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- Reuben Fowler was probably born about 1722 at Fox Meadow in Scarsdale, the year his father received a deed to the land on which he was then living, from his father, Jeremiah Fowler of Eastchester. Reuben Fowler is wrongly given in "The Fowlers of America" as son of Jeremiah, son of William Fowler of Flushing, who settled in Harrisons Purchase in Rye, and died at Hempstead Harbor, although that Jeremiah Fowler made no mention of a son Reuben in his will of 1766.
Fox Meadow in Scarsdale where Reuben Fowler was born, was settled by Eastchester families, and extended along the Bronx River north from the Eastchester line to White Plains. Reuben Fowler's father owned the land there adjoining the land of Samuel Drake and his wife, Mary Fowler, daughter of Henry Fowler of Eastchester. Mary (Fowler) Drake was first cousin to Reuben Fowler's father.
Reuben, as the oldest son of Jeremiah Fowler who died intestate at Westchester, was probably heir to most of his father's property. In 1748 and in 1751 Reuben Fowler served as juror in the Westchester Court of Common Pleas, and in 1753 he witnessed the will of Jonothan Ferris of Throg's Neck in Westchester. In 1756 Reuben Fowler of Westchester, purchased land on Throg's Neck from John Mollineaux and Elizabeth his wife, of the same place. At that time Reuben was a cordwainer. It has not been determined when Reuben Fowler moved to Cortlandt Manor.
In 1765 Reuben Fowler of Cortlandt Manor, mortgaged to Stephen Johnson of Perth Amboy, NJ, farm number 14 in North Lot number one, on the north side of the road leading from Crompond Meeting house to Cornelius Mandeville's at Peekskill. It was the farm Reuben Fowler had purchased from James Lent, and was bounded by land of John Lee, Farm No. 13, land which Jeremiah Drake had purchased from James Lent, and land of Benjamin Barton.
Reuben Fowler died at Cortlandt Manor soon after making his will in 1777. He was then "very sick."
According to his will Reuben Fowler devised to his wife Jane, one thirteenth of his estate and the use of all until their youngest child came of age; one thirteenth each to sons, Stephen (less twenty pounds already received), Jeremiah, Reuben, James and John; the same to daughters, Abigail, Anne, Mary and Phoebe (each less twenty pounds already received), and Sarah, Jane and Dorothy. The executors were his wife and son, Reuben. Witnesses, Jeremiah Drake, John Ferris and Loue Creesy Hughson.
Because Reuben's wife had the use of the estate until their youngest child came of age, it appears it was not admitted to probate until that time. or after May 25, 1785. The two Reubens, father and son, have also been confused because the estate was not settled until 1785, and the older Reuben Fowler had been given the Revolutionary service of his son, Reuben. Reuben Fowler, the father, was too old to have done active service, the required ages being 16 - 50.
"Descendants of Henry Fowler of Roxbury, Mass., Providence, R. I., Eastchester and Mamaroneck, N. Y., " contributed by Theresa Hall Bristol (Mrs. Robert Dewey Bristol), F. G. B. S., and Abraham Hatfield, published New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 1937.
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