co records. I will verify this in the Frederick Co will books on my next research trip.

While doing research in Frederick Co in the autumn of 2001, I re corded that Catherine Sowers "departed this life 29 January 1839 in the 86 th year of her life, according to her tombstone". Unfortunately I fail ed to record the source of this tombstone transcription, so this information remains unverified until a later trip to Frederick Co. Our family tradition suggests that Catherine's maiden name may have been Jenkins.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=brendabwatson&id=I14946

Other Events and Attributes:

• Property: 7 Sep 1756, Winchester, Frederick Co, Virginia; from Lewis Neill
• Will: 7 Mar 1781, Frederick Co, Virginia

Notes:

At an early day, supposed to be 1730 or 1740, Jacob Sowers came from Germany, and settled near the run, at what afterward became Winchester, when it had but three houses, or rather cabins. In 1757, he held a tavern license in Winchester. He had 3 sons. One of them, Daniel, settled near the old Salem Church about 1750, near where the line of Frederick and Clarke counties now is. Daniel had a son James, born in 1775 and who married, in 1799, Elizabeth Kerfoot.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=iajames&id=I102

----------------------------
Jacob Sowers Sr., b.ca.1710; d.1781; Frederick Co. VA; m. Mary (unknown), b.ca.1720; d. Frederick Co. VA; It isn't certain where our Jacob Sowers Sr. actually came from. It has been said he was from Germany. The family were originally members of The German Reformed Church which was located in what is now Mount Hebron Cemetery in Winchester, VA adjacent to the ruins of the old Lutheran church and it's surrounding graveyard. The graveyard of The German Reformed Church is still there. It has been told that his daughter-in-law Catherine (wife of Daniel) is buried here but they haven't been able to locate the grave as of yet. However, later generations, particularly Daniel's branch of the family were unquestionably Baptist and were primarily affiliated with Old Bethel Baptist Church in southeastern Clarke County, Va. near Millwood. The name has been spelled as "Sower" in some early records.
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/13425937/person/85777416/media/1?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum


Property:
Lewis also owned 1,914 acres in Frederick County and Jefferson County, West Virginia. He and his brother John disposed of only one piece of property in their lifetime which occurred on 7 September 1756 when Lewis and his wife Lydia sold lots in Winchester to Jacob Sowers for 49 pounds.


Will:

Will of Jacob Sowers

Proved 7 mar 1781

In the name of God Amen. I Jacob Sower of the County of Frederick in the Colony of Virginia being of sound and perfect mind and memory. Thanks be to God for it and calling to mind the mortality of the Body and knowing it is appointed for all men eventual to die. Do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament. That is to say principally and first of all.....and my soul into the hands of God that has gave it and my Body to the earth to be buried in a descent and Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors here after named and as to such worldly estate where with it has pleased God to bless me with in this life. I give dispose and Bequeath the same in the following manner.

Imprimes: I give and bequeath Mary Sower my dearly beloved wife all and singular my estate real and personal in general during her natural life and after her decease my Will and desire is that the whole of my Estate both real and personal to be sold by my Executors here after in as much to the best advantage and the money arising the estate sale as so consist by at law. Divided Equally among my sons Jacob Sower Jr., John Sower and Daniel Sower and my Daughters Elizabeth Campbell and Susanna Williams and if it should happen that if anyone of my aforesaid sons and daughters should die before the decease of my said Beloved wife that these and in that case my Will and desire that the children of my decease son or daughter shall be entitled to the share of my estate which would have follow to their Father or Mother had they been living and the said share to be equally divided among and Lastly I do constitute the..... ...... ordain my well beloved sons Jacob Sower Jr., and John Sower executor of this Last Will and Testament and do hereby utterly disallow invoke and disannul all and every other former Testament and Will before this time named willed and Bequeath Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament. In witness where of this I have set my hand and seal this twenty sixth day of May one thousand & seven Hundred and seventy seven. Signed & Seal Published and Delivered by the said Jacob Sower this to be his Last Will and Testament in the presence of us.

Jacob Sower David Kennedy James McDowellyll Thomas Wood

At the Court and held for Frederick County that 7th day of March 1781. This Last Will and Testament of Jacob Sower deceased was proved by the oath of David Kennedy a witness whereto and ordered to .....for further and on the notion of Jacob Sowers and John Sowers the executors thereon and whereon should be certification granted them for obtaining a probate there of in due form giving security to where upon they with security inters in to and acknowledge Bond...... ...... as the law direct and at a court converse and held for the said county of the 9th day of June 1785. This and was Further Proved by the oath of James McDowelly a witness there so and ordained to be recorded.

By the Hand

Ja Keith C.C.

Jacob married Mary (..) Sowers about 1741 in Frederick Co, Virginia. Mary was born about 1720 in Frederick Co, Virginia; died after 1750 in Frederick Co, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]