When I first drafted the beginning of this narrative, I had no idea that I was related to Godfrey Butler Fowler. I did not know that my paternal grandmother’s grandmother Mahala was a Fowler; and I certainly did not know that Mahala’s brother was this Godfrey.

But here we are.

UNCLE GODFREY

I remember as a child, sitting beside my grandmother while she talked about relatives long gone. I was too young to care much. Too many years have since passed, and I do not remember the treasured memories that she shared with me.

But I do remember the shock I felt when she began to talk about Uncle Godfrey. I had never heard that name — Godfrey — and hearing it felt sacrilegious. Sadly, my fascination with the name is the only thing I remember; I do not remember what she said about Uncle Godfrey, and I do not know how he was connected to my family.

But I never forgot the name.

My grandmother was born in 1899. Her uncle Godfrey, born in 1837, was sixty-two years old. And when he died in 1906, my grandmother was a young girl of seven, old enough to remember her uncle and carry those memories throughout her lifetime.

Fast forward many years later, and many Godfrey Fowlers inundate my research. I no longer feel shock when I hear the name Godfrey.

The name defines my line.

HIS BEGINNINGS

Godfrey Butler Fowler was born January 20, 1837 in Union County, South Carolina.

His father was Joseph Fowler (1800-1852), son of Godfrey Fowler, (1785-1850), son of Henry Ellis Fowler (1746-1808).

His mother was Clarissa Foster (1814-after 1870), daughter of Nathaniel Foster (1793- after 1860).

He was born on the south side of the Pacolet River, at Grindal Shoals, when the area was in her finest glory. It was a most prosperous and prestigious time of a cultured, educated, successful people.

The people who came out of the shoals and found themselves in positions of influence and infamy —Joseph Stark Sims, his artist and historian daughter Sarah Adeline Sims, attorney Abraham Nott, future South Carolina governor David Johnson, businessman and politician Henry Fernandez — were only a handful of the many successful men and women who lived at Grindal Shoals in her heyday.

THE WIDOW HORN

Godfrey Butler Fowler married Louisa Jane Mitchell, born November 14, 1844. She was the daughter of Ellison Mitchell (b. 1805) and Amy M. Quinn (1815–1894).

Ellison Mitchell was the son of the elder Ellison Mitchell (1787–1843) who was a son of the Rev. Elias Mitchell (1761–1834) and Permilia Mildred Hill (1760–1839).

A LINK to the preacher: Legacy of Reverend Elias Mitchell: Family, Faith, and Forgotten Graves

Louisa Jane Mitchell married Benson Horn (b. 1838), and they had one daughter —Ella W. Horn –who was born in October 1863.

Private Benson Horn of the 5th South Carolina Infantry, Company C never saw his only child. He may have never even known of her birth. He was killed at the Battle of Lookout Mountain in Hamilton Tennessee on October 28, 1863.

Godfrey Butler Fowler was a soldier in the 5th South Carolina Infantry. He would have fought alongside Benson Horn. He would have known the young Louisa Jane Mitchell all of his life; she who waited at home for a husband who would never return.

Godfrey Butler Fowler married the widow in 1866, for their son Nathaniel Steadman Fowler was born the next year. He was named after Godfrey’s Civil War captain — James Blake Steedman, and Godfrey’s maternal grandfather, Nathaniel Foster.

A LINK to the military records of G.B. Fowler: The Confederate Soldiers: GODFREY BUTLER FOWLER (1828-1906)

Louisa Jane Mitchell Horn Fowler outlived her husband by fifteen years. She died August 22, 1921 and was buried at Gilead Baptist Church Graveyard next to Godfrey.

She also outlived her only daughter, Ella, by eight years. Ella married J. Fincher Betsill (1855-1914) in 1892. The couple had no children. Ella was in ill health for a long time and died on April 29, 1913. She was buried at Gilead.

Nathaniel Steadman Fowler followed in his father’s footsteps albeit in a lesser way. He was mayor of Jonesville for a while, a successful businessman, and a well respected man in his community. He never married. He was also laid to rest in eternity with his family at Gilead after his May 25 death in 1924.

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So, Godfrey Butler Fowler. Who was he, really?

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If I could go back in time, I would ask my grandmother to tell me again about Uncle Godfrey. I would ask so many questions and memorize her answers: Did her well-heeled sister buy her hats from Louisa Jane? Did she visit her aunt and uncle at their home? Did she know he kept a skeleton in the closet? Did she go to his funeral?

I wish I could tell my grandmother all of the things I have learned about her Uncle Godfrey — that he was a well respected man in his community; an important leader in political affairs. He improved the school system, and supported local churches, He engineered and repaired many of the mills in the state.

She was in his presence. She looked into his eyes. She knew him.

I knew and loved my grandmother who knew and loved her Uncle Godfrey. It is a fragile connection — me to Godfrey Butler Fowler, — but yet, it is a connection.

A connection to the past. A small glimpse of the life of someone who left the earth many years before I arrived. Bringing someone back into conscious thought.

These are the things I treasure most.

Rest In Peace, Uncle Godfrey. You are not forgotten.