In the Valley of Cows

"Cow Valley"...that's what it means, sort of.

Ancient History (1500-1700)

The first historical mention of the Cowden name is of the Cowdens in Scotland in the 16th century. "The ancient Gaelic spelling of the name was Choille-dun, which signifies the wooded hill;" but the Anglo-Saxon form, Cowden, signified a "dweller in the cow valley," according to Prof. Hubertis Cummings, of the department of English, University of Cincinnati. He is a Cowden descendant who has investigated the origins of the name and family.

The first known reference is in an old English history of Norforkshire to Thomas and Nathaniel Cowden, who are frequently mentioned in land transactions.. These are mentioned by Charles W Bardsley, author of English Surnames. There are occasional references in later documents of public record in Scotland and England. There are still people and places by this name notwithstanding the many migrations of Cowdens into other countries.

keep-at-cowdenknowes Cowdenbeath is a large, prosperous town a few miles north of Edinburgh. There is a small town about thirty miles south of London that bears the same name. Also near Earlston, Berwickshire, Scotland, are the Cowdenknowes (or hills). Of the Cowdenknowes, Professor Cummings writes, "These two knowes, the Black Hill and the White Hill, the former covered with golden broom during the spring, still exist under the old name; and the square three storied tower or peel, of date anteceding 1500 A.D., may be found at the end of a shadowy avenue of trees about a mile and a half from Earlston. To the rear of the tower stands the modern 18th and 19th [century - ed.] mansion above the river Leader; at the edge of which also appear the crumbling ruins of the keep or ancient dungeon of the ancient castle."

The image to the left is of what can be seen today near Cowdenknowes. It is similar to the one described by Prof. Cummings and appears here courtesy of Cowdenknowes.com.

As excerpted from COWDEN - The story of William Cowden Sr who entered Guernsey Co., Ohio 1817 and his descendants edited by Lucille Cowden Kazee. Her tireless devotion to family history, her thousands of hours in research and documentation; has left us a rich legacy and an invaluable resource.

Heraldry

The word “Heraldry” is derived from the German “heer” -- a host, an army -- and “held” -- a champion. The term “blason,” by which the science of heraldry is denoted in French, English, Italian, and German, is probably derived from the German word “blazen” -- to blow the horn. Whenever a new Knight appeared at a Tournament, the herald sounded the trumpet, and as the competitors attended with closed visors, it was his duty to explain the bearing of the shield or coat-armour belonging to each. This knowledge of the various devices and symbols was called Heraldry, and as the announcement was accompanied with the sound of a trumpet, it was termed “blazoning the arms.” Source: Burke, Bernard, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales (Heritage Books, Inc., 1996). [As excerpted from a "Brief History of Heraldry"]

Genealogy

The "art" of genealogy fascinates me. It is like a detective mystery and treasure hunt all rolled into one. The first step is to interview your oldest surviving relatives and gather as much oral history as you can. The further back and more detailed this information is, the easier it is to piece together a complete history. For most, going back 200-300 years is the jackpot. Some cases the trail grows cold inside of a century and a half.

Try to find the relatives that are meticulous archivists (pack rats). They always seen to surprise by knowing where everything is stored, between what pages the document lies and where in the stack things are stuffed.

What you are looking for is names, maiden names, dates of birth (sometimes a range of years is all you can get) and where they were married, carried or buried. If you can get a couple of generations worth of this kind of information, you will find that a cascade of information may be coming your way.

Mary Lucille Cowden Kazee

We are grieving the loss of our family historian and my aunt, Lucille Kazee. She went to be with God Tuesday, August 16, 2011 and left an unfillable void in the Cowden clan. With all our love and prayers for her children - Kyle Cowden, August 2011

My aunt, Mary Lucille Cowden Kazee was not only our family historian but had a good deal to do with my upbringing a Summer at a time. She was talented and had perfect pitch, unfortunately a trait that completely missed me. She shared her love of genealogy with me and I am blessed to have the fruits of her labors.