Birth: ABT 1580 (possibly in Wales)
1st Marriage: to Ann Bourne
Birth of Daughter: 1616
Name: Alice
Bowen
Birth of Daughter: 1634
Name: Ruth Bowen
Immigration: ABT 1640
Details: Probably lived in
Salem for a short time before moving to Weymouth and then to Rehoboth in 1643
Land Rec: 1642
Details: A land record of Weymouth likely refers to him.
Occupation: 1643
Details: was a proprietor of Rehoboth
Freeman: 04 JUN 1645
Selectman: 09 DEC 1645
Land Rec: He acquired large tracts of land along the
river, and his twelve acre home lot was next to the Rehoboth commons, This area is in
present East Providence, Rhode Island
Land Rec: DEC 1645
Details: He was of record with Robert Martin and Stephen Paine as the three
"layed out yt necke of land called knowne by the name of Wanomoycet".
Note: 06 MAR 1645/46
Details: He was appointed, along with others, to get the fences in Rehoboth
in order.
Selectman: 26 MAY 1647
2nd Marriage: 2 NOV 1648 to Elizabeth Marsh, widow of
George Marsh in Hingham, Plymouth, MA
Freeman: 1651
Deputy to Plymouth Colony's General Court: 1651
Note: 13 MAY 1653
Details: Richard Bowen & James Ridwaye were chosen as "overseers of the
wayes"(Tn Mtg. Bk I, p. 102)
Note: 28 JUN 1653
Details: He was also among those representing Rehoboth in settling the
status of lands lyings within the bounds of the new Sowams purchase (Plymouth Col.
Dds. vol. II, Pt. 11, p. 78).
Note: 1654
Details: He was an arbitrator in a dispute between Richard Titus and
Nicholas Ide over a parcel of salt meadow.
Note: 1671
Details: Richard Bowen was assessed 3/7 in taxes, an amount somewhat lower than
average
Land Rec: 28 MAY 1672
Details: He was recorded as having sold his one-half share in the 1666
North Purchase distribution to Thomas Ormsbee
Death: ABT 4 FEB 1673/74 Rehoboth,
Bristol, MA
Will: proven June 4, 1675 (Plymouth Colony
Wills 3: 148-149 #P24).
Details: The last Will & Testament of Richard Bowin senir of Rehoboth in the
Collonie of Plymouth in New England exhibited to the Court held at Plymouth aforsaid the
fourth of June Anno: Dom 1675 on the oath of John Pecke as followeth
....Item I Give to my beloved wife Elizabeth two Cowes and one heiffer a yeer old and a
Mare 5 yeer old and a Mare Colt two yeer old and one Colt that followeth the Mare; Item I
Give unto my wife my best bed; with all that belonges to it; and all my linnine two Pewter
platters; with som other small peeces of pewter; both the bras kettles I Iron pott I
skillet one frying pan all my poultry and halfe my swine younge and old alsoe I Give to my
wife one Coffer; and halfe my provisions after my buriall; halfe of my Corne; halfe my hay
that is Gathered in or may be Growing at my Decease; halfe my butter Cheese Bacon and
porke; one hake with the eke belonging to it; one Cherne one brewing tubb one powdering
tubb one beer barrell and my milk vessells; Cushens one Candlesticke; all these
foremensioned prticulars; I Give to my beloved wife to Dispose of att her Death unto whom
shee will; moreover I Give unto my wife my bible my warming pan; halfe my house that prte
of the Leanto, nearest unto the Chimney; as alsoe halfe my orchyard; and halfe my home
lott; excepting that prte I should unto Stephen Paine senir; being an acre more or lesse;
all these I say I Give unto my beloved wife, the full terme of her life; moreover my wife
shall have libertie to mow two load of hay on my meddow att Palmers River and three load
more on my meddow on the New meddow necke, every yeer soe longe as shee liveth;
Item I Give to my son William one hundred pounds Comonage; my lott on the East syde of the
plaine my lott in the second Devision; my prte of ffresh meddow lying and being neare the
mile run; my fresh meddow at Palmers River all my meddow that I have mowed att my meddow
on the New meddow necke The other pte of this meddow, I have Given unto my son Obadiah;
and my son Richard, as will appeer by a Deed of Gift under my hand; Moreover I Give unto
my son William; halfe my house halfe my barn; halfe my orchyard halfe my home lott except
that I should to Steven Paine senir; and it is my Will that after my wifes Decease that my
son William shall have all my housing and barnes orchyard homlott with all those lands and
meddowes before mensioned unto him and his heires forever; Item I Give unto my son William
halfe my swine halfe my Corne halfe my hay; Ingathered or may be Growing and halfe my
provisions; butter Cheese bacon Porke; Item I Give to my son William halfe my Cart and
wheeles my Cart Rope with my plow and plowirons belonging to it 2 Chaires two hogsheads,
and all other Corne vessell my wife Can spare; my hake with the Ringe; on it; my Great
brasse pott an Iron pott and my Great brasse pan; and alsoe it is my will that hee shall
have the land which is to be Devided according to the Devision of 20 acrees to the hundred
pound estate; and alsoe my lott lately layed out on the necke Called Wachamaquat necke;
and all such lands as shalbe Devided after the Date hereof; according to the proportion of
a hundred pound estate; I alsoe Give unto my son William; my Chest in the hall my Coffer
in the seller loft my Chaine my hay knife Dung forke Pikes Rakes hand saw augers 2 beetle
rings and all my Iron wedges; as alsoe that oxe called Duke; and my bible after my Wifes
Decease; Item I alsoe Give unto my son William the bed hee now lyeth on and the furniture
belonging to it; and one bed sheet and my winnow sheet; and all my boards about my house,
and all my wearing apparrell;
Item I Give unto my son Obadiah halfe a hundred pounds of Comonage; my plow Irons of my
breakeing plow and my thawrtcutt saw and halfe my logg Chaine; and the other halfe I Give
to my son William;
Item I Give to my Daughter Allice Wheaton my Daughter Sarah ffuller and my Daughter Ruth
Kenericke my old mare and a Colt that suckes on he
Item I Give to my Daughter Allice Wheaton my fflagon and two pewter platters;
Item I Give to my Daughter Sarah ffuller my warming pan after my wifes Decease; and a
pewter platter when the will is proved;
Item I Give to my Daughter Ruth Kenericke one pewter platter;
It is alsoe my will that if any of these fornamed beasts; viz; neat beasts or horses given
Doe Die or come to any lose, the lose shalbe to the pticular prson or prsons unto whom
they were given....I Give to my son Richard whom I make and ordaine my sole executor to
pay my Debts and to Discharge my leacyes and to see my body buried.... The marke R of
Richard Bowin senir.
Inventory exhibited at the same court and of June 4, 1675 on oath of Richard Bowin Junir
and totaled L175.15s.8d.
Parents are James Bowen and Eleanor Griffiths