William Drayton Cowdrey
1803 - 1865
| Rev. William Drayton Cowdrey b. Apr 1, 1803,
Norfolk, VA, d. Mar 15, 1865, Blakely, Early Co., GA, m.
Nov 16, 1831, Taliaferro Co, GA [vocation: minister] +Selah G. JANES b. Nov 19, 1812 Greene Co, GA, d. Aug 9, 1885, Blakely, Early Co., GA Daughter of William and Selah [GRESHAM] JANES |
| 1.
Selah Ann Cowdrey b. Jan 24, 1833, d. Abt. 1837
2. Harriet Susan Cowdrey b. Jan 3, 1835, d. 1836 3. John William Cowdrey b. Apr 23, 1837, d. Oct 10, 1879, m. 1866 +Rebecca L. JANES 4. Mary Caroline Cowdrey b. Feb 26, 1838, d. 1840 5. James Edward Cowdrey b. Nov 29, 1840 [killed at the Battle of Gettysburg] 6. Martha Eugenia Cowdrey b. unknown 7. Sarah Elizabeth Cowdrey b. Jan 21, 1843 8. Lutherine Mercer Cowdrey b. Nov 11, 1844, m. +Rev. R. B. TAYLOR s/o Col. J. J. Taylor of Athens, GA 9. Emma Shackelford Cowdrey b. Aug 3, 1846 10. Henrietta Lovica Cowdrey b. 1847 11. Cornelia Washington Cowdrey b. Jun 26, 1849, m. 1878 +Robert W. BROWNE of Calhoun Co., GA 12. Eugene Drayton Cowdrey b. Nov 19, 1851 13. ___?___ Cowdrey (f) b. Sept 15, 1855 |
|
"Cowdrey-Cowdery-Cowdray Genealogy" by Mary Bryant Alverson Mehling, p. 393 from a reprinting in 1978 of 500 copies by Jacquelyn Irene Cowdrey. |
| "Reverend
William Drayton Cowdrey was a highly cultivated, eminently useful, and devotedly
pious minister of Jesus Christ. In the Fall of 1820 he united with the
church at Little Stephen's Creek, Edgefield District, S.C., and was baptized
by the Rev. BRAZILE. At this time he was a pupil of the
Rev. L. B. HOLLOWAY, under whom he prepared for college. He
entered Columbia College, D.C., in 1822, and graduated in the class with
Robert RYLAND, D.D., former president of Richmond College, Richmond,
Va. Soon after completing his collegiate course he went to Georgia,
where he married Selah G. JANES, who proved herself to be fully qualified
for the important position of a minister's wife. From his first settlement
in the State until about the year 1855, he was engaged in teaching and was
noted as a laborious, efficient, and successful educator. For accuracy
of scholarship and profound research he had but few equals. He was
for a time one of the Professors at Penfield, but was compelled by failing
health to resign. He removed to Cave Spring, Polk Co., Ga., about 1840,
where he lived until 1855, having the care of several churches, at the same
time devoting himself to the education of the rising generation. For
the first five years of his residence in Cherokee, Ga., he had charge of
the Hearn School. The ten succeeding years he taught a young ladies'
school. In 1836, and while a member of the church at Crawfordsville,
he was solemnly set apart to the full work of the gospel ministry by the
imposition of the hands of a presbytery, consisting of Jesse MERCER,
W. STOKES, V. R. THORNTON, B. M. SANDERS and Jonathan
DAVIS. . . . . . He was always an unflinching advocate for the
truth, and a determined foe to falsehood. . . . . . .Modest and retiring
to a fault, he never strove for the leadership; and yet on questions in which
principle was involved, he would stand alone and battle for the right against
any odds. He was the friend and counselor of young ministers,
watching over them with all the interest and affection of a father.
As a man he was upright, high minded, honorable, and magnanimous; as a citizen
he was patriotic and true; as a Christian, he possessed the highest grace
attainable in this life. . . . . . ." This file contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Charlene Parker" <laurel43@bellsouth.net> Sep 2002 From "History of Bethel Association Including Centennial Meeting", by Alexander Lee Miller William Drayton Cowdrey
On the night of Wednesday, March 18th, 1864, near Blakely, Georgia, Rev. William Drayton Cowdry at the age of 61 without a groan or a gasping spirit yielded up his spirit to God. For many years Brother Cowdry was a pious, laborious, and successful preacher and educator in Georgia, having moved here from South Carolina just after his graduation of the State University of Columbia. He was born April 1, 1803 in Edgefield, South Carolina. His parents were John and Anne Cowdry. His father was a Revolutionary soldier and was shot down in his own yard by Tories, when on a visit home from the army. His grandfather, Savage B. Cowdry, came over from the British Isles with an older brother in Colonial times. He participated in the act of casting the Tea overboard in the Boston Harbor. William Drayton Cowdry was only two years old when his father was killed. His mother married John Mason but continued to reside at the same place, bringing up two families of children and educating them at the village school. At seventeen he entered the State University and was graduated with honors, receiving two diplomas, one for a general course, and one for excellence of languages. After graduation he selected teaching as his profession and choosing Georgia for his field of labor opened a male school in Greene County, and remained there for two years, marrying Miss Selah G. Janes, daughter of William and Selah Janes of that County in April 1832. He joined the church and was baptized at Edgefield prior to 1820. He became convinced that it was his duty to preach the Gospel and he took a Theological course at Mercer University, and on completing this course, he was licensed and duly ordained in 1834 or 1835. He then spent two years at Crawfordville preaching at two churches. From there he went to Cedar Town for two years; then settled at Cave Spring and remained there for sixteen or eighteen years. Thirteen children were born to them, seven of whom died in infancy, while one fell at Gettysburg. He taught during his stay there at Female High School and occupied several responsible positions, preaching in the meantime to two or more churches. About this time he became alarmed over his wife's health and spent a winter in Early County, Georgia with his brother-in-law, Mr. James Shackelford. This led to his settlement in Early County, nine miles southwest of Blakely, in 1856. He united with the Macedonia Church at Blakely and soon organized a church near by of which he remained pastor until his death. He continued to preach at various churches in Early County and towards the end of 1863 his health began to fail rapidly. Still he continued to preach, sometimes taking long rides in the week to do so, and returning to fill his own pulpit at Zion on the Sabbath, although so feeble as to require assistance to and from his carriage. Note: The two sentences in green contain incorrect data. |
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