Re: Lovina Wooden+Joseph Seymour Cline
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In reply to:
Lovina Wooden+Joseph Seymour Cline
Kimberley Coryell-Conley 2/11/01
Dear Kim,
Here goes.....
From "History of Chenango and Madison Counties"....
Lovina Wooden married Frederick Cline as his second wife, and had eight children that are listed as living to maturity and marrying.The last, Betsey, is listed as marrying Charles Cole.
Brothers Bela and Sylvester Cowles settled in Smithville around 1808, and had seventeen children between them.However, being illiterate, and considering the skills of the census takers of the day, their surname is listed in the Chenango county censuses as Cowles, Coles, and Cole.Many of their descendants continued as Cowles, while others went with Coles, or even Cole, into the 1900's.
From "Cowles Families in America", a two volume, 1502 page set published in 1929.....
Bela Cowles, b. 30 May 1773 in Canaan, Litchfield, Conn., died 27 Dec. 1861 at Greene, Chenango, NY.His first wife died in 1825, after having ten children.The ninth child was Charles Timothy Cowles, b. 7 Dec. 1815 in Greene, Chenango, NY.
Charles "m. Betsey Cline, perhaps a dau. of Widow Sylvinia Cline."The children of Charles and Betsey are listed as "Amanda, William B., Francis, Almeda, and Mary."
In the 1850 and 1860 censuses at Smithville, Charles T. Cowles and wife, Betsey, and children, are listed under the surname "Cole."Since the age of Charles corresponds with that given in the Cowles genealogy, and the names of Betsey and their children also match, it is clear that Charles and Betsey Cole are the same as Charles Timothy Cowles, and Betsey Cline, daughter of Frederick and Lovina.
Back to Bela Cowles....
Bela remarried in late 1825, and had three more children before his second wife passed away 5 April 1833.Then, Bela married "4 Dec. 1834, in Smithville, Mrs. Sylvinia Cline, a widow, who d. June 15, 1855."
Another comment appears as follows,
"Note.Mrs. Cline was an elderly woman when she m. Bela Cowles and it is thought that Betsey Cline who m. Charles Timothy Cowles was her daughter by a former marriage."
This sounds like Bela married the widowed mother of Betsey Cline, wife of his son, Charles Timothy; the mother of Betsey that who we know is Lovina Wooden, wife of Frederick Cline, from the History of Chenango County.
The 1850 census at Smithville lists "Bela Coles" and wife, "Sabina Coles, b. 1778/1779 in Massachusetts."
(Of the eight other families in Smithville or Greene that are children of Bela or Sylvester in 1850, seven are listed as "Cole", and one other as "Coles.")
I'm not sure where the Cowles books came up with the name Sylvinia, but it doesn't take my imagination too much stretching to see that Sylvinia, Sabina, and Lovina could all be the same name......sort of the way Cowles is not correctly written once, out of nine families in the 1850 census in Chenango County.Considering the other tie-in from the History of Chenango Co. about Lovina being the mother of Betsey, wife of Charles Cole (Cowles), who is the son of Bela, who married Mrs. Cline......
So, I can't positively prove it, but I feel....good about Lovina being the third wife of Bela Cowles.
There is a Cowles family cemetary in Chenango County, that is on a list to be transcribed.Perhaps that will confirm the first name of Bela's third wife, if she's there.Since Bela lived another six years in Smithville and Greene, Chenango County, after his third wife's death, this seems very hopeful.
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I can't help with Lovina's parents, siblings, etc., except that the History of Chenango Co. suggests that she was probably from Massachusetts.Also, in the 1800 census, Frederick Cline and family are at Mt. Washington, Berkshire, Mass.The History of Chenango Co. also says that Frederick had two daughters from his first marriage, one eventually passing away in Smithville, and the younger in Massachusetts.Both married.So, it seems reasonable to search for Wooden family histories in Berkshire County.
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I'm totally blank on Joseph Seymour Cline.Who is he, and what is his relationship to Lovina Wooden, please?
The History of Chenango Co. lists the fourth child of Frederick and Lovina as Seymour Cline, who married Lovine Bennett.The 1830 Smithville census lists "Symaus Cline."I note that he lives adjacent to "Elijah Kline."I assume these are brothers Seymour and Elisha Cline (who married Lovine's sister, Betsey).In reading the census, I see Seymour as the given name, but, I know who I'm looking for.
Another question....
Jacob and Josiah Cline are listed in the first few censuses of Chenango county.The ages don't correspond to Frederick and Lovina, nor their kids.Are they related to Frederick?
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Bela Cowles is my gggg Grandfather, through his first wife, so Charles and Betsey are my 'aunt and uncle.'
I'm sorry if I bored you to near death.I tend to ramble.I hope this has given you some interesting thoughts about Lovina's life and families that you may not have known.I know of one of the descendants of Charles and Betsey that passed away in 1981 in Seattle.I'd be very interested in any further information you come up with on the ancestors of Lovina.
Please let me know if I have some incorrect thoughts or information, or, if I haven't explained things very well.
And, if you have a minute and could fill me in on Joseph Seymour Cline, please.
Thanks for your time and interests.
Your cousin,
Lee