Tazewell County, Virginia, Biographies: Johnson Bowen Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Lula Bowen ==================================================================== Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ==================================================================== Johnson Bowen A number of Alleghany citizens are descendants of Johnson Bowen and his wife Nancy Harless. They came to Alleghany from Giles County in the 1840s, probably because of the availability of land. Johnson was a son of William Bowen of Montgomery County and a grandson of John Bowen of Montgomery and Botetourt. Johnson was a farmer, teacher, and preacher. He and Nancy lived on Blue Spring Run, southwest of Covington. They had thirteen children, who are listed here in the order of their birth. 1. William was born in 1842 and married Mary Jane Fridley in 1864. He lived on the Bowen home place on Blue Spring Run. One of William's granddaughters remembered that he was a stern man and she was afraid of him. (It was said that he had seven holes in the baseboard of his ling room because he had seven cats and when he said scat he meant SCAT!) He spent four years in the Confederate army and was wounded at the battle of Cloyd's Farm in Pulaski County. He liked to show off his army hat, which had a bullet hole in it. He and Mary Jane had a helper, Minerva Witcher, who lived with them and did much of the housework; the children called her "Nerva." Both William and Mary Jane died in 1916 and were buried at the home place. Their children were Ida, Ada, George Hammond, Rufus Anthony, John L., Frank, and David Dunnigan (Dock). Ida married Charles W. Tingher in 1900. Ada married Ira Bell and lived in Walteville WV. George Hammond's first wife's name was Sarah and his second wife was Anna Davis, whom he married in 1927. His children were Porter, Dollie, William, Luster, twins Ila and Ida, Annie, James, and Viola. Rufus Anthony married Marnie Tucker in 1900. His children were Drucilla, Percy Edward, Geraldine, Raymond Leonard, and William A. (Sam). John L. married Minerva Jane Tucker in 1899. Frank married Dollie Ann Bowen (first cousin) in 1902. His children were Oakel, Pearl, Tom, and Madison. Dock married Lillie Tucker and had at least seven children: Charles Elmer, Edna, Gussie, Ruth, Alva, Gladys, and Ruby. 2. Elizabeth was born about 1844 and married widower Harvey Humphries in 1868. Some of her children were Davis, Charles and Nancy. 3. Erastus was born about 1846 and married Caroline Wolfe in 1870. He spent two years in the Confederate army and was wounded at the battle of New Hope, north of Staunton; he lost his right leg. He worked as a chartmaker. Some of his children were Abraham, Sampson, Byron, and Clarence. 4. Clemantine was born about 1847 and was unmarried when she signed a deed in 1876. What became of her is not known. 5. James (Jim) was born about 1848 and went to Galtipolis, Ohio. He married twice and had eight children. 6. Rosanna (Rose) was born about 1851 and married John W. Fridley in Alleghany in 1874 and Harvy Osborne in Greenbrier in 1882. She died in Greenbrier County at the age of 95. Some of her children were Delilah Fridley, Lillie, Ruffin, Luther, and Alta Osborne. Delilah married Abraham Allison in 1896. Alta married Henry Jones and had five children: Ralph, Ira, Pauline, Lorene, and Kathleen. 7. Elmira (Ella) was born about 1852. She had at least two children, Dollie Ann and William E. Bowen. John Davis Bowen may have been her son also, but the records are not clear. Dollie Ann married Frank Bowen in 1902. William married Lethia Fridley in 1907. Some of William's children were Edward Lewis, Mary and John Henry. John Davis Bowen married Elza Fridley in 1892 and Annie E. Fridley in 1906. 8. Sylvanus was born about 1854 and married Mary F. Harless in Craig County in 1875 and Nancy Long in Pulaski County in 1879. He was in Giles County in 1880 but evidently did not remain there. 9. Henry J. was born about 1855 and probably died young. 10. Albert Marion was born in 1858, went to Giles County, married Sarah Etta Scott and had eight children. 11. Emily (Emma) was born in 1860. She went to West Virginia with her father. (After Nancy's death Johnson went to Mason County WV and there he married Evaline Holley in 1875.) 12. Mahalia was born about 1862. After her mother's death she went to live with her sister Rose in Greenbrier County. 13. Miles was born about 1864 and was still in Alleghany in 1880.