39 thoughts on “The Fowler Families of Union County SC”

1. I may be able to provide additional information on some of the Fowler family. My great great grandfather was William G. Fowler, born about 1825. Could he have been the son of the Ellis Fowler who was the son of Mark Fowler?

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2. Thanks again would learn to read all information you got.

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3. Hi Deb. I love the way you lay this out. When you get a chance please contact me. I will send you all the primary documents I have on this line as I spent years collecting them thanks to that unnamed book. I also see in your masthead that you are interested in Israel who I did not locate within the site. Unless you have documentation that suggests otherwise, Israel is not likely of the same lineage. Please contact me. I am in the Haplogroup E Lineage I group.

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4. Hello, my name is Ron Deal, my mother’s maiden name was Fowler, her father was Jesse Leroy Fowler, his father was Jessie Miles Fowler, his father was Pinckney Leander Fowler! Is there a family tree maker file or gedcom that is available to research if my line and your line is connected? Thank you very much!

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   1. Hi Ron, I am very familiar with your line, and I do not know how or if it connects to my Union County Fowlers. There is speculation that your family may be related somehow to either the Henry Ellis Fowler or Israel Fowler families who lived in Union County. I have been helping another descendant from this line with his research but the paper trail is inconclusive and we need a direct Fowler male to yDNA test. Testing would prove which Fowler line is yours. Please contact me again if you have any questions regarding ways to research your line. Thanks so much!

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      1. Is there a file to download somewhere on your line? (gedcom or ftm) My Uncle Richard Fowler had his dna done with Ancestry but doe’s not know how to use it for research! Thanks

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      2. Hi Ron. I am sending you an email.

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      3. I am David Fowler, in reading I see the names Davidson and Alice Fowler (listed as possibly a Rochester) My grandmother was Beunah Mitchell O’dell, the daughter of Davidson And Alice. My Dad, Henry junior was the great nephew of a Rochester in Jonesville, where by the way Beunah and her husband Pet O’dell originated. That being said could mean that my mom and my dad were related. Amazing thanks for the history.

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   2. Hi my name is debra knighton mary fowler was my grandmother married william frankin knighton .jessie miles fowler was her dad herbert fowler her brother her son was larry knighton and sybil was her daughter a friend of mine contacted you on ancestery pleas email me af dawnm6770@gmail.com im kin to several fowlers here. Please anyone contact me

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      1. Hello, my name is Fred Kroog. My mother’s maiden was Fowler. Her father was Floyd Fowler, (b. 1893 Asheville), whose father was Davis Fowler, brother to Pinckney and others and a son of Martin Fowler and Phebe Fowler (nee Corn). As such, l would also appreciate learning more (family trees or otherwise) about Davis and his siblings, namely, Mary Elizabeth, Hattie, Rebecca, Margurette, Pinckney Leander and John Madison.
         Thank you

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5. My great grandfather was Davis Fowler the son of Martin Fowler and Phebe (nee Corn). I have been researching the origins of Martin’s father William for some time now to no definitive avail. Any and all information would be helpful. Thank you. Fred

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   1. Hi Frederick.
      Your Martin Fowler is the father of the above Pickney Leander Fowler posted by Ron Deal.

      I show Martin Fowler being born in 1824 in Greenville, SC.

      I do know Samuel Mercer Fowler b. 1746 and Francis Fowler b. 1740.were propagates of manyh of the Greenville SC Fowler’s and before they went to SC in 1768/69, they were in Granville, NC. , sons of Francis Fowler Sr. Who came to Granville NC from Frederick County Virginia in 1757/58.
      In 1758 Samuel Mercer Fowler is listed in Granville Co. NC Bastardly Bonds as “a base born child”
      This is 100% the same Samuel Fowler who lived in Greenville and Spartanburg SC and applied for a Revolutionary pension in 1833 (pension #S17954) He was born in Freder8ck Co VA in 1746/47. As a side note, he served under Gen Puckens.

      Martin’s father William Fowler was born 1800 presumably in South Carolina.

      Just because I have Martin being born in Greenville, SC in 1824 does not make it so but, I am a member of the Fowler family Y DNA project at FamilyTreeDNA
      https://www.familytreedna.com/public/fowler?iframe=yresults

      Get with Ron Deal above. He said his uncle did DNA testing but it’s probably not specifically Y DNA

      If you guts can get a male Fowler descendant to do a Y DNA test through FamilyTreeDNA, it is your best bet. We have a blank between generations 1776-1810 but we can connect before that with ease.

      One caveat is IF your line descends from Samuel Mercer Fowler and he was not the biological son of Francis Fowler Sr. It might cause confusion, however matches to other families would show a connection to Frederick Co Virgina in the 1746/47 timeframe.
      Y DNA is the way to go but it needs to be a Fowler male descendant of Davis Fowler or Pickney Leander Fowler.
      James Tinsley Fowler was possibly a brother of Martin and there was also a John Fowler who appears with William in Henderson Co, NC in 1850.
      The Francis Fowler line is of the Y DNA E1b1b V12 at the FamilyTreeDNA link above.

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      1. Thank you for your response. My mother was the Fowler descended from Floyd/Davis/Martin/William. As a male family member has his own DNA test results, I am checking to see if it was the Y type test.

         On Tue, Feb 16, 2021, 2:21 AM THE FOWLER FAMILIES OF UNION COUNTY, SC wrote:

         > Kirk Fowler commented: “Hi Frederick. Your Martin Fowler is the father of > the above Pickney Leander Fowler posted by Ron Deal. I show Martin Fowler > being born in 1824 in Greenville, SC. I do know Samuel Mercer Fowler b. > 1746 and Francis Fowler b. 1740.were propagates ” >

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      2. We have a direct Fowler male descendant from the Pinckney Leander Fowler branch. I do not think he has tested yet. I believe that yDNA would answer so many questions.

         “My father Jesse Fowler (1909-2001) married Bertha Teague (1910-1945) Jesse Miles Fowler (1879-1955) married Mary Melissa Durham (illegitmate daughter of Ephraim McJunkins)(1882-1957) Pinckney Leander Fowler (1851-1943) married Sarah (Sallie) Odom (Cherokee, adopted) (1855-1929) Martin Fowler (c.1821-1895) in Henderson County NC married to Mary Phoebe Corn (1826-1904) William Fowler (born in SC about 1798-1801 died about 1857) married to Elizabeth (Last name unknown) (about 1798-about 1850) Thanks for all your research Richard Fowler (Spartanburg County SC)”

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      3. I just got results back from FTDNA. I don’t know how to use it though. I think that Samuel Fowler 1747-1843 is my ancestor. I don’t think the the Spartanburg Samuel is Samuel Mercer Fowler. I found records of a John Fowler in Augusta county VA had two sons Baptized at the Tinkling Springs Church. A William in 1745 and a Samuel in 1747. I found records of this John after 1758 when I think he was supposed to have died and the child Samuel was given to Francis. I found Legal records to at least 1763. The john Fowler ran a distillery and there are legal records where he was opposed to someone nearby running a store and selling liquor. The Tinkling Springs Church. I think that also there was some overlap in the counties in that area so it would have been hard to determine now where the counties actually were.
         Vernon Fowler

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      4. Vernon, thank you for your information. While more recently I did take a gifted DNA test, it’s results were rather broad. At this time I would take the more accurate test as it may prove helpful. Please let me know the particulars to do this. By the way, where Martin Fowler and (wife) Phebe (nee Corn) show in later censuses (Henderson Co.), Ebenezer Baptist Church (minutes) show Phebe had become a Fowler at least by July 17, 1852, per listing of it’s female church members by that date. I expect it was earlier.
         Here, same church records show Phebe (spelled Pheriba) Corn in it’s previous July 12, 1847 records. While this does not help finding Martin’s father, the Corn family is also rich in history. Fred

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      5. My research seems to indicate that my ancestor was Samuel Fowler (1747-1843) from Spartanburg. My FTDNA Y-700 test indicates that my results are R-FTA5090. It also indicates that R-FTA5090 came from R-A11007 at around the year 1700. I have several matches within R-A11007. All of the other matches I have seems to have happened after the year 1700 but most are from the same area around Spartanburg.

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      6. Hi Vernon, Thanks for your comments. It sounds like you are descended from the Moses Fowler/ Francis Fowler/ America Fowler line. Have you joined the Fowler Surname Project? How far back have you gotten on your Fowler line?

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      7. I am a member of the Fowler group at FTDNA. I have been working some with Rebecca and Kara. As I said, my DNA R-FTA5090 branched from R-A11007 about 1700. I think that the names that you mentioned belong to R-FTA17178, R-Y84385, R-Y153502 or R-FT112985. They show as matches but they all branched off from R-A11007 after the year 1700.

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6. Does the DNA test 23 & me contain the information sought? If not can you please provide exact specifics of the Y test needed.
   Thanks…Fred

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   1. Actually, I think 23 & Me may predict the yDNA Haplogroup! Email me at debfowler@aol.com if you want and we can exchange more information.

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   2. If 23 and Me does “predict” a Y DNA Haplogroup, this is enough to go to family tree Fowler Y DNA project and match the Y DNA Haplogroup.
      Keep in mind this may be a prediction and it will only be of a possible Y DNA Haplogroup.

      Henry Ellis Fowler line is Haplogroup I-M170 wheras Francis Fowler Sr. Father of Francis Fowler Jr.. b 1740 in VA is E1b1b M78 subclade V12

      Moses T. Fowler b..1171 and America Fowler b.1174 on the other hand has come back as R-M173.

      These results are tricky because both America Fowler and Moses Fowler a are placed as sons of Francis Fowler Jr. 1740.

      As I stated in the previous post Samuel Fowler b.. 1746/47 in Frederick County Virginia and applied for a Revolutionary pension in 1833 (#S17954) in Spartanburg, SC is 100% confirmed as the same Samuel Mercer Fowler named in a 1758 Basta4dly Bond in Granville County North Carolina with Francis Fowler Sr., father of Francis Fowler Jr. b. 1740. I have also proved through my own research that Francis Fowler Jr. 1740 is NOT of the Godfrey Fowler line as was stated by Grover Parsons Fowler in his 1940 book.

      Before I move on, I should add the Y DNA results for Moses and America Fowler mentioned above also include descendants of Aaron Wooten b. 1808.SC, son of Daniel Wooten OOO. The Wooten and Fowler families were neighbors in South Carolina in the 1700s but the Wootens were NOT in Granville County North Carolina

      So, Here’s how this works. As a male you are XY chromosome. You get the Y chromosome from your father. That Y chromosome may mutate by the Haplogroup and subclade will NOT change. You share the same Y chromosome with every descendant of ONE man going back thousands of years.

      I descend from William Fowler b. 1796 in Granville NC and relocated to Fentress County TN abt 1835.
      In Grover Parsons Fowler’s 1940 book there are many mistakes but he included two letters from John Fowler b. 1790 of Hopkins County Kentucky dated 1849 and 1855, addressed to his brother Moody Fowler in Granville County North Carolina

      In the letters John Fowler mentions “brother” William Fowler in Fentrys County, TN. I recognized this to be my William Fowler of Fentress Co.

      I had been in contact with Steve Fowler who was a descendant of John Fowler of Hopkins County Kentucky for many years and when I rece8ved my Y DNA results, I had Steve do his. They came back a perfect match.

      We can now say with 100% certainty there has NOT been any other fathers along the line between 1790 and our births. (Approximately 250 years)

      Francis Fowler Sr is in Fredrick County VA from 1740 and frois first mentioned in Granville Co. NC Basta4dly Bonds in 1758. My line stayed in Granville County North Carolina until my William Fowler left for Fentress Co TN abt 1835, BUT I know from my own research many of Francis Fowler Seniors sons went to Spartanburg/Greenville and Laurens County SC in the 1760s.
      At the FamilyTreeDNA Fowler Y DNA project we also have perfect matches with descendants of Baxter Fowler b. 1775 in SC but they have been unable to place his father..

      This tells us Baxter Fowler b. 1775 in SC and our Granville NC line share the same father AND that took place BEFORE 1775 as the two lines split in the 1760s

      This proved my personal research. Y DNA testing is only as good as the research behind it. An ill-placed geneaology tree for example might list someone as the son of Godfrey Fowler who is NOT and therefore assigned a single Y DNA result to that man.
      You MUST have triangulation.

      I mentioned in the earlier post your Martin Fowler may have brothers John and (James). Tinsley Fowler Of Henderson NC. I have NOT gone through all the lines at the Fowler Y DNA project but you should take the time to first comb through to see if any descendants of possible relations to Martin Fowler have indeed already tested.

      The “Pinckney” first name was used frequently and it is highly possible it comes from the Henry Ellis line, relating to the location where they first settled in SC.

      For Y DNA to work, two things must be correct:
      1) The genealogical research must be correct
      2) The individual chosen to test must be a true biological “son” of the ancestor, no adopters, illegimate, etc. Many people do NOT know this until it comes out in testing

      A single Pinckney Leander Fowler donor is NOT enough. A single Martin Fowler donor is NOT enough.

      Step ONE: The Y DNA test should be done through FamilyTreeDNA so it gets put into the Fowler Y DNA project database. I suggest maximum markers which I believe is 144. The tests can be as little as 12 which will give a Y DNA haplogroup but the more markers the more specific results/matches you’ll get in terms of relationships. Example, comparing two 12 marker tests will tell you they are related in some fashion. Comparing two 144 marker tests will allow you to basically pinpoint a common ancestor.

      Step TWO: At least one donor from.m Pinckney Leander Fowler and one from Davis Fowler or another male descendant of Martin Fowler. If there’s a match, you have Martin Fowler’s Y DNA. If not, you need more donors to confirm which is and which is not Martin Fowler.

      Step THREE: Once you get the results into familytreeDNA Fowler Y DNA database and see matches, you can begin to ascertain how reliable they are by triangulation. For example, if your Martin matches my William b. 1796, then we can say for certain they are of the same man and I can get you back to Richard Fowler who died 1734/35 in Caroline County VA.

      Or if it comes back matching Henry Ellis Fowler descendants then we can determine they are of the same line.

      If it doesn’t come back matching any existing lines we need more donors of non-direct descendants to ascertain parentage as in the America and Moses example..

      In the Moses and America example we have a Wooten so we have a time frame. Did Francis Fowler Jr. marry a Wooten widow or did he have extra-marital relations or did Aaron Wooten?

      I realize this can be overwhelming information so read at your leisure and read several times. Google “Fowler Y DNA project” and contact the listed administrators to have them walk you through it.

      .

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      1. HI Kirk, You are, and have always been, an excellent researcher. That was a wonderful explanation for Fred — so well said! Thank you so much! Deb Fowler

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7. I commented earlier about seeing Davidson and Alice Mitchell listed in the Fowler ancestry. Davidson (mine and my uncle William David O’dell’ namesake, I am David Fowler) and Alice Mitchell (nee Rochester) were my maternal grandmother’s (Beunah Mitchell O’dell) parents. I also recall my Dad, Henry Clifford Fowler Junior having an aunt in Jonesville who was a Rochester making my parents possibly related through those families.

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   1. Hi David, Thanks for your comments! You and I are related in at least two ways — through the Alice Fowler (your ancestor) and her brother Gil Fowler who was my great grandfather. We are also related through the Henry Ellis Fowler line, as your Fowler line traces back to Henry Ellis Fowler by way of his son Godfrey Fowler who married Nannie Kelly. Please email me at debfowler@aol.com. I have much research on all of these families. Deb. (Did you marry a woman from Jonesville, initials TT?)

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      1. yep you got me. lol Terri Tweed.

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      2. I graduated in the class with her. You are actually in my family tree. You know your Fowler ancestors back to England?

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8. I would like to speak with someone on this .. Fowler – Line … I am from the John Fowler (Va/Anson Cty NC) David Fowler – Montgomery Cty NC – William D Fowler DOB 1821 in Montgomery Cty NC to Marlboro Cty SC in 1859 … and they is where we take over … Julian B. Fowler / from Marlboro Cty SC / now Florence SC 843-617-3433

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   1. Hi Julian, Please email me at debfowler@aol.com and I will send you my cellular number. Would love to talk about your Fowler line. Deb

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9. I just published a historical fiction novel, Ford the Pacholet. It is about Grindal Shoals and the families, like yours, that pioneered the settlement in Jonesville, S.C. The area is where your ancestors lived and worked and fought for our freedom. Please grab a copy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or many other bookstores.

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10. Deb,

    I have tried to contact you today to no avail. I saw some activity on your genealogy website.

    Dsteelmsw@aol.com

    Please contact me. I would appreciate it

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11. I have really enjoyed reading your blog although i have no Fowler ancestors (that I know of). I do have Joneses in this area pre-1860. My gg-grandfather Henry Jones and his wife Anna Lindsey Jones left for Floyd County Georgia mid-late 1850’s. I believe his sister was Caroline Jones who married John Sprouse son of William. It is fuzzy as to who Henry’s father is but I believe it is a John Jones who is found enumerated in the same area as your Fowlers in 1830 and before. Have you run across any Joneses in your research? Thanks and your blog does help me get a better feel for the people in that area of the Pacolet.

    Scott Jones

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    1. The 1900 census, Buncombe County, shows my grandfather Floyd Fowler living in the household headed by John S. Jones. Floyd was born in 1893 @ Asheville. His father was Davis Fowler. One of Davis’ siblings was Marguerite who had a daughter Flora who would marry John Slagle in 1901. It was John S. Jones who married Marguerite Fowler on October 30, 1882. Their wedding ceremony was attended by Marguerite’s sister Rebecca Fowler. Besides the census reports, John Jones also presents in the Death Certificate for Flora Slagle (nee Fowler) dated 12/30/1926.

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12. My Fowler lineage is through my gg grandmother Mahala Fowler 1848-1928, married to Richard Ward. Her father was Larkin, to Isaac, to Joseph, to Godffrey and beyond. This is a long shot but it would be great if anyone knew the ancestors of Richard Ward, or those of Elizabeth Holt 1775-1880, wife of Larkin Fowler. My Fowlers ended up in White Pine Tennessee, in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Mahala and Richard are buried at Beth Carr Cemetery, Leadvale, TN.

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13. Hello, Interested in Elizabeth O’Neal. She married a Fowler. She was the daughter of Nancy O’Neal. After the death of her sister Martha O’Neal married to Earle Fowler. Elizabeth took Texanna Fowler into her home and raised her as her own.
    Elizabeth O’Neal was also married to a Fowler and later a Willard. Would you by chance have a name for me.

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    1. Hi Kathy, I have many documents for Barney O’Neal , his wife Nancy, and their daughters. Maybe this article that I wrote a while back will help. Please email me debfowler@aol.com if I can help.

       TEXANNA FOWLER b. 1860, Victim of the Pacolet River Flood of 1903

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    2. Thanks you for answering my post. Yes, I agree with Elizabeth marrying Jack Willard. I research land records for my line and wehn working on the Willards. I came across a land deed from CH Willard (Calvin) in 1897, P34 page 419. I was surprised to read that he mentioned his mother as Elizabeth Fowler. He sold his interest in the land, that bounded John Becknell and J Rodgers (O’Neal’s neighbors)to BS Johnson (Texanna’s husband). This had to be a share of the O’Neal land that Nancy left to her 3 daughters. I then looked at the 1880 census and she is a Fowler. In the home is Texanna, her son and surprise John Willard is a boarder. I assume, which I shouldn’t, that they had seperated some time earlier before she remarried and she took him in as he aged. I am still researching. I know you research the Fowler line. If you by chance come across an older Fowler that remarried Elizabeth Willard can you post it for me. I’ll be following your post. Thank You for all your work you do.

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       1. Hi Kathy, I have been looking at Elizabeth O’Neal the past two days. Do you have reason to believe that she married an older Fowler man after John “Jack” Willard? The following is my theory of her in the 1850-1880 census records:
          1850: She was Elizabeth O’Neal in the household of her mother and father (Nancy and Barney O’Neal)
          1860: She was in the household with her mother Nancy O’Neal, her brother-in-law Earl Fowler, and Earl’s children with his now deceased wife Martha O’Neal. Martha had either died in childbirth with Texanna, or Elizabeth O’Neal was the mother of Texanna. Elizabeth was “given” the last name Fowler by the census taker making assumptions or Elizabeth had married Earl Fowler after the death of Martha.
          1870: Elizabeth O’Neal is in the household with Jack Willard, Texanna, and her son Calvin. Had she married Jack Willard? Texanna was listed as a Willard, as was everyone in the household.
          1880: Elizabeth Fowler is head of household, Texanna is listed as a Fowler, as is Calvin. Jack Willard as you know is a boarder.
          There is a Calvin Willard born the right year with a death certificate listing his mother as Battie McDaniel; no father.

          My questions — was Texanna the daughter of Martha O’Neal or Elizabeth O’Neal?
          Did Elizabeth marry Earl Fowler or Jack Williard, or both? or neither?
          Who was Calvin’s parents, really?

          Your thoughts on all of the above? Thanks!!

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       2. One more thought!! A DNA test of a Calvin Willard descendant would help answer the questions regarding these relationships.

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