Relatively Speaking - Wild Indians in the Family?

Due to a death in her family, I've switched turns with cousin Carol . It's what we Wild Ones do anyway, help each other out.

In transcribing the wills, inventories, sales & distributions of my Bowman ancestors (Carol has Bowman connections too), from time to time I've come across some Riddle/Ruddell/Ruddle information. Since this is one of the lines Carol also researches I have been loading up her email box with tidbits I've found recently.

Abraham Ruddell's Account

First, let me explain that my g-g-g-g-g grandfather was Hans Georg "George" Bowman. He married Mary Hite and they had quite a few children. One of the daughters, Elizabeth, married Isaac Ruddell/Ruddle. Even in the same record you will see the name spelled differently. Isaac and Elizabeth established Ruddle's Mills and Ruddell's/Ruddle's Fort in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It was at said fort in 1780, that the fort was attacked by the British and Shawnee Indians. Many of the people sheltering in the fort were killed or captured. The prisoners, although assured by the British that they would remain captives, for the most part they were sold to the Shawnee to do with them as they pleased. Two of the Ruddell's children, 6 year-old Abraham and 12 year-old Stephen were among those sold to the Indians. Stephen became Big Fish and was raised as a warrior, becoming close friends with Panther-in-the-Sky, or as we know him Tecumseh. Poor little Abraham, was not so lucky, but was sold to a woman who enslaved him, and between the ages of 6 and 9, Abraham endured many privations. He was not taught how to hunt and was sorely beaten by his owner, until his brother Stephen threatened to kill the woman if she beat Abraham again.

The years passed and Tecumseh with his brother - The Prophet - tried to unite all the native American tribes to force the whites out of the country. In 1795, at the battle of Fallen Timbers, the Prophet was defeated by General Mad Anthony Wayne.

Afterward, Big Fish (Stephen) was approached by an aide of Wayne's because he was told that Stephen spoke English and was used as an interpreter. He asked Stephen if he knew what had happened to Abraham and Stephen Ruddell. He pointed to himself and said, "Stephen, me Stephen Ruddell." It was at this time, fifteen years after the boys had been captured that they found out that their parents still lived. Old Isaac Ruddell (now 65) went to meet his sons and bring them home. Abraham age 6 at the time of capture was a man of 21 and Stephen was 27.

I find it rather amazing to find out that the Ruddell brothers eventually did leave what we consider a normal life. Stephen's native wife returned to her people after a time, not caring to live in the white man's fashion. Abraham moved to Independence county, Arkansas and Stephen became a Baptist minister and eventually moved to Ursa in Adams county, Illinois.

Stephen Ruddell's account

During the time of the war of 1812, Abraham and Stephen, both living in Bourbon county, Kentucky were accused of aiding and abetting Indians. Both men took the trouble at that time to publish their experiences with their captors in the newspapers of the day. Certainly, Abraham was far less likely to want to aid the Indians, his treatment being not so happy.

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Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Wills and Inventories and Sales, Oh My!

I must be getting old. It used to be that I would do some data entry after a hard day in Fort Wayne, in the hotel in the evening. After this trip, I did a few vital record entries, knowing that I was not going to scan anything until I got home, where I could use my combo printer/scanner/fax/copier with a sheet feeder. It just makes it so much easier.

Finally, back home, I began organizing my copies for scanning. And then I put them aside. So it was that I found myself transcribing directly from the page instead of using Transcript (I've written about this little gem before) to transcribe them. This morning I pulled the five pages from the Abstracts of Frederick County, Virginia: Wills, Inventories & Accounts, 1743-1816, and scanned them using the sheet feeder on my multifunction printer. And then loaded the first page into Transcript and it makes transcription so easy. None of that where did I leave off nonsense.

Now, there were two George Bowmans in Frederick County, father and son. The father, my great-great-great-great-great grandfather died somewhere between the date of the codicil to his will (August 28, 1766) and the date his will was probated which was March 2, 1768. So I am guessing he probably died in late February of 1768. The other George Bowman was his son as his will, written June 27, 1769, probated September 5, 1769, names his sister Mary Stephens; his brother Abraham and brother-in-law George Brinker named as executors.

George Bowman senior had a huge estate with several properties; George junior a smaller estate with a single property a servant and a "Negro fellow." The confusing thing of course is that these wills are being probated fairly close together. Can we spell confused? And it appears that final settlement did not occur on George Bowman senior's will until 1789. It appears that George junior's was finally settled in 1798.

George senior's executors were his sons, Jacob (died 1780), George (died 1769) and son-in-law Isaac Ruddle/Ruddell. The family began to migrate from Virginia not long after the death of Mary Hite Bowman, their mother. As her death caused some re-distribution, this further delayed settlement. Then there was the fact, that Isaac Bowman, Abraham Bowman, John Bowman and Joseph Bowman, all sons of George, were off exploring and surveying Kentucky. Until the Revolution began. Joseph died at the battle of Vincennes in 1779. Abraham was Colonel of the German or 8th Virginia Regiment. He was also my great-great-great-great grandfather. For more about Abraham go here. And yes, the family was German, Hans Georg Baumann being born in Eppengen, Baden, Germany in 1681.

I once claimed that my ancestors owned slaves, but there were few that I could put names to. The April 5 1769 inventory of George Bowman, Senior's property names Charles, worth of 16 pounds, Win (female) worth 18 pounds, Nell, worth 40 pounds (including child or children, not named), Milly worth 12 pounds and Dick worth 30 pounds. Also named in the will were Harry & Esther, slaves who were to be given to his wife Mary Hite Bowman and sold and monies divided among heirs at her death. Later sales name a few more.

I found it interesting in 1789 more than 20 years after his death, George Bowman's senior's estate is finally divided, even naming his wife, who died before 1773. As her share was to be divided among her children, I guess her 972 pounds and 10 1/2 pence had to be accounted for also.

Okay, I guess that is enough blathering on about this confusing family. I better get back to those transcriptions.

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes