1.
John LOWDER
An LDS baptismal record for John LOWDER's grandson Jesse LOWDER in 1869 states that John was born in England. COUNTIES OF MORGAN, MONROE & BROWN, INDIANA, 1884, by Blanchard also gives England as John LOWDER's place of birth.
Hannah LOWDER's maiden name is unknown. However, she CANNOT be Hannah Ward who married John Lewder (or LOWDER) in Haddonfield Monthly Meeting, New Jersey, in 1724, as this Hannah was a much older woman who could not have had children born between 1758 and 1780.
Prior to 26 August 1780, when John LOWDER and children were received into membership in the New Garden Monthly Meeting (Quaker) in Guilford County, North Carolina, it is not known precisely where the family was located. It should be noted that in the 1850 Census, the birthplace of Caleb LOWDER (born 1760) was listed as New Jersey. The birthplace of Joseph LOWDER (born 1766) was listed as South Carolina, in his son Jesse's 1869 LDS baptimsal record. The birthplace of Samuel LOWDER (born 1772) was listed in the Duck Creek Monthly Meeting Minutes (Quaker) as Orange County, North Carolina.
According to Norman Dunten, a descendant of John's grandson Joseph LOWDER of Pike County, Illinois, an obituary of Joseph's daughter Anna LOWDER (died 8 Jan 1913) says that Joseph LOWDER's grandfather (John) came to America when William Penn was founding the city of Philadelphia. His mother conducted a truck garden in the outskirts of Penn's village and the boy carried produce into the town and sold it.
Many of the founders of the New Garden Monthly Meeting in Guilford County, North Carolina, were Quakers from the Philadelphia area. A John LOWDER is listed in JERSEYMEN IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR as a wagoner, which would have been acceptable service for a Quaker, but it is not known if this is the same John LOWDER as the subject of this genealogy. It probably is NOT the same John if Samuel LOWDER was indeed born in North Carolina in 1772, as this would indicate that the family had removed from New Jersey and/or Pennsylvania to North Carolina prior to the Revolutionary War.
Jesse LOWDER's 1869 LDS baptismal record says that his father Joseph (born 1766) was born in South Carolina. It is thus possible that John LOWDER brought his family to North Carolina by way of South Carolina, and if so, they may have sailed from Philadelphia to South Carolina.
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS, 1881, p. 1034, states: "John LOWDER, Mr. LOWDER's [George Washington LOWDER, born 1805, son of William and Margaret LOWDER] grandfather, was a soldier in the Continental Army. After the close of the war, he continued to reside in North Carolina, where he died. He raised quite a family of sons: John, Samuel, Joseph, Joshua, William, Caleb, Nathan, and Job." This source also says that the LOWDER family is German in original nationality, but that is contradicted by other evidence mentioned above.
Christ Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, lists the following baptisms of children of Ralph and Catherine LOWDER: 10 March 1721, son Robert (born 3 Mar 1721); 9 Mar 1727, daughter Mary (age 4 months); 29 [Dec] 1738, son Samuel (age 3 years) and daughter Susannah (age 7 months). Since John LOWDER, the subject of this genealogy, was probably born during this time period, and since his oldest child was named Catherine and one of his sons was named Ralph, it is speculated that perhaps John was a child of this Ralph and Catherine LOWDER of Philadelphia. John LOWDER might well have been born between 1727 (birth of Mary) and 1735 (birth of Samuel).
Another clue comes from C.T. Lowther's book MY LOWTHER FAMILY, 1979. It states that some of the descendants of Joel Lowther and Phoebe Ellis (who married 5 July 1738, First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA) took the spelling LOWDER or LOUDER. Joel and Phoebe's son John is known to have married Martha Vastine and cannot be the John who is the subject of this genealogy. But this evidence is nonetheless suggestive of the hypothesis that the LOWDER name was originally Lowther.
The absence of Hannah LOWDER's name from several of the Monthly Meeting Minutes is not really a clue as to her religion or when she died. The Monthly Minutes often named only the males (or sometimes all of the children) without naming the adult females. Thus, it is very likely that Hannah was received into membership in New Garden Monthly Meeting in August 1780 at the same time as John and the children. She certainly was alive at this time, as Nathan was not born until December 1780.
It is not known why the 1790 Census of Surry County, North Carolina, lists John LOWDER as apparently living alone. It is possible that this census record is for John's son John (born 1762).
The 1793 Surry County indenture record for Nathan LOWDER identifes him as an orphan, but this designation was often used for children whose parents were unable to care for them. Thus, this does not prove that John LOWDER had died by this time. John LOWDER's dismissal from the Quakers in 1791 is perhaps a relevant factor here.
It is surmised that the John LOWDER, over age 45, enumerated in the 1810 Census of Washington County, Virginia, is the same John who is the subject of this genealogy, and no further record of him has been found. It is not known if the female, over age 45, in his household is Hannah, although no evidence indicates that John had any other marriage.
One LOWDER family not included in this genealogy is headed by Elijah LOWDER (born 1 May 1801, in North Carolina; died 26 Apr 1881, in Hancock County, Indiana), who may well have been a grandson of John and Hannah LOWDER. However, no determination has been made as to who Elijah's father may have been. A key clue is a July 1815 indenture in Harrison County, Kentucky, which states that Elijah LOWDER is the "infant orphan" of -- [first name left blank] LOWDER deceased who has no estate. This Elijah married Leah Pock in Harrison County, KY, 22 Nov 1827, and his household in the 1850 Hancock County, Indiana, Census appears as follows (p. 254): LOWDER, Elijah 49 NC; Leah 43 KY; Adam F. 21 KY; Nancy A. 19 IN; Alfred 16 IN; James V. 14 IN; Elizabeth 11 IN; William A. 9 IN; Nelly A. 8 IN; Sarah J. 6 IN; John H.C. 5 IN. Information on this family came from Helen Powers and M. Kathryn Lowder (the latter reporting that Elijah subsequently married Elizabeth Mallory sometime after 1850).
The birthdates of all of John and Hannah's children are listed in the Quaker records as follows:
HINSHAW'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN QUAKER GENEALOGY, Volume I:
Guilford County, North Carolina, New Garden Monthly Meeting:
p. 507:
John LOUDER
Hannah LOUDER
children:
Catharine,born 7-17-1758, died 6-30-1760
Caleb, born 9-2-1760
John, born 6-29-1762
Mary, born 8-2-1764
Joseph, born 6-19-1766
Ralph, born 5-8-1768, died 10-16-1772
Rebekah, born 3-15-1770
Samuel, born 1-17-1772
William, born 6-29-1773
Hannah, born 8-8-1774
Job, born 7-25-1776
Joshua, born 6-14-1778
Nathan, born 12-31-1780
HINSHAW'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN QUAKER GENEALOGY, Volume I:
Guilford County, NC, New Garden Monthly Meeting:
p. 557:
8-26-1780, John LOUDER & children Caleb, John, Mary, Joseph, Rebeckah, Samuel, William, Hannah, Job & Joshua, received by request
3-30-1782, John LOWDER & children granted certificate to Center Monthly Meeting, NC
Guilford County, NC, Deeds, 1771-1785--LDS Film #501,196:
Vol. 3 (Book C):
p. 92:
17 Aug 1784
William McElhatton of Guilford to John LOWDER of Guilford,
for 28 pounds, tract on waters of Polecat adj. Peter Dick, Daniel Gallespie, including improvement of Francis Reese,
25 chains x 17 1/2 chains x 35 chains x 17 1/2 chains x 20 chains x 25 1/2 x 55
Signed: William McElhatton
Wit: Barzillai Gardner, Alex Abeson
Guilford County, NC, Deeds, 1786-1799--LDS Film #501,197:
Vol. 4 (Book D):
p. 58:
25 June 1785
John LOWDER, of Guilford, planter, to Robert Brittain, of Guilford
for 30 pounds, land on waters of Polecat, adj. John Stone, containing 61 acres
Signed: John LOWDER
Wit: Peter Decks, William Decks
Guilford County, NC, Deeds, 1786-1799--LDS Film #501,197:
Vol. 4 (Book D):
p. 136:
3 day of 8th month 1786
Jonas Touchston of Guilford to John LOWDER of Guilford
for 100 pounds, tract on waters of Reddicks crick adj. John Ozburn and Robert Pearce, adj. Barnard, land including the improvement of John Green,
49 x 24 x 49 x 40 chains
Signed: Jonas Touchston
Wit: Thomas Henderson, Robert Peirce
Guilford County, NC, Deeds, 1786-1799--LDS Film #501,197:
Vol. 5 (Book E):
p. 229:
18 day of 10th month 1790
John LOWDER of Surry County to Samuel Stanton of Randolph County,
for 30 pounds, tract in Guilford on waters of Polecat adj. Daniel & Jobe Worth,
20 chains x 25 x 55 x 25 x 35, 140 acres
Signed: John LOWDER
Wit: Thos Jenkins, John Jenkins (x), John Stanton
1790 FEDERAL CENSUS, SURRY COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA:
p. 515:
John Lowder household:
1 male over age 16
Surry County, NC, Tax Lists--LDS Film #019,959:
1790:
Capt. Lovill's District:
John LOWDER, 300 ac, 1 poll
HINSHAW'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN QUAKER GENEALOGY, Volume I:
Surry County, North Carolina, Westfield Monthly Meeting:
p. 966:
7-24-1790, John LOWDER & sons William, Job, Joshua & Nathan, received on certificate from Senter Monthly Meeting, dated 4-17-1790
3-19-1791, John LOWDER disowned (removed)
Guilford County, NC, Court Minutes--LDS Film #501,190:
1788-1796:
p. 207:
May 1793
Nathan LOWDER, orphant boy, to be bound to Peter Dicks until he arrives to proper age, he being twelve years old the first day of the present year, to learn the art & mystery of a cooper to fifteen months schooling.
1810 FEDERAL CENSUS, WASHINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA:
p. 697:
John Lowder household:
1 male over age 45
1 female over age 45
COUNTIES OF MORGAN, MONROE AND BROWN, INDIANA, Charles
Blanchard, Editor, Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1884:
p. 662:
"L.T. LOWDER, M.D., was born near Springville, Lawrence Co., Ind., May 6, 1846, is the son of Lynden and Mary H. (Short) Lowder, and is of English-Irish origin. The father of Mr. Lowder was born in Boone County, Ind., in 1816, and came to Lawrence County the year following. His mother was born in Greene County in 1819. His paternal grandfather was Ralph Lowder, a native of North Carolina. His great-grandfather was John Lowder, a native of England."
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS, Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Company, 1881:
TALKINGTON TOWNSHIP
pp. 1033-1034:
"George Washington Lowder, son of William and Margaret (Harris) Lowder, was born in 1805, in Harlan county, Kentucky. When an infant, his father moved into Lee county, Virginia, and settled in Powell's Valley. Here, when, he was about ten years old, Mr. Lowder's mother died, upon which event, his father, for the time being, broke up housekeeping, and the subject of this biography found a temporary home with his aunt, Henrietta Kelley, at which place he had a kind of general home till of age, spending the time of his minority in working as a laborer, and in the winter seasons going to such schools as were then afforded....
The Lowder family is German in original nationality. The ancestry came to this country before the Revolutionary War, and were patriots in our struggles for freedom and independence.
John Lowder, Mr. Lowder's grandfather, was a soldier of the 'Continental army.' After the close of the war, he continued to reside in North Carolina, where he died. He raised quite a family of sons: John, Samuel, Joseph, Joshua, William, Caleb, Nathan, and Job."