Richard A Fowler 1805-1856 died in Sonoma, California
Richard A Fowler was born abt 1805 in Canada. About his origin,
the following interesting facts:
1 His daughter Mary's second marriage to Suhrbier states that
Richard was from Canada.
2 In the 1850 Federal census, both Richard and Meriah state
that they were born in Canada, while George Rock states that
he was born in Lower Canada. In this census Richard is 45.
3 In the 1852 State census, both Richard and Meriah state
that they were born in "Kenedy", and their last residence
was in Missouri. In this census he is 47.
4 He was a witness to a deed 13 Jan 1847 from Jacob Lease
to George Rock. George Rock also states in 1850 that he
is 65 and born in Canada. In addition, the only other
person to say that he was born in Canada, living in Sonoma
is Thomas O'Mal 27 Bar Keeper, perhaps in the bar of the
hotel that Richard is keeping? He appears on the same
census page with Richard.
So from this it would appear likely that George Rock also
known as Roch, is Maria's father. In 1850, all three of
their daughters were said to be born in California, the
oldest one being 4. Richard witnessing a deed in Jan 1847
also proves that the family was in California before the
gold rush. The latest possible date being Fall of 1846 since
nobody dared to cross the Sierras in the winter. The 1850
census was enumerated 30 October 1850, so Eliza J must
have been born before 30 October 1846 in California.
CALIFORNIA PIONEER REGISTER AND INDEX 1542 - 1848
Rock (Geo.), 1836, first appears at Sonoma as a witness
against a horsethief. iv. 118; seems to have had a rancho
near Sonoma, and in '37 was nominal grantee of S. Julian,
Sta B., iii. 655-6, being in '37 grantee of Guenoc,
Lake Co. iv. 671. According to the Lake Co. Hist., he lived
at Guenoc from about '48, as agent for Jacob P. Leese.
Now this George Rock, was the same person who had gotten
the Guenoc Grant, a 26,628 acre land grant from the Mexican
government in 1845. This was the Coyote Valley, along
Putah Creek for several miles (present Lake County). He
took up residence in Stone House, now an historic monument
in Hidden Valley, then the harbinger of a village called
Guenoc. For further info see
Stone House. Now this George Roch supposedly had
a cattle operation. He supposedly built his house in 1850
and abandoned it by 1851 (the 1850 census of Sonoma town
was done 30 Oct 1850).
Now some people have strange ideas about why the Ranch was
named Guenoc. However, knowing that George Roch or Le Roch
was from Canada, I checked Canadian surnames and found a
Le Guenoc. So I prefer the idea that George Le Roch's mother
was a Le Guenoc. It makes a lot more sense than the
alternate explanations.
Now back to Richard Fowler
They did not come from Oregon to California, since the 1852
census says their last residence was in Missouri. They
are not listed in the Donnor Party, they may have come with
Lilburn Boggs, the lucky half reached Sutter's fort in
October 1846.
On 4 May 1826, there is record at the
Bureau of Land Management that a William White, assignee
of Richard Fowler obtained a piece of land at
E1/2NW S19-T48N-R13W in Boone Co, Missouri
Richard's middle name was A and there is a marriage of an
Alexander Fowler to an Ann Mariah Fowler in Shelby County
23 Jan 1840, and then in 1840 in Clinton, Monroe Co
Missouri an A Fowler listed 20-30 with another male, possibly
his brother 15-20 and a female possibly his wife 20-30. Living
next door is a W C Fowler 20-30 with female 15-20 and nine
households later a Wm Fowler 00120101-00100001 which would
be reasonable for the parents of them all.
Exactly where in Missouri they came from, and exactly where
in Canada they had been born is still a mystery. I'm hoping
by tracing neighbors who may have come in the same wagon train
I can pinpoint something to prove where they lived in
Missouri
In Nov 1847 Richard Fowler of Sonoma City bought lot 31 on
the SE corner of Vallejo (now called Spain) and Third for
$9.25. A week later he bought Lot 7 and 11 in Block 2 in
St Louis (the embarcadero of Sonoma town) for $50.00.
12 Jan 1848 he bought Lot 46 on the NE corner of Napa and
Third for $9.25. On 11 Apr 1848 he bought Lot 8 in
block 2 in St Louis for $110.00. On 6 Aug 1850 Richard Fowler,
of St Louis bought Sonoma lot 216 on the SW corner of Prussia
and Third for $100
That is a lot of land for one family with only three small
girls to have, and I wonder why he had so much land?
In the 1850 census he is styled a Hotel Keeper.
1850 Census Sonoma Co, California
(Sonoma Township), page 15B, Household 95, Family 96
Fowler Richard 45 M Hotel keeper 4,000 Canada
Fowler Maria 35 F Canada
Fowler Eliza J. 4 F California
Fowler M.A. 3 F California
Fowler Mary Otis 1 F California
Now, a cursory reading of available Sonoma township history
doesn't show any Richard Fowler as a hotel manager or
otherwise. In the 1852 census it describes his occupation
as "Public Entertainment", although exactly what this means,
I'm not sure. By the time his estate is probated in 1857,
the administrator, William Cubberly, who had married the
widow Mariah, evidently did not have enough money to pay
the fees involved, and the administration was never completed.
This doesn't strike me as a wealthy family.
In 1853 Lot 31 is held or sold by Sheriff Brockman, perhaps
for failure to pay tax?. Lot 46 was sold in 1852 to
Thomas Harmsworth Way. Lot 8 in Block 2 was sold to
Lewis Adler in 1854. The last recorded deed by Richard
Fowler was in 1854.
In 1853 he paid tax on City lots 4,5,8, B4 and 2 of B5
St Louis 7, 11 of B2, 5 of B9
Sonoma 216, 539
In 1854 he is stated a resident of Sonoma Township and paid
tax on Lots St Louis 5, Sonoma 539, 216, 556, and 557
Richard Fowler died 7 Feb 1856, he is probate number 42
Register A Page 133. Maria was the executrix at first.
But she married William Cubberly b in England, on 10 Mar 1856
in Sonoma and she then names him as administrator between
March and April. On 2 Aug 1859, William Cubberly delays his
final account due to his inability to pay costs of probate
So to determine where in Missouri Richard Fowler came from,
I decided to start tracing everybody who lived in Sonoma
town, who had come there direct from Missouri. So here
is a list of people who lived in Missouri prior to coming
to Sonoma, and who didn't live anywhere else in-between.
Arnold Hutton b 1803
Martin Hudson b 1805
William Hudson b 1814, came 5-7 years ago
John Manning b 1823, came less than 8 years ago
Joseph Nevil b 1823, came less than 2 years ago
George Smith b 1812, KY to IL to MO to CA, came 3-6 years ago
A C McDonald b 1814, came less than 18 years ago
Hiram Smith b 1799, came less than 7 years ago
T H Fine b 1821, came 2-6 years ago
H T Jones b 1805, came less than 3 years ago
Benjamin Mitchell b 1818, came 2-5 years ago
John McCraken b 1820, came 5-6 years ago
William M Boggs b 1826, came more than 3 years ago
Lewis Adler b 1821 came 1-6 years ago, based on the
Bones children living with him.
Samuel Morrow b 1801 came 2-9 years ago
G W Lane, less than 5 years ago
Alexander Dunbar b 1800, came less than 4 years ago
John Smith b 1814, left Missouri 3-7 years ago, stopped
in Oregon
David St Clair, b 1793, came 2-4 years ago
Charles Stewart, b 1822, came 4-8 years ago
Harriet Hollingsworth, KY to IN to IA to MO to CA, came 2-6 years ago
John Lewis b 1817, OH to MO to CA, came 3-6 years ago
Albert Lyon, came 2-7 years ago
L W Boggs b 1797, less than 5 years ago
Wm H Moore b 1797, came 3-6 years ago
Rebecca Peterson, came 2-6 years ago
Thomas Harper, came 2-3 years ago
-End of List-
List of Roch's living somewhere in the US before 1850
Philip Roch, pg 141, 3rd Ward, St Louis Co, Missouri
Peter Roch, pg 279, St Clair Co, Illinois
Anthony Roch, pg 100, Duchonquet, Allen Co, Ohio
John Roch, pg 185, Cincinnati 5th Ward, Hamilton Co, Ohio
Charles K Roch, pg 253, Cincinnati 6th Ward, Hamilton Co, Ohio
George Roch, pg 284, Cincinnati 7th Ward, Hamilton Co, Ohio
William Roch, pg 145, Eaton, Lorain Co, Ohio
John Roch, pg 143, Muskingum, Muskingum Co, Ohio
William Roch, pg 173, Madison, Pickaway Co, Ohio