Cowles History

Cowles History

John and Sarah Cowles

The Cowles Family, John and Hannah Cowles, came from Gloucester, England, in 1635.This was soon after the Pilgrims, who landed in 1620. New England colonies
were all very young and John Cowles with his two sons, Samuel and John, were active in all of the affairs of colonization. He helped colonize Farmington, Connecticut, and was constable there in 1647—1654; a deputy for that town to general Court six sessions, l653-54; and, one of the seven pillars of the Congregational Church organized the 13th of October, 1652. He held many other positions in both Church and civil capacity. This was a devoutly religious family, and willing to make a sacrifice for their convictions. They held strongly to the great hope that their house might always be a house of Prayer. All of the children of John and Hannah Cowles married into some of the most prominent families in New England....
Roxy N. Taylor

Samuel Cowles –Abigail Stanley

Samuel Cowles was born probably at Hartford Connecticut in 1639 and died the 17th of April 1691 at Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut. He was a son of John and Hannah Cowles. He married the 14th day of June 1660 Miss Abigail Stanley, a daughter of Timothy Stanley, kinsman of Thomas Stanley, the first Earl of Derby. Everything recorded indicates that Timothy Stanley was a man of energy and enterprise, dignity and substance and piety, worthy of the sincere respect of his numerous descendents. He was one of the wealthiest men of Hartford according to the family history. His brother, Thomas Stanley, was ancestor to Grover Cleveland, President of the United States. Samuel Cowles was a large landowner, a man of high ideals and energy and. a leading citizen. Eleven children were born to Samuel and Abigail Stanley Cowles.
Boxy W. Taylor

Nathaniel Cowles – Phebe Woodruff

Nathaniel was a son of Samuel Cowles. He married Phebe Woodruff the 11th of February, l672—l673. Their nine children included Timothy Cowles.

Timothy Cowles – Content Johnson

This couple, in contrast to the large families preceeding them, had only two children, Margaret, who died in infancy, and Asa Cowles, born the 7th of March 1732.

Asa Cowles-- Sarah
This couple had only one child, Timothy, born the 16th of Nay, 1775.

Timothy Cowles—Abigail Woodruff

Timothy Cowles married Abigail Woodruff on Flay 25, 1775. He migrated to Brookfield, Vermont previous to the organization of that town in 1785, and was chosen clerk of the first town meeting. He was appointed justice of the peace in and for Orange County, Vermont in 1785, and was elected representative from Brookfield to the legislature in l787. It is probable that he moved to New York, as some of his children settled in that state. They had eleven children. One girl died in infancy, one daughter grew to maturity, seven sons became ministers and two sons did not follow that profession. Ninth and next to the youngest son was Austin Cowles.

Austin Cowles – Phebe Wilbur

Austin Cowles was born May 3, 1792 at Brookfield, Vermont, at a time when the country was new, free schools were almost unknown, and it was difficult to earn a living. An education was almost out of the question. His great energy and determined spirit helped him overcome the difficulties which were greater because of having lost the sight of one eye at a very early age. This was caused by an arrow accidently shot by his brothers.
Austin became a teacher and a minister of the gospel at the age of about twenty one years. He taught the first winter term in a new school building in 1820-1821 at Bolivia, New York. He became a regularly ordained Methodist Episcopal Minister and conducted the first religious service in Bolivia, New York, meeting in a barn for lack of a church building. He was an inspector of common schools and town clerk in1825. He was also a wheelwright and small farmer.
Austin Cowles married Phebe Wilbur the 14^th of January, 1813, a young lady from a large prominent family who possessed many excellent personal qualifications. They were the parents of three daughters who grew to womanhood, married and Elvira Anne Cowles was their daughter.

Material taken from history written by Roxy W. Taylor

Soon after the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
was organized, Austin Cowles and his family heard of it, investigated it’s teachings and devoutly believed them. They emigrated to Kirtland and later to Nauvoo the
headquarters of the Church. “After being baptized a member of the Church he was
advanced in the Priesthood and became a Seventy and a councilor to the President .”
He always held to the first principles of the gospel and lived them sincerely, but
never was converted to the principles of plurality of wives. He opposed this law
and preached against it in quorum and in public, and on that account he withdrew from the Church.

This sad turn in his life was most unfortunate. He moved about from place to place but never found complete contentment although he kept his family around him.

Taken from a different history also written by
Boxy V. Taylor