The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1892-10-11
FIFTY YEARS MARRIED.


Mercer county, celebrated their
golden wedding" on Thursday, Sep.
10Th, at their home, bellevue" near
Burgin. From the Danville CORES
pondent of the Louisville Times, we
extract the following:
September 20, 1912, a large and
fashionable assemblage met at Avon
dale, in Mercer county, the home of
Abram Smith, Esq, to witness the
marriage of his daughter, Virginia,
then in her seventeenth year, to Dud-
ley Mitchem Bowman, the son of
neighbor, the Hon. John Bowman.
Avondale was then, as it is now,
lovely country home, where a boun-
teous, graceful hospitality was dis
pensed, and it is interesting TO know
that it yet remains in the family and
is none the less celebrated for perpet-
uating its old-time reputation.
The ceremony of fifty years ago
was spoken by the Rev. Thomas
Smith, one of the pioneers in Camp
bell and Stones reformation, then
just beginning. The bridemaids were
| Miss Peachy Smith, now Mrs. Simeon
Drake, of Chicago, and Miss Johanna
Smith, a sister of the bride, who mar
ried Mr.. McCann. The groomsnen
were Abram Hite Bowman, brother
to the groom, and Ben Campbell, YET
living in Mercer county.
This marriage united two of the
most widely known and respected
families of the Commonwealth, names
associated with the early conquest of
the land from the savages and iden-
titled with its erection into an indie
pendent State.
In the colonial annals of Virginia
are found their names in places of
civil and military distinction. They
came from the Shenandoah Valley,
in Virginia, and ZachaJiah Smith and
Abram Bowman were among the first
to make a new home in the wilder
ness of Kentucky the former at "In-
gleside," near Danville, and Bowman
in Fayette county, only a few miles
further away.
/ A few years thereafter the estate
known as bellevue, the present town,
came into the possession of John Bow
man, father of the present owner, by
bequest from an uncle. John Bow
man was man of more than ordi-
nary culture tor his time, a lawyer by
education and pupil of Henry Clay
His wife was Sarah Mitchem, OF
] Woodford county, daughter of Dudley
Mitchem, from whom have come the
Woolfolks, Haydens, Bannons and
other families well-known in Louis
vile, Lexington and the Southwest
, Their children were the late John
! Bryan Bowman, for many years Re-
gent of Kentucky University /; the late
Abram Hite Bowman, many of whose
, descendants now live in Louisville
and various parts of the State. and
Dudley Mitchem Bowman, the present
owner of "Bellevue." 1t is rarely
. beautiful old country home, nearly a
century old and substantially built
The arched windows and picturesque
fans over the doors, beautiful hand
carved wood mantels and window
/, frames, take one back to the architect
ure and house decorations of old Co
lonial days. The walls are covered
; with portraits of the former owners
and occupants of the home. MI. Bow
man tells with justifable pride tina
only Indians and Bowmans ever
owned the place. 1t has been for a
century the seat of princely hospi.
tally, and it was an interesting occa
sion, the celebration of golden wed
ding, that brought under its roof thu
descendants of the pioneers of a cent
ury ago.
A notable feature of this delightful
reunion was the ,singularly appropii
ate remarks Of the Rev. Owsley Good
loe. Two conspicuous figures were
Uncle Louis and Aunt Caroline, for
mer slaves, whose marriage antedateC
that of Mr.. and Mrs. Bowman by siA
: years. AT the wedding fifty years
ago Uncle Louis had the distinction
of driving the carriage and Aun
Lucy was maid in waiting to tho
bride.
Owing to the death of a lovely
daughter, Mrs. Caroline Bowman
Ringo, the guests were limited to the
family and a few intimate friends
Among those present were Mrs
Mary Waters Bowman, widow o.
the eldest son; John Bryan and SOL
and daughter; Mrs. Jennie Bowman
Cassell and two daughters, Dudley
= NJ. Jr, and wife, nee Mary Dunlap
: Mrs. Mamie Bowman Moore and tiv,
!. children, and Mr.. Abram Smith Bow
: man of Fairlawn, Lexington; Miss
Mamie Smith sister of Mrs. Bowman
Mrs. Mary ID. Bowman, Mrs. JOIN
Augustus Williams, Mr.. Phil B
Thompson, Rev. Strother Cook, Mr.
Ben G. Allin and wife, who have beer
married nearly s;xty-tive years; Mr.
aud Mrs. w. III. Riker, Mr.. and Mrs
Thomas Bowman, Mrs Rebecca Jones
Z Mr.. and Mrs. James Kunniano, Nh
and Mrs. William Rowland and Mis-
Vivian.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bowman, though rap
! idly approaching that age whicl
3 | marks the evening of life, are vet hal