I am going to take a great leap of faith and say that Washington Fowler born in Union County, SC in 1818 was one and the same as William Tip Fowler born in Union County, SC in 1818.

Washington Fowler appeared in the 1840 Union County census as a 20 to 29 year old man, with a 15 to 19 year old female and a female under 5. For a long time, I thought his name had been a mistake on the census taker’s part. I had never seen the name Washington Fowler, and I did not see it again — until — I found documents in the court house in Union whereas Washington Fowler, the son of John Fowler, (son of Ephraim Fowler) had sold his share of his grandfather Ephraim Fowler’s estate:

Previous to October 1, 1849, Washington Fowler, son of John Fowler (deceased) sold his one fifth of one eighth share to David Gallman.

October 1, 1849: David Gallman sold to William Bevis the one fifth partial share that he had bought from Washington Fowler.

Once I saw these documents, I knew that there had been a son of John Fowler named Washington who had married and had a daughter before 1840. But evidence of him was never to be found again; what happened to Washington Fowler?

In the 1850 Union County Census, a William Fowler appeared with a wife Nancy and three children. This William did not seem to “fit” into any Fowler family. I’ve stared at his name for years. I’ve searched records for his family. I’ve turned and twisted this William Fowler every which way possible, and nothing made much sense; yet, there he was –right in the middle of my Fowlers.

The William Fowler born 1818 was married to Nancy (b. 1820). William Fowler and Nancy had a son name John Tipton Fowler, sometimes referred to as John “Tip” Fowler.

I recently found the estate settlement of John Knight Bowles Sims, (brother of Joseph Stark Sims) dated March 22, 1860. There it was — “William Tip Fowler” — the first and only time I’ve seen the name written this way. I have to wonder if this is William Tip Fowler married to Nancy, father of John Tipton Fowler? I have to wonder if this was Washington Fowler?

Today, I decided to approach this problem in a different manner. I’ve often wondered in the past if Washington Fowler could be William Fowler. I’ve researched others who changed their names mid-life for reasons known and unknown. I did a quick analysis of census records to see if Washington Fowler lived in the “house” of William Fowler. It looks like he did. I compared the location of Washington/William Fowler to David Gallman since the two men had legal dealings with each other in the past.

John Fowler and family, which included Washington Fowler, lived near David Gallman in 1830; Washington Fowler lived near David Gallman in 1840; and William Fowler lived near David Gallman in 1850. This is not conclusive evidence by any means but it does lend weight to the theory.

1830 Census: Washington Fowler was a twelve year old male in the household of his father John Fowler. David Gallman was a near-by neighbor.

John Fowler had died before 1840, but his oldest son Washington Fowler was head of household with a young wife and a very young daughter. Washington Fowler lived near the David Gallman family in 1840.

David Gallman was a neighbor to William Fowler in 1850. We know that Washington Fowler had sold his part of the Ephraim Fowler estate to David Gallman sometime before 1849.

Washington Fowler AKA William Fowler died after 1860. It is possible that his son James Fowler (b.1840) died after 1860, for neither man was to be found again in any records. William Fowler was a little old to have been a soldier in the war, but one or both men may have headed out to a battlefield and perished there. I will obviously continue researching to find them.

In 1870, Nancy Fowler was head of a household that included daughters Rachel and Amanda.

John Tipton Fowler had married Nancy Reeves and they had a son, Jeter, and a daughter, Cynthia, by 1870.

In 1880, John Tipton Fowler and his family lived next door to his mother Nancy Fowler and sister Rachel. Next door were Zachariah and Cynthia Reeves, parents of John Tipton Fowler’s wife Nancy Reeves. Amanda Fowler had married Elias Horne and they lived not so very far away. Amanda’s son William Horne lived in the household with her mother Nancy and sister Rachel.

Washington Fowler? William Fowler 1818-after 1860 m. Nancy 1820-after 1880

1. Rachel Fowler 1838–after 1880
2. James Fowler 1840–after 1860
3. John Tipton Fowler 1842–1922 m. Nancy Reeves 1849–1939
   • Barth Jeter Fowler 1866–1941 m. Addie Louella White 1864–1951
     • Arthur Arbott Fowler 1885–1958 m. Estelle Lybrand 1887–1964
       • Adda G Fouler 1910–
       • Frederick Lybrand Fowler 1912–2004 m. Dorothy Bozard
         • Frederick Lybrand Fowler Jr. 1943–1978 m. Kirby Kittredge
           • son Fowler
           • son Fowler
           • daughter Fowler
       • Francis Keith Fowler 1918–2009
       • Sarrah P Fowler 1925– m. Arthur Miller Proctor–2005
         • son Proctor
         • daughter Proctor
     • William Beaty Fowler 1888–1918 m. Pearl Coleman 1893–
       • Robert Jeter Fowler 1912–1937 m. Kathleen Elizabeth Rochester 1910–1983
     • Bessie P Fowler 1889– m. Benjamin Maturson Littlefield 1886–1935
       • Mary Littlefield 1918–
       • Benjamin Julian Littlefield 1920–1974 m. Erma Hughes
         • daughter Littlefield
     • Henry Grady Fowler 1892–1948 m. Rosebell Ruth Lawson 1893–
       • Dorothy Fowler 1916–2005 m. Wallace Johnson Sanders 1915–1973
       • Mary Ruth Fowler 1919–1992 m. Walter F Mitros Jr 1925–2005
     • John F Fowler 1894–1916 m. Jessie Pridmore 1891–1970
       • Jeter Wade Fowler 1912–1980 m. LanetteSparks 1910–1994
         • son Fowler 1937–
     • Margaret Louise Fowler 1899–1915
   • Jeanette Fowler 1868–1958 m. Jessie C. Mathais
   • Mary Hattie Fowler 1871–1916 m. Robert Albert Horne 1868–1926
     • Hattie Ophelia Horne 1888–1946
     • Rosa Horne1893–
     • Robert Horn 1897–
     • Lenora Horn 1900–
   • Armettie “Mittie” Fowler 1874–1895 m. Benjamin Tucker West 1871–1953
     • Jesse B West 1895–1979
   • Mamie Fowler 1877– m. Mason G “Mace” Garner 1852–1915; m. Albert West
     • Albert Mitchell West 1895-1944
     • Tillie Louise Garner 1905–1944
   • John A. Fowler 1879–1944
   • Jonas S Fowler 1884–1972
   • James O. Fowler 1884–1958
   • Ezra “Dice” Fowler 1887–1967
   • Jessie Fowler 1890–1892
   • Syntha Kate Fowler 1893–1898
4. Amanda Fowler 1857–1885 m. Elias Ball Horne 1840–1930
   • Davis G. Horn 1872–1940
   • Robert Horn 1874–1896
   • Frederick Monroe Horne 1877–1956
   • Henry Amos Frances Horne 1880–1952
   • Logan Horne 1883–1948