57. Ada Brain (1865-1899) Age 34
56. Jacob Victor Bowman (1854-1930) Age 75
In my quest for my Great Grandfather, William Earl Bowman, I discovered he had been born in Marshall, the county seat of Harrison County in Texas, which borders on Louisiana.
For a family that has generations with deep roots in Cincinnati, this made me immediately curious. Texas? I had heard of the Bowmans living in Pittsburgh for a time, but this was the first I had ever heard of Texas.
While William Earl's Death Certificate listed his parents as Jacob Victor Bowman and Ada Brane, I had seen the name written before as Ada Brain on the hand-drawn tree that William Earl had compiled. My grandfather's middle name was Brain, but he detested it and refused to use it. On the rare occasion that he was forced to supply it, he either used the initial "B." or spelled it Brane, as did my Great Grandmother Willie Grace (Chapple) Bowman.
So, armed with this knowledge, I started on my quest to find out more about Jacob Victor Bowman and his wife, Ada Brain.
For a family that has generations with deep roots in Cincinnati, this made me immediately curious. Texas? I had heard of the Bowmans living in Pittsburgh for a time, but this was the first I had ever heard of Texas.
While William Earl's Death Certificate listed his parents as Jacob Victor Bowman and Ada Brane, I had seen the name written before as Ada Brain on the hand-drawn tree that William Earl had compiled. My grandfather's middle name was Brain, but he detested it and refused to use it. On the rare occasion that he was forced to supply it, he either used the initial "B." or spelled it Brane, as did my Great Grandmother Willie Grace (Chapple) Bowman.
So, armed with this knowledge, I started on my quest to find out more about Jacob Victor Bowman and his wife, Ada Brain.
In the 1880 Census, Ada is living in Americus Township, Lyon County, Kansas, with L. and Emily E. Horr, and their sons, C.A. and Wm. C. She is listed as their niece. Now to track down L. Horr. The name had originally been transcribed as Harr, and this led to a lot of time chasing down false leads, but I kept coming back to this being the ONLY Ada Brain that was the right age anywhere to be found.
1880 Census for Americus Township, Lyon County, Kansas, showing Ada Brain living with L. Horr and family starting on Line 33. Image from ancestry.com.
The household is enumerated as family # 24 as if it were 1 Jun 1880 with the following people:
-L. [Llewellyn G.] Horr, white, male, age 41 years, married, Farmer, born in Ohio, father born in New York, mother born in Maryland
-Emily E[lizabeth (Brain)] Horr, white, female, age 38 years, wife, married, Keeping House, born in England, both parents born in England
-C[harlie] A. Horr, white, male, age 17, son, single, Helping on Farm, attended school for 4 months out of the census year, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in England
-W[illia]m C. [Owen] Horr, white, male, age 13, son, attended school for 4 months out of the census year, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in England
-Ada Brain, white, female, age 15, niece, single, attended school for 4 months out of the year, born in New York, father born in England, mother born in New York
-L. [Llewellyn G.] Horr, white, male, age 41 years, married, Farmer, born in Ohio, father born in New York, mother born in Maryland
-Emily E[lizabeth (Brain)] Horr, white, female, age 38 years, wife, married, Keeping House, born in England, both parents born in England
-C[harlie] A. Horr, white, male, age 17, son, single, Helping on Farm, attended school for 4 months out of the census year, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in England
-W[illia]m C. [Owen] Horr, white, male, age 13, son, attended school for 4 months out of the census year, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in England
-Ada Brain, white, female, age 15, niece, single, attended school for 4 months out of the year, born in New York, father born in England, mother born in New York
More searching for Jacob Victor Bowman led us to the marriage of Jacob Victor and Ada Brain in Dallas, Texas.
Ada married Jacob Victor Bowman, son of William W. and Maria E. (Grayson) Bowman, 18 Jul 1881 at the Cathedral Church of Saint Matthew in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas. The wedding record indicates Ada's parents reside in Savannah, Georgia, but that only Mrs. Brain attended the wedding.
Ada married Jacob Victor Bowman, son of William W. and Maria E. (Grayson) Bowman, 18 Jul 1881 at the Cathedral Church of Saint Matthew in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas. The wedding record indicates Ada's parents reside in Savannah, Georgia, but that only Mrs. Brain attended the wedding.
(Transcription of newspaper clipping from the Collection of Jan Craven, Lake Charles, Louisiana, located in the Archives of the Harrison County Historical Museum.) |
Newspaper clipping from the Collection of Jan Craven, Lake Charles, Louisiana, located in the Archives of the Harrison County Historical Museum.
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Adopted daughter of Captain Brain? Who, exactly, is Captain Brain?
*I would like to express special thanks to Joe and Evie Bodick for everything they did while researching this line. They hold a special place in my heart and I am forever grateful that we connected.
Since Ada was age 15 years in the 1880 Census, it would seem she had been born between 1864-1865 in New York. That would make her either 16 or 17 years old when she married Jacob Victor Bowman. They went on to have four known children, all sons:
-Harry H. Bowman, born in Jul 1882 and died 9 Sep 1883 in Marshall, Texas
-William Earl Bowman, born 10 Feb 1884 in Marshall, Texas, and died 6 Mar 1949 in Cincinnati, Ohio
-Raymond Leonard Bowman, born 26 Jan 1888 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and died 15 Jul 1961, also in Pittsburgh
-Everett Victor Bowman, born 19 Nov 1892 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and died 17 May 1957, also in Pittsburgh.
-Harry H. Bowman, born in Jul 1882 and died 9 Sep 1883 in Marshall, Texas
-William Earl Bowman, born 10 Feb 1884 in Marshall, Texas, and died 6 Mar 1949 in Cincinnati, Ohio
-Raymond Leonard Bowman, born 26 Jan 1888 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and died 15 Jul 1961, also in Pittsburgh
-Everett Victor Bowman, born 19 Nov 1892 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and died 17 May 1957, also in Pittsburgh.
Tragically, Ada's life was cut short and she died 14 Feb 1889, at age 34, of consumption.
The Pittsburgh Press, February 14, 1899:
_____
DIED
BOWMAN - On Tuesday, February 14, 1899, at 12:00 a.m., Ada, wife of J.V. Bowman, aged 34.
Funeral services at the family residence, No. 50 Sedgwick street, Allegheny, Wednesday evening, at 8 o'clock. Interment private.
_____
Ada was buried in Union Dale Cemetery in Pittsburgh 16 Feb 1899. She left her husband and three sons and with no way to care for his children, Jacob Victor put the youngest two in a home for adoption. More about this family can be found on the page for her husband, Jacob Victor Bowman.
So, back to the question:
WHO, EXACTLY, IS CAPTAIN BRAIN?
Captain John Clibbon Brain - "He Was a Hated Man," according to the Kansas City Journal in Kansas City, Missouri.
"A Slick Swindler," according to The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky.
John C. Brain - "Last Prisoner of the Civil War."
Our Paw-Paw.
WHO, EXACTLY, IS CAPTAIN BRAIN?
Captain John Clibbon Brain - "He Was a Hated Man," according to the Kansas City Journal in Kansas City, Missouri.
"A Slick Swindler," according to The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky.
John C. Brain - "Last Prisoner of the Civil War."
Our Paw-Paw.