Philip Mowry was born in Smithfield, Providence Co., R.I. he was called "Potash Philip" to distinguish him from the many Philip Mowrys in the area at that time. William A. Mowry, author of the Nathaniel Mowry genealogy, shows our Philip Mowry as the son of Uriah Mowry and Urania Paine, but shows no marriage or children for him, and drops him with this notation "removed to Cazenovia, NY"
About 1800, Philip and his children removed from Smithfield to Cazenovia, NY at that time cazenovia included the entire. Southwest portion of Madison Co. On march 13, 1807, the area in Which the Mowrys had settled was set off as Nelson township. Philip spent his remaining years here, and is burled in the "Nelson Rural Cemetery" one half mile west and one half mile. South of the village of Nelson. His grave marker is inscribed:
Philip Mowry, died June. I2, 1813 in his 82nd year, surgeon in rev. war.
A picture of his grave marker is also shown on page 13, his marker Bears an inscription that it was "bought and reared by his daughter-in-law, Lucy Mowry" this was Richard's second wife. The words "daughter-in-law, Lucy Mowry" have been recently Chipped off the marker, but they are still discernible. This shows There was some ill-feeling. More is said about that in the sketch about Richard Mowry. We have been unable to obtain data on Phillip's war service, but do have confirmation that his father, Uriah, and Phillip's brother, Gideon, had a war record, as several persons have used their records to join the D.A.R. see note at bottom of page 10.
Mary Paine, born June 21, 1739, was a daughter of Benjamin Paine and Anna Mowry. Benjamin Paine, born 1699, son of John Paine III, and Elizabeth Belcher, was a brother of Philip Mowry's mother, Urania Paine. Thus, Philip Mowry and Mary Paine were first cousins. Benjamin Paine and Urian Mowry were adjacent neighbors in Smithfield, so it was quite natural that Benjamin's daughter should marry Uriah's son. It is thought that Mary died in Smithfield, and thus did not remove to Cazenovia with her husband and children.
Mary's mother, Anna (also called Amey) Mowry, was a daughter of John Mowry, 2nd, son of John Mowry, brother of Nathaniel the progenitor of Philip Mowry's line..
Benjamin Paine was married four times; first to Elizabeth?; second to Ann Arnold; third to Anna Mowry; and fourth to Jemima Esten. By these four wives he had 28 children, so there were many Paine descendants in Smithfield, R.I.
* reference- "paine family records by H.D. Paine, M.D., 1880.
William A. Mowry, author of the Mowry genealogies., shows in the John Mowry book, a Philip Mowry, #20, born about 1707, a son of John Mowry, 2nd he shows no wife for this Philip, but does ask this question "did he marry Mary Paine?", and then attributes the following children to him:
Nathan b. 1755
Abel b. 1758
Sylvanus-b. 1760
Solomon b. 1762
Richard b. 1764
It is our contention that this Philip Mowry (b. 1707) did not marry Mary Paine, and that the above children were all issue of our Philip (b.1734) and Mary Paine (b. 1739). The reasons for this are:
1. The Phillip (b. 1707) would not be so likely to marry mary paine (b. 1739) as would our philip (b. 1734) who was nearer her age.
2. The above children started being born when philip (b. I707) was age 48, an unusual occurrence.
3. Our philip (b. 1734) married mary paine in 1756, and there seems to be a natural period for the above Nathan, Abel, Sylvanus and Solomon to be born just before. Our Richard (b.1764). We admit that Nathan was born in 1755, which is a year before our Philip married mary, but we feel this 1755 could be in error, and might have been 1756, or just two years previous to Abe, leaving the children born at two year intervals.
4. A Sylvanus Mowry came to Madison Co., NY., at the same time that our Philip and Richard did.
There are good vital statistic records of rhode island, but the mother's name is seldom given. So when it is stated that a child was born to Philip,of Smithfield , it could be a child of any of the Philip Mowrys there then. This also is true of marriages.
It is our belief that the children of Philip Mowry son of Uriah and Mary Paine, daughter of Benjamen, were.:
Nathan b. 1756
Abel b. 1758
Sylvanus b. 1760
Solomon b. 1762
Richard b. 1764
Elizabeth- b. 1769
When the picture on page.13 of Philip Mowry's monument was taken, just after memorial day, an American flag had been hung on the grave, showing that some organization knew of his war service.
The D.A.R. magazine ,vol. 37, lists Philip Mowry, a rev. war soldier, as being buried at Nelson, Madison Co., NY.
