Priscilla Dowell's Family--Part 1

Priscilla Dowell was part of the Maryland Dowell family who migrated to North Carolina right after the Revolutionary War. Priscilla’s grandfather, Peter Dowell, Sr., and five sons settled in what was then Rowan County in the 1780s. Prior to 1770 Rowan County included what today are 20 counties in the northwest part of North Carolina as well as a big part of present day Tennessee. Wilkes County was formed in 1777.

Priscilla’s great-grandfather, Philip Dowell, “appeared” in Southern Maryland in the 1690s as a fully functioning tobacco planter. Although several researchers who have published pedigree charts of the Internet claim to know who Philip’s father is, they don’t agree and I have yet to see proof that support any of their claims. In 1702 Philip married Mary Tydings, the daughter of Richard Tydings—a former indentured servant who had come to Maryland from England in the middle of the 17^th century and subsequently had acquired substantial land holdings. Although Philip, or his father, is assumed to have come from the British Isles, the exact origin of the Maryland Dowells is unknown.

Through analysis of the Y-chromosomes of living descendants of three of Philip’s sons, we have established exactly what the results of a 111 marker DNA test would be if Philip himself could be tested. These results have established that the Dowells who appeared in Virginia in the first half of the 18^th century have not shared a common paternal ancestor with the Maryland Dowells for at least 3,000 years—long before surnames were introduced in Europe. Neither of these groups have DNA results that come close to matching the handful of Dowells currently living on the other side of the Atlantic who have been tested to date.

Priscilla’s grandparents, Peter, Sr., and Elizabeth (Owens) Dowell moved from Southern Maryland to Frederick County Maryland about a decade before the Revolutionary War. That area is now part of present day Montgomery County in the western suburbs of the District of Columbia. Her father, Philip, Sr., and four of his brothers played various roles in the Revolution. Whether it was because of war related travel to Carolina or the land bounties offered to veterans after the war, Peter, Sr., and five of his sons moved to Rowan County in the 1780s. My 4^th great-grandfather Richard Dowell was one of these sons and Priscilla’s father Philip was another.

What little we know about Priscilla’s early life suggests she was probably the youngest of nine or ten children of Philip, Sr., and Priscilla “Nacky” (Owen) Dowell. Her age in 1860 according to the census was 70 and her birthplace was Maryland. One of these is probably incorrect. Priscilla’s family was probably getting established in North Carolina by 1790. Clearly many of her older siblings were born in Maryland but it is unlikely that Priscilla was born there. As I reported in an earlier post, Priscilla could not sign her own name to her 1859 will. Was this because she was illiterate? Were the Philip Dowell’s daughters not given even the most basic education although they came from a family of property? One cousin of mine has speculated about whether Priscilla could have suffered a stroke or other infirmity that prevented her from signing her name more elaborately that simply making “her mark”.

I have yet to discover additional circumstances of Priscilla’s life prior to 1859 with the exception of a bequest made to her by her father in his 1823 will. In that document Philip gave her “a Negro Girl by the name of Juda, and the Heirs of her Body.” Other enslaved persons transferred by this will to various of Priscilla’s immediate family carried the names that appear to be Siney, Lydia, Ginny, Catey, Timssey, Jacob, Joe, David, Richman, and Henderson. Is it mere coincidence that some of these names reappear a generation later?

To be continued.

Pricilla Dowell's Slaves

I am in the process of transcribing the will of a first cousin – five times removed that she wrote on the eve of the US Civil War. It was probated at the height of the war in January 1863 in Wilkes County, North Carolina. When this will is combined with other contemporary documents, an interesting story begins to emerge. Part of it I will share today. I plan to add more as I am able to uncover and organize it.

It would appear that Priscilla Dowell was an unmarried woman of about 70 years of age. She is often reported to have been born in Maryland.  This birth location would be correct for her older siblings. However, if she was born about 1790, it is likely that she was born soon after her family arrived in North Carolina. Her grandparents and several uncles and aunts moved from Maryland right after the Revolutionary War. They were drawn there in part because of land grants being offered to soldiers in partial compensation for their service.

   

Apparently Priscilla was concerned about providing for her slaves because she took up their disposition right after she had directed that her just debts be paid. Bequests to her family members came later in the document. She seemed to have the best interest of her slaves in mind. While she stopped short of offering them their freedom, she appeared to be seeking a humane environment for them.

Item 2^nd   In order to secure a good home in this neighborhood for my negro woman Jude and her child Jo also the increase of said negro woman I will and desire that my Executor hereafter appointed permit said woman to select a home for herself and child or children and provided said person selected will pay two thirds of the valuation of said negroes at trader’s prices then my Executer to execute Bill of Sale and should it not suit the person selected by said negro woman to purchase or pay said prices, them  my Executor to select a home himself for said negro woman and child or children, provided nevertheless that it is my will and desire that said woman and child or children be sold for two thirds of the valuation of said woman and ___ children.

Item 3^rd I will and desire that my Executer sell my two negro boys Henderson and Peyton and my negro Girl, Eloisa to James Guyn for the rates of two thirds of their valuation at trading prices, and should it not ___ said James Guyn to take said negroes Henderson Peyton and Eloisa at said rates; then I desire my Executor hereafter appointed to select good homes in this neighborhood at a place or places when said sales of two thirds of traders prices can be obtained.

I will add information from census records that expand on this will in a subsequent post. I will leave you to judge whether Priscilla's views about her slaves were enlightened for her era. She was apparently illiterate as she signed her will with "her mark". 

I am in touch with descendants of Henderson, above, who took the surname Dowell. Some of them still live in the Wilkes County area and their family has used several given names down to the present generation that parallel the given names used by Priscilla's family. This challenges genealogists as they attempt to properly record these two families who share a surname as well as a history.