Amanuenses Monday: Family Letters, Part Two

 

My Dear Mr. Morris,

Your letter reached me some time ago.  All of Jan and first part of Feb. I was so busy preparing for two club programs that it seemed impossible to attend to anything but strictly necessary corespondence.  Since hearing from you I have had a letter of inquiry from Mrs. Shupe of Denton Kan. who says she is your cousin.  I am writing to her tonight.  Also my typewriter is so much out of order and I feel I owe you an apology to  [illegible] for writing to them in longhand.  I hope you will not find it completely unintelligible.  Some years ago Clinton Elmer Smith of Elizabethton Tenn. sent me the Doran data and I joined the DAR.  Alexander has a number of descendents in the organization.  He served also in the War of 1812 as major, I am told.  The list of his children as sent there is as follows.
James born Jan. 1, 1782 not married
Margaret B. 1783 m. James Keys
Elizabeth B. July 22, 1785 m. Caleb Smith (my great parents)
Robert Lowry B. July 19, 1786 m. Betty Lowry
Nancy Gordon B. Sep 17, 1789 m. Ezekiel Smith
Jennett B. Sept. 11, 1791 m. John Ward
William B. July 25, 1793 m. Elizabeth Wilson
Rebecca B. Sept 9, 1796 m. Richard Donnelly
John Lowry B. May 26, 1799 not married
In a list of children sent by another descendant some years ago all the above were named but some dates varried.  Robert was given as born in 1784.

Last fall I was at the state historical library in Topeka a part of a day.  They had the new book Annals of Virginia.  (I have a copy of the History of Southwest Va. by Summers.  I found references to the will of James mentioning wife Margaret and son Alexander as the only heirs.  I had no time to look for Lowry data but some one wrote me a few months ago that John Lowry is the son of William, I believe.  I have such a lot of notes on the various John Lowrys.  Two of them lived in Augusta county Va. in the same vicinity.  Came there during the 1749s or there abouts.  Ours died in 1761-2.  I have a copy of his will which I can send to you if you want it) and the other John did not die until some years later.  As I said I have so many Genealogical notes and have not had the time to get them in accessible files -- as I hope to do sometime.  At one time, I had all the details fairly well in mind but for the last several years I have been so busy with other things and have not kept up on this hence it is a good deal of trouble to look up all the various items.  I have referred to the references to the wills in chalkleys records -- vol 3. p. 69 -- will of John Lowry Nov. 26, 1761.  Executors wife Elizabeth.  David & James = daughters Rebecca, Janett, and Elizabeth (this is the Elizabeth who married Alex Doran) she was B. 1758.  This will was probated May 18, 1762.  Other notes states that James left children Peggy, William, James & Alex.  Can the list of children you have be those of his son John?  He married Dorcas Mongomery during the 1717's sometime.  However I am quite sure he died before 1880.  He removed to Abingdon became an atorney I think and has prominent descendants in the South.  I believe Robert Edmondston Lowry was one of them.  I am sure that I have a partial list of his children somewhere and do not believe it agrees with your list.

Then the other John that I have from the Augusta County records made his will May 26, 1770 mentions wife Jean, sons Melvin or Martin, Patrick and John and son in law Samuell Todd.  His will was probated June 19, 1770.  A John Hamilton of Newcastle County, Penn. left land to John Lowry deed dated June 7, 1749 mentions "bond by John to have his wife execute release of dower in above" -- Probated Nov. 27, 1750.  I would should like to know which of the John Lowry's this refers.  The name of Hamilton as well as Gordon, Campbell and Russell have been used a good deal among descendants of our John and I have wondered if his wife could have been Elizabeth Hamilton.  Do you know the name James Dorans wife Margaret.  I have a copy of the will of David Lowry  the son of our John he died in washington co. Va.  His will was made May 1, 1827.  He mentions as his brothers sisters those mentioned in his fathers will and leaves his property to them also to nephews and nieces.  He had a fairly large estate about a dozen slaves etc.

I am trying to trace [illegible] Smiths too Jarvis Smith of Walkers county North Carolina the father of Caleb who married Elizabeth Doran.  I have some different data in Mrs. Shupes letter, perhaps you can exchange.  I have more data on Alex Doran not much detail of John Lowry.  This is a scrappy letter and may not contain much that you want.  If you have only a little data I can send more details.  I hope you will write me again

Sincerely,
     Lulu Gibson
     Mrs. Franklin L. Gibson
     801 West 12th Avenue
     Empora Kansas

Copyed by Lowery A Doran