Matthew Rowan
Matthew Rowan (* in County Antrim in what is now Northern Ireland ; † April 1760 in the Province of North Carolina ) was a British colonial governor of the Province of North Carolina.
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The date of birth of Matthew Rowan has not been recorded. He had Scottish roots but was born in what is now Northern Ireland, the son of clergyman John Rowan and his wife Margaret Stewart. There is also no information about his youth and schooling. The time of his arrival in the Province of North Carolina is also unknown. In 1726 he was first mentioned there in a document. At that time he was active as a dealer and in shipbuilding. He later acquired a plantation in what is now Brunswick County , which is now called the Rowan Plantationis known. There he spent most of his further life. In 1742 he married Elizabeth Rowan, his brother's widow. From 1727 he was politically active in North Carolina. In that year he became a member of the colonial parliament and in 1731 he became a member of the government council (Council), of which he was a member until his death. He experienced the turbulent terms of office of Governors George Burrington and Richard Everard . Since 1735 he was a member of a committee that established the colony's southern border with the Province of South Carolina . In the following years he received other leading offices in the colonial administration.
After the death of the acting governor Nathaniel Rice , he was appointed his successor. He held this office between February 1, 1753 and November 1, 1754. Then the officially appointed governor Arthur Dobbs took over this office. As governor, Rowan found approval from both the British and the colonists. However, he was unable to implement planned reforms, especially in the field of defense. The Rowan County in North Carolina was named after him. Matthew Rowan died between April 18, 1760, the day he wrote his will, and April 22 of the same year, when he no longer appeared for a meeting of the government council.
Some sources report an incident in 1741. At that time, Rowan, as the captain of a wrecked ship, is said not to have taken care of the passengers, but rather to salvage the cargo. No charges were ever brought in this regard. In any case, if the incident is true, it has not harmed Rowan's future career.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Rowan, Matthew |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British politician, Governor of the Province of North Carolina |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 18th century |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | County Antrim , now Northern Ireland |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 1760 |
| Place of death | Province of North Carolina |