Sarah “Sally” Davis (c1790-1850s) and George W. Rowan of Burke and Yancey Co., NC, Carter and Blount Co., TN

Marty and Karla Grant

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Sarah “Sally” Davis Rowan is my 4 times Great Aunt.

Sarah Davis was born ca 1790/94 per census analysis, probably ca 1790:

∙ 1820 census age 26-44, born ca 1775/1794.

∙ 1830 census age 30-39, born ca 1790/1800.

∙ 1840 census age 40-49, born ca 1790/1800.

∙ 1850 census age 42, born ca 1807/08, way off from others.

From the above, ignoring 1850, we could conclude that Sarah was born ca 1790/1794. I chose ca 1790 for that’s around the time her parents split up, I believe, give or take a year or so.

Her father referred to her as “Sally” in his Will, which is a common nickname for Sarah.

Sarah was the youngest child of William Davis (1731-1841) and his first wife, who was likely Mary Miller of Surry Co., NC. When her parents split up, Sarah may have remained with her mother in Surry or gone with her father to Burke. We don’t know for sure, but she did marry in Burke most likely, so if not living there, she at least visited long enough to meet her husband.

Sarah married George W. Rowan before ca 1805, presumably in Burke Co., NC. He wasn’t from Burke as best as I can tell for there were no Rowan’s there in 1790 or 1800. He was born ca 1785/86 per his ages on the 1850 census (64), 1860 census (74) and 1870 census (84) which is unusually consistent. However, his birth place varies from census to census. NC per 1850, VA per 1860 and TN per 1870 census. I suspect he was from Carter Co., TN, though perhaps not born there.

I don’t know who his parents were, but he might be connected to Charles Rowan and wife Rebecca who were married before 1790 and had children in Carter Co., TN. George named a son Charles and daughter Rebecca so that tracks. There were two early Carter Co., TN marriages that might be for siblings, Margaret Rowan married Daniel Miller there in 1810, and Nathaniel Rowan (c1794 VA) married Isbel Duncan there in 1813. Of course I don’t know they are all siblings, but certainly could be.

George and Sarah may have gone to Carter Co., TN right after marriage, for their son Isaac was born there ca 1805. They are not found on the 1810 census, which is lost for Tennessee. They were back in Burke by ca 1812.

“Jorge Rowen” was listed on the 1815 Burke Co., NC tax list in Captain White’s company with no land, no white polls and 1 black poll. This means he himself was exempt from the tax for some reason, but he had one slave who wasn’t exempt.

George, and many other familiar names, were listed on a court order from April 1817 in Burke Co., NC. “Ordered by court that William Henry English oversee rode from David Brownings old place to the State line on the top of the yellow mountain with the following hands, to wit,

Reubin McKiney, Wilson McKiney, Evan Hughs, Jonathan Burlison, Aron Burlison, Reubin Young, Joseph Green, John Buckhanon, William Buckhanon, Arthur Green, John Collis, James Burlison, Thomas Burlison, Thomas Carver, Robert Vance, Arthur Buckhanon Jr, Strawther Suttles, Joseph Suttles, William Vance, David Vance, Mathew Vance, Daniel Caldwell, George Rowan, Daniel English, Daniel Oaks, Lodowick Oaks, Henry English, Thomas Davinport, Willis Phillips, William Phillips of Rock Cove Creek, William English overseer.

They are on the 1820 census in Burke. They were not near any members of the William Davis family as far as I noticed. There were no other Rowans in Burke.

1820 Census, Burke Co., NC

Page

Name

George Rowan

My analysis (who each person *might* be):

1m 26-44 (1775/1794) George Rowan (c1786)

1m 10-15 (1804/1810) Isaac Rowan (c1805) son

1m 0-9 (1810/1820) Charles Rowan (c1816) son

1f 26-44 (1775/1794) Sarah Davis Rowan (c1790) wife

3f 0-9 (1810/1820) 1. Rebecca Rowan (c1812) daughter

2. Harriet Rowan (1815) daughter

3. Margaret Rowan (c1820) daughter

In October 1821 in Burke Court, George Rowan and others were ordered to view and layoff a new road from Peat’s Ford on Toe River to William Baker’s on Big Rock Creek. I didn’t recognize the names of any of the others named to work the road, which agrees with the 1820 census that they weren’t in the same area where William Davis lived. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1818-1829.)

In Jan 1822 Burke court, the state tried Wilson Duncan, Thomas Carver, William English, George Rowan, and Elijah Green for “Riott.” They were ordered to pay fines. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1818-1829.)

In April 1828 in Burke Court, George Rowan was granted leave to “turn the Yellow Mountain road” commencing below the second ford above Joseph Piatts and coming into the present road at the foot of the Yellow Bank below where said George Rowan now lives. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1818-1829.)

They are on the 1830 census near her parents and other relations. They were the only Rowans in the county.

1830 Census, Burke Co., NC

Page

Name

(Males first row, females on second)

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70-79

80-89

90-99

100+

196

George Rowen

My analysis (who each person *might* be):

1m 40-49 (1780/1790) George Rowan (c1786)

1m 20-29 (1800/1810) Isaac Rowan (c1805) son

1m 10-14 (1815/1820) Charles Rowan (c1816) son

1m 5-9 (1820/1825) William W. Rowan (c1826) son

1f 30-39 (1790/1800) Sarah Davis Rowan (c1790) wife

1f 15-19 (1810/1815) Rebecca Rowan (c1812) daughter

2f 10-14 (1815/1820) 1. Harriet Rowan (1815) daughter

2. Margaret Rowan (c1820) daughter

1f 5-9 (1820/1825) Mary Rowan (1821) daughter

A deed dated 26 Oct 1830 from Isaac T. Avery to George Rowan for 270 acres was acknowledged in court during the October 1830 session. Early Burke county deeds are lost, so this is all we know about this land. This could be the same land Rowan sold back to Avery in 1839 in Yancey though that was listed as 278 acres. (Burke Co. NC Court Records 1830-1834.)

On 24 Jun 1835, George Rowan of Yancey purchased land from John Brown, agent and attorney for heirs and representatives of Margaret Latimore, Richard Dale and Henry Latimore of Pennsylvania and Delaware. For $20.50, they sold George Rowan land on the east side of George Rowan’s existing land, and on the northwest of Burch Hill being 384 acres. Signed by John Brown and witnessed by N. Blackstock (who is in very next deed as Nemiah Blackstock of Buncombe Co., NC). (Yancey Co., NC Deed Book 1, pp. 50-51.)

There is a court case in Franklin Co., TN court dated Nov 1836 where Joseph Lockhart and George W. Rowan are charged with assault and battery. They plead guilty and were fined. I don’t know if this is the same George W. Rowan or not because Franklin Co., TN is in south central Tennessee on the Alabama line and I don’t know that our George ever went to that area, though of course this could be him, but I don’t think he was living there at the time. (Franklin Co., TN Court Minutes 1832-1837.)

On 30 Jan 1839, George Rowan of Yancey Co., NC sold land to I. T. Avery of Burke Co., NC for $20, being 384 acres, no landmarks were named. George Rowan signed with a mark. Witnessed by William Dugger. (Yancey Co., NC Deed Book 1, p. 248.)

This is the land Rowan purchased in 1835 from John Brown.

On the same date, 30 Jan 1839, George Rowan made another deed to Isaac T. Avery, this one for $950. This 278 acre tract was on both sides of Toe River. Same witness. (Yancey Co., NC Deed Book 1, pp. 248-249.)

By 1840 they’d moved to nearby Blount Co., TN as did brothers-in-law Jacob Davis and Thomas Davis as well as other Davis relations. George Rowan is listed near them on the 1840 census. There were three other Rowans listed, but not nearby, presumably related to him, James H. Rowan (1800/10), David Rowan (1800/10) and Samuel Rowan (1800/10). Those three were listed near each other so perhaps brothers.

1840 Census, Blount Co., TN

Page

Name

(Males first row, females on second)

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70-79

80-89

90-99

100+

George Rowan

My analysis (who each person *might* be):

1m 40-49 (1790/1800) George Rowan (c1786)

1m 20-29 (1815/1820) Charles Rowan (c1816) son

1m 10-14 (1825/1830) William W. Rowan (c1826) son

1f 40-49 (1790/1800) Sarah Davis Rowan (c1790) wife

1f 15-19 (1820/1825) Mary Rowan (1821) daughter

On 7 Sep 1844, John Barker (or Baker) of Macon Co., NC, deeded 50 acres to George Rowen of Blount Co., TN for $200, the land being in Section 37, District 1, on the west side of Hazlenut Creek. Witnesses were John Chambers and Joseph Welch. (Macon Co., NC Deed Book D, p. 1763).

The above suggests the Rowan’s were going to move to Macon Co., NC, but apparently they didn’t, or if they did, it was a brief move. Their son William did move there at this time, perhaps onto that land.

George is still in Blount for the 1850 census, no known relatives listed nearby.

1850 Census, Blount Co., TN, 16 Civil District, House 1804, Family 1804

Name	Age	Sex	Race	Occupation	Real $	Birth Place
George Rowan	64	M		F		NC
Sally	42	F				“
Charles	34	M		F		“

Notice that Sally is only 42 on this census. That is very different from her ages in earlier censuses and what it should be. I’ve reread it several times to make sure it really says 42 and it does. What does this mean? Two possibilities. One, it’s just a typo and should perhaps say 62, putting her born ca 1787/88 which works better. Or two, this isn’t Sarah “Sally” Davis, but a second wife, coincidentally also named Sally who George married in the 1840s. There were no marriage records found though, but not all marriages got recorded in the county marriage register.

My personal opinion is that Sally age 42 is indeed our Sally and her age was wrong. I could be wrong of course. Whoever she was, she was dead by 24 Apr 1852 for on that date George W. Rowan made a deed with his son-in-law Riley Powell giving him all his plantation as long as George and his son Charles Rowan had lifetime rights to it. Sarah/Sally wasn’t mentioned, so it’s highly likely she’d died before then, or else those rights should have included her. (Blount Co., TN Deed Book X, pp. 143-144.)

It appears that perhaps George was contemplating a move to Macon Co., NC where his son William lived, for on 12 Sep 1854, he entered 100 acres of land there described as near the Cherokee line. The Land Warrant was issued the same day as the entry. The land was surveyed on 6 May 1853 (which predates the entry, but the date is also marked out). T. S. Siler and Isaac Rowan were chain carriers for the survey. On 14 Mar 1855 the land was granted to him. It described as near the line between Macon and Cherokee Counties on top of a bald nob below the high bauld (Wayah Bald) mountain on the county line. (North Carolina Land Grants and Macon Co., NC Deed Book H, p. 98.)

On 24 Sep 1857, George W. Rowan and Susan Campbell, both of Blount Co., TN, made a marriage contract deed describing what should happen to their existing property after marriage. Both signed with a mark. Witnesses were N. A. Sparks and Martin Stewart. (Blount Co., TN Deed Book Y, p. 743.)

On 27 Sep 1857, G. W. Rowan obtained a marriage bond in Blount Co., TN to marry Susan Campbell. N. H. Sparks was the bondsman. They were granted a license to marry the next day (28 Sep 1857) and were married on the 28^th by A. Acton.

Susan was born ca 1808/09 per her age on the 1850 census. She was then the wife of William H. Campbell (c1813) who apparently died before 1857 when she married George Rowan. The Campbells were only a few households away from the Rowans on the 1850 census. William was next to Baxter Campbell who later moved to Graham Co., NC. Perhaps they were brothers.

I don’t know Susan’s maiden name.

The Rowans are on the 1860 census in Blount Co., TN on one of the dimmest pages I’ve ever seen. It’s mostly illegible. I’ve relied on the index for the information below.

1860 Census, Blount Co., TN, 16 District, House 980, Family 996

Name	Age	Sex	Race	Occupation	Real $	Pers $	Birth Place
George Rowan	74	M
Susan	51	F
Thomas Camel	24	M
Charley Rowan	45	M

In a deed dated 17 Nov 1869, George W. Rowan gave land to his son Charles Rowan, “Lunatic.” Mentions Charles’s “brother” William Rowan. George signed with a mark. Witnesses were Noah Burchfield and N. H. Sparks. (Blount Co., TN Deed Book EE pp. 27-28.)

They are on the 1870 census still in Blount Co., TN.

1870 Census, Blount Co., TN, The 16^th District, Cades Cove PO, House 29, Family 31

Name	Age	Sex	Race	Occupation	Real $	Pers $	Birth Place
George W. Rowan	84	M	W	Retired Farmer	1000	100	TN
Sousan	60	F	W	Keeping House			“
Martha J.	17	F	W	Without Occupation			“

George Rowan was dead by July 1875, for George Snyder petitioned the court that he be named administrator of the estate and that George Rowan had died intestate. (Blount Co., TN Probate Estate Inventories 1874-1885.)

I didn’t find Susan on the 1880 census. She was probably also dead by then. There is a marker for them at Graveyard Hill Cemetery in Cades Cove, Blount Co., TN that someone made in more recent times that lists more than just their names. A transcription:

“Rowan

George W. 1777-1880

Sally Davis 1779-1851

Isaac 06 Mary 21 William 21 Becky 12

Cuthebertson Hannah Nichols

Margret Cooper 1822-1865

Charles 1817-1882

Harriett Powel 1815-71-79

Riley Powel 1813-6 Union MIA”

Children

George and Sarah had seven children, all of whom have been identified. Of course there may have been some who died young that we don’t now about. I don’t believe George and his 2^nd wife had any children together. She had several with her first husband, William Campbell. I have not traced them.

Two of their sons, Charles and William are proven by an 1869 deed, and Charles again by being with his parents in 1850 and 1860. Isaac Rowan was associated, so probably their son. I don’t have proof for Rebecca Rowan Rose, but she seems highly likely. Harriet Rowan Powell is proven by an 1869 deed, or at least her husband is. Margaret Rowan Cooper is proven by the 1880 census where Charles Rowan is living with her. Mary Rowan Cuthbertson isn’t proven, but was in the same places.

For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for Sarah Davis and George W. Rowan.

Revised: January 15, 2026

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