| COME ALONG ON |
| OF |
| MEET |
| OUR OWENS FAMILY |
| Nathaniel Owens (parents believed to be Samuel Owens and Vashty Owens) married Rebecca Massey (parents Reuben and Mary Massey). They lived in King George, Va. Nathaniel and Rebecca had two (2) children John Owens and Nancy Powell Owens. John Owens married Harriet Frazier/Frasier (a servant hired to care for his grandmother Mary Massey). Because John was white and Harriet was black, they left Virginia traveling to Maryland staying in Baltimore for several years. I am not sure how long they stayed. Leaving Maryland they traveled south to Louisiana settling in what is now Iberia Parish. John and Harriet had ten (10) sons, Louis, William, Henry, Steven/Stephen, Isaac, John/Johnny, Willie, James/Jimmy, George, and Moses. The census records list some of the family as mulatto, some as black. John is listed as mulatto on some records as black on others. Some records say they are from Virginia others say Maryland. John and Harriet separated/ or divorced, he was then married to or lived with Margaret Richardson. They had no children. Harriet was married to Joseph Tobias (Toby) James. They had a son Evan and a daughter Annie James in addition to Toby's two daughters (Syby and Cecile) by a previous marriage. My main source of information was my grandfather (John and Harriet's grandson). He remembered his grandparents well. He always insisted his grandfather was not a mulatto, he described him as white with eyes like a cat. My grandfather also indicated Mista (the name his family used in talking with or about John Owens) was"as means as they come". He insisted the name was OWEN there was no S, plain and simple he corrected anyone who called him Mr. Owens. Some of the census listed the family as Owen others as Owens most of the family conformed . To his credit John Owens made sure all of his children learned to read, write and count. According to my grandfather "he didn't want nobody to cheat us out of nothing". John Owens was last known to be living on Avery Island in Louisiana, he died after 1910.. This is an ongoing project. I have been unable to located any information on Moses Owens he was listed in one census as Moses James (or Jones) in another simply as alias James. Records for African Americans are scarce as they simply were not kept back then. Most of what we have depends on oral history and for those who could read and write, bible notes. Anyone with information on any member of this family please feel free to contact me. There is quite a bit of information not listed. I would certainly do my best to verify your information and include any that has been authenticated. As always there is some controversy regarding John Owens being the son of Nathaniel Owens and Rebecca Massy. There seems to have been another John Owens (John E. Owens) who is thought to be their son. Based on the information I was given and the research I have done John E. Owens could have been a relative. I am still doing research on this. I have not been able to substantiate any information on this John E. Owens other then he named two of his sons after Nancy's sons. There are those who indicated that John E Owens was indeed the son of Nathaniel and Rebecca. However, they have not provided any varifible evidence. In fact they have stop corresponding when asked for proof. Nancy, the daughter of Nathaniel and Rebecca, married Robert Alexander Peed and stayed in Virginia living next to her mother Rebecca. Nancy had two sons John Nathaniel and James Oscar. James Oscar died in the Civil War in 1863. As you know researching your family history is an ongoing project that offers many rewards to our family. I am committed to publishing as much information as I can authenticate.. If you believe you are related to my OWENS FAMILY, please contact me via email with your information for verification . |