[1] He was born at Glangrwyney, Crickhowell, Brecknockshire and died in hospital at Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
Cowan was an amateur right-handed middle-order or opening batsman whose appearances in regular cricket were restricted by his career in the Royal Navy.
[6][7] By the end of the First World War, Cowan had reached the rank of Commander and was in charge of HMS Nairana, a converted ferry used to launch seaplanes which was deployed off the northern coast of Russia during the North Russia Campaign of UK involvement in the Russian Civil War.
[12] There were further matches for Warwickshire in 1920 and 1921, when he occasionally captained the county side; in the match against Hampshire in 1920, he made 78 as an opening batsman and this was his highest first-class score, though it was of little avail in the face of a Hampshire first innings of 616 and Warwickshire lost by an innings.
[13] Though Cowan did not play first-class cricket after 1921, he resumed his association with Warwickshire on his retirement from the Royal Navy, acting as captain of the second eleven in the Minor Counties Championship in the early 1930s and in other second eleven matches after Warwickshire had dropped out of the Minor Counties, through to 1936.