BOWEN, John
I wish to write a little about
my Grandfather, John Bowen:
He was born the 12 Sept. 1848 in Abersychan,
Trevethin Parish, Monmouthshire, England, to Lewis
Bowen and Mary Ann Harris.
He was
baptized by his father, May 1853. He
came to Utah in 1862. He came to Tooele
with his father, mother and 5 other children.
His father was invited to superintend the musical affairs of that town,
was choir leader for many years, with John as his organist.
I wish that
I had known my grandfather better. To
me, he was always an 'old man.' When I
visited their home, I remember that every day, right after dinner he sat in his
rocking chair in the kitchen and had a nap and no one disturbed him. His daughter, Lucy, has told how meticulous
he was as a gardener. She used to dread
coming home from school in the spring because the children had to help their
father transplant the young plants from his greenhouse' cabbage, new strawberry
plants, etc.
I have a
letter that Grandfather wrote to my father:
Dear Lewis
and Addie: 14
April 1920
The
strawberry plants have come, and I will send yours today by parcel post. There is 25 plants
in each bunch, and each bunch bears a label giving the name. Your order was for 100 Magic Gem, I am
sending you 150 and I send you 25 Progressive plants.
The
Progressive is the everbearing kind. Plant them by themselves. Pick all the blossoms off until early July, then let them bear.
You will have some fruit this season, that is
the 25 Progressive plants.
The Magic
Gem plants you should take all blossoms off this season, in setting the plants
have the crown level with the ground, don't cover the crown, put
a good dressing of manure of the land.
You can put the rows 2 or 3 feet apart, put the plants 18 inches
apart. When you get the plants home,
take them apart and spread them in the trench, cover the roots and water them,
keep them damp, and they will be all right for you to take out, as you can
plant them. Water the plants after they
are set out. This is a strawberry
sermon.
We are all
well, and I feel very thankful for this blessing. It is snowing now. Write and let me know that you have got the
plants.
Your affectionate Father
John
Bowen
I know that
he must have been a kind, spiritual person. His musical talent makes me feel his
sensitivity. I have letters that he
wrote to my father when he was on his mission in New Zealand; and a letter that
he wrote to father when he was going to marry my mother. I hope to compile some of these to make some
sort of history of my grandfather.
He was
arrested by Federal Agents, for co-habitation 16th of July 1885 and
sentenced to the State Penitentiary 17th Feb. 1886, from which he
was released 20th Aug. 1886.
While he
was in prison he kept an autograph book, of which I have a copy. He must have been an example for good while
there. I quote a few of the autographs:
Bro. John
Bowen As one of your fellow prisoners, I have admired your honest, upright,
and consistent course, while enduring your just punishment. May you outlive all persecution and bask in
the sunlight of your family forever.
George W. Taylor.
Dear Bro.
John Bowen (Utah Penitentiary, June 21st 1886): May you be as great a devotee to your
religion and your God as you are to the musical art, and shine as the stars
for-ever and ever, is the wish of your brother, friend, and fellow prisoner for
conscience sake. Thomas C. Jones.
He must
have used his musical talent while in prison, for the benefit of others. President Lorenzo Snow was a prisoner at the
same time and wrote:
Brother
Bowen: A talent rare to thee is given
For music sweet a gift of Heaven
With easy grace and science true
Thy choir is taught and strictly too,
And thou with them much joy hast given
To all thy friends whils't here in prison.
(Utah Penitentiary, June 23rd 1866.) Lorenzo
Snow
Even though
Polygamy was a difficult way to live; my father's mother worked very hard;
she was a 2nd wife (married to Grandfather in 1880, the first wife
was married to him in 1877). There were
12 children in the first family and 11 in the 2nd. The children resented their father and the
'other family.' I am grateful, because
the 2nd wife was my grandmother, and I am proud of my ancestors.
Grandfather
divorced his first wife, after the manifesto was signed; Civil divorce, 27 Sep
1980.
He and
grandmother lived together in Tooele, with their family: Lewis, George, Lila
(Boyle), Rossil, Maleta
(Hansen), Ethel (Johnson), Homer, Wells, Lucy (Spendlove),
and Myra (Roller), until his death in 1922.
Signed, Mona B. Jolley, 16 April 1984.
Photos:
John Bowen: Eliza
Elizabeth Craner:
Born 12 Sept. 1841 Born
6 Mar 1862
Died 20 Sept. 1922 Died
12 June 1941
History of my
grandfather, John Bowen
(written by his son, Lewis John
Bowen, 1954)
John Bowen
was born 12 Sept. 1841 at Abersychan, Wales. He emigrated to Utah in 1856, locating at Tooele, Utah. His father's name was Lewis Bowen. His mother's name was Mary Ann Harris. They also located at Tooele, Utah. After the death of Mary Ann Harris, Lewis
Bowen married Jan Dew, a widow at Tooele and lived with her until his death,
which was about 1890. There were no
children from this marriage.
He was a
good musician, was chorister of the Tooele Ward choir for a number of years, also played the violin in the orchestra for dances. He had a son Benjamin who located at
Tooele. Had another son, Brigham, who
moved to Montpelier, Idaho and a son David who moved to Malad, Idaho, also a
daughter Martha who moved to Star Valley, Wyoming with her husband, Thomas Lee.
John Bowen
first married Hannah Johnson in the days of polygamy and later married my
mother, Eliza Elizabeth Craner. He was the father of 12 children in the first
family and also 11 in my mother's family.
On account of the persecution regarding polygamy our family was
compelled to leave Tooele, although we had a home there. Four children were born
at Tooele, namely: Sara Emma, Lewis, George
and Lila.
We first
moved to North Salt Lake City near the Warm Springs. Our parents felt that it was not wise to live
too long in the same place for fear of being discovered, so our next move was
to West Jordan, south of Salt Lake City.
Our name was changed to Brown.
I first
attended school at West Jordan. At this
place Rossil (Ross) was born. After living there for about two years we
moved to Granger, then after about two more years we moved back to Salt Lake
City, locating in the first ward, later the second ward and still later to the
third ward. While at these places in
Salt Lake, Maleta and Ethel were born.
A few years
after the Manifesto was signed by the church authorities, persecution eased up
and we returned to Tooele to live in our own home. It was here that Homer, Wells, Lucy and Myra
were born.
John Bowen,
like his father was a good musician. He
was chorister of the Tooele ward choir for a number of years, also played the
bass violin in an orchestra for dances and a cornet in the Tooele brass band.
In his
early days at Tooele he spent considerable time in the canyons, getting out
timber for making ties for the railroad which was being built through Utah from
Coast to Coast.
Later on he
spent a number of years growing garden vegetables which he took to Stockton, a
mining town a few miles away. There he
sold them to the residents. As the boys
grew up he spent considerable time with them doing farm work. He spent part of the time traveling with a
horse and buggy, making collections and getting subscriptions to the Salt Lake
Herald, a paper printed in Salt Lake City.
John Bowen
died Sept. 21, 1922 at Tooele, Utah.
Eliza Craner Bowen was born March 6, 1862 at
Tooele, Utah. Died,
June 12, 1941 at Tooele.
Photo:
Grandfather Bowen, Grandmother Bowen, Myra and Wells (at
their home in Tooele, Utah)
Lewis Bowen
The
visitation of Death casts its shadow over all of us, even while its dread
presence hovers o'er the soul it claims, just as it does while bearing off to
higher spheres the spirit of the dead.
When the icy hand of the Reaper diffuses its chill around an infant
couch we watch with sadness the coming touch that shall still forever the
throbbing heart. And yet, we take
consolation in the thought that it is better so, that the short probation here
was such as most of us would have better had, for the trials and tribulations
through which we have had to, and still must, pass would have been foregone,
because unnecessary from conditions shaping our ends in pre-existent lives. But when the taps are sounded at the going
down of the earth-run sun, and the shadows blend in the golden glow of a
glorious setting the end seems fitting as all things go in life's eternal
round. With the declining rays that
vanish in the shadows of night in the dark Valley of Death, there bursts upon
the other shore, over the silvery tops of the Delectable Mountains, a morn of
immortality, beautified the more because of the blackness of the night. And so it is with our departed brother, Lewis
Bowen. Revered by and cherished in the
love of his fellow-men, and ripe with the golden fruit of years well spent, he
descended the pleasant slopes with peaceful, happy tread, while watchful angels
reached down their arms from the vapory clouds, beckoning him on to eternal
joys. And unregretfully
he went, his arms up-lifted and soul communing with
the spirit guides. So, when the final
summons came, he opened his eyes a moment, glanced a
last farewell and closed them on earthly scenes forever. Instead of bitter grief and lamentation there
was a spirit of quietude and hope around his bed, a peace that comes with
knowledge of suffering past and hope that in the bright beyond all would meet
again.
He has gone
to his reward, and among the spirits of the just he will walk with God. May his tomb be glorified with loving
memories, as his soul must be in the light of a life well spent. Farewell!
Biographical
Lewis Bowen
was born at Blaenavon, Monmouthshire, Wales, May 24, 1815. His
parents' names were David Bowen and Margaret Richards. He joined the Church of Latter-day Saints at Abersychan, Wales on September 18, 1852, this being in the
Herefordshire Conference.
He was a
prominent man in the land of his nativity and was president of four branches of
the church there. His home was always
open for the elders, many of whom, throughout the Territory, even now, can
testify to the warm hospitality dispensed by him. In this, as in everything else, he labored
faithfully for the up-building of the Latter-day work in that country.
In October
1863, he emigrated with his family to Zion
and located in the First Ward, Salt
Lake City. In
January 1866, he came to Tooele, and immediately became actively identified
with the interests of the community. He
took charge of the choir and was its leader for eighteen years. He also taught school here for several years,
and in every position he held he labored faithfully to serve the people. For some time he was the leader of the brass
band and a member of the first band organized here.
His last
sickness began on May 11, 1894 and he lingered until July 20 just ten weeks
when he died. The principal cause of his
demise was Bright's disease and general
debility. When taken sick he fell into a
stupor, and was semi-unconscious most of the time. He could occasionally recognize some of his
family, but had difficulty in conversing coherently.
All through
his sickness he was perfectly helpless, and had to be handled like a
child. He suffered little pain until
just about two days before his death, when he seemed to be in agony. At 6 o'clock in the morning of the 30th
he opened his eyes, seemed to recognize one of his sons, and then his spirit
took its flight.
The funeral
services were held on Sunday at the Meeting House. The remains were carried from the residence
and the pall bearers were Moroni England, W. H. Cassity, J. K. Orem, Thomas Martin, Frank Hanson, and
Arthur Bryan, they being under the direction of H. B. Haynes and Henry Dahling. A
procession was formed, which was headed by the brass band, and following were
the relatives, the high priests quorum, of which deceased was an honored
member, and other friends and the march was begun to the Meeting House the _____ and occasion being
duly oppressive with the ______ and _______ music played.
Lewis Bowen
Received from Jeanne Bowen Olsen, Oct 1991
245 N. Vice St. #304
SLC
84103
Perhaps the
most appropriate beginning for a history of Lewis Bowen and his family would be
an explanation of the origin of the Bowen name.
In Wales surnames did not come into use until after 1400. Until that time each person had only a given
name. He identified himself as being the
son of his father by using their two given names linked by the Welsh word ap or ab, meaning 'son of.' For instance, John the son of Owen called
himself John ab Owen.
If John had a son Rees he was known as Rees ab
John ab Owen.
This could be extended back as many generations as one cared to go, but
became very awkward after more than two or three names were included. When surnames came into use, a man who
happened to be ab 'Owen' became 'Bowen.' Since Owen was a common name, we can see that
not all Bowens are necessarily related.
Our Bowen
ancestor Lewis was born the 24th of May, 1815 in Blaenavon,
Monmouthshire, Wales. However, his father, grandfather and great
grandfather had all been born in Llanelly,
Carmarthenshire. Perhaps it was due to
the recent development in the iron industry that Lewis' father, David, left his
birthplace and traveled first to Aberdare,
Glamorganshire, where he married Margaret Richards, then to Blaenavon,
one of the many coal mining areas of Wales.
There he settled down and raised a family of seven children, though he
and his wife had five others who died in infancy.
Lewis grew
up in Blaenavon and married Mary Ann Harris
there. Then he started moving as his
father had done. Apparently he was
connected with the iron industry for he gave his occupation as 'fireman' and puddler on the branch records of the Church in later
years. The towns where he lived, Blaenavon and Abersychan in
Wales, Calderbank and Dundyvan
in Scotland, are all coal and iron towns.
In the first fifteen years of their marriage Lewis and Mary Ann lived in
five different towns and then came back to the second one, Abersychan,
to live. They, too, raised seven
children, having lost four as infants or young children.
They were
living in Abersychan when Lewis became a member of
the L.D.S. Church. His grandson, John
Andrew Bowen, remembers hearing Lewis tell, many years later, of his
conversion. Here is John Andrew's
account:
This is
the story of Grandfather Lewis Bowen's conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints. Grandfather was
six feet tall, had a well-proportioned body, a kind loving smile, and a very
cultured personality. He taught school
in England and Wales and was a fine musician.
His instrument was the first violin.
Grandfather gave me his violin before he passed away. He was very popular in England and America.
In the
year 1852 the elders of our Church were having much success converting and
baptizing good people to our church. The
minister of the church to which Grandfather belonged came to him and said,
"Brother Bowen, if this thing continues, we will have no congregation
left. You are well-educated,
you ought to be able to handle the situation."
Grandfather said, "Why yes, I will soon do them up."
Grandfather
had never met the elders, but had heard of them. A meeting was called and a goodly number
attended. The elders were given the
first chance to speak. They told the
story of Joseph Smith's vision, and of the translation of the Book of
Mormon. Grandfather was very much
impressed. He stood up in the pulpit and
said, "These men have the gospel and the authority spoken of by John the
Revelator, and this prophet Joseph Smith must be the prophet spoken of by
John." He sat down. The minister jumped to his feet and said,
"You are a fine one. You were going to
do these men up, but they have nearly converted you." The meeting was over. Grandfather lost many friends, but he made
the best of the situation.
Grandfather,
his wife, and the whole family, joined the church, and finally arrived in Salt
Lake City.
"I am
thankful to our Heavenly Father that my forefathers and mothers joined the
Church, and I bless their memory."
Lewis was
baptized into the Church in September 1852.
In May of 1853 he baptized his wife, Mary Ann, and two oldest sons,
David and John. As they became old
enough two other sons were baptized in Wales, and
the other three children after they arrived in Salt Lake City.
As the
above account says, Lewis lost many friends by his adherence to Mormonism. But what must have been most difficult for
him was to lose the goodwill of his parents.
There is in the National Library of Wales a letter to Lewis from his
father David, which shows the contempt which many of the people of that day
felt for those who became 'Mormons.'
The family
was anxious, as were all early day converts, to come to Zion, but dud not have
the means for all to come at once. The
oldest son, David, at the age of eighteen, came by himself to Salt Lake City,
traveling across the ocean in the ship 'Enoch Train,' then across the plains as
a member of the first handcart company.
It was hoped that he could earn enough in Salt Lake City to help his
parents acquire the means for all to make the trip. However, for several years wages were paid
largely in trade or scrip. It was not
until Fort Douglas was being built that David was able to get work for which he
received part of his wages in cash. He
was married by this time, and his wife Annie said that every bit of cash he got
his hands on went into his fund to help bring his parents to Utah.
In 1862
John came, crossing on the 'John J. Boyd'.
He was able to help with the emigration fund, and in the summer of 1863
Lewis came, bringing the rest of the family.
Their packet ship was the 'Cynosure'.
An account of the trip says Lewis was one of the six men chosen to head
the six wards organized among the ship's company for the crossing. Lewis ward was known as 'Bachelors'
Hall. After their arrival in New York
City we have no official record of how they reached Salt Lake City. Church record indicate
that many of the passengers of the 'Cynosure' crossed the plains from Florence, Nebraska to Salt Lake City in Thomas
E. Ricks' train. However, there is no
roster of this company in existence.
Neither have we found the names of the family in any other company. Lewis only daughter, Martha Louisa, seven
years old at the time, said later that they traveled in cattle cars from New
York to where they joined the wagon train, then she remembered walking most of
the way across the plains. She said, too,
that the boat trip was very difficult, with sanitation very poor, too many
people crowded into the steerage, and food rationed. Mary Ann was ill the whole six weeks of the
voyage, but prayed fervently that her life might be spared until they reached Zion. After they got off the boat her health
gradually improved as they traveled west.
One of the
incidents of the trip remembered by Benjamin was their first sight and taste of
tomatoes, which they saw on a fruit stand in New York City. Expecting a sweet delicious fruit, they were
very disappointed.
In Salt
Lake City the family settled in the First Ward where David was already living
with his wife and two children. But in
January of 1866 Lewis, Mary Ann, and six of their children, John, Ebenezer,
Thomas, Benjamin, Brigham, and Martha, moved to Tooele, Utah. According to his daughter-in-law, Annie, the
move was made because he was invited to superintend the musical affairs of that
town. From that time on he was prominently
identified, particularly with the musical life of the community. He was choir leader for Tooele Ward for many
years, with his son John as his organist, and was a member and for many years
leader of the first brass band. Several
of his grandchildren tell stories of his musical ability and accomplishments.
When music could not be procured he himself composed what he needed to fit the
occasion, then made enough copies to supply the group. He also taught school for several years, two
of his grandchildren going from Samaria to attend his school.
Not much is
known of Mary Ann except that she seems to have followed her husband in his
activities willingly. Her patriarchal
blessing mentioned that she would entertain many strangers at her table, a
circumstance that had already taken place many times, as we are told that Lewis
and Mary Ann had constantly extended their hospitality to members of the Church
in Wales. On the 19th of
April, 1878, Mary Ann died of cancer.
Like her husband she was the only member of her family to embrace the
Gospel in Wales. However, one of her sisters,
Susannah Lewis, had accompanied the family from Wales, lived with them in Salt
Lake City and Tooele, and was baptized two months after Mary Ann's death. Her other brothers and sisters all emigrated to America,
living in Pennsylvania, Ohio,
and Iowa, but
none joined the Church.
Lewis later
married a widow, Mrs. Jane Dew, and moved to her home. She helped earn their living by making rugs,
and John Andrew remembers how he helped his grandfather tamp rags in cylinders
for her to use. She seems to have been
known as 'Grandma', 'Aunt Jane', and 'Sister Dew' by various members of the
family.
Of Lewis'
children only John and Benjamin remained in Tooele. Martha went to Star
Valley, Wyoming; Brigham moved to Sandy, Utah, then to Wyoming, and later to Montpelier,
Idaho; and David settled in Malad,
Idaho, then moved to Logan, Utah. Ebenezer went back East to New Jersey and
married there, never returning to see his people. It is not known what became of Thomas. He seems to have left Tooele by 1880 but was
back on a short visit in two or three years and then visited with Brigham in
Sandy in 1886 or 87. That was the last
any of the family saw or heard from him.
Beside John
Andrew's description of his grandfather, we have those of two other
grandchildren. Culbert
remembers him as placid and kindly featured.
Mary Lee Hansen speaks of his "beautiful white curly hair, worn rather
long, and as fine as a baby's". His
patriarchal blessing said that he would have health of mind and body, which was
certainly granted to him until just shortly before his death.
The
obituary published in the Tooele paper at Lewis' death was a long one, the
first part an editorial which spoke of him as "revered by and cherished in the
love of his fellowmen, and ripe with the golden fruit of years well
spent". It went on to give a
biographical sketch of his life, and the account of his last sickness and
death, which was due to Bright's disease, and then
the following account of the funeral:
The
funeral services were held on Sunday at the Meeting House. The remains were carried form the residence
and the pall bearers were Moroni England, W. H. Cassity, J. K. Orme, Thomas
Martin, Frank Hanson, and Arthur Bryan, they being under the direction of H. B.
Haynes and Henry Dahling. A procession was formed, which was headed by
the brass band, and following were relatives, the high priests' quorum of which
the deceased was an honored member, and other friends, and the march begun at
the Meeting House, the scene and occasion being duly impressive with the sad
and soulful music played.
The above history compiled in 1958 by Vera Bowen Luke from
the following sources:
Martha Bowen Anderson, Culbert
Bowen, John Andrew Bowen, Mary Lee Hansen, Mary Ann Bowen Hawkins, Emma Bowen
Holmes, Annie Shackleton Bowen's Autobiography,
Personal records of Lewis Bowen and of David Bowen, Abersychan
Branch records, Obituary of Lewis Bowen, Tooele Ward records, Tooele Cemetery
records, Church Historian's Office records of:
The ships
'Enoch Train', 'John J. Boyd', and 'Cynosure'
The plains
companies of Thomas E. Ricks and John R. Murdock
The
handcart company of Edmund Ellsworth
Patriarchal
blessings of Lewis and Mary Ann
Obituaries
of John Bowen and of Mary Ann Harris Bowen
The Journal
History of the Church
Most of this source material is available in full in the
records of the Bowen Family Organization for anyone desiring to copy it.
