Adair County, KY Early Records

Records Collection Submitted by Marilyn Fair

Henry C. Pike married Sarah Jane Gowen on January 5th, 1868
Henry C. Pike as principal and J. H. Hern (Kern?) Jr.
Residence of groom – Adair County, KY
Age of groom – Twenty six years
No. of marriage of groom – first
Occupation – farmer
Birth-place of groom – Patrick County, VA
Birth-place of groom’s father – Virginia
Birth-place of groom’s mother – Same
Residence of bride – Adair County, KY
Age of bride – Nineteen years
No. of Marriage of bride – first
Birth-place of bride – Stokes County, North Carolina
Birth-place of bride’s father – North Carolina I think
To be married at the residence of James Hill
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Meredith J. Harper married Fannie Gowen on December 25th, 1869
Merideth J Harper as principal and N J Moore as surety
Residence of Groom – Adair County, Ky
Age of Groom – Twenty One years
Number of Marriage of Groom – First
Occupation – Farmer
Birthplace of Groom – Adair County, Ky
Birthplace of Groom’s Father – Virginia
Birthplace of Groom’s Mother – Same
Residence of Bride – Adair County, Ky
Age of Bride – Fifteen years
Number of Marriage of Bride – First
Birthplace of Bride – Virginia
Birthplace of Bride’s Father – Same
Birthplace of Bride’s Mother – Same
To be married at the Residence of Johnathan Gowens
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Andrew J. Gowen married Nancy A. Roe on October 28th, 1873
Residence of Groom – Adair Co., KY
Age of Groom – Twenty Two years
Number of Marriage of Groom – first
Occupation – farmer
Birthplace of Groom – North Carolina
Birthplace of Groom’s Father – Same
Birthplace of Groom’s Mother – Va.
Residence of Bride – Adair Co., KY
Age of Bride – Eighteen years
Number of Marriage of Bride – first
Birthplace of Bride – Adair Co., KY
Birthplace of Bride’s Father – Same
Birthplace of Bride’s Father – Same
To be married at Presten B. Roe’s
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Thomas J. Gowen married Lucinda Floyd Sept 5th, 1875
Tomas J. Gowen as principal and Johnathan Gowen as surety
Residence of Groom – Adair County, Ky
Age of Groom – 20 years
Number of Marriage of Groom – first
Occupation – farmer
Birthplace of Groom – Stokes Co., N.C.
Birthplace of Groom’s Father – Virginia Patrick Co.
Birthplace of Groom’s Mother – Virginia Patrick Co.
Residence of Bride – Adair Co. Ky
Age of Bride – 17 years

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Henry C. Gowen married Martha J. Patton December 23rd, 1875
Henry C. Gowen as principal and A J Gowen as surety
Residence of Groom – Adair Co., KY
Age of Groom – 20
Number of Marriage of Groom – first
Occupation – farmer
Birthplace of Groom – N.C.
Birthplace of Groom’s Father – Same
Birthplace of Groom’s Mother – Same
Residence of Bride – Adair Co., KY
Age of Bride – 17 years
Number of Marriage of Bride – first
Birthplace of Bride – Clinton Adair Co., KY
Birthplace of Bride’s Father – Tenn.
Birthplace of Bride’s Mother – Clinton Co., KY
To be married at Brutus Patton’s
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William Grider married Elizabeth Gowen on Tuesday 4th day of Jany 1881.
William Grider as principal and Jas H Moore as surety
Residence of Groom – Adair County
Age of Groom – 24 year old
Number of Marriage of Groom – First
Occupation – Farmer
Birthplace of Groom – Adair Co., Ky
Birthplace of Groom’s Father – Same
Birthplace of Groom’s Mother – Same
Residence of Bride – Adair Co., Ky
Age of Bride – 23 years
Number of Marriage of Bride – First
Birthplace of Bride – Adair Co., Ky
To be married at John Gowen
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James A Womack married Martha Gowen on Oct 23rd 1884
James A Womack as principal and Roy Wulken (?) as surety
Residence of Groom – Adair County, Ky
Age of Groom – 18 Years
Number of Marriage of Groom – first
Occupation – Farmer
Birthplace of Groom – Adair Co., Ky
Birthplace of Groom’s Father – Adair Co., Ky
Birthplace of Groom’s Mother – Indiana
Residence of Bride – Adair County, Ky
Age of Bride – 20 Years
Birthplace of Bride – Adair County, Ky
To be married oat Johnathan Gowens

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Jonathan Gowen married Mrs. Harriet (Kate) A. Bloyd on Nov. 5th, 1891
Jonathan Gowen as principal and T. J. Gowen as surety
Residence of Groom – Adair Co., KY
Age of Groom – 67 years
Number of Marriage of Groom – Second
Occupation – Farmer
Birthplace of Groom – VA
Birthplace of Groom’s Father – VA
Birthplace of Groom’s Mother – N.C.
Residence of Bride – Green Co., KY
Age of Bride – 38 years
Number of Marriage of Bride – Second
Birthplace of Bride – Green Co.
Married at T. J. Gowen
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Submitted by Marilyn Fair.
Transcribed by Cindy Young. This is only the follow up interview and not the entire pension testimony


Jonathan Gowen
United States Pension Application, Louisville, Kentucky
Jan. 22, 1906
Certificate # 324,757 Class: Invalid
Service: Pvt. Co. G, 37th, KY, M.Vol.
The Commissioner of Pensions: Sir: I have the honor to report that the above-named pensioner who was last paid at $24.00, May 4, 1905, has been dropped because of death, July 1905. Very Respectfully, A.F. Wood

Deposition: Case of Jonathan Gowen No. 324,757, on this 13th day of Dec., 1898, at near Gradyville, County of Adair State of Ky. Occupation has been that of a farmer. I am not able to do anything now.
I served in Co. G, 37th KY, Mt? Inf. From Aug. 1863 until Dec. 1864. This was the only military service I ever saw and I was never in the Naval service. I was never in the Confederate Army except as a prisoner or war. I enlisted from this neighborhood and had lived here about two years before I enlisted. I came here from North Carolina, Stokes Co. near Francisco and lived 10 or 12 miles from Mt. Airy in Surry Co. I have two brothers living in N.C. James Gowen and Lee Gowen. James P.O. was Francisco, Stokes Co. and Lee’s P.O. was White Plains Patrick Co. VA. the last I knew. I was a farmer before I left N.C. I hired no one to work for me. Robt. Hines?, Henderson Dingman, and Ira Jessup was my near neighbors and will know as much as any one else about me. I had an attack of dyspepsia in N.C. is all the sickness I had then. I had no sickness after coming to this county until my enlistment in the above named organization. My intimate friends and associates in KY for the two years before my enlistment were James O. Nelson, W.R. Moss, Pyrrhus? Nelson, and T.J. Kellner. These are all the ones living now who was close neighbors before the war.
Q. Were you a sound healthy man when you enlisted?
A. Yes sir, I was.
Q. Did you have anything the matter with your legs at any time before your enlistment.
A. I did not, I had no sores on my legs until after my enlistment. No, I had no spell of fever before enlistment. We were not stripped & examined at enlistment or M.J. but were just asked a few questions. I wore boots while in the service. No, I did not wear shoes. No, I did not tell any one that I could not wear boots on account of sore legs for I did wear boots all the time while I was in the service. I have often complained since the war that I could not wear boots because my legs were sore but I never made such a complaint before my service, I was living on the farm of Elizabeth Kemp (dead) at enlistment and had lived there most all the time after coming from N.C.. She had two sons, George and Tom. George P.O. Columbia and I don’t know Tom’s P.O. I did not work wiste? any body but my children the two years before enlistment, my daughters names Frances Moor (Gowen marked out), Sarah J. Pike, P.O. Columbus, MO. and A.J. Gowen, a son.
Q. Did you have any difficulty with a man named John Wauf at any time?
A. Some time after the close of the war I was riding along the road and John Wauf came along drunk and hit me on the head with a club. It did not hurt me at all only cut a hole in my hat. No, he did not hit me on the leg at all. No, he did not strike me with a rock on the leg or any place else. My legs began to be sore about two months before I was M O of the service. This was at Lexington KY. My legs both swelled up while I was in the service and I could press my thumb on the flesh of my legs and it would make a dent that I could lay a hen egg in and then the legs broke out in yellow blisters. Dr. J.G. Taylor (dead) who lived in Columbia examined me before I was mustered out of the service and he said the condition of my legs was a result of the jaundice which I had in the service while camped at Glasgow, KY, I got a furlough and came home. No, I did not make a crop while at home but my wife and children made a crop while I was at home. No, my legs were not sore while I was at home that time. No, my legs were never injured in any way before the war. I have hurt my legs often since they got sore, that is __? accidentally knock the scab off and make the sore bleed. I recollect that I was at work on the road 15 or 20 years ago and a piece of rock flew and struck right in the sore on the right leg and made it bleed a good deal. This is the worst hurt I have had since my legs were sore.
My bunk mates during the war were Billy Coomer (dead) and Chas Coomer P.O. Gradyville, KY. I do not recollect any other bunk mates. I was cook for the Captain Logan Strange P.O. Burksville, KY. Our ord? Sergt was Peter Releford P.O. unknown.
I cannot say who knew of my legs being sore while in the army. It has been so long and they were not sore until a short time before my muster out of the service.
Q. By whom can you prove that you were sound at your enlistment?
A. T.J. Kellner, Pyrrhus Nelson, and those already named herein. I hear you read this statement, I have understood your questions and my answers are correctly recorded herein. I am not able to go with you to see the witnesses but want S.A. Harful? present to represent me while the witnesses testify, but will be present when James O. Nelson testifies. This is correct. I am so feeble that I cannot write my name any more and I am obliged to sign by mark. This is correct.
(signed) Jonathan (x) Gowen
Attest S.A. Harful?
C. Gowen

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 13th day of December, 1898 and I certify that the contents were fully made known to ___? Before signing.
R.J. Austin Special Examiner
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Antioch Cemetery, Adair Co., KY
Arena Gowen 04-Oct-1871 to 23-Jan-1945
Chester Gowen 04-May-1907 to 09-Oct-1953
Corneilus Gowen 14-Feb 1867
Dwight N. Gowen (son of Oscar & Lenora Gowen) 22-Dec 1952
Edd M. Gowen 17-Dec-1891 to 03-April-1943
Etta Gowen 02-Dec-1899 to 06-July-1971
George A. Gowen 21-Sep-1913 to 11-Dec-1980
J. D. Gowen 27-Nov-1898 to 09-July-1977
Mary Ellen Gowen 17-September-1938
Sarah E. Gowen 17-Dec-1891 to 03-April-1943