[ The Clarence Chronicles ]
Bowen family chronicles from Uncle Clarence's Notebook :
By Clarence Neal Bowen
With associated historical notes compiled & edited by Benjamin L. Bowen
The Royal Bowen's
Original Message
Here is something to look into: As you know, The widow of Henry 5th the greatest hero of English legend, the one who won France for England, when he died at an early age, married the welshman, a commoner, Owen Tudor, the start of the Tudor house in English line of Kings.By the way his son Henry 6th lost it all back when Joan of Arc helped the young inexperienced Dauphin defeat him and his English forces... Now as you know, Ab means son of in welsh. Ab-bowen the son of Owen. Do you think that DNA could tell if we arethe illegitimate offspring of Owen Tudor.If so why not lets try to claim our share of the Queens estate. Ha! Ha! But let me get my English history book by Montgomery and check my facts before you get too deep into it. ~
Mamoo said: "papoo-- you're such a fool."
Tombstones
Marlene and Richard retreived the family tombstones from Ms Sheila Heater near Luling. There are two of them they are made of sandstone measuring 2 ft high 11 inches wide and 4 inches thick.and weigh about 60 pounds each. They are hand carved with the names of W.H. Bowen born Sept. 27, 1872--died Nov.
17, 1938 and Mrs. R.F. Bowen born Feb. 8, 1869 and died Apr. 4, 1931
Now we should look for the cemetery where they are laid to rest and place these stones under a tree there if we cannot determine exactly the gravesite. Many thanks to you Ben and to Ms Heater for the leads. Hope you and all are well and I expect that your career will take off to the stratosphere soon. And p.s. to Uncle Bill: I have a feeling that you are going to get rich next year as a 'head-hunter' as for me, I hope to hit the Texas lottery tonight.
Dear Ben, the tombstone is marked Mrs. R.F. Bowen---however the 'F' is recurved back like a 'J' at the bottom but the top is definitely marked with two marks like an F. Marlene just got back from a weekend at Garner State Park and had to work at her school job today. She hasn't had time to look up her records of the family tree. Mrs. Heater,(Marlene said she is real young) told her that some Bowens are buried in the Harwood cemetery. She also said that some Moore's lived in the house where the stones were stashed and that she thought that Mrs. Moore might have been a Bell. I do not know of any Bell or Moore in the Bowen family but I was never too familiar with the Luling Bowens but Pawpaw knew them quite well as cousins and uncles. He spoke often of Uncle Thamer and once when we were on our way to Austin, he and I stopped at a house in Luling and he went in and visited for a few minutes. Good luck in your search. Sorry to report I did not hit the Lottery last nite but maybe next time. A man who has high hopes lives a long time. Uncle Bubba
----- Original Message -----
From: Benjamin Bowen
To: clarence n bowen
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2001 8:10 AM
Subject: Re: tombstones from luling
Howdy! I have contacted the Caldwell County Historical Society and they have the records to the Peirce funeral home in Luling, I am working with them to see if they will do a look-up through the records to see if any information exists as to where the two were buried. I am including as an attachment an index to the "Plum Creek Almanac"...this almanac is in the possession of the Caldwell county historical society in Luling. p.s . Do you think that the tombstone is marked Mrs. R.J. or R.F. Bowen ? I could have an answer next week from the historical society. c-ya! Ben
Thanks for the info Ben. Did the funeral home have anything on our grandfather James Lawrence who was buried at Prairie Lea. I attended the funeral which was arranged in New Braunfels by Doeppenschmidt funeral but turned over to Pierce in Luling. I and my family went to the cemetery in Prairie Lea but couldn't locate any marker. about the Bowen's tombstones you speak of, on closer inspection of the engraving, which was done by hand with some kind of digging tool, some of the 'N's were backward and some were correct. The 'f' you spoke of was definitely an 'f' because they used the same style 'f' in her birthday which was Feb 8 1869.
-----
From: Benjamin Bowen <bowen151@yahoo.com>
To: clarence n bowen <cnbowen@ev1.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 10:58 PM
Subject: tombstones
hello,
Just wanted to let you know that the peirce funeral home recorda at the historical society had no info about the Bowens listed on the tombstones, looks like I will have to schedule a trip to the county courthouse to look in more depth.
will keep ya posted,
records
`Ben, Daniel was your grandfather Seymour's uncle; brother to his mother Dora. Ithamar was Seymours uncle on his father Lawrence's side. Ithamar is a biblical name from Exodus.In the bible Ithamar's father was Aaron, brother to Moses. I don't know why they used those old testament names Like Abraham, and the others. This quest for our roots is interesting and I wish we could trace it down beyond White county Illinois with the certainty that it was correct and true without a doubt. . uncle bubba--- Original Message-----
From: Benjamin Bowen <bowen151@yahoo.com>
To: clarence n bowen <cnbowen@ev1.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2001 10:25 AM
Subject: Royal Lineage
I am not sure if lawrence is listed in the funeral home records. the man that looked up the material at the historical society was looking for the specific names I sent him.there is a good amount of material in the historical society, probably could spend a few days up there andfind some good material.
I did find the names of other bowens at the harwood, or city cemetery in luling, i am not sure if this is a complete list.
> Bowen, Alan Blake
> Bowen, Daniel,
> Hall, Hallie Bowen, Mother
> Bowen, Ithama, Uncle,
> Bowen, Josephus,
> Bowen, Elrine Marie,
Howdy!,
I am starting a new project that will record the names and locations of current Bowen family groups and related bloodlines. This could be a great educational tool for all the kiddos to see who their relatives are and where they are located. By including the info in the next Bowen family newsletter "The genetics edition" we hope to finally answer the so often asked question, "Uncle Ben why are you so weird?".... ( Of course the obvious answer is genetics!)I would like to include in this record the descendants of Seymour Bowen & Bessie Phillips Bowen.I would like to include at the start, a simple family line chart that has given names as well as the surnames of the Bowen spouses, the childrens names as well as the current locations of everyone. At this point I believe that I have correctly gathered the information concerning the children of Bessie & Seymour ( Clarence Neal & Damaris Terrell, Wayne Lanier & Ruth Chapa Romanos & Shirley Anne & Jerry Thornhill ) I also have the names of their children. I probably do not have all the info on the childrens spouses or the grandchildren and beyond.should you like to take part in this historic Bowen family newsletter edition " Genetics " please send your information Today! ( or tomorrow will be fine also ).
Thanks! ben
9-7-2001
Ben you do fine work! Of course its the genetics and don't forget that the Bowen line contributed a double portion. Grandma Dora married her first cousin and that doubles the good characteristics and also the bad ones. That is why the bowen men are so good-looking and sometimes considered quirky; but I like it---being different is never dull and who likes dull...blah!..
DEAR BEN,(EXCUSE THE CAPS, I AM NOT SHOUTING)
YOUR GENEALOGICAL WORK HAS ALREADY OUTPACED MY RECORDS. THE BOWEN'S WERE IN CARMI, WHITE COUNTY, ILLINOIS BUT WE SUSPECTED THAT THEY HAD BEEN IN TENNESEE AT ONE TIME. OUR RECORDS DON'T SHOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT BUT I
HEARD ONE TIME THAT TWO BOWEN BROTHERS CAME OVER FROM ENGLAND TO MASSACHUSETTS AND THAT ALL THE BOWENS SPRANG FROM THESE TWO, BUT WHERE THE MIGRATED TO I HAVEN'T A CLUE. I WROTE YOU ONCE, MOSTLY IN JEST, THAT WE MAY HAVE SPRUNG FROM THE WIDOW OF KING HENRY THE FIFTH, WHO AFTER HIS DEATH, MARRIED OWEN TUDOR, A WELSHMAN OF ANGLESEA. NOW THE NAME BOWEN IS WELSH. ORIGINALLY IT WAS SPELT ABOWEN MEANING SON OF OWEN. IT IS POSSIBLE TO BELIEVE THAT THE OWEN WE ARE RELATED TO IS OWEN TUDOR THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE OF TUDOR WHICH RULED ENGLAND AS HENRY VII, VIII, AND QUEEN ELIZABETH AND WITH HER DEATH CAME THE END OF THE TUDOR LINE. JAMES STUART, ONLY SON OF MARY STUART, QUEEN OF SCOTS, AND GREAT-GRANDSON OF MARGARET, SISTER OF HENRY VIII, WAS THE NEAREST HEIR TO THE CROWN. HE WAS ALREADY KING OF SCOTLAND UNDER THE TITLE OF JAMES THE SIXTH. HE NOW BY AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT BECAME JAMES I OF ENGLAND,AND BY HIS ACCESSION BOTH COUNTRIES WERE UNITED.. IF YOU COULD TAKE A D.N,.A. TEST AND GET THE D.N.A OF THE TUDORS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE A LINK. HA. H.A WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Ben, there is another Owen that may be of interest to you. Owen Tudor, Earl of Richmond, married , Catherine of France, the widow of Henry V after Henry's death. This was the beginning of the Tudor reign in England after Richard III. from Leading facts of English History pg. 172 --