The Will of Solomon Fowler of Yorktown, Westchester Co., New York, 1822

The will of Solomon Fowler of Yorktown, Westchester County, New York, dated 5 December 1822, is found in Westchester County Wills, Vol. K, pp. 72-73, and is online at FamilySearch.org in the collection, "New York Probate Records, 1629-1971 - Westchester County." A record of the granting of the execution of Solomon Fowler's estate, dated 9 January 1823, is found at page 19 of Volume K.

The images provided below were provided to me by Robert Stidolph.

Westchester Co., NY Wills, vol. K, pp. 70-71

Westchester Co., NY Wills, vol. K, pp. 72-73

Westchester Co., NY Wills, vol. K, pp. 74-74

Obviously this is not the original, but a typed transcript probably from the early 1900s.

Solomon Fowler can be found on the Drake Genealogy Database on page 35. Most of what is known of Solomon Fowler is taken from a published account, Theresa Hall Bristol and Abraham Hatfield, "Descendants of Henry Fowler of Roxbury, Mass, Providence, R.I., Eastchester and Mamaroneck, N.Y.", New York Genealogical & Biographical RECORD vols. 58-71 (1927-1940): 68:332. As you can see this compiled genealogy of the descendants of Henry Fowler ran in the New York Genealogical & Biographical RECORD for a period of 13 years and ended only in 1940 with the death of Mrs. Theresa Hall Bristol which was reported in the volume 73, no. 2 (1942), p. 144, of the RECORD. In volume 68, no. 4 (1937), p. 332, you will find Mrs. Bristol's account of Solomon Fowler, which reads: "Solomon, b. abt. 1755 at Eastchester; d. Dec 12, 1822, at Yorktown; buried at Shrub Oak, Cortlandt Manor, m. ___, Abigail Ward, and settled in Yorktown in Cortlandt Manor in 1776. Served in the Revolution from Yorktown." Mrs. Bristol's numbering system for the genealogy indicates that she had more info regarding Solomon and it would be published in a future issue with the account of the next generation of Henry Fowler's descendants. However, it appears that Mrs. Bristol died before this could happen and a continuation of the genealogy was not picked up by any one else.  Mrs. Bristol cites Josephine Frost, "Westchester County Inscriptions" Shrub Oak, p. 75 (manuscript in N. Y. Gen. and Bio. Soc. Library) for the source of the burial and presumably date of death of Solomon. She cites the Journal of Rev. Silas Constant, p. 245, for his marriage to Abigail Ward.

In his will, Solomon Fowler, of Yorktown in Westchester County, farmer, leaves to his "beloved wife Mary, one share and a half as her right of Dower to her and to her heirs and assigns forever." The remaining seven and half shares are left to his children and grandchildren. They are named as son James Fowler; daughter Mary Seaman; grandchildren Hester Fowler, Caleb Ward Fowler and Thaddeus Fowler (children of John Fowler) "to each a half a share and to Solomon Fowler son of Elijah Fowler three quarters of a share, and to Burret Fowler the other son of Elijah Fowler half a share; to Mary Elizabeth Austin daughter of James Austin three quarters of a share..." The executors are also ordered to pay interest on the remaining half share "to my son John Fowler annually until his death after which they are hereby ordered to divide the said half share equally between my two grandchildren Solomon Fowler and Burrit Fowler." It appears, from the wording in the will, that the grandchildren are all under the age of 21. Friends, John Roake, James Hart and Benjamin Curry are appointed executors. Witnesses are James Fountain, Esther Hammond and Nicholas Summerbell. The will was proved 21 December 1822 by Nicholas Summerbell. Administration of the estate was granted to the executors on this same day, this date being nine days after the date of death reported by Mrs. Bristol (See vol. K, p. 19).

Solomon is a son of Elijah Fowler (d. 1757) and Charity (___) (d. 1795) who, after Elijah's death, married Joseph Drake (b. 1717 or 1718, d. 1785) a son of Joseph Drake and Sarah (___). Elijah Fowler was a son of Moses Fowler (d. Dec 1744 or Jan 1745) whose wife has not been identified. Here is a chart of Moses Fowler's children and grandchildren compiled largely from what is available in Mrs. Bristol's published account.

It first has to be noted that in his will, Solomon names his wife as Mary, while Mrs. Bristol states that he married Abigail Ward. Now, it may be that Mary was a second wife of Solomon, and perhaps Mrs. Bristol knew that, but if so, that info was never published in her account of the Fowlers of Westchester County. I would like to find confirmation of this.  Secondly, the wording in the will (to me) is a little vague, but my best take on this is that Solomon certainly had children named James Fowler, Mary (Fowler) Seaman, and John Fowler. It also appears, although the will does not say so as specifically as we might like, that Solomon had a son named Elijah Fowler. This Elijah in turn had sons named Solomon and Burret/Burrit Fowler. The will does call the later two, "grandsons." It also may be that Solomon had another daughter, unnamed in the will, who had married James Austin and who had a daughter named Mary Elizabeth Austin. But again, the will is too vague on this.

Assuming then that Solomon did have two wives (Abigail Ward first, and Mary second), the question comes up as to who was the mother of each of his children. The grandson Caleb Ward Fowler, son of son John Fowler, would suggest that Abigail was John's mother, as her surname was Ward. However, we do not yet know Mary's family name, and we can't assume that she wasn't a Ward herself. So, we seek further identification of Solomon's wife named Mary.

Once we find additional evidence that will support, or refute, or at least clarify the above suggestions taken from Solomon Fowler's will, we'll update the little chart of Moses Fowler's descendants. For now, Solomon's will provides a good start. Suggestions and evidence are welcome. Please use the Comments field to add them to this post. And thanks to Robert Stidolph for bringing Solomon's will to my attention.

BGB 602