Elijah McNew and Joanna Bowman
research

(Last updated 4 Jan 2025)

Father

Elijah McNew was born between 1771 and 1780 possibly in Tennessee (per sons) but maybe not.  Elijah's father may have been Shadrach McNew but this is unproven.  He died after 1830 either in Tennessee or Alabama. 

Elijah McNew and Joann Bowman were married on 19 March 1801 in Greene County, Tennessee.  The circumstantial evidence supports  they are probably the parents of the 4 children below and possibly more.  Greene County, Tennessee is only two counties away from Sevier County.  This Elijah McNew would NOT the Elisha McNew on the 1820 census in Virginia.
Census Records:

1801 TN, Greene County (married)

1805 TN, Greene County, tax roll
1815 TN, Greene County, tax roll
1816 TN, Greene County, tax roll

1830 TN, Sevier County, p. 94, line 22

1840 AL (probably both deceased)

Mother

Joanna Bowman was born between 1781 and 1790 possibly in Tennessee.  Joanna died after 1830 either in Tennessee or Alabama.  While it is unproven that her father was Sperling Bowman it is certain she is a descendant of John Bowman of Washington County, Maryland who died there in 1795 and whose children were John Bowman, Charity Young, Charles Bowman, Aaron Bowman, Sperling Bowman, and Daniel Bowman.  The Bowman family were early pioneers of Greene County, Tennessee.

Ancestry DNA matches indicate that descendants of daughter Sarah McNew Deaton have strong DNA matches with descendants of William McNew.  John Bowman testified that he was a 3rd or 4th cousin to Joanna McNew (daughter of Elijah McNew Jr) so that verifies this group comes from Elijah McNew and Joanna Bowman. 

Did Joanna remarry to John Rawlings?  On the 1850 Federal Census (AL, Cherokee County) there was a John Rawlings (age 73 born  TN) and Joannah Rawlings (age 66 born MD) next to the McNews.
 
Joanna's Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup is H1cj.
Assumed
Son		 ● Elijah McNew Jr. was born 1811+, 1805, 1810, 1812 or 1820 in Tennessee.  He married Sarah Jane ???  Elijah died after 1880 in Cherokee County, Alabama.
  • Aaron McNew was born about 1832.
  • Rachel about 1833 in TN or GA.  She married Hiram H Henderson.
  • William McNew was born about 1837 in Alabama.
  • Hannah McNew was  born 1839 in Alabama.
  • Joanna McNew was born 1840 in Alabama.  She married Charles F Sutterlin. Joanna died 1897. 
  • Sarah McNew was born 1843 in Alabama.
  • Mary A. "Polly" McNew was born 1848 in Alabama.
  • Mary E. McNew was born 1848 in Alabama.

Joanna McNew testified for the Southern Claims Commission for her husband Charles F Sutterlin.  Joanna said she had two brothers Aaron and William McNew and two cousins John and Francis McNew in the Union army.  John Bowman testified that he was a 3rd of 4th cousin to Joanna.

 1830 TN, Sevier County, p. 102 (102)
   (aged 15-19)

1840 AL, Cherokee co., p. 21 (131)
   (aged 20-29)

1850 AL, Cherokee co., p. 20, #262
1860 AL, Cherokee co., p. 77 (163)
1870 AL, Cherokee co., p. 1 (241)
1880 AL, Cherokee co., p. ED 17, p. 10
Assumed
Dau.		 ● Sarah McNew was born 1819, 1822 or 1820 in Tennessee. 

Sarah married Joseph Deaton in the 1830s in Alabama or Tennessee.  Joseph was living in DeKalb County, Alabama from at least 1836 to 1850. Joseph and Sarah moved to Williamson County, Illinois by 1860.

Joseph Deaton died "Sep. 25, 1866" presumably in Williamson co., Illinois.  Sarah died after 1870 in Arkansas.
  • son Deaton was born about 1834.
  • Martha J. Deaton was  born 1836 in Alabama.
  • Thomas Deaton was born 1838 in Alabama.
  • Delitha Tabitha Deaton was born 1839 in Alabama.
  • Louisa Deaton was born 1841 in Alabama.
  • Mary Ann "Polly" Deaton was born about 1844 in Alabama.
  • William Deaton was born about 1845 in Alabama.
  • James S. Deaton was born 1848 in Alabama.
  • John Brantley Deaton was born 1849 in Alabama.
  • Solomon Deaton was born 1855 in Illinois.
  • Preston Deaton was born 1860 in Illinois.

In 1865 Sarah McNew Deaton of Williamson County, Illinois testifed for the widow of Churchwell McNew (1797-1858) for the son Thomas B McNew who died in the Civil War in 1865. 

1840 AL, DeKalb County,
   p. 28 (181), line 11

1850 AL, DeKalb County,
   District No. 24, p. 789 (394)

1860 IL, Williamson County,
   p. 308

1870 AR, Conway County,
   Walker Twp., p. 2 (65a)

 [notes]
Assumed
Son		 ● William McNew was born 15 Feb 1816 in Tennessee.  His birth year is recorded in the federal census as 1816 and also 1820. 

William married Elizabeth Henderson before 1839.

William died 16 Nov 1893 in Centerville, Faulkner County, Arkansas.
  • Lucy Matilda McNew was born 1839 in Alabama.
  • Joanna A. McNew was born 26 Dec 1843 in Alabama.
  • Rebecca Angeline McNew was born in Alabama.
  • Hannah Emeline McNew was born 26 Dec 1846 in Alabama.
  •  Valentine McNew was born 21 June 1848 in Alabama.
  • Robert Newton McNew was born 19 April 1850 in Alabama.
 1840 AL, DeKalb County,
   p. 28 (181), line 15

1850 AL, Cherokee County,
   26th District, p. 39 (20a), #261.

1860 AR, Conway County,
   Benton Twp., p. 96 (539)
  
1870 AR, Conway County,
   Benton Twp., p. 8 (5), #52

1880 AR, Faulkner co., p.
   (father of KY, mother of TN)
Assumed
Son		 ● James McNew was born 1822, 1825, 1822 or 1824 in Tennessee.  He married Sarah Ann ???  Elijah died after 1880 probably in Conway County, Arkansas.
  • Francis McNew was born about 1843 in Alabama.
  • John C. McNew was  born 1845 in Alabama.  John died in 1927.
  • Mary J. McNew was born 1848 in Alabama.
  • Malinda C. McNew was born 1850 in Alabama.
 1840 (16-18 years old)

1850 AL, Cherokee County,
   26th District, p. 39 (20a), #260.

1860 AL, Cherokee County,
   District 3, p. 97 (163), #515

1870 AR, Conway County,
   Walker Twp., p. 2 (65a), #9

1880 AR, Conway County,
   Lick Mtn Twp, ED 41, p. 8

Possible
Dau.		 Any extra children listed in Ancestry trees is speculative.

● Mary McNew married Charles Williams on 29 July 1818 in Greene County, Tennessee. 		 


Churchwell McNew

Brother of
Elijah?

Cousin
of Elijah?

Churchwell McNew was born 3 April 1797 in North Carolina.  He married Mary Jane ???? before 1817 in North Carolina or Tennessee. Churchwell died 22 April 1858 in Pope County, Illinois.
  • James McNew was born about 1817 in Tennessee.
  • Sally McNew was born about 1819 in Tennessee.  She married James Jackson (unverified)
  •  Stephen Kilgore McNew was born 1822 in Tennessee.
  • Charles M McNew was born 1823 in Tennessee.
  •  Isaiah McNew was born 1826 in Tennessee.
  • Rufus M. McNew was born 1830 in Tennessee.
  •  Manuel Jackson McNew was born 1834 in Tennessee.
  •  Mary Rebecca E McNew was born 1836 in Tennessee.
  •  Thomas Benton McNew was born 1840 in Tennessee.
  • Martha McNew was born 1841 in Tennessee.
 Census Records:

1826 TN, Marion County, land warrant
1827 TN, Marion County, land warrant

1830 TN, Marion County, p. 65

1836 TN, Marion County, tax roll

1840 TN, Sevier County, p. (279)

1850 Illinois, Pope County, p. (278)
The circumstantial evidence supports that Elijah Mcnew and Churchwell McNew were related.  Marion County, Tennessee sits just above the state border with Alabama.

On 10 March 1865 in Saline County, Illinois Sarah McNew Deaton (wife of Joseph) of Williamson County, Illinois testified in the Civil War "Mother's Pension" case for Mary McNew (widow of Churchwell) the mother of Thomas B McNew .  Thomas B McNew's brother-in-law John G Feezor (married Mary Rebecca McNew) also testified at the same time.