Sophia Cowling Bailey, wife of John Bailey

Sophia Cowling has long been one of my brickwalls. She is the mother of Calista Bailey, who was the wife of Richard Williams, my father's great-grandparents. All I knew was that her mother's name was Peggy and that she is buried with most of her family in the Methodist Cemetery in Brewster. There was a David Cowling and a G.W.Cowling buried near John Bailey's parents, but I couldn't find a connection.

Recently, I was able to find out that David Cowling's wife's name was Margeret (or Peggy). Using this information I was able to determine that David was Sophia Cowling's father. I still don't know who G.W. Cowling is, but I'm working on it.

Apparently, only in Putnam county is the name spelled Cowling. David was probably born in Barnstable, Mass. as David Cowen or MacCowen, the son of James MacCowen and Priscilla Robbins. James MacCowen was Scottish and married Priscilla, from an old Barnstable family, in 1736. 

Priscilla was the daughter of Samuel Robbins and Desire Chase. On her father's side she goes back to the early settlers of Cape Cod. On her mother's side she goes back to illustrious Quakers, including the Rev Francis Marbury. Priscilla is descended from his daughter, Katherine, who married Richard Scott, who were adherents of Roger Williams and settled Rhode Island. Katherine's sister, Anne Hutchinson, is more famous as she was put on trial as a Quaker by the Massachusetts Colony. Eventually, she moved to New Amsterdam with her family where she and most of her family were killed by Indians. The Hutchinson Parkway is named after her.

The Marbury family tree is well documented and goes back to William the Conqueror.

Heman Benedict was born on 18 Feb 1792 at Danbury, Fairfield, Connecticut,

the son of John Benedict and Lydia Peck. He

married Fanny Serine, daughter of John Serine and Abigail

Barton, circa 1811. He fought in the war of 1812 as part of Company 2, REG'T (SANFORD'S),

CONNECTICUT STATE TROOPS. He was inducted as a private and remained so for the duration

of his service.

He appeared on the census of 1820 and 1830 at Danbury, Fairfield, Connecticut,

United States of America. From the records of Danbury, he and his wife, Fanny,

were members of the First Ecclesiastical Society of In the winter of 1837 , and

being unable to attend service in Danbury , Mr. and Mrs. Horace Trowbridge

, Mr. and Mrs. Heman Benedict , and Miss Laura Trowbridge met together in a

private house for prayer and class-meeting. The members interested in this

early movement rapidly increased, and it became necessary to find enlarged

quarters. During 1839 they worshipped in a hall at the corner of Elm and

Maple streets, where there was preaching by a minister from Danbury once in

four weeks. At this time they became connected with the Conference circuit,

which at that time included Ridgefield , Danbury , and Poplar Plains. By 1840 Heman

and Fanny were living at Lumberland,Sullivan, New York. He died on 13 Jul 1845 at Deerpark,

Orange, New York, at age 53. Fanny die 23 Sep 1874 at age 80 in New Fairfield.

Heman Benedict and his wife, Fanny, are buried at Mountain View Cemetery, New Fairfield,

Fairfield, Connecticut.Their son, Caleb Bouton Benedict, married Hannah Wildman, daughter of

Joseph Wildman and Betsy Chase, who are my great great-grandparents through my grandmother, Martha

Post Fairchild.

Gideon Chase, Revolutionary War

Gideon Chase is one of my favorite ancestors. He fought in the Revolutionary
War, deserted because of homesickness, and later received a pension.
Gideon Chase was born about 1756; his parents are unknown, but there were
numerous Chase families living at Quaker Hill, Dutchess, New York, where he
enlisted in military service. He served in the Revolutionary War. He
began military service either Feb 1777 or Feb 1778 and served two years as a private in Captain Andrew
Moodie's Company, Colonel John Lamb's Regiment of Artillary. He ended
military service in Mar 1780. He married Lucy Pepper, daughter of
Stephen Pepper and Lucy Bennett, in 1781 at New Fairfield,
Fairfield, Connecticut, United States of America, probably in Sherman which
was part of New Fairfield at that time.. He lived at New
Fairfield (Sherman), Fairfield, Connecticut, United States of America. He
appeared in Danbury court to testify as to receiving a pension for his
military service and signed with his mark on 22 Nov 1820.
He left a will on 31 Jan 1840. It mentions Elizabeth Chase,
wife of son Daniel, Armida Chase, wife of son Abraham, sons Abraham and Daniel.
It also states that a tombstone is to be placed on the grave of son Walter.
He died in 1844 at ae 88.
Gideon Chase was buried at Coburn Burying Ground, Sherman,
Fairfield, Connecticut, United States of America. His widow, Lucy, married
Gideon Wanzer after his death.
His daughter, Betsy, married Joseph Wildman, and her granddaughter was Clarinda Wildman who married John J Durga. Their grandson was John Fairchild, my grandfather.