Person Page - 18

Joseph Bowerman

• Birth*: Joseph Bowerman was born on 31 March 1739 in Falmouth, Barnstable Co., MA, New England, son of Thomas Bowerman and Jane Clefton, Date extrapolated from death record.¹
• Mar-Intnt*: Joseph Bowerman and Rest Swift published marriage intentions on 17 September 1766 in Falmouth, Barnstable Co., MA, New England, "int of Joseph Bowerman of Falmouth (s/o Thomas Bowerman and his wife Jeane) and Rest Swift (d/o Benjamin Swift of Falmouth and Wait his wife) (SMM). [See Research note below]²
• Death*: Joseph Bowerman died on 15 March 1806 in Falmouth, Barnstable Co., MA, New England,, at the age of 66 years, 11 months and 15 days Aged 66y 11m 15d.³
• Burial*: He was buried after 15 March 1806.
• Research Notes: Research Note:  Sandwich Monthly Meeting Marriage Certificates, 1762-1841, Volume III - Second Book (Original Page 16), shows this as a marriage, not intentions:
  
  "Joseph Bowerman of falmouth, yeoman, Son to Thomas Bowerman of falmouth and Jean his wife and Rest Swift Daughter to Benja Swift of falmouth and wait his wife .... [were married] Seventeenth Day of the Ninth month Called September one thousand Seven hundred and Sixty Six 1766"
  
  [Source: Caroline Lewis Kardell and Russell A. Lovell, Jr., compilers, Vital Records of Sandwich, Massachusetts to 1885, Volume 2: (Boston MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Feb 1996), pgs.1344-1366].
  
• Research Notes*: Research Note:  The old windmill of West Falmouth is now only a dim memory in the minds of few villagers ...They say that is was located on the north side of the present Windmill Lane ...John Dillingham remembered it this way. "We know it as the 'constitution' wind-mill, not only because its rye and Indian meal has built up many a West Falmouth constitution," but because "the mill and the United States were framed in the same summer of 1787." Built by Jesse Gifford, the mill's principal owner was Joseph Bowerman. It was told that in a good wind, 50 to 75 bushels of corn might be ground in a day. During the summer of 1887 the mill was festooned in honor of its centennial celebration ...An inscription on one of its 50 foot canvas sails read, "Ye come and go, ye die and are born, I stick to my work of grinding corn." At this time, Silas Swift (was the owner) ...this majestic structure stood 40 feet high with sails 50 feet tip to tip and the "mill tail" extended another 50 feet to the rear. In.the summer of 1922 the mill was sold... moved to Brockton ...and burned on Hallowe'en of 1924 (BOF 432).
  
       "The first mill in the town of Falmouth was a watermill, built about 1700 by Philip Dexter on the Coonamessett River in East Falmouth. Although Dexter took advantage of being the only mill in the area for grinding corn and charged excessive rates, it was not until 1717 that people from West Falmouth grew tired of carrying their grain to East Falmouth and decided that a little competition to the Dexter mill would be a healthy and gratifying undertaking.
  
       At times Cape Cod and nearby islands were ringed with windmills. The assumption is that the pilgrims had learned about windmills while in Holland and had brought knowledge of this laborsaving structure to the new world. Here they used it to grind feed for livestock and flour for breadmaking. Later as salt became scarce and expensive during and after the Revolutionary War, windmills provided power to pump salt water into storage tanks on the shore. "Solar evaporation completed the process. In 1845, according to Commonwealth records, Falmouth had 42 salt-works in operation, producing 24,500 bushels of salt. William Hewins, Town Clerk and Treasurer in 1930, described seeing, in his youth, 'over a dozen windmills with canvas sails, scattered over the shores of Little Harbor at Woods Hole, Quissett Harbor and West Falmouth Harbor and on to Falmouth Heights. A fine sight in a southwest breeze.'
  
       Samuel Bowerman, Joseph Bowerman and Richard Lake engaged Jesse Gifford to construct a windmill for "grinding of grain" on what was later the Swift property at West Falmouth. "The property passed from Joseph to his sons, Seth and Thomas Bowerman, and Thomas ran the mill until 1816. At that time stories were being rumored of land for the taking to the West and the Bowermans decided to move. Thomas sold his farm to Capt. Nathaniel Eldred, and his brother sold his own property. They hitched up their oxen, loaded their families and household goods into the carts, and set out for New York State to take advantage of the golden opportunities offered there" [Source: Burrows, Fredrika. Windmills on Cape Cod & the Islands Taunton, MA, 1978, Sullwold Pub. pp85-6].⁴
  

Parents:

Rest Swift

• Birth*: Rest Swift was born on 15 August 1748, daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman.
• Mar-Intnt*: Rest Swift and Joseph Bowerman published marriage intentions on 17 September 1766 in Falmouth, Barnstable Co., MA, New England, "int of Joseph Bowerman of Falmouth (s/o Thomas Bowerman and his wife Jeane) and Rest Swift (d/o Benjamin Swift of Falmouth and Wait his wife) (SMM). [See Research note below]²
• Death*: Rest Swift died on 9 July 1826 at the age of 77 years, 10 months and 24 days.³
• Burial*: She was buried on 11 July 1826.⁴
• Married Name: As of after 17 September 1766, her married name was Rest Bowerman.

Parents:

Mary Swift

• Birth*: Mary Swift was born on 7 April 1750, daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman.
• Marriage*: Mary married Benjamin Coleman.
• Married Name: Her married name was Mary Coleman.

Parents:

Benjamin Coleman

• Marriage*: Benjamin married Mary Swift, daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman.

Hannah Swift

• Birth*: Hannah Swift was born on 1 June 1752, daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman.
• Marriage*: Hannah, age 28, married Presbury Wing on 2 June 1780.
• Married Name: Her married name was Hannah Wing.

Parents:

Presbury Wing

• Marriage*: Presbury married Hannah Swift, age 28, , daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman, on 2 June 1780.

Rosanna Swift

• Birth*: Rosanna Swift was born on 24 August 1754, daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman.
• Marriage*: Rosanna, age 20, married William Allen, age 20, , son of George Allen and Rebecca Spooner, on 27 May 1775.
• Death*: Rosanna Swift died on 16 November 1825 at the age of 71 years, 2 months and 23 days.
• Name Variation: Rosanna was also known as Rose.
• Married Name: Her married name was Rosanna Allen.
• Removed*: Rosanna Swift removed to to Fairfield, Kennebeck Co., MA circa 1800.

Parents:

William Allen

• Birth*: William Allen was born on 30 October 1754, son of George Allen and Rebecca Spooner.
• Marriage*: William, age 20, married Rosanna Swift, age 20, , daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman, on 27 May 1775.

Parents:

Sarah Swift

• Birth*: Sarah Swift was born on 1 June 1756, daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman.
• Death*: Sarah Swift died on 6 April 1766 at the age of 9 years, 10 months and 5 days.

Parents:

Lydia Swift

• Birth*: Lydia Swift was born on 10 May 1759, daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman.
• Marriage*: Lydia, age 32, married Isaac Weekes on 11 November 1791.
• Married Name: Her married name was Lydia Weekes.

Parents:

Isaac Weekes

• Marriage*: Isaac married Lydia Swift, age 32, , daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman, on 11 November 1791.

Captain Benjamin Swift

• Birth*: Captain Benjamin Swift was born on 10 November 1762, son of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman.
• Marriage*: Benjamin, age 28, married Elizabeth Swain on 6 October 1791.

Parents:

Elizabeth Swain

• Marriage*: Elizabeth married Captain Benjamin Swift, age 28, , son of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman, on 6 October 1791.
• Married Name: Her married name was Elizabeth Swift.

Waitstill Swift

• Birth*: Waitstill Swift was born on 6 September 1764, daughter of Benjamin J. Swift , Jr. and Waitstill Bowerman.

Parents:

Caleb Allen

• Marriage*: Caleb married Reliance (?).