DANIEL BOWMAN: THE NORTH CAROLINA PIONEER
Evidence
indicates that the immigrant ancestor of the Bowman families of Alexander
County and Catawba County in North Carolina was Daniel Baumann, who came from Grunwettersbach,
Wurttemberg, now part of the West German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. He was born October 26, 1716, the son of
Daniel and Margaretha Baumann. Daniel
Baumann sailed on the Duke of Wirtenberg with his wife Catharina (Knodel), his
son, Johann Daniel, his daughters, Catharina Barbara and Eva Maria. Their German pastor issued taufacheine
(baptismal certificates) for the family before their departure. They landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on
October 16, 1751, where Daniel took the oath of allegiance to the British
government, as required by law.
Although identified as a day laborer, Daniel was able to sign his name,
thus we are fortunate to have his signature.
Two years later in 1753, Daniel’s sister, Rosina Barbara, came to
America, probably to live with Daniel in Pennsylvania.
On May 2, 1762, “Daniel Baumann,
son of Daniel deceased,” was confirmed in the Lower Bermudian Lutheran Church
in Huntington, now Latimore Township, in York, now Adams, County
Pennsylvania. Johann Daniel, born
December 28, 1740 and 11 years old when
he arrived in Pennsylvania, would have been 22 years old at the time of his
confirmation. This would not have been
unusual at a time when churches often did not have permanent pastors and had to
wait until a pastor from another area could visit and perform baptisms,
marriages, and confirmations. It
appears that Johann Daniel’s father Daniel died in Pennsylvania. Johann Daniel was confirmed there and left
soon afterwards for North Carolina via the “Great Wagon Train.” Johann Daniel Baumann was the North Carolina
Pioneer.
The next record of Johann Daniel, who drops the name Johann when he is
grown and his father is dead, is found in North Carolina. As Daniel Bowman, he received a grant of land
of “200 acres on the head of Clark’s Creek, including his improvement.” This improvement could have been his log
house. William Tryon, the Colonial
governor of North Carolina, signed this grant on May 4, 1769. Daniel also received other grants in Lincoln
County, presently Catawba, of 150 acres on July 9, 1794 and 140 acres on
December 17, 1798. Several deeds
dealing with Daniel’s sale of land to his sons are on record in Lincoln County. Three survey maps, plus a deed for land in
Burke County, for Daniel Bowman are on record at the North Carolina Land Grant
Office.
Daniel married Elizabeth Mary Bolch, the youngest child of Johann Adam
Bolch, the immigrant. They were
probably married about the time of the first land grant. Daniel and Mary were the parents of nine
children. Their house was the log house
which was still standing in 1980, when it was included in the survey of
historic sites in Catawba County. However, it was concluded that the structure
was beyond saving.
The six sons of Daniel and Mary were Daniel, John, David, Samuel, Henry,
and George. The daughters were
Catherine, Barbara, and Molly.
(This information was taken from a document
on file in the genealogical section of Catawba County Library in Newton, North
Carolina)