Person Page 832

GOODSPEED'S HISTORY OF TENNESSEE (Washington County), 1887:

A.B. BOWMAN - A. B. Bowman, clerk and master of chancery court, was born near Johnson City,

January 12, 1853, the son of John H. and Rebecca (Smith) Bowman, the former born near Blue Plumb (now Johnson City) January 9, 1809, the son of Joseph and Mary (Hoss) Bowman. Joseph, born in 1784, in Virginia, was of the Bowman family which came from Pennsylvania to Virginia, and then to Washington County. The father was a carpenter, and assisted in building the Jonesboro courthouse and other buildings. In 1835 he returned to the vicinity of his birth, and two years later engaged in merchandising. In 1860, after the building of the railroad, he was the second man to open a store in Johnson City. He was a prominent man, and was honored with the nomination for the Legislature, but declined. He died January 19, 1874. The mother was born near Elizabethton, Tenn., January 10, 1816, the daughter of Caleb and Elizabeth (Doren) Smith. Her father's brother was a colonel, and with five sons fought under Gen. Putnam in the battle of Cow Pens, where three of his sons were killed. Caleb came to Tennessee between 1790 and 1800. The mother was a sister of the late Chancellor H. C. Smith, and aunt of present Chancellor John P. Smith, and a cousin of Oliver Smith, author of Smith's Grammar. She died April 15, 1873. Our subject received an academical education, and August 1, 1873, when but twenty years of age, became postmaster at Johnson City, and April 1, 1875, resigned to take charge of his father's estate, of which he was appointed executor. In 1878 he became an unsuccessful candidate for representative on the Republican ticket, and again two years later, the latter time defeated by only 46/100 of a vote. In 1882 he declined the nomination conferred on him, and December 7 of that year was appointed to his present position. Four years he served on the county Republican executive committee, and for two years was president of the county agricultural society. In 1880 he engaged in the fruit canning business, with his brother-in-law, J. C. Mooman, of Cloverdale, Va., but since 1883 has been sole proprietor of that flourishing establishment at Johnson City. He is a broad and liberal man. September 22, 1880, Mary, a daughter of Robert and Louisa (De Vault) Rankin, became his wife. She was born near Greeneville, Tenn., September 5, 1853. He and his wife are Presbyterians, and he is an elder. Through his grandmother on his father's side he is related to Daniel Boone, the pioneer.

BIOGRAPHY: Lola Range Mumaw, PETER AND IDA RANGE ANCESTORS AND DESCENDANTS

CARTER CO., TN

LDS Church film # 1036058 item 7

Perhaps from Germany of French Huguenot extraction - Reanger, account at Janeway Store Somerset

Co., NJ Jul 1738-Jan 1744 blacksmith in Papack NJ (from Gen Mag of NJ vol 34), found at Badminister Somerset Co NJ about 1760 (from Somerset Co Hist Soc. Quarterly vol 6 & 7), attended Old Dutch Reformed Church in Raritan Somerset Co., NJ as all children are baptized there, abt 1765 with Bogart family moved westward to York (later Adams) Co. PA. Settled near New Oxford PA, aft 1771 to Berkeley Co VA, exempted from paying county levy because of age 20 July 1779 (Court Order Book #3 p 431, Berkeley Co. Court, Martinsburg WV).