Moses S. & Samuel S. Bowman

Title: Moses S. Bowman and Samuel S. Bowman fonds

Dates of creation: 1791-1924; some photocopies ca.1990

Physical description: 33 cm of textual records

Biographical sketch: Moses S. Bowman (Nov. 9, 1819-1898) was the eldest son of Benjamin Baumann and Susannah Bechtel. On Oct. 8, 1844 he married Anna Cressman; they had twelve children. He was farmer near Mannheim, Ontario where resided for his entire married life. On May 1, 1853 he ordained a deacon in the local congregation. He was ordained minister in January 1859. He was an early supporter of the Sunday school in Ontario, and was one of the first to invite U.S. Mennonite evangelists to serve in his congregation.

Samuel S. Bowman (July 15, 1834-Nov. 24, 1924) was sibling of Moses S. Bowman. He married Elizabeth Ploch on Dec. 1, 1861; they had four children. He later married Anna Cressman.  He served as a public school teacher for a number of years. He was ordained as a minister on February 1, 1878 and served primarily at the Christian Eby Church (First Mennonite) in Kitchener.

Scope and content: The fonds consists of legal and estate documents that Moses S. Bowman and Samuel S. Bowman helped administer; some documents related to Samuel S. Bowman; and four diaries written by Moses S. Bowman.

Notes: For more information see the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online article on Bowman.
Original description created by Sam Steiner in 2007 and modified by Laureen Harder-Gissing in 2016.

Box 1

1. Photocopies of obituaries; memorial of deed, John Erb to William Corall, 1806; newsclipping re: fire of house built by Moses S. Bowman in 1874;  family record of Moses and Anna Bowman (two copies); certification that Moses C. Bowman (b. 1855; son of Moses S. Bowman) was a member of the Mennonite Church
2. Samuel S. Bowman financial records -- Property appraisal of Ephraim B. Snyder property; John Histand estate; Israel Snider's estate; auction sale listing
3. Benjamin Bowman (Baumann) estate materials -- Benjamin Bauman's day book, 1847, 1859; Executors book for estate of Benjamin Bowman (1875); Indenture of bargain and sale, 1850; receipts and papers; probate of last will and testament, 1875
4. Manuscript history of Christian Eby congregation by Samuel S. Bowman, 1902
5. Materials from family Bible; school promotion certificate for Matilda Bowman, 1881; printed family register for Benjamin Baumann family, 1870s; family register from Bible
6. Materials re: estate of Benjamin E. Eby (1818-1872)(son of Bishop Benjamin Eby) -- receipt book; mortgage papers; agreements for land sales; account book re: estate (Samuel S. Bowman was an administrator)
7. Transcription of note book of Samuel S. Bowman, ca. 1905
   Notebook was transcribed while in the possession of Mrs. J. Mass. Transcription was transferred to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario by the Mennonite Church (USA) Archives in about 2016. Consists of lists of names of families in the Mennonite Church in Ontario, and baptisms at Cressman (Breslau), Berlin (First Mennonite, Kitchener) and Waterloo (Erb Street) congregations in 1905.

Box 2

1. Books and papers related to estate of George Baetz; auction sale listing; receipts; mortgage documents; Economical Mutual Fire Insurance policy, 1876 (Samuel S. Bowman papers)
2. Receipts related to estate of Peter Lebenguth (Samuel S. Bowman papers)
3. Henry Strickler documents -- Mortgage, 1867; Indenture (includes Benjamin Baumann); poster re: sale of real estate of Henry Strickler "an insolvent", 1864
4. Books, papers and will of John Histand (d. 1879)(Samuel S. Bowman papers)
5. Ephraim Snyder items, including last will and testament (1880)
6. Diary - Moses S. Bowman, 1871
7. Diary - Moses S. Bowman, 1875
8. Diary - Moses S. Bowman, 1889
9. Diary - Moses S. Bowman, 1890

Box 3

1. Account books, Moses S. Bowman
   
   Scope and content: These 2 volumes cover the years ca. 1791-1872. The books predominantly contain the financial accounts of the Bowmans over this time period. Also included are the following church records:
   "A bill of Latschar's [Mannheim] new meeting house," 1854 (p.15)
   Baptisms, Latschar (Mannheim) congregation, 1871 (p.29)
   Baptisms, Christian Eby's (First Mennonite, Kitchener), 1871 (p. 30)
   
   Custodial history: The books were originally accessioned by the Archives of the Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana. They were deaccessioned and transferred to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario in Jan 2015. Records of the transfer are housed with the account books.

​Back to personal collections listing page

Return to top