Author: Cowen, Jacob
Biography:
COWEN, Jacob (c. 1723-1807: ancestry.co.uk)
The preface to Poems, On a Variety of Interesting Subjects is by an unnamed editor who claims that the poems were given to him for publication by the author’s son but that the author preferred not to reveal his name. The only clues to his identity, therefore, are two contemporary manuscript notes on the title page of the BL copy. One of these identifies the author as Mr. Cowan (sic for Cowen) of High Wigton, Cumberland. A second note states that the author was the father of Jacob Cowan (sic) a manufacturer in Carlisle. If he was the author, the father’s name was also Jacob and he was born in Aikton, Cumberland, in about 1723 to Luke Cowen and his wife Anne Williamson. On 20 Nov. 1749 he married Mary Donald; they had two daughters and two sons. The family lived at Biglands, a small village near Wigton, Cumberland. Jacob, the youngest son, was baptised in Aikton on 17 Dec. 1758. The younger Jacob Cowen did not name any of his own sons Jacob and therefore—if the title page note is to be trusted— the author of Poems was Jacob Cowen, Sr. He co-owned a cotton mill in Carlisle, known originally as Cowen, Heysham, and Co. and later as Jacob Cowen and Co. (It still exists, as Cowen Ltd., based in Dalston, Cumbria.) Jacob Cowen died probably in May 1807 but no record has been located. Many of the poems in his book are inspired by walks in the churchyard of St. Andrew’s church, Aikton. (ancestry.co.uk 13 Apr. 2024) SR
Other Names:
- Mr. Cowan