Catherine ¹

  Research Notes:

My working theory is that Andrew's wife, Catherine, may have been a Campbell. There are three facts, which taken together suggest this as a possibility: first, that Andrew served as a substitute for Robert Campbell in connection with his second term of service in the Revolutionary War; second, that Andrew moved to Rockbridge County, Virginia, where Campbells from Berkeley County, (West) Virginia also moved; and third, that son David's first son was named Campbell Bowers. Those facts are suggestive that Catherine was a Campbell, and that Andrew's service on behalf of Robert Campbell may have been motivated, at least in part, by family considerations.

There were two related Dougal/Dugal/Dougall Campbell families who lived in Berkeley County, Virginia at the time of the Revolutionary War. One died in Berkeley County, while the other moved to Rockbridge County, Virginia about 1780 and died there. I will refer to them as the Berkeley County Dougal and the Rockbridge County Dougal, even though both have roots in Berkeley County.

The Berkeley County Dougal died in 1772. His will, dated 23 Nov 1767, names his wife Frances, his sons Robert and Andrew, and his daughters Frances and Mary. Dougal's son, Robert, is a possible candidate for the Robert for whom Andrew Bower served in the Revolutionary War. Robert Campbell, however, appears to have had no daughters, let alone one who married Andrew. His will, dated 19 Dec 1795, with codicils dated 29 Dec 1795 and 29 May 1797, proved 25 Sep 1797, and recorded in Will Book 3:91, identifies and makes provisions for his brother, Andrew Campbell, his sisters, Mary Andrews and Francis Campbell, and his sons, Robert Campbell, William Finley Campbell, Samuel Davis Campbell and Barton Campbell. While married daughters were often not mentioned in wills of these times, the fact Robert bequeathed the bulk of his estate to the children of Mary Andrew, his sister, in the event none of his sons survived him, suggests he had no married daughters, and, of course, his sisters are accounted for.

One of Robert's executors was his "kinsman" James Campbell, who himself was a militia leader in Berkeley County in earlier years. He was the son of the Rockbridge Dougal, who remained in Berkeley County when the rest of his family moved to Rockbridge County. However, it does not appear our Catherine was a daughter of James. So, it appears Catherine, if she was a Campbell, was probably a daughter of one of the Rockbridge families. However, there were many such families besides that of Rockbridge Dougal. For example, in 1788, the first year Andrew appears in the tax lists for Rockbridge County, there were thirteen Campbell households there. Sorting out these Campbell families is on my to-do list.

Catherine married Andrew BOWER (Sr.), son of Henry BOWERS (Sr.) and Catharine. (Andrew BOWER (Sr.) was born on 16 Feb 1753 in York County, Pennsylvania ³ and died on 3 Nov 1833 in Montgomery County, Indiana ⁴.)