logo

An American Family History

Sarah Bonner Bowles Douglas Smith Harbert

 
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves,
and, under a just God cannot retain it."
― Abraham Lincoln
 
 
Alternate spellings of Douglas: Dougals, Doughlass, Douglace, Douglass, Dougless, Douglasse, Dowglas, Dowglass, Duglas, Duglass
 
Bowles Plantation (Bowls, Bowlesley) was a plantation on the Potomac River near Pickawaxon Creek in Charles County, Maryland.
Sarah Bonner inherited it from
William Bowles who had inherited it from his father
Edward Bowles. Sarah left it to her son,
Joseph Douglas.
Marylandwas established with religious freedom for Catholics. The colonial economy was based on tobacco cultivated by Africans who had been enslaved.

Sarah Bonner Bowles Douglas Smith Harbert was born about 1636 in England. She was close kin to Henry Bonner.

Her first husband was William Bowles. William and Sarah did not have children. William owned Bowle's plantation in Charles County, Maryland where they lived.

In 1662 William died and Sarah inherited Bowles and half his estate. She was the executrix of the estate.

Her second husband was John Douglas who was their close neighbor and friend of William's. Sarah was about 25 when they married.

John and Sarah's children and life together are described in detail in the section on John and Sarah Douglas.

Sarah married Ralph Smith after John's death. She was the administratrix and sole heir of his estate.

In 1683 she was referred to as the widow of John Douglas and wife of Ralph Smith in Peter Carr's will and in an indenture for a land exchange.

In 1691 Ralph was made guardian of John Platt.

Ralph died on February 10, 1698/99.

Ralph's will was probated on March 10, 1698/99. Sarah was his administratrix. In 1700 she received a payment from Thomas Taylor and was called Mrs. Sarah Smith.

In 1701 she was mentioned as the wife of Captain William Harbert (Herbert) in the will of William Timothy.

William and Sarah both died in 1718. He died in May. George Dent was the executor of William's estate.

Sarah signed her will on July 8, 1718. She died soon after at Bowles. Her next of kin were her step daughter's husband, George Dent, and her grandson, Douglas Gifford. She was almost 80 years old when she died.

Piccowaxen Parish, Maryland was on Cobb Neck between the Wicomico and Potomac Rivers. It has been spelled as Pickawaxon, Pickiawaxen, Pickwaten, Pickwixon, Pykawaxen in Douglas family records. Christ Church Wayside was built there in 1692.The parish became William and Mary Parish.
Children of Colonel John Douglas and Sarah Bonner:
  • John Douglas
  • Robert Douglas
  • Sarah Douglas Gifford Barnes
  • Elizabeth Douglas Brandt Howard Thompson
  • Joseph Douglas
  • Charles Douglas
  • Old Style Calendar
    Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
    Guardianship is when a court gives an adult custody of a child and/or the responsibility of managing the child's property. Before women could own property, guardians were appointed for their minor children if their husband died.
     

    divider

    Colonial Maryland
    Colonial New England
    Colonial Virginia & West Virginia
    Quakers & Mennonites
    New Jersey Baptists
     
    German Lutherans
    Watauga Settlement
    Pennsylvania Pioneers
    Midwest Pioneers
    Californians
    Jewish Immigrants

    ©Roberta Tuller 2025
    tuller.roberta@gmail.com
    An American Family History is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
    an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.