8. James Cowe

Son of David Cowe & Helen Sharp. Born 31 Dec 1803 in Fishwick Mains, Scotland. Christen 17 Jan 1804 in Hutton, Berwickshire. Died 15 Jan 1875/1876 in Harvey, NB. Occupation Farmer. Religion Presbyterian.

From Baptismal record, Hutton: James, son of David Cowe, barnsman at Fishwick Mains, and Helen Sharp, his wife, was born 31st December 1803 and baptised 17th January 1804. Witnesses John Service and Thomas Laing. (research from Fred Kennington to Bruce Elliott, Dec 2007.)

Married irregularly 17 Mar 1826 Hutton, Berwickshire and rebuked in session and had marriage confirmed, June 1826. (From the Church of Scotland register 745/4 of Hutton, Berwickshire. Research by Bruce Elliott.).

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James Cowe and his wife Isabel Donaldson were living at Horndean when daughter Mary was born in 1833; and James was a farm servant in Hilton when David was born in 1836.

James Cowe, age 32, his wife Isabelle Donaldson, age 31, his mother-in-law Mary (Aitkens) Donaldson, age 50; and three children: Eleanor, age 7; Mary, age 4; and David, age 1 ½ yr., left from the port of Berwick-upon-Tweed on 28 May 1837 on the brig Cornelius of Sunderland and landed in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, on 12 July 1837. They settled on Land Grant Lot #15E (which is beside the Harvey Settlement Cemetery) and were among the first settlers of Harvey Settlement.

The 1861 Census indicated that the Cowe family had 45 acres improved and 55 acres unimproved land. Cash value of farm was 150 pounds, and value of implements was 10 pounds. They had 3 horses, 3 milch cows, 5 other neat cattle, 12 sheep, 2 swine and slaughtered 250 lb. pork. Produced 200 lb. butter, 40 lb. wool, 9 tons hay, 180 bu. oats, 80 bu. buckwheat, 2 bu. peas, 10 bu. timothy, 40 bu. turnips and 60 bu. potatoes.

The first Presbyterian Church in Harvey Settlement was built on the Cowe land on the corner next to the Harvey Settlement Cemetery. In Feb 1854, James and Isabelle Cowe in consideration of the sum of twenty shillings lawful money deeded land "beginning at a stake on the south west corner of lot #15 east side of the Great Road leading from Fredericton to Saint Andrews, thence running 121 ft. north along Great Road, east 90 ft. to a stake; south 121 ft. to a stake in the fence at the burying ground, thence west 90 ft. to beginning" for the benefit and use of "Churches in Connection with the Presbytery of New Brunswick adhering to the Westminister Standards in connection with the Free Church of Scotland and not in connection with the Established Church of Scotland." However, there was a division in the congregation, and in July 1854 a similar sized lot of land on the Matthew Piercy Land Grant Lot #14W was deeded to the "Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia for a meeting house" and another Presbyterian church was built where the present St. Andrews United Church is located.

The Cowe family were members of the Free Presbyterian Church. Old records from this church have not been located and presumably did not survive the passage of time. The Cowe family births, deaths, etc. are not entered in the Harvey Presbyterian Church records which began in 1856. The first Presbyterian church in Harvey was built on the corner of the Cowe Land Grant adjacent to the Harvey Settlement Cemetery.

The surname was spelled "Cowe" in the early years, but after 1874 it became "Cowie". Death date for James recorded by his daughter Annie was 15 Jan 1874, however his Last Will and Testament was written and signed by James on 30 Jan 1874, and was registered on 1 Feb 1876, so his death date was perhaps 15 Jan 1876.

Transcribed from photocopy of Last Will & Testament of James Cowe - No. 25711:

In the Name of God, Amen. This thirtieth day of January One thousand eight hundred and seventy four, I James Cowe Farmer in the Parish of Manners Sutton, York County, Being week (sic) in Body, but perfectly sound in mind Thanks be to God Therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body, knowing that it is appointed to all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament. That is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my Soul to Almighty God that gave it, and my Body I recommend to the earth to be buryed in decent Christian burial And as touching such worldly Estate where in to it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give demise and dispose of in the following manner and form. First I constitute, make and ordain Matthew Piercy and Robert Burrel as Sole Executors of this last Will and Testament. I also Will and bequeath to David Cowie my oldest son the Sum of $40.00 Forty Dollars to be paid by my son John Cowe. I also will and bequeath to my son Robert Cowe the Sum of $40.00 Forty Dollars to be paid by my son John Cowe. I also will and bequesth to Isabela Smith my daughter the sum of $20.00 Twenty Dollars to be paid by John Cowe And I also will and bequeath to Ann Delay (?) my daughter the sum of $20.00 Twenty Dollars, All these legacies is not to be paid till twelve months after my decease. I also leave my beloved Wife Isabella Cowe to be kept by my son John Cowe or if she thinks proper after my decease to go to any other place John Cowe is to furnish her with $20.00 Twenty Dollars every year in during her natural life to be Solely at her disposal. I hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disannul all and every other Testament Wills, legacies and bequests. Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I hereunto have set my hand and Seal this date and year first above written.

Signed Sealed and delivered by Said ]
James Cowe ] James Cowe
As his Last Will and Testament ]
in presence of Witness ]
William Grieve

(On 26 Jan 1876, Robert Burrell administrator of Will and upon oath declared to that he believed this to be the last Will and Testament of the within named James Cowe, sworn to before John Rutherford, J.P. Registered 1 Feb 1876.)

He married Isabelle Donaldson, daughter of John Donaldson & Mary Aitkins, 17 Mar 1826 in Hutton, Berwickshire. Born 1811 in Scotland. Died 1 May 1879 in Harvey, NB. Religion Presbyterian.

The following Family History written by daughter Annie Cowe, wife of Aaron Hay, to her son Willis Allan Hay, 21 Mar 1921:

"My great grandparents was John and Annie Donaldson. Their son John married Mary Aitkins. They were my grandparents. They had two children, Robert and Isabel. My grandfather died when Isabel was a baby and my uncle died when a young man twenty-one years and had been married one year. Isabel, my mother, was married when quite young to James Cowie, four children born to them in Scotland. Anne the eldest died with scarlet fever at the age of eight years. Next was Eleanor, Mary and David. He was one and half years old when they came to this country in 1837. They settled in Harvey. Their first child in this country was Isabel, then John and Robert and James. He died when two years old. Next was Annie (myself) then another James who died at the age of two. Eleanor married James McGuiggan. She died with scarlet fever when just a year married, the youngest boy and she died the same day and was laid in the same coffin. Eleanor and Mary were both married on the same day. Mary married Thomas Jones. They lived in Rusagonis. They had six children then she died when one of them was born she was not very old. Dunbar was the oldest child, then Annie, next was Emily & Maria. Annie has been dead for a long time. She left two boys Oscar and Henry. Philips, their grandfather raised them. My brother David married Abigail Philips. They had 11 children, Mary, Annie, Frances, Ruth, Susan, Pearl, and George, one little boy died and Minnie too (I forgot her) 3 of the girls are dead now. My sister Isabel married John Smith. He took her to Sydney Mines, Cape Breton. We never saw her again & she only wrote one letter home. She had 7 children. She died at the birth of the last one. They are all dead but one girl and she is married and living in the states. Their father is dead too.

"My brother John married Martha Philips. He got the homestead but sold it after mother and father died and he went to Medway, Mass. He had 5 children when he left. The 2 eldest girls are dead but he never wrote to me so I don't know much about them but John has been dead over 10 years.

"My brother Robert married your father's sister Annie Hay. They lived in this place with the rest from Harvey. Their children are Amanda, Isabel, Sarah Marie, and Matilda, then two died next comes Arthur, Martha, Elisabeth and Eva. They are all married now in the States.
"The next in my family is myself. I guess you know all about our "Family Tree".
"Your grandfather James Cowie, died in 1874, January 15th at the age of 70 years. Your grandmother Isabel Cowie died May 1st, 1879 aged 69 years."
(Written by Mrs Aaron Hay to her son Willis Allan Hay March 21st, 1921.)

They had the following children:

20 i. Eleanor Cowe
21 ii. Ann Cowe
22 iii. Mary Cowe
23 iv. David B. Cowe
24 v. Isabel Cowe
25 vi. John Cowe
26 vii. Robert Cowe
27 viii. James Cowe
28 ix. Ann "Annie" Cowe
29 x. James Cowe