Family:Cowan, William Whitney (1853-a1880)

William⁹ (Whitney) Cowan (James Lewis⁸, Abraham Johnson⁷, James⁶, Samuel⁵, Samuel⁴, Nathaniel³, John², John¹), son of James Lewis⁸and Maria (Eldred) Whitney, was born 17 Sep 1853, Caton, NY, and died after 1880.

He married, 26 Jul 1870, Painted Post, NY, Priscilla Emeline Mead, daughter of Darwin and Jane (Sawyer) Mead. She was born May 1853, Caroline, NY, and died after 1880.

He was adopted by his aunt Mrs. Cowan, and his name changed from Whitney to Cowan; res Gibson, NY.

Phoenix says the following:

"William Cowan Whitney, b. at Caton, N. Y., 17 Sept. 1853. He was adopted by his father's sister, Mrs. Emeline Amanda (Whitney) Cowan; his name transposed to William Whitney Cowan; and his record will be given with her children, at No. 10807."

"William Whitney Cowan, adopted. He was born at Caton, N.Y., 17 Sept. 1853, son of Mrs. Cowan's brother, James Lewis Whitney, by his second wife, Maria Eldred; married at Painted Post, N.Y., 26 July 1870, Priscilla Emeline Mead, born at Caroline, N.Y., in May 1853, dau. of Darwin and Jane (Sawyer) Mead; and settled at Gibson, N.Y., where they were still living in Jan. 1876."

Children of William⁹ (Whitney) and Priscilla Emeline (Mead) Cowan:

i.	Frank Le Roy Cowan, b. 25 Apr 1872.
ii.	Edith Maria Cowan, b. 26 Mar 1875.

Census

• 1880, Corning, Steuben Co., NY:

183 193 Cowan, William W M 26 Head mar Farmer N.Y. -----, Priscilla W M 27 Wife mar Keep house N.Y. -----, Frank L. W M 7 Son sgl School N.Y. -----, Kate W F 5 Dau sgl N.Y. Kane, Simon W M 18 sgl School N.Y.

References

• All data imported from Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, (Chicago: 1895), p. 615.

• Stephen Whitney Phoenix, The Whitney family of Connecticut, and its affiliations; being an attempt to trace the descendants, as well in the female as the male lines, of Henry Whitney, from 1649 to 1878; to which is prefixed some account of the Whitneys of England. (New York : Priv. Print. [Bradford Press] 1878), p. 1552; and p. 2245.

---

Copyright © 2006, 2009, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group