COWAN

Family Group (main line)

WILLIAM COWAN Shoemaker in Oxton	m. 6 Apr 1857 Channelkirk	MARGARET DAVIDSON
b. 1834, Channelkirk d. 1st Aug 1890, aged 55 Oxton, Channelkirk. Died of Apoplexy, as informed by son John.		b. 1840, Smailholm d. 1860, age 19, Oxton, Channelkirk
JOHN COWAN, Farm Steward JANET TORRIE	Father Mother	JAMES DAVIDSON AGNES TAIT

1861, 1871, 1881 at Oxton, Channelkirk.
John and Bessie with Agnes and Mary (May) at Oxton in 1901. Note that the census has the wrong ages - Agnes and Mary as age 14 and 10, rather than 4 and 1.

1	AGNES	m.1886 Edinburgh	ADAM PRINGLE BURRELL
	b. 25 Jan 1858, Oxton, Channelkirk		b. 12 Apr 1857, Carfrae, Channelkirk
2	John , Shoemaker (Journeyman) **	m.16 Nov 1886	Bessie Young	Alex Young Agnes McBean
	b. 16 Sep 1859, Oxton, Channelkirk		d. 21 Jan 1918, age 59, Oxton of Apoplexy. Children: Agnes McBean. b 24 Jan 1887 Mary M. D.. b. 1888/9

** Note from "Agnes Cockburn Remembers Oxton in the 1920's" -

"... Jean Mathewson ran the Post Office, she lived in Argyle Cottage at the top of the Row.

Also there, opposite the War Memorial, was John Cowan, the boot-maker's shop. Clusters of children would peer in at the window watching him cobbling away. He was considered a very fine boot-maker and some who left for distant parts of the world continued to wear John Cowan's boots. The Lammermuir shepherds would only wear his boots and swore they had the "heather loup" - made for ease of walking in the hills. His daughter, Agnes, was the local teacher and May looked after the house."

References:

1 Census 1901, Channelkirk Parish, Village of Oxton, Berwickshire. Entry 31

Shoemakers Shop, Oxton

NAME and Surname of each person	RELATION to Head of Family	CONDITION as to Marriage	AGE last birthday	PROFESSION or OCCUPATION	Employed	WHERE BORN	Rooms with One or more Windows
John Cowan	Head	Mar	41	Shoemaker	Employer	Berwickshire, Channelkirk	5
Bessie Cowan	Wife	Mar	42			Midlothian
Agnes McB. Cowan	Daur		14	Scholar		Berwickshire, Channelkirk
Mary M. D. Cowan	Daur		10	Scholar		Berwickshire, Channelkirk

Note, the children's ages look 10 years out.

2 Extract of Entry Birth, 1887, Parish of Channelkirk, Berwickshire.

NAME and Surname	When and Where Born	Sex	Name, Surname and Rank or Profession of Father Name and Maiden Surname of Mother Date and Place of Marriage	Signature and Qualification of Informant, and residence, if out of the house when the birth occurred
Agnes McBean	1887	F	John Cowan	(Signed)
Cowan	January		Shoemaker	John Cowan
	Twenty-fourth			Father
	1h. a.m.		Bessie Cowan	(present)
			M.S. Young
	Oxton
	Channelkirk		1886. November 16th, Edinburgh

3 Marriage 1886, District of St. George, City of Edinburgh, Entry 408

When, Where and How Married	Signature of Parties Rank, Profession, whether Single or Widowed and Relationship	Age	Usual Residence	Name, Surname or Profession of Father Name and Maiden Surname of Mother	If a regular Marriage, Signature of Minister and Witnesses If irregular, Date of Conviction, Decree of Declaration or Sheriff's Warrant
1886	(Signed)	27	Oxton	William Cowan	(Signed)
on the Sixteenth	John Cowan		Parish of	Shoemaker (Master)	Ronald MacPherson
day of November			Channelkirk		St Lukes
at 25 Raeburn Place	Shoemaker			Margaret Cowan
Edinburgh	(Bachelor)			M.S. Davidson
				(deceased)

	(Signed)	28	Oxton	Alexander Young	(Signed)
After Banns	Bessie Young		Parish of	Shepherd	George Young
according to the forms of the			Channelkirk		Witness
Church of Scotland	(Spinster)			Agnes Young	Margaret Young
				M.S. McBean	Witness

4 Marriage 1857, Parish of Channelkirk, Berwick. Entry

When, Where and How Married	Signature of Parties Rank, Profession, whether Single or Widowed and Relationship	Age	Usual Residence	Name, Surname or Profession of Father Name and Maiden Surname of Mother	If a regular Marriage, Signature of Minister and Witnesses If irregular, Date of Conviction, Decree of Declaration or Sheriff's Warrant
1857	(Signed)	22	Oxton	John Cowan	(Signed)
on the Sixth	William Cowan		Parish of	Agricultural Labourer
day of April			Channelkirk
at Channelkirk	Shoemaker			Janet Cowan
	(Bachelor)			M.S. Torrie
				(deceased)

	(Signed)	18	Grassmyres	James Davidson	(Signed)
After Banns	Margaret Davidson		Parish of	Farmer	L. Bell
according to the forms of the			Channelkirk		Witness
Church of Scotland	(Spinster)			Agnes Davidson	William Rankin
				M.S. Tait	Witness

Tom Paterson
(last updated 11th Jan 2004) tom.paterson@ukonline.co.uk