Beyond our Elusive William Daniel

MARY BEASLEY states in a letter dated May 15, 1975--concerning the MCGINNIS in STROTHER BOWMAN's name...My mother talked like the MCGINNIS family who lived near Mortonsville were natives of Mercer County...Among the first settlers of Woodford County was a man by the name of WILLIAM STROTHER... had a decendent named MAT STROTHER MCGINNIS.
WILLIAM STROTHER HAWKINS (1850) is mentioned as resident of Woodford County in a book titled "History of Woodford County". Could this be the person for whom STROTHER was named?
STROTHER'S marriage to MRS. ELIZABETH RAINEY was at Saundersville, Fayette County, Kentucky.
January 31, 1839. Could ELIZABETH RAINEY BOWMAN be a SHACKLEFORD or an ASHER? Mercer County book 30. page 216--sale from ASHER - CYRUS (BOWMAN????) to STROTHER and ELIZABETH on 4 February 1856.
Book 30, page 13, (Mercer County, I presume) September 22, 1853--land belongs to WM. FRANCIS and CYRUS BOWMAN.
Bill of Sale of JULIET ANN NEWTON- one of the heirs of JOHN ASHER. What is ASHER connection? Check JOHN ASHER's will.
STROTHER sold land to CYRUS 1856 Mercer County.
Wood Sales of Woodford County --also see MARY BEASLEY's letter in her entry
Listed are the following sales that are probably STROTHER BOWMAN's family--WILLIAM, CYRUS. EZRA. WILLIAM SENIOR. Also listed BOWMANs are W. R., JOHN, J. L., MISS LOU--these names match WILLIAM BOWMAN's census record. Wool Records begin in 1854
year ?? June 15 WILLIAM
June 25 STROTHER
1859 July 25 CYRUS
August 3 WILLIAM
1860 STROTHER and WILLIAM
1861 WILLIAM
1861 June 16 EZRA AND WILLIAM
1862 May 31 EZRA AND WILLIAM
1863 WILLIAM and EZRA
1864 WILLIAM SENIOR
June 22,1864 - WILLIAM and EZRA
1865 - WILLIAM, EZRA and WILLIAM SENIOR
July 15, 1865 - EZRA
JULY 24, 1865 - WILLIAM
1866 - WILLIAM
MAY 17, 1866 - EZRA
JULY 3, 1866 - WILLIAM
Fact stories from Kentucky say that STROTHER's house was burned after the Civil War because he served with the Union. It is not known if it was burned by his brothers who were Confederates (as the story goes) or other Southern sympathizers. He and BETTY BOWMAN sold their Kentucky property and headed west and settled in Texas where RALPH MONROE BOWMAN was born (the only child to be born in Texas).
In MARY BEASLEY's letter to NANCY BOWMAN STEINBACH dated May 15, 1975:
You asked why PHENIA'S uncles, the BOWMANs had treated them badly. This I do not know--I can only guess. I have an idea it might have been hostilities between brothers over the Civil War. You see STROTHER's sympathies were with the Union Army - the North. They wore grey uniforms. Most everyone around Woodford County (Kentucky) fought for the South the Confederacy. Kentucky was neutral in the Civil War. Some men in the same household fought - some for the North--some for the South. It was brother against brother in the Civil War. So while STROTHER's sympathies were for the Union, his brothers and sisters may have been on the side of the Confederacy "The Gray"...Another reason for my belief was from hearing my mother talk. She said one time that GRANDPAP, meaning SOLOMON BRANDENBURG father of HANNAH ELIZABETH BOWMAN and STROTHER BOWMAN's father-in-law ...was visiting his daughter HANNAH ELIZABETH, perhaps he stayed part time with them in his older days after the death of (wives) HARRIET and LUCETTI and just before he married FRANKIE MOSBY, his third and last wife. Well, while he was living in Casey County, the story goes to say that Confederate soldiers set his home afire and burned it clear to the ground. They set the fringe on the bedspread afire. So it is told. But since he did not own any property in (Liberty) Casey County, I presume it was STROTHER's and ELIZABETH's house which the Confederates set afire...
In a letter from MARY BEASLEY TO EARL BOWMAN dated October 11, 1975 she states...
I think I know just why the family left Woodford County after his marriage to HANNAH ELIZABETH BRANDENBURG in 1860. After his marriage he enlisted with the Union Army at Columbia, Kentucky. He then decided to remove to Casey County because the Union Headquarters were located at Liberty, Casey County, Kentucky...Camp Nelson was the headquarters for the Union. There is a large National Cemetery located near the camp where hundreds of Union and Confederate soldiers are buried...One of the last battles of the War was fought near this camp called "The Battle of Perryville". No doubt your grandfather (STROTHER) mustered out at Camp Nelson and after the Civil War was over, the family did not move back to Woodford County instead they migrated to Lamar County, Texas. Many families from Woodford County migrated westward after the Civil War where they homesteaded and took up government lands...My grandfather may have made the very wagon that carried his brother - in - law STROTHER BOWMAN to Texas.
Letter from GEORGE ANN BOWMAN CADDELL TO RALPH BOWMAN with exact translation but spelling changed--
Dallas, Texas
Jan 19, 50
1829 Ann Ardor Street
Dear Bro.
Read your letter and glad to hear from you. All is fine here and glad you all the same. I don't know much to tell you about this. Our dad was 64 years old. I don't know the month or date of his birth. The children's names were - JIM, GEORGE, ESTELLAR, SUSAN, THEODORE, FLORIDA, AUGUSTA, JOSPHENIA, MARSON, GEORGE ANN, MOLLE, TOMMY, RALPH. Paw's name was ESTSTRAWTER MEGINNIS BOWMAN - died in 1882 born in Mortonville, Mercer County, Kentucky.
If I could see you I could tell you more than I can in the letter. Sorry I can't give you more about it. But converesations bring back memories. You were 6 1/2 when they died.
Will close,
Love,
GEO. ANN

Family left for Texas between 1872 and 1876.

Census records of Lamar County, Texas in 1880 show all of family including MARY J. AND TOMMY.
Letter from D. B. CADDELL son of GEORGE ANN BOWMAN CADDELL (see above letter) to EARL BOWMAN dated February 19, 1975:
...I don't remember Mother (GEORGE ANN BOWMAN CADDELL) saying much about her parents only she said both were buried the same day. She said they came from Kentucky to Texas with some more families in covered wagons.

There was a WILLIAM STROTHER and wife ANN in the Kentucky area; maybe the source for STROTHER'S name. EFB's note states that WILLIAM STROTHER first had wife DOROTHY; WILLIAM STROTHER second wife was MARGARET THORNTON.

1880 census Lamar County Texas--STROTHER 62, BETTIE 47, AUGUSTA, 22
ZINA (PHENIA) MARSON, 16, GEORGE ANN 13, MARY J 10, WILLIAM T. 8, RALF(RALPH) 4 --RALPH was only child born in Texas.

EARL BOWMAN's notes list STROTHER and ELIZABETH RAINEY's children as TOMMY, JIM. GEORGE, ESTELLA, SUSAN, THEODORE, FLORIDA, JORN, WILLIAM, MARY JANE.

Wool Sales Records of Woodford County list sales of the following BOWMANs that are probably STROTHER's family: CYRUS, MISS LOU, W. R., JOHN and J. L. These names match census list of WILLIAM BOWMAN's family--see above.

In a letter from MARY BEASLEY to EARL BOWMAN dated January 22, 1976 she states...wonderful clues to who is STROTHER'S family...Private Record Book of ROBERT WILHOIT an old citizen of Mortonville who operated a carding and wool mill over a hundred year ago, about a mile from the small village of Mortonville.
Farmers all round about, especially in the southern part of Woodford County brought their sheep wool and tallow which they had sheared from the backs of their sheep- to ROBERT WILHOIT's Carding Mill to spin into yarn. With this yarn their women-folk wove it into clothing for the family--socks, gloves, underwear, bed covers, etc. Every house hold in the old days had a spinning wheel and tallow molds to make into candles for lighting their homes...ROBERT WILHOIT kept a "Record Book" of the farmers who brought the wool to his carding mill, for spinning into yarn. There are hundreds of names in this book. The BOWMANs among them...are yours and NANCY's ancestors. I got this book from ROBERT WILHOIT's grandson EDWARD S. WILHOIT who lives very close to me on the same street I live on...STROTHER's name is mentioned twice; WILLIAM BOWMAN SENIOR's name is mentioned twice; WILLIAM's name in mentioned 18 times; EZRA BOWMAN's name is mentioned 10 times and the name of CYRUS is mentioned only once.
I can't imagine whatever became of those mentioned BOWMANs unless they migrated westward probably at the same time that their brother did and first settled in Wise County, Texas...
The following entries are recopied from ROBERT WILHOIT's Wool Book by MARY WINIFRED BEASLEY in the year 1970.
Names of persons who lived within the vicinity of Mortonsville years ago recopied from the Carding Wool of ROBERT WILHOIT beginning the year 1854--1854.
Commenced carding May 17, 1854 and May 21, 1858.
June 15th - WILLIAM BOWMAN
June 25 - STROTHER BOWMAN black and white ( color of wool), 26 1/2 Grease, 3 1/2 shete, 22 - neate
$1.84 (measurements of wool and cost when finished)
July 25, 1859 - WILLIAM BOWMAN
August 3, 1859 - (1) CYRUS BOWMAN (2) WILLIAM BOWMAN
1860 - STROTHER BOWMAN fine grease (tallow) page 72 - grease 17 shete 2 2/4 nets - $1.30
(These entries go on with no STROTHER until 1866.

Census of Wise County, Texas, shows STROTHER to be there in 1880.

Rootsweb info from JOY CINNAMON to PARTICIA DAWKINS Re: BOWMAN/WILMONT or BOWMAN/JUDD families, May 9, 2002, state STROTHER in Mercer County, Kentucky 1860 census at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. page 770, Casey County, Kentucky at Rolling Fork, 1870 census, page 250 and in Colorado County, Texas page 474 in 1880. "I've been told that he also fought for the union in the Civil War. He may be related to Cornelius Bowman, though I have no proof of that. It seems that a large section of BOWMANs all over the state of Kentucky descended from him."

Rootsweb - Stephanie, January 10, 1999--STROTHER MCGINNIS married MERVIE (MARY ANN EASLEY) in Jessamine County, Kentucky. Had son, JAMES HENRY MCGINNIS born July 28, 1854.

A THOMAS MCGINNIS was listed as a grantor to JACOB BOWMAN 1816, book 9, page 523. Could he be the source of the MCGINNIS name connection?
I believe GEORGE B. AND JOHN T. were STROTHER's SONS by his first wife ELIZABETH RAINEY.

Census records:
1850 - Mercer County, Kentucky, page 258--shows JOHN, 63, JOHN 25, STROTHER33, AND w. h. h. 37estate $1,140 (M-432, Roll213)
1860 - Kentucky p. 770--personal estate $400 (M-653, Roll387)
1870 - Casey County, Kentucky, page 3, precinct 1, p. 250--estate $3,000&$300 (M593, Roll454)-Children AUGUSTA 12, JOSEPHINE 9, ALEXANDER 6, GEORGE ANN 4, MARY F. 1
1880 - Lamar County, Texas precinct 7, #188, Ed. 131, S17, L31 J. P. #7

Deed: 1872 - Casey County, Kentucky "to T. P. from STROTHER and ELIZABETH"??

Land ownership:
1847 - Owned 40 acres in Mercer County, Kentucky
1849 - Owned 83 acres in Mercer County
February 04, 1856 - Asher land-CYRUS BOWMAN TO STROTHER and ELIZABETH
1856 - STROTHER to CYRUS
He left Kentucky for Texas between 1872-1876 probably around 1874 after selling property in Casey Co, Kentucky to T. P. BOWMAN