Bowerman Family Research Myths & Puzzles

Quite often, during our search for new data, we encounter a lot of websites and early research that are full of errors and assumptions.  Here, we will present a few of these in the hopes that this information might be corrected!

Thomas Bowerman I

Thomas was b. 1619 - Thomas was actually born c1625.  This is derived from the fact that he was at least 16 years old and "able to bear arms" in August, 1643, but not yet twenty-one years old "of legal age" the following January 1643/44 meaning that they were not old enough to appear on the list of "Townsmen" of that date. This would mean that he was born between approx. 1623 and 1627 (We split the difference).

Middle Name of Ichabod - There is absolutely no proof of his middle name being "Icabod", or any extant record of his middle name for that fact.  It is currently held that he was "given" this name by early and unreliable research that was attempting to associate the name to Ichabod Bowerman of NY, the son of Thomas Bowerman III.  It is currently accepted by most reliable researchers that "Ichabod Bowerman" was named after his mother's uncle, Ichabod Burges.

Death Date of 25 May 1663 - There is no extant record of the exact date of Thomas' death.  His will was written 9 JAN 1663 and proven on 4 Jun 1663.  The only claim we can make regarding his death, is that it occurred between those dates.

Previous wife named Lucy/Luce - This marriage never took place.  It is a matter of several records that this was actually the wife of Thomas BOREMAN of Plymouth and later, Barnstable and Yarmouth.  The fact that there were two men living in close proximity to one another has caused much confusion in the records regarding both.  The fact that there were two different men of this name is evidenced by both of them appearing on a list of those "able to bear arms" at the same time.

Thomas I was a Quaker and the reason he does not appear on town lists - This is completely false.  The Quaker movement was not even begun until almost the time of his death. Most Quaker records are with regard to his son and Grandson (both Thomas').

Thomas built or repaired the fort in Plymouth in 1633 - Again, this is confused with the man of Yarmouth, Thomas Boreman.  He resided in Plymouth with his wife "Luce" for a number of years before removing to Yarmouth.  Even if we calculate a birth of 1619 for "our" Thomas, he would have only been 14 years of age and would not have been hired for that job.  If more recent studies are to be followed, his birth of c1625 would only have him at 8-9 years. 

Hannah Annable

Birth of 1625 in Cambridge, England - Hannah Annable was born c1623 in Plymouth, MA.  Her family arrived in Plymouth on the ship "Anne" in 1623 and is reliably tracked through records in Plymouth, Scituate, and later Barnstable, MA. That she was born here is evidenced in the fact the she was granted lands by Plymouth Colony in her right as a "first borne" child of Plymouth.

Married previously to Eduard Bumpus - This is a long disputed argument between the Bowerman and Bumpus families.  The marriage is silly to even consider if one actually looks at the early records.  Considering that Edward Bumpus was married by 1627,  our Hannah Annable would have been at the tender age of five.  The legend persists, but is completely unfounded, and very poor research involved with even claiming it.  Edward was indeed married to a "Hannah," but not Hannah Annable.

Thomas Bowerman III

Ichabod Bowerman

More to come...