 Richard DowdyBranch #19 |
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1. RICHARD DOWDY was born Abt. 1761. of Telfair GA +(1) PENELOPE LANE BRICE. +(2) ANN.
The following was found in the Chatham Co GA Rootsweb mailing list posting by Bob (John Robert) PEAVY Post Office Box 1519 Rincon GA 31326-1519: John.R.Peavy@sas02.usace.army.mil The 24 Nov 1829 will of Richard DOWDY [Jr RS b 1750-1760] probated in Chatham Co GA in 1832, shows a widow Ann [b 1800-1810, likely his m3, possibly Nancy MOULTRIE m 14 Sep 1822 Screven Co GA], a surviving son, John [initial L. shows in probate records] DOWDY, and two survivingdaughters, Catherine DOWDY [m 18 Sep 1832 Chatham Co GA m Thomas ROYCROFT] and July FRY [Julia - I don't believe I've seen a primary record which shows "Judith" -- Julia m 8/17 Apr 1828 Chatham Co GA m John M. FRY (Jr?)], and two grandchildren, Benjamin Franklin DOWDY [b 1816] and Keziah DOWDY [b c 1826]. He made his mark "R" on the will [data in brackets in this paragraph do not appear in the will] The will does not mention any of John's children; these grandchildren are the orphans of his older deceased son(s) (John L. DOWDY's half-brothers) , presumably only Benjamin DOWDY (d c Aug 1819 Chatham Co GA), and Wyley DOWDY (b 1775-1794 d by 2 Mar 1829 Screven Co GA when John B.MOULTRIE was his administrator). Benjamin Franklin DOWDY's other grandfather, Simon SMITH RS, mentions him in his will as well but not Keziah, so these two grandchilden likely have different parents. Keziah DOWDY seems to be the lady who m George Washington SCOTT (b 21 May 1826 d 27 May 1910, half-brother of my ggggfather) and she was b c 1826 m 11 Sep 1842. These dates are crucial if not sufficient to determining which DOWDY son m Rebecca SMITH DOWDY STRICKLAND (widowed by 1821) and was the father of Benjamin Franklin DOWDY (who grew up to become Sheriff of Tattnall Co GA among other honorable positions), and which DOWDY son was the father of Keziah DOWDY SCOTT. I do not know how the Richard DOWDY of Montgomery Co GA was established as an eldest son, Richard DOWDY III (based on c 1805 tax records), by others. No mention of him is made in the 1829 will (and I can only establish a rather wide b date range for one older child - Wylly). Neither is Sarah Ann DOWDY ANDERSON mentioned; an earlier ANDERSON researcher had her as Sarah MOULTRIE, although the marriage record shows DOWDY and her age implies that she is more likely a DOWDY daughter than a DOWDY widow. Among their being neighbors, acting as surety, administering an estate, marrying, jointly selling land and using MOULTIRE as the middle name of two later children, there are many, many MOULTRIE tie-ins. Because Benjamin DOWDY's probate file in Chatham Co GA indicates that he had fallen into some trouble in Chatham and Effingham Cos GA within a few years of his death and also indicates that the administrator of his estate was his major creditor (Benjamin BURTON; the file makes no mention of this DOWDY's family, only the Chatham Co GA and perhaps Screven Co GA friends that contributed funds to settle the estate), it is only natural that no Benjamin Franklin DOWDY descendants may wish to claim the older Benjamin DOWDY as much as they gladly accept the younger Benjamin Franklin DOWDY's accomplishments (I have no primary evidence that indicates the pair were Sr and Jr) and gladly accept the RS of Richard DOWDY Jr. The Pioneers of Wiregrass GA Volume IX pp 159-160 article makes the connection, but the article's author, Joseph E. SPANN Jr (Director of the Polk Co FL Historical & Genealogical Library, Old Courthouse, 100 East Main Street, Bartow FL 33830), had at one time reversed field in favor of Wyley DOWDY. I've not found proof, but I suspect that the author was right the first time. A further complication to this issue is that a Benjamin DOWDY m Miss Elizabeth BROCK m 12 Sep 1814 in Effingham Co GA, so if he is indeed the husband of Rebecca SMITH, he must have m2 very shorthly thereafter -- I have not been yet found a BROCK or SMITH researcher who can help me on this matter. Mr. SPANN is also the expert on the Colonial Georgia's Richard DOWDY Sr, the "pump-maker," who m Judith _____, widow of Benjamin RUSS on 11 Apr 1756 in St Helena Parish (now Beaufort Co SC). Would you know of any primary evidence that John L. DOWDY's middle name is Lottaway? Even if it is the middle name of his son or grandson, his own middle name could be otherwise, Lane for example (for the mother of John, Catherine and Julia -- that is, Penelope LANE BRICE DOWDY b < 1775 d > 1820, 2nd wife of Richard DOWDY Jr RS m2 c 1806 -- she m1 1797 Bulloch CoGA). The birth places of the children of John L. DOWDY (b c 1804 Screven Co GA m 2/4 Jan 1826 Screven Co GA by [not yet Rev] Moses Nathaniel MCCALL Sr J.P., another of my wife's forefathers) & Gordian ANDERSON (b c 1808 Screven Co GA) (the census taker in Telfair Co GA wrote down to the county level for those enumerated that were b GA.) change from Screven Co GA to Telfair Co GA c 1836-1837. John's father, Richard DOWDY Jr RS (who had evidently moved from Screven Co GA to Chatham Co GA in the late 1820's), had left him an 850 acre tract on Black Creek in Screven Co GA when his will was probated in Chatham Co GA in 1832 -- I have not yet looked for the subsequent sale of that acreage. In 1835 John L. DOWDY was the guardian for his wife's ancestor's brother, Ignatius Bell ANDERSON "Wheeler" (b 11 Jun 1812? Screven Co GA -- I have b c 1819 -- d 26 Aug 1889 Dodge Co GA). On 10 May 1837 in Telfair Co GA he m Rebecca SHABER). One of his descendants, James H. ANDERSON, graciously shared a great deal of information about him and his descendants. Additionally, "Chapter IV - Families" in A History of Wilcox County, Georgia (1984 pp 153-154 of 589) is a summary of the ANDERSON-STRATHAM-WESTER Family by Frances WESTER SMITH, begining with Wheeler's son Hazikiriah [sic] ANDERSON m Sarah Jane STRATHAM. John's sister Catherine L. DOWDY (b 1806-1808 Screven Co GA) and her husband Thomas ROYCROFT/RYCROFT (b 1807 VA d 1850-1860) also settled in Telfair Co GA. They had been m 18 Sep 1832 Chatham Co GA on a Tuesday evening by Jacob CHADBORN Esq. I have not yet looked at the subsequent sale of the Spring Hill, Savannah residence that Richard DOWDY Jr had left to her earlier that year. Eight of Thomas and Catherine's children were b: in Effingham Co GA c 1833, in Screven Co GA c 1837 and in Telfair Co GA c 1838-1845. By 1860, Catharine is evidently a widow with five children, including a (grand?)son b the year before -- one older son has a wife and three children in a separate household, and one older daughter is living with the DOWDYs (as is a little girl, Rebecca BOHANNON b c 1854, of unkown relationship). One of her sons who is still with her in 1860, Thomas Richard RYCROFT "Dick" b 6 Oct 1845 Telfair Co GA d 15 Aug 1889 Worth Co GA, m 1867 Telfair Co GA m Rebecca DOWDY b c 1853 d Crisp Co GA, daughter of his first cousin. John's other sister was Julia DOWDY FRY "July" (b 1810-1811 d Feb 1836 m 17 Apr 1828 Chatham Co GA m John FRY). She was probably b in Screven Co GA, as were her two closest siblings. The two slaves which Richard DOWDY Jr had left to this daughter were to be held in trust by his son John apart from any debts of July's husband, and for any children they should have. July d as an Augusta Road resident of Spring Hill, Savannah, and was buried in Chatham Co GA 26 Feb 1836 at the age of 25. Her child of age one day had been buried 8 Feb 1836. She died of "child-bed" with one of the Doctors named SHEFTALL attending. Her husband may be the John Newton FRY Jr whose burial along with those of his family were removed (from ?) to Laurel Grove Cemetery in Savannah on 9 May 1854 -- the FRYs buried in Laurel Grove lot 665 do not have stones (the lot has only one small stone, and its meager data hasn't helped me). I do not know if she had other children or what became of John FRY. Thus by 1850 the three related families of Ignatius Bell ANDERSON, his brother-in-law John L. DOWDY and the latter's brother-in-law Thomas RYCROFT were living in Telfair Co GA (formed 1807) and they all had settled there c 1836-1838. I do not know if the later removal of Ignatius Bell ANDERSON to Pulaski Co GA (formed 1807), Wilcox Co GA (formed 1857) and to Dodge Co GA (formed 1870) were just physical moves or also involved changes in county lines. (Is that why Rhine occurs in both Telfair and Dodge Cos GA?). In 1850, John's orphaned nephew, Benjamin Franklin DOWDY b 1816, was in Tattnall Co GA as was his mother, Rebecca SMITH, and his step-father, Aaron B. STRICKLAND. John's orphaned niece, now Keziah DOWDY SCOTT, was still in Screven Co GA as was most of his other ANDERSON in-laws (now LEE, BURNS and LEE), with some in Effingham Co GA (a widow CANEDY and her son) including his mother-in-law, Alley _____ ANDERSON.
PRIMARY SOURCE: Bill Harrell WMHARRELL@aol.com PLEASE EMAIL ANY CORRECTIONS WANTED: DESCENDANTS TO FILL IN DETAILS |
