Caroline (Cuddy) Cowan was an orphan from New Bern. She is assumed to be an orphan since her father, John Cowan, was listed as deceased in her marriage announcement--an unusual practice [1].
Caroline likely attended the Burwell School in the early 1840s. She was Mrs. Burwell's first boarder at the school and consequently held a special place in her heart. The feeling was most likely mutual. Caroline Cowan may have regarded the Burwell School as a second home. Mrs. Burwell (Margaret Anna Robertson) wrote affectionately of Caroline in her letter to her daughter Frances Armistead Burwell on 25 January 1856:
"I had a long affectionate letter from Vene Cole the other day & one from Cuddy Green (Cowan that was). She was the first boarder I ever had, was a little child when she lived here. She has now three children & they say her husband is killing himself drinking. She sent me a beautiful embroidered white crape scarf--much too youthful for me. Nan will have it. I valued the expression of kind feeling--how such little affectionate attentions sweeten life."
Caroline Cowan's marriage announcement to James G. Green was listed in The Hillsborough Recorder [2] on 19 April 1848. It was unusual to publish notices of student marriages in the Recorder, in this case, it may have indicated that Caroline had a special place in the Burwell family. Eight years later, she was still writing affectionate letters to Mrs. Burwell and sending her Christmas gifts [1].
Caroline was called Cuddy.
had three children with James G. Green by 1856 but reported that her husband was killing himself with drinking [1].