The original document was written in 1897 by ROBERT BOWMAN (4) who was born in Mercer County, PA in 1822. It covered six generations of the Bowman Family and consisted of 21 pages of text on legal size paper, and was rather difficult to follow. I have converted the original text to charts and tables, with accompanying notes, and have added additional data obtained from other sources. Copies of the original document are available at the DAR Library in Washington D.C. and at the LDS Library at Salt Lake City.

Chart #1 and its notes cover the first three generations. Charts #2 through #6 cover later generations of the various branches.

   Our branch of the BOWMAN Family is descended from ROBERT BOWMAN (1), who early in the 18th Century, emigrated from Scotland to Ireland and settled near Londonderry. This movement was made in consequence of the persecution of the Protestants in Scotland.

   About the year A.D. 1750, Robert Bowman emigrated to America. While the preparations were being made for this purpose, a little girl about six years old, came to the house and begged tor a home with them. She was an orphan with no near friends. Her name was CATHARINE STUART, and was understood to be a descendant of the Stuart family, (the House Of Stuart, the royal family) of Scotland. She had been taken from her Scotch home and placed in a Convent at Londonderry, Ireland. She said she had heard our Great Grand-mother converse in her sweet Scotch tongue, and said she wanted to go with her wherever she went, and she had run away from the Convent for that purpose. (A marginal note states that the source of this story was information given to Margaret Ramsay (3) and Esther Rice (3) by their mother Catherine Stuart.) (2)

  We can imagine the surprise - the doubt - and at length the final decision made by our Great Grand-parents that the little Waif should be kindly received. "It would be as a brand plucked from the burning." Her friends, if she had any, were fleeing from the wrath of the Georgian Kings. (This refers to the English Kings George I and II who put down rebellions of the Scottish Highlander followers of the Stuart pretenders to the throne,) The little Catherine Stuart was taken into the family heart; and many years afterwards, married John Bowman (2) and became the Grandmother to our race.

  Our Great Grand-father, Robert Bowman (1) settled, according to the first recorded traces of residence, in the Valley of the Hudson River. He had three sons, namely: John, Robert Jr., and Samuel. John Bowman (2) was married to Catharine Stuart, as stated before, about the year 1775.

  This part of New York, became the arena of some of the most important battles, reverses and victories of the Revolutionary War.

  It is presumed that Robert Bowman (1), being nearly sixty-eight years of age, went into the Army on short requisitions, as the apparent necessities of the War called for. He and his two sons, JOHN BOWMAN (2) and ROBERT BOWMAN Jr., (2) were in the Army at the same time. John Bowman (2) served under General Morgan and was in the battles of Bennington and Saratoga.

  In the "Official Archives of New York State of the Revolution, page 294 - June 25th, 1778, the following is recorded:

"John Bowman, Lieut., in Michel Gross' Company"
"John Bowman, promoted to be Captain March 4th, 1780."

Same Book, page 329:

		REGIMENT	CAPTAIN
John Bowman	Capt.	Clyde	Bowman
Robert Bowman	Private	Van Woert	Gilmore
Robert Bowman	Private	Van Woert	Doty
Robert Bowman Jr.	Private	Van Woert	Hodges

Robert Bowman (3), was born August 29th, 1783, near Albany, N.Y. See chart 2.
Samuel Bowman (3), was born May 19th, 1792 - at Albany, N.Y. See chart 3.
James Bowman (3), was born in 1801 near Pittsburgh, Pa. See chart 4.
John Bowman Jr. (3), (No info available)
Esther Bowman (3), was born August 22, 1778. See chart 5.
Margaret Bowman (3), (who later married a Mr. Ramsay)
Mary Bowman (3), (No info available)

   Robert Bowman (1) and his children and grandchildren moved west over the Allegheny Mountains, and lived on Herr's Island in Allegheny River about five miles from Fort Pitt. This move was made in the year 1793.

  Their situation here was precarious and eminently dangerous. The Indians were roaming about the north shore of the Allegheny River, and rendering it necessary for the Garrison at Fort Pitt to make occasional sorties to drive them away and protect the settlers.

  Robert Bowman (3) was the eldest son of John (2) and while the adults of the family were engaged in building and in opening up the farm, the task developed upon him and his younger brothers to look after the cows and see that they returned in time for the evening milking. The cows usually forded the river to the north shore for pasture, and the boys were cautioned to keep a sharp lookout for Indian tracks.

  Considering that the eldest boy was only ten years old, this must have been a big responsibility.

  The boys were trained to hunting and the use of the musket, and were full of courage. They did not like the orders to break for home when they would see Moccasin tracks. Sometimes they were rewarded for their caution and the sound of shots hurried them along even to swim over to the Island, frequently diving under the water to hide from the savages.

  On their arrival at the house, a hurried council would be held, and the scouts sent out to verify the facts, and if the danger seemed near, the canoes would be loaded with the women and children. The canoes would be dropped down to the Fort. The men in the meantime would skirmish about ready to attack the foe. Sometimes help came from the Fort to relieve them.

   In the year 1795, General Wayne succeded in driving the Indians further West, and Western Pennsylvania was freed from their ravages for many years.

  In the year 1797, Robert Bowman (1) and his family moved to Mercer County, Pa. He concluded to settle there, and John Bowman (2) and his family remained there also. They settled upon three separate quarter sections five miles north of the town of Mercer.

  Robert Bowman, Jr.(2), moved further north near Franklin, Pa., and his descendants live there still. Samuel Bowman (2) moved south to Kentucky.

  In 1810, Robert Bowman (1) died, having lived to a very old age being over one hundred years. He was strong and vigorus until within a few weeks of his death.

  The peace of the white people was rudely broken into by the War of 1812. Robert Bowman (3) and his brothers Samuel and John went into the Army under General W. H. Harrison and fought until the end of the War. The family then all returned to Mercer County, Pa.

  On June 10th, 1813 - Robert Bowman (3) was married to Eliza Alexander, daughter of Joseph Alexander of Coolspring Township, Mercer county. Eliza Alexander had been born at Pittsburgh, Pa., on the 14th day of October 1795.

   Their wedding trip was made on horse-back from Mercer County, Pa., to the town of Chillicothe, Ohio. It was a rather daring expedition as the country was full of Indians and very few settlers living along the way. They did arrive safely,however.

  Samuel Bowman (3) married Sarah Alexander on November 5th, 1818. Sarah Alexander was born May 19th, 1797. Samuel died June 12th, 1857.

  In 1825, Robert Bowman (3) removed with his family to Allegheny, near to Pittsburgh, Pa.

  John Bowman (2) died in the summer of 1830, at Mercer, Pa.

NOTES FOR CHART #4

  The early years of James Bowman (3) were spent in Mercer County, Pa. While young he developed an earnest taste for painting, and it being quite a custom for Tavern signs to have Washington's picture on the sign, he had all the signs within reach copied off more than once. His eldest brother Robert and his friends encouraged him to make himself an Artist. He spent 14 years in Europe studying and painting before he returned to his own country.

He married Julia Marie Josephine Chew,, who was born at Hackensack, N. J., October 31, 1817. They had the children and grandchildren shown in the chart above. James died at Rochester, N.Y., June 18th, 1842. Julia died at Altoona, Pa. Sept. 4th, 1889.

NOTES FOR CHART #5.
Note 1: The following information provided by Gail Itschner, a Rice descendant.

   Esther BOWMAN, daughter of John Bowman and Catharine Stuart, was born August 22, 1778. She married Patrick RICE, born June 24, 1774.

   Patrick RICE was born to James and Mary Jones Rice. According to the 1885 Crawford County History the Rice's came from Philadelphia and settled in Findley Township, Mercer County, PA in about 1785. James was a cabinet maker and died a farmer. The family had emigrated from Scotland around 1778.

   Patrick married Esther BOWMAN about 1798. In 1800 they were in Neshannock Twp, in 1801 they were in Sandy Lake Twp, and in 1802 they were in Cool Spring Twp. They had 14 children as listed in the table above. Patrick died in Springfield Twp, Mercer County in 1830 or'31.

   After Patrick died Ester BOWMAN RICE married Thomas CARMICHAEL. She died in 1834 at the age of 56 and is buried in the lower Clarksville Cemetary.

  Esther's 2nd oldest son, James RICE married Miss Sarah McDowell on Nov. 6, 1828. They had the 7 children listed in the table above. "The James Rice family lived in the Cranberry or Wolf Creek neighborhood. They were members of the Center Presbyterian Church, which was organized in 1801, the first church building being of pine logs. James Rice built the present brick church in 1836. It is located one and one half miles west of Grove City. Later the family moved to Milledgeville, Penn, where his brother John lived."

   James died in Milledgeville (northern Mercer County) on Sept 26, 1846. Ten years later Sarah McDowell Rice and her seven children moved, by wagon train, to Cincinnati, Appanoose County, Iowa, where some of the family had previously gone, as well as other Mercer County people.

Note 2: The Samuel Bowman Rice data was supplied by email from "[email protected]".

The following people are known to be actively researching various branches of the Robert Bowman family:
(Their last-known email addresses are shown.)

Glen Lovegreen ([email protected]) Descendant via Nesbitt Bowman Sr. (4) / Minerva Jane Bowman (5)

Chad Bowman ([email protected]) Descendant via Nesbitt Bowman Jr. (5) / Sydney Guy Bowman (6)

Sarah Neugebauer ([email protected]) Descendant via Nesbitt Bowman Sr. (4) / Harry Schyler Bowman (5)

Gail Itschner ([email protected]) Descendant via Robert Bowman (2) / Esther Bowman (3)

[email protected] (Also descended from Esther Bowman 3)

Bruce Keene ([email protected]) Descendant via Samuel Bowman (3) / Eliza Ann Bowman (4)