TOWN RECORDS - Kittery, York, Maine:
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18 February 1753 - James Gowen was born,
son of William Gowen.
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FAMILY RECORDS - Jane (Gowen) Witham:
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William was again married to a widow Chick, whose maiden name was Mary Davis, by whom he had three children, viz .... James, Betsey, and, Anna."
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James married

1] Edna KNIGHT
on 5 May 1778
in the Congregational Church 'at Capsic'
at Falmouth, Cumberland, Maine.
They were the parents of ten children;
Mary, Betsy, William, James, Hannah, Levi, Moses, Stephen, daughter, Peter.

2] Lucy STAPLES
on 5 November 1815

On 18 November 1778 James bought land on Duck Pond Road at Westbrook in Cumberland County and this was to be his home.
They are recorded on the 1800 & 1810 & 1820 census at Westbrook, Cumberland, Maine.

GOWEN FAMILY GENEALOGY:
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James' father died when he was six years old. His uncle, the Honorable James Gowen, who was a very prominent man and had no sons. He took the boy into his family and was a father to him, so the boy had a good opportunity by being raised by a person who could give him advantages of his position. James grew to manhood in the old Shapleigh House at Kittery, and, soon after reaching his majority in 1774 went to Falmouth where he started life for himself, made a home, and became a prominent citizen.
The house that he built at the time of his marriage in 1778 was still standing as of 1975.
James and his wife, Edna, operated a public house [or tavern] accommodating teamsters. The doors were never locked, if travelers arrived after the family had retired, they took care of their teams, threw another log on the fire and made themselves comfortable. The country tavern may have been the more popular because of the genial qualities of its host.
James was a member of the 'Society of Friends', favoring their style of dress and manner of speech.
He was a large sized man, he was referred to as 'a gentleman of character and influence, a man of great ability, with a knack for funny stories, a prepossessing man in appearance, but keen and witty in conversation'. He kept a tavern and carried on with farming and lumbering, and other businesses, and served his town in various capacities.
In 1810 James was elected by the town of Falmouth to serve as Delegate-Representative to the General Court of Massachusetts.
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YORK DEEDS - 9 March 1774:
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James Gowen {Laborer; of Falmouth} inherited land from his mother, Mary {deceased, late of Kittery} which he sold to his half-brother, William {Husbandman; of Sanford} for 10 pounds.
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Son of William GOWEN and Mary DAVIS.