The
first known general history of Cowgills to be published was Beatrice
Eleanora Cowgill's Cowgill
History (1986, Gateway Press), which covered
all known Cowgills in the US. The
Descendants of Ellin Cowgill:
1682-1800, by H. G. Stuebing and Carole J.
Cowgill-Stuebing,
(1994,
Gateway Press), covered early Cowgills and provided more in-depth
coverage of their personal history and circumstances. The only known
earlier attempt at a general history of Cowgills in America was a
curious initiative by Joseph Ewing Cowgill, a Civil War veteran, who
set up "The Cowgill Bureau of Biography and Genealogy" in Indianapolis
in the early 1900s. His stated intent was to compile and publish a
History of the Cowgill Family. Copies of his four-page brochure (an
original is held in the library in Cambridge, OH) include sample
biographical sketches with photos. A number of the letters he sent out
to various Cowgills seeking input for his project also survive.
Unfortunately, he ran into
marital difficulties and the location of his
material, if it survives, is unknown.
There are several Cowgill
histories that cover one particular family line in America, but also
usually try
to link that line back to Ellen Cowgill and her UK origins. The
earliest known
of these was published in 1905. Similar sketches, some lengthy, appear
in other family histories or genealogical publications such as Colonial
and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania in 1911.
The earliest
known serious effort to identify the Cowgill roots in the UK was by the
Rev J. B. Turner, who wrote to parishes and government officials for
information, and then traveled to Yorkshire in the early 1900s to
conduct research and examine documents first-hand. His letters and
findings are on file in the Delaware Archives, Dover. The value of his
findings is that several of the original source documents he
transcribed during his visit have since degraded to the point they are
illigible.
Since
Rev Turner's time a number of Cowgills, individually and in groups,
have visited England to trace their roots. The Cowgill Cousins
organization has sponsored two such trips, the most recent in 2006.
Dr George Redmonds, the well known place name/surname
specialist in Yorkshire, acted as guide and instructor. See the Photos
link above for some images from that trip of Cowgill places of
interest, as well as other Cowgill-related images.
There is no known general history of Cowgills outside America.
Some of the more important sources of information in building our
family tree and learning about our ancestors are listed below.
Currently
there are a number of websites by Cowgills or related families tracing
their roots. Also, Ancestry.com has a number of Cowgill family trees
posted on their website (unfortunately, some with questionable data).
See Links
below for some of the sites. The Cowgill Cousins DNA
project is another ongoing research effort. If
you are doing or plan on doing Cowgill family research we'd like to
hear from you!
The Poll Tax of 1379, copies at The Family History Library
Hearth Tax Lists, Ripon Historical Society. Harrogate Family History Group, copies at The Family History Library, Salt Lake City
Lord Thanet's Dole, printed in "Lord Thanet's Benefaction to the Poor of Craven in 1685", edited by Richard Hoyle.
Association Oath Rolls of 1696, available on microfilm from The Family History Library, Salt Lake City
Index
to The Archbishop of York's Marriage Bonds & Allegations, available
on microfilm from The Family History Library, Salt Lake City
West Yorkshire Court order books, available on microfilm from The Family History Library, Salt Lake City
US Federal and various state census records (Provo,
UT: Ancestry.com [images online])
UK census records (Provo,
UT: Ancestry.com [images online])
Census of Canada (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com [images online])
Early Tax Lists (various states) (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com
[images online])
Land
and Personal Property Tax Records and Tithables Lists of Culpeper,
Fauquier, Frederick, Hampshire, Hanover, Loudoun, Madison,
Orange,Shenandoah counties of Virginia (available on microfilm and
hardcopy at county libraries).
Land Tax records of other US states and UK localities (available on
microfilm from the The Family History Library, Salt Lake City)
Parish
Registers and Bishop's Transcripts of UK parishes, including historic
Jamaica (available on microfilm from the associated UK archive or from
The Family History Library). Note: the registers and transcripts occasionally disagree, so it is useful to view both, when possible)
City
and Trade Directories of various US and UK cities (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com
[images online]), (www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/index.asp), and
(http://olddirectorysearch.com/)
The International Genealogical Index (IGI), available at http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/IGI/search_igi.asp. Note:
The IGI is very useful as a guide, but a number of entries were
submitted by individuals without valid sources, so use with caution!
Cowgill
History, compiled by Beatrice Eleanora Cowgill (1986,
Gateway Press).
The
Descendants of Ellin Cowgill:
1682-1800, by H. G. Stuebing and Carole J.
Cowgill-Stuebing, (1994,
Gateway Press).
Important
Reference Documents:
The Yorkshire Dales, Local and Family History, Dr George Redmonds, Pen & Sword Books, 2011. Note: this book (available from Pen & Sword Books, http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/, has several pages on the Cowgills showing the place-name origin of the surname. Very readable and highly recommended!
Yorkshire surnames Series Part Two: Huddersfield &
District, by George Redmonds, (GR Books, 1992).
Encyclopedia
of American Quaker Genealogy, by Wm Wade Hinshaw (1969,
Genealogical Publishing Co.)
The Rev J.B. Turner file in the Delaware Archives, Dover, DE
The Marlfield
Papers, 1709 – 1927, by
Dennis Cairns (posted on-line, undated, no publisher cited).
The GENUKI Gazeteer, at http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Gazetteer/,
an excellent site for UK maps. Elsewhere on the GENUKI site are parish
boundary maps, old city and trade registers, and other items of
genealogical interest.
Cowgills in Fiction: There
are several known works of fiction either featuring Cowgills directly
or based on the family's history:
The
prisoner's sword, by Barbara Chamberlain (1978, David C.
Cook); not actually Cowgills, but based on the Cowgills coming to
America.
Ride the
West Wind, by Barbara Chamberlain (1979, David C. Cook)
The
Lois Meade Mystery series by Ann Purser (see
www.annpurser.com/fiction/the-lois-meade-mysteries/), contains several
volumes that feature an Inspector Hunter Cowgill.