Gene Notes

Some random and some not-so-random thoughts on family history.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Sympathy Saturday - John Bryan Bowman

From the Lexington Transcript, obituary, 23 September 1891, morning edition, p5 c4:

JOHN B. BOWMAN DEAD.

He Expires Tuesday Morning at Harrodsburg - The Burial to Take Place Here.


Col. John B. Bowman, former Regent of Kentucky University, died yesterday morning [September 22, 1891] at Harrodsburg, after a brief illness. A remarkable man has passed away.  Few men possessed his energy, organizing capacity and public spirit. Dr. John Shackelford left for Harrodsburg yesterday afternoon to preach the funeral services, which will take place at ten o'clock. The remains will then be brought here and interred at 3:30 p.m. in the cemetery, where Dr. Shackelford will again officiate.

John Bryan Bowman was born October 16, 1824 in Mercer county. His grandfather [Col. Abraham Bowman] was a colonel in the Revolutionary War, and came to Kentucky at its earliest settlement, with Boone and others. His father, Col. John Bowman, settled in Mercer county in 1779. His mother's name was Mary Mitchum, of a Virginia family that settled early in Kentucky. Col. John Bowman, the father of Regent Bowman, studied law in the office of Henry Clay and was a life-long friend of the Great Commoner. At the age of fifteen Regent Bowman united with the Christian church, and on arriving at man's estate at once became prominent in church, educational and missionary work. He first attended college at Georgetown and afterwards at Bacon College, Harrodsburg, during the presidency of James Shannon. He graduated in 1842 and studied law with Major James Taylor, but he never practiced. At the age of twenty-one he married Miss Mary D. Williams, of Paris. After farming for ten years, he entered upon the project of founding and building up Kentucky University, which at one time had nearly a thousand pupils. The history of this institution is too well known to our people to need relation here. President Grant offered Mr. Bowman the position of Minister to Ecuador, which he declined.

[John B. Bowman was my 1st cousin 4 times removed.]


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

1 comment:

  1. Did they really say, " Boone, and others?" I thought back then they were still in the habit of using et al. I love the phraseology of , "arriving at man's estate." Very elegant.

    ReplyDelete