Abraham Cowgill

ancestry.com has an index for Abraham Cowgill in 1720 Burlington County.

Page 296 (in Cowgill History - see Notes on Cowgills in America Page)

Abraham Cowgill b 15 May 1690, Falls Twp, Bucks Co., PA, date and place of death unknown, m 1 Apr 1725, Chesterfield MM, (1st bans announced, PA Mag, Vol 9, p547), Dorothy Turner, who d 1 Jun 1748, dau of George Turner of Amswell, Hunterdon Co., NJ. Lived in Burlington Co., NJ; later in Bucks Co. (on Solebury Twp tax list for 1751), PA. Children are as listed in the Rev Turner file, Delaware Archives, Dover, DE. Children: known are – John, Sarah, Ralph, Abraham (1st), Nehemiah, Mary, Abraham (2nd), Isaac, Jacob

1 John Cowgill b 4 Mar 1725/26, d 6 Nov 1737.

2 Sarah Cowgill b 11 Oct 1727, d 2 Dec 1776 (one source, but see below), m 11 Apr 1753, Buckingham MM, PA, Thomas Smith of Plumstead Twp, Bucks Co., PA, b 8 Oct 1730, d 30 Sep 1777, son of John Smith Jr and Sarah (Scott) Smith. Marriage record signed by her father (Abraham), uncle (Isaac), and grandfather, Ralph Cowgill. Sarah’s granddaughter, Hannah Smith, dau of Aaron Smith, married her (Sarah’s) nephew Thomas Cowgill (see Page 330). On 1 Jun 1775, Thomas Smith “of Plumstead Twp, Bucks Co., PA” is recorded (Loudoun Co. Deed Book K, p 98/99) as executing a land purchase of 125 acres in Loudoun Co. Thomas was not a signatory, but his probable brother-in-law, Abraham Cowgill (see Page 329 below), was, possibly acting as his agent. No indication Thomas ever lived there. Sarah and two daughters were received at Goose Creek MM in VA in 1791 on a certificate from Buckingham MM in PA. No further record.

3 Ralph Cowgill b 31 Dec 1729, PA, d 1795, Loudoun Co., VA, m Sarah Pellar, dau of Isaac Pellar of PA. She was living at the time of Ralph's death. Ralph was listed on the Tax Rolls of Bucks Co., PA, in 1761 (Solebury Twp); in 1763, 1764 (Plumstead Twp); and in 1779 to 1784 (Solebury Twp). Under returns and assessments, Bucks Co., PA, Ralph Cowgill in 1781 had "no acres", a horse and a cow; in 1782 had 2 horses, 2 cattle, and 7 white inhabitants. His father-in-law, Isaac Pellar (or Peller), had acreage but no animals in 1781; 100 acres, 2 horses, 2 cows in 1782; 100 acres, 1 horse, 1 cow, and 6 white inhabitants in 1784. Ralph moved to VA by 1784 when he is listed on the Loudoun Co. Tithables Lists of 1784 for Shelburne Parish with sons Isaac and James. Ralph is listed as head of household on Loudoun Co. tithables and personal property tax lists through 1794. An Abraham Cowgill and an Isaac "Coghill" are listed in Loudoun Co. in 1782, under VA Taxpayers. Both are listed as head of household. These are Ralph's brothers.

Ralph left a Will dated 9 Nov 1794, proved 9 Feb 1795. The inventory of his estate, recorded 14 Sep 1795, listed the following: (sic) “To his riding horse saddle & bridle, his wearing apparel, To cash £1;To a bond £12…0…0; To a note £3…0…0; a bay mare, sorrel horse, black horse, black horse, bay colt, black cow, brindle cow, red cow, pide cow, pide cow, red cow, brindle heifer, a bull, pide heifer, 25 sheep; 11 swine, a winnowing fan, Rye in the Barrack, Flax in the Barrack, a waggon and geers; harrow, plow and irons, shovel, 200 bushels Wheat; 8 bushels Buckwheat, jack screw, waggon cloth, farming utensils, set of Smiths tools, stock of Bees, 600 wt. Bacon, Lumber in the Spring House, steelyards, pewter & Tin ware; spinning wheels reel and cards, brass and iron ware; wooden ware, bed & beding in the Kitchen, 2 chaff beds on Kitchen loft, a sheet & blanket, a table in the Kitchen & 7 chairs, bed & bedding, bed & bedding, 2 mirrors & a slate, case of drawers, table, tea Equipage, stone jug”.

Children: known are (seven, in order named in Ralph's Will: Isaac, Hannah, Tamar, Dorothy, James, Joseph, Ralph) - Hannah, Isaac, Abraham, James, Tamer, Joseph, Dorothy, and Ralph

Note: A book entitled The History of the People Called Quakers, covering the period 1648 to 1717, owned by Loretta Moss of OH, contains handwritten data on various Cowgill families. The children, with dates of birth, of Ralph and Sarah Cowgill were listed on p660 as follows:

Hannah Cowgill b 12d 6m 1757 Dorothy Cowgill b 25d 9m 1760 (apparently an error, as Isaac b 1760) Abraham Cowgill b 20d 6m 1762 James Cowgill b 26d 6m 1764 Tamer Cowgill b 25d 3m 1766 Joseph Cowgill b (obliterated by stain) Dorothy Cowgill b (obliterated by stain) Ralph Cowgill b son of (not legible) 17d (no month shown) 1774