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 Bowen Coat of Arms Littleberry Bowen Kirks The 1785 will of Jesse Bowen left his estate to Littleberry Bowen Cearks after the death of wife Winneford. The will also indicates that Littleberry Bowen Kirks was under 21 when the will was written. Littleberry Bowen Kirks was first listed for taxes as a male over 21 in 1788 under Jesse Bowen (indicating he was born about 1767). His name was recorded only as Littleberry Kirks that year and the following three years. In 1791, he was still listed under Jesse Bowen, but as Littleberry B Kirks. In 1792, he was listed under Jesse as Littleberry Bowen. In 1797, he was listed as Littleberry Bowen under Winney Bowen, Jesse's widow, and the following year he was listed as Littleberry B Kirks under Winny Bowen. The 1798 tax records for Littleberry Bowen (son of William Bowen Jr) indicate that he and Winnifred had married. Littleberry Bowen was a widower with children by his previous marriage. When he married Winifred, he became the second stepfather of Littleberry Bowen Kirks. By 1799, Littleberry Bowen Kirks was listed under his own name, but the slaves listed under him were the same slaves that had previously been listed under Jesse Bowen and widow Winny Bowen. Winny was not listed in 1799. In 1790, Littleberry Bowen Kirks was listed twice, once as Littleberry Bowen and again as Littleberry B Kirks. It was obviously the same person as the same slaves were listed under both. In some later records, Winny's new husband was referred to as Littleberry Bowen Sr while her son was referred to as Littleberry Bowen Jr. It is not known if Bowen was originally his middle name (perhaps indicating Bowen ancestry) or if it was a name he added after Winny's marriage to Jesse Bowen. Some records list him as Littleberry Bowen (Kirks) which creates the impression that he was using the surname Bowen but was also known by the surname Kirks. 17 July 1807 Littleberry Bowen Kirks of Mecklenburg to David Bowen and Savory his wife. For natural love and affection and one dollar. One negro boy by the name of Medley for and during ther term of there natural lives. Signed Littleberry Bowen Kirks Wit Jones Gee, Charles + Bowen. Court 12 October 1807 proved by oath of Jones Gee, court 10 April 1809 proved by oath of Charles Bowen. This David Bowen was the son of William Bowen Jr and Lucrecy. His wife Savory was the daughter of Charles Bowen and Amy. Littleberry Bowen in his 1819 will referred to Littleberry B Kirks as "my son" and named him before his other children. Winny was not named in the will and seems to have died several years before. She does not appear to have produced any additional children by either Jesse Bowen or Littleberry Bowen. The 1735 Brunswick Co will of James Voughn named heir Winne Curcks but with no reference to her kinship. Some people have assumed she was a daughter, but that is not stated in the will and, as far as I know, she has not been found or traced in later records. Unless additional information has been found that I am not aware of, she also might have been James Voughn's granddaughter or niece or other kin, married or unmarried. The will also named son George Voughn (Vaughan) who was a near neighbor to the Bowens. Although this Winny Kirks seems to have been too early to have been the mother of Littleberry Bowen Kirks, the fact that the two women shared the same name is of interest. If Littleberry Bowen Kirks was born about 1767, his mother Winny might have been born around 1750. It is possible that Winny might have been a daughter of Samuel Kirks and Edith (Bowen?) or perhaps the widow of a son born to that marriage. She might also have been an unmarried daughter of Winne Curcks named in the James Voughn will. No proof has been found to associate her with either family. The 1820 Mecklenburg Co census listed Littleberry B Kirks. This household included only 1 male age 45+. No marriage record has been found, and it would appear from this census that he probably did not marry or have a family of his own. |