The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-05-12
\ MODEL GENEALOGICAL
RECORD.

The Bowies and Their kindred''-
a genealogical and biographical history
BY Walter Worthington Bowie Illus
trated. Washington: press of Crom-
well Bros.
\ work like this, so full and so care
fully prepared, is more than family
Importance. 1t combined much his
torical interest in Maryland with links
that bind the kindred here with the
emigrants to Louisiana, South Caro-
lima, Virginia, and even crosses the
border into Canada. In Mary land the
BOwies have branched into every direc-
ton, and their history is part of the
States annals in two Goyernors-Rob-
crt Bowie, 1896. four times elected,
and Oden Bowie The colonels and
majors are typically Southern and still
more remarkable, the g fighting Bowies"
earned their titles from fiery Gov.
Robert down; were in three wars, and
the learned professions of medicine and
law and divinity have never been with
out worthy representatives, and poll
tics has claimed its full share
SO that the narrative here has weav-
ed into it much that the State would
preserve Of men who were in her mill
tary, political and civil service.
The compilation has been made with
evident care and great industry, and
occupied three years of research in
newspaper files, in public libraries, pri-
vate letters, archives, county and court
records, army registers, old ancient
parchments, family Bibles, and tomb
stones The divisions of the work
are:
Introduction. Gaelic-Norse ori-
gin of the name Of Bowie; the sturdy
and warlike characteristics of Scottish
progenitors;the emigration to America,
items relating to the early history of
Maryland, its people, social condition
and patriotic spirit; origin of local
names
2-The Bowies of Maryland and
their children in other States. Their
political and military service during
the Revolution and all succeeding wars;
their duels.
3-The BJwies of Virginia.
Ralph Bowie of Scotland and his
descendants in Pennsylvania.
5-Maj. John Bowie, of South Caro-
lima, and his descendants in the Gulf
States: also sketch of his relatives,
tue Bowies Of Canada.
G-The Bowies of Louisiana, includ-
ing sketches of those noted men, Rein
p. Bowie, inventor of the Bowie knife,
and of his brother, the celebrated Col.
James Bowie, hero of the Alamo.
7-Appendix, containing sketches
of the following well-known families:
Brooke, tracing their ancestry back
for centuries among the old English
Berry and Clagett, run
ming back four centuries; Contee, prac-
ticalIy complete record; Chew, Mar
bury and Eversfeld; Waring, the
name dating back to the time of the
Norman conquest; WorthingtOn, and
shorter sketches Of Beans, Brookes
Duckctt, ,Eichar, CAN'T, Ghiselin, Isham,
Mackall, Magruder, Wootton, West,
and items of interest regarding many
other wellknown names.
The name of Bowie derived from
"Bue," dweller on the farm, is Of
Morse origin. The first American pro-
genitor of the family came to Mary
land prior to l706, and was married
and large landowner in l70S. He
settled in what was then Calvert, but
is now Prince Georges county. 1t
was one of the most fertile portions Of
the State, and the principal industry
was raising and shipping tobacco.
"The planters, owning vast estates and
larrc numbers of slaves, lived in great
opuIcncc. surroun led 10y their broad
acres and dependents. enjoying to
some extent the privileges Of the old
lrudal barons Of England. They enter
tanned in lavish style, followed fox
hunting as a recreation, read and talk
ed much OF political economy, and de-
lighted in politics. Brave and chival-
rouS. refined and fairly well read, they
wcildc great influence in public affairs,
and for generations men OF this region
dictated the policy of the State i'll a
larrr measure. The women were famed
for their beauty; the men, stalwart
and courageous, believed sacredly in
the code as the proper means for adj
justing an allront, but one guilty of
discourtcsy or vulgarity was debarred
from that exclusive and high aristo-
cratic society which made life of the
typical country gentleman so attrac-
tive in the Southern States. From
this old slave-holiing and landed aristo