Early County Georgia - Biography - William Drayton Cowdrey 1803 - 1864 ********************************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ********************************************************************************************** This file contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Charlene Parker" Sep 2002 From "History of Bethel Association Including Centennial Meeting", by Alexander Lee Miller WILLIAM DRAYTON COWDREY On the night of Wednesday, March 18th, 1864, near Blakely, Georgia, Rev. William Drayton Cowdry at the age of 61 without a groan or a gasping spirit yielded up his spirit to God. For many years Brother Cowdry was a pious, laborious, and successful preacher and educator in Georgia, having moved here from South Carolina just after his graduation of the State University of Columbia. He was born April 1, 1803 in Edgefield, South Carolina. His parents were John and Anne Cowdry. His father was a Revolutionary soldier and was shot down in his own yard by Tories, when on a visit home from the army. His grandfather, Savage B. Cowdry, came over from the British Isles with an older brother in Colonial times. He participated in the act of casting the Tea overboard in the Boston Harbor. William Drayton Cowdry was only two years old when his father was killed. His mother married John Mason but continued to reside at the same place, bringing up two families of children and educating them at the village school. At seventeen he entered the State University and was graduated with honors, receiving two diplomas, one for a general course, and one for excellence of languages. After graduation he selected teaching as his profession and choosing Georgia for his field of labor opened a male school in Greene County, and remained there for two years, marrying Miss Selah G. Janes, daughter of William and Selah Janes of that County in April 1832. He joined the church and was baptized at Edgefield prior to 1820. He became convinced that it was his duty to preach the Gospel and he took a Theological course at Mercer University, and on completing this course, he was licensed and duly ordained in 1834 or 1835. He then spent two years at Crawfordville preaching at two churches. From there he went to Cedar Town for two years; then settled at Cave Spring and remained there for sixteen or eighteen years. Thirteen children were born to them, seven of whom died in infancy, while one fell at Gettysburg. He taught during his stay there at Female High School and occupied several responsible positions, preaching in the meantime to two or more churches. About this time he became alarmed over his wife's health and spent a winter in Early County, Georgia with his brother-in-law, Mr. James Shackelford. This led to his settlement in Early County, nine miles southwest of Blakely, in 1856. He united with the Macedonia Church at Blakely and soon organized a church near by of which he remained pastor until his death. He continued to preach at various churches in Early County and towards the end of 1863 his health began to fail rapidly. Still he continued to preach, sometimes taking long rides in the week to do so, and returning to fill his own pulpit at Zion on the Sabbath, although so feeble as to require assistance to and from his carriage. following notes added by Debra Crosby Georgia Marriages Taliaferro County Cowdrey, William D. - Janes, Selah G. Date: 16 Nov 1831 Early County Georgia Marriages COWDRY, BERRY MULLIGAN, HOLLY 29-Dec 1869 GA Early COWDRY, JOHN W. JAMES, REBECCA E. 1-May 1866 GA Early COWDRY, W. D. CALHOUN, M. E. 25-Sep 1889 GA Early COWDRY, L. M. TAYLOR, ROBERT B. 4-Nov 1869 GA Early SHACKELFORD, ELIZABETH COTHERN, ELIJAH 14-Dec 1876 GA Early SHACKELFORD, ELLEN A. GIFT, GEORGE W. 10-Apr 1864 GA Early SHACKELFORD, GEORGIA E. HINES, RICHARD K. 1-Dec 1864 GA Early SHACKELFORD, HANNAH C. COLLIER, C. MILES 10-Sep 1863 GA Early SHACKELFORD, JANE SMITH, EPHRAM 1-Jan 1884 GA Early SHACKELFORD, REBECCA ALEXANDER, JOE 21-Feb 1869 GA Early SHACKLEFORD, MARIAH A. BEST, ARCHIBALD 9-Mar 1851 GA Early SHACKLEFORD, MARY E. HAMILTON, JAMES 29-May 1856 GA Early SHACKELFORD, BENJAMIN BROWN, HENRIETTA 16-Jan 1879 GA Early SC Marriages SHACKLEFORD, JAMES COWDRY, HARRIET Dec 15 1814 Abbeville District. Virginia Marriages, 1740-1850 SAVAGE COWDRY MARY BARLOW 15 June 1758 Northampton 1840 Floyd County Georgia page255 district 829 W. D. Cowdry 1 male under 5 1 male 5/10 1 male 20/30 1 male 30/40 1 female 5/10 2 females 20/30 1850 Early County Georgia page 309a 23 212 212 Shackelford James 60 M Farmer 18,000 SC Shackelford Harriett 55 F Ga Shackelford Hannah 9 F Ga Shackelford Georgianna 9 F Ga Shackelford Julia 5 F Ga 1860 Georgia Federal Census Index COWDRY, WILLIAM DRAYTON County: Early County Township: Octavia P. O. 28th Dist Page: 625 NAME AGE SEX OCCUPATION BIRTH REAL Personal Estate Estate Cowdry Wm Drayton 57 M Minister SC 8000 15000 Celah 47 F SC John 23 M Planter GA James 19 M GA Sarah 17 F GA Lutherine 15 F GA Emma 13 F GA Cornelia 11 F GA COWDRY, Savage Birth Date: 174? Birth Place: Virginia, Volume: 35 Page Number: 280 Biographical Info: mil. Reference: Historical reg. Of Virginians in the Rev., soldiers, saliors and marines, 1775-1783. Ed. By John H. Gwathmey. Richmond, Va. 1938. (13, 872p.):184