Christian Bauer, Jr.

http://www.jackmasters.net/bowers1.html#christian
Christian Bowers Jr. was Born ca 1769 and Died 3 Feb 1830 in Green Co., TN. He married Elizabeth Andes on 26 Nov 1795 in Rockingham County, Virginia. They had nine children.

Christian's marriage license to Elizabeth was signed in German. He was Lutheran as was the case with most German immigrants. Judging from the names of his sisters husbands they were likely reared in German settlements marrying men of common background and language.

Christian is first found in the 1810 Shenandoah Co., VA census record with his wife and two females less than 10 years old. His household appears numerically close to that of his father in the census so we can assume they liver very near each other.

GEDCOM Note

<p>According to the Chancery record, Christian Jr. owned 400 acres of land located on Little Chuckey River. A Greene County, Tennessee deed dated May 16, 1837 recorded the sale of 90 acres of this land located on the Kentucky Road(where it intersects the Warrensburg Road) to Jonas Bowers and was sold by Christian's heirs. Another record which records the children of Christian Jr. is the settlementrecord of his estate in the Greene County, Tennessee Inventory of Estates volume 1828-1837, page 219 dated July 26, 1830. On page 224 of the same volume is recorded the setting aside of part of Christian'a estate for the support of his widow Elizabeth. In another volume, 1843-1854, page 234 dated January 4, 1847 is recorded the inventory of Christian's widows estate which states that her propertywas sold at public auction October 29, 1846.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>Christian Jr. is buried in the Sinking Springs Lutheran Church cemetery. No evidence exists as to where his wife Elizabeth is buried but most probably she too is buried with Christian Jr.</p></p><p><p></p></p><p><p>Generally speaking the Shenandoah Valley area was predominately populated with the "Scots-Irish" and Germans. The Scots-Irish seem to have congregated more in Augusta County and south, and the Germans from Rockingham County north. That, of course, is a generalization and you will find some of both settling in the entire region, but looking at the names of the early settlers to these areas would bear out this generalization. Much of the settlement came by way of Pennsylvania down through the "Great Valley", and so if you are researching a family in Rockingham County and are attempting to find where they came from before settling here, Pennsylvania was a good place to start looking.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>WILL OF CHRISTIAN BOWERS, SR.</p></p><p><p>OF SHENNANDOAH, VIRGINIA, AUG. 11, 1810</p></p><p><p></p></p><p><p>In the name of God, Amen. I, Christian Bower, of the county of Shennandoah and Commonwealth Of Virginia, being of sound mind and disposing memory for which I thank God, and calling to mind the uncertainty of human life and being desirous to dispose of all worldly estate as it hath pleased God to bless me with, I give and bequeath the same in manner following, that is to say,</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>First, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Elizabeth, two feather beds with the furniture and bedsteads and one cow to her choice, and then one full third of the remainder of my per-sonal estate, after the payment of my just debts and funeral expenses, and the remaining two-thirds of mypersonal estate, the perishable part thereof to be sold by my executor here-in-after named. It is my will shall be divided among all my children, to wit:</p><p><p>My sons, Ludwig Bower, Christian Bower, John Bower, Augustine Bower and Philip Bower, and my daughters Elizabeth , the wife of John Ruppert; Catherine, the wife of John Zerkel; Margaret, the wife of Nathanael Zwecker; and Mary, the wife of Peter FerBBler; and the children of my daughter Ana Mary Sauerwine, deceased, to have their mother's share, that is the same as my other daughters. But it is my will and I do direct that the said two-thirds of my personal estate shall be divided that each of my said sons shall have ten pounds current money of Virginia more than each one of my daughters.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>I give and bequeath to my said beloved wife, Elizabeth, all my lands and plantations whereon I now live in Shennandoah County aforesaid with the appurtenances thereunto bel-onging for and during her natural life, add after her decease, I will and do direct that all my said lands and plantation with the appurtenances thereunto belonging shall be sold by my executor at public auction or otherwise as my said executor shall think most ad-vantageous, and my said executor is to make a good title for the same to the purchaser or purchasers, as I myself have, and the money arising from the sale thereof to be div-ided into ten equal shares, and then each of the above named children or their heirs shall have one share and the children of my said daughter Ann Mary, late, the wife of Peter Sauerwine, deceased, shall have the remaining share to be equally divided among them or the devises of them.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>Lastley: I do hereby constitute and appoint my friend Jacob Pinker Bole executor of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all other and former wills or testaments by me heretofore made, in witness whereof I have here-unto set my hand and affixed my seal this 11 day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ten.</p><p><p></p></p><p><p>Signed, sealed, published and declared as and for the last will and testament of the abouve named Christian Bower in the presence of</p></p><p><p></p></p><p><p>Christian Bower</p></p><p><p>John Comer</p></p><p><p>George Felty (Felts) Jr.</p></p><p><p>Jacob Noel</p></p><p><p></p></p><p><p>At a Court continued and held for the County of Shennandoah on Tuesday the 9 of April, l8l1(?), the last will and testament of Christian Bower, deceased, was produced to the court and proved by the oath of John Comer, a witness thereunto and ordered to be cer-tified; and on the motion of Jacob Pinker, the executor therein named, who made oath according to law and entered into bond with George Huddle and Jacob Rinker, Jr., his security in the present sum of five thousand dollars conditioned as the law directs. A certificate for obtaining the probate of the said will, in and for me is granted him.</p><p><p>Teste</p></p><p><p> J. Williams Co. CIk</p></p><p><p></p></p><p><p>At a court held for the County of Shenandoah on Monday the 10 day of June, 1816, the last will and testament of Christian Bower, deceased, was further proved by the oath of Jacob Noel, a witness thereunto and ordered to be recorded.</p><p><p>Teste</p></p><p> J. WILLIAMS Co. Clk.</p>