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I’m researching Coopers and the Lowrys (Lowery) from Fayette Co, PA. Both have been in the Dunbar area going back to the late 1700s and both claim Native American ancestry. One of my cousins who is a Cooper said that it came down through his family that they were Blackfoot. Another cousin who is a Lowery claims Lumbee ancestry.
My Lowrys came to Dunbar through Somerset Co from Northumberland Co, PA. Someone placed an aluminum marker on my 3rd great grandfather’s (George Lowry) grave a few years ago and another on his sister’s (Charlotta Lowry Smitley). Part of the problem is that I can’t find out who put the markers there. The marker has Native American and Sanskrit (as from India) names on it. I’ve been in touch with a great granddaughter of Charlotta’s and she said Charlotta was “Indian” and very dark complected. George was dark complected with dark hair and blue eyes according to his Civil War records. Their parents were Henry Lowry (~1792-1882) and Catherine Engel (~1799-~1880). Henry Lowry’s parents were Jacob Lowry (~1765-1830) and Christina Zehrung (Zaring)(1760-1831). Jacob left Northumberland county in 1788 and arrived at The Union Iron Furnace in Dunbar in 1794, at least according to Ellis’s History of Fayette County. This would put him in the right place (Northumberland Co) at the right time (mid-late 1700s) to have interaction with the Saponi/Tutelo who came north and stopped near Sunbury. I’ve not been able to find out who his parents were or where they came from.
Aside from the Native American and Sanskrit names on the markers, I have been able to verify the other people and their dates. This really has me puzzled, so I’d appreciate any suggestions folks may has.
There was family of Indian traders with the last name of Lowrey in the Lancaster area in the early 1700’s. The father migrated from Ireland to Pennsylvania and had five sons who also became Indian traders. When I was researching the Susquehanna Indians I came across these Indian traders with the surname of “Lowrey” and it caught my attention because it’s a common name with the Lumbee’s.
Also, Northumberland was home to a Shawnee Village and an Indian trading path went through it.
Angie:
These are not surnames that are in my direct line. In fact, I find no Lowry or Lowrey in any of my genealogy. I do find a couple of Coopers mentioned, marrying into peripheral lines but no mention of where they came from other than one, the daughter of a Cooper, was born in Meigs, NY. There are 10 Meigs, NY, when you mapquest this!
Well, anyway, regardless of the lack of surname connection, these are the locations of my NA folks. The Blackfoot connection is from near Pittsburgh, though. We believe the rest to be Shawnee. One group was from near Standing Stone (Huntingdon), PA. Another group was from just across the MD line from your second location.
I might take the names listed on your picture and do a bit of looking. I found a cousin’s father’s nickname, Toadie – his father said it was his name because he swallowed a toad – directly listed in in a Shawnee language site as “Tode” meaning frog. This might be stretching something to fit a foregone conclusion,i.e. Shawnee, except t cousin had a direct ancestor who was also had this nickname but spelled it “Tode.”
Do you have any of the surnames listed in my signature line?
Techteach
Well, I did some looking. The Shawnee word for “black” is very close to the beginning the the name “Black Hawk.” “Hawk” in Shawnee is somewhat similar to the end of the name, but there is a syllable in the middle of that name that I did not find.
What I found for “flower” is entirely different than what is on the headstone. Maybe that is some specific kind of flower.
I did not find the others, but I am using Internet sources, not a dictionary.
Techteach
Thank you both. I’ll keep looking. Other names in my lines are Taylor, Broadwater, Engle, Washabaugh, McKnight, Hamilton, Gilmore, Bierbower, Haney.
I know of McClains who married into the Smitleys and there are a ton of Potters going up through Ohiopyle. I’ve run across Swearingens in the census records for this area and of course, there is the famous Cooley gang from Fairchance.
And where just across the MD border, I’m very close to Garrett Co, MD?
Some were in Hagerstown. The two largest groups were near Shepherdstown, WV and Huntingdon, PA. Both went to Licking County, OH first and then eastern IA. The Blackfoot one was reported to be born in Beaver County, PA. Surname of McLane. Married a Ralston and both went straight to IA where their children intermarried with the other two groups.
Swearingens were from near Pittsburgh. The Cooleys came from NY and were found in Licking County with the combined groups and then moved to eastern IA with them.
Several Shawnee named McLane on the 1871 roll.
Teachteach
PS: I do have Gilmores connected with these groups. I also think that I have a direct Gilmore ancestor on my grandfather’s side, the Carpenters. I don’t remember the location though and I don’t have the laptop that that information is in at home.
Angie,
I am way behind in my surname researching due to brick walls but I saw Taylor in your list above….you don’t happen to have any connections to a William H. Taylor born abt. 1789 in VA. He is father to my 3g-grandmother that married Michael Goins, who was also his nephew since his wife Rebecca “becky” Nash was sister to Keziah Nash, Michael Goins’s mother. Oral history has the Taylors being possible Cherokee, but I am open to knowing anything about them =)
Does anyone else besides me get confused by all these marriages and begats?
My Taylors that I know of lived near Ohiopyle, Stewart Twp, Fayette Co, PA. Jemima Taylor (b 1841 or 1842) was my 3rd great grandmother who married Andrew Cooper (1841-1881). They lived near Dunbar, PA and had 3 children: Matilda (b 1859), Franklin Lewis (b 1866), and Thomas Jefferson (b 1865). I haven’t been able to verify Jemima’s parents or where they were from.
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