McDOWELL: Descendants of John McDowell Sr. (1768-1837) and Sarah Gettys (1774-1816)

Descendents of John McDowell, Sr. and Sarah Gettys (Getteys?)

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I have moved the outline of John McDowell descendants to another page.

Surnames include:
McDowell, Gettys, Getteys, Aman, Armstrong, Broas, Brown, Carlile, Chambers, Drewett, Dushane, Dyer, Faraone, Galbreath, Hall, Hamilton, Henszey, Hubbard, Husted, Jamar, Jerris, Jones, Lancaster, Leishear, Male, May, Mette, Miller, Morris, Morrison, Parker, Pusey, Ranck, Rosman, Rusling, Sanchez, Slack, Smith, Terry, Thompson, Thurston, Wheat, and Whitaker

John McDowell, Sr. was born in 1768 in Chester County, Pennsylvania (probably Oxford), died six weeks after his oldest daughter Mary in 1837 in Chester County, Pennsylvania (probably at Buttonwoods, in New London), and was buried in the old section of the New London Presbyterian Church cemetery. In 1789, John was commissioned an ensign of the Fourth Company of Foot in the Fifth Battalion of Chester County militia and again in 1814 for seven years as ensign of the Ninth Company of the 91st Regiment of the Pennsylvania militia in the Second Brigade of the Third Division, composed of militia from Delaware and Chester counties. John was a farmer and miller, he was farming the Ruston tract prior to its purchase by his father, and inherited the 100 acres from his father upon his death in 1815. The land included the McDowell grist mill and the miller's house known as Buttonwoods. He married Sarah Gettys at the Second Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia on January 28, 1796 and they had 9 children.
Sarah Gettys was born March 21, 1774, perhaps in Philadelphia, and died October 27, 1816. She was buried in the old section of the New London Presbyterian Church cemetery. At the time she died, the only McDowells buried there were her father-in-law, James McDowell, and her sister-in-law, Martha (Patty) Ann McDowell. Sarah was not buried with the McDowells but between several Boyds. A surviving scrap of family information is a list of various Gettys, Getteys, and Boyds with some birth and death dates and a note that the information was copied from the bible of Buttonwoods neighbor, William Strawbridge. It appears that one of Sarah's sisters married a James Boyd and one of their children married a Strawbridge which accounts for the bible. A second Gettys sister married an Oldham, whose unmarried granddaughter is listed in the 1880 census as keeping house for John McDowell's bachelor sons. The contemporary Oldhams were mostly residents of East Nottingham township, perhaps on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. At least one report has Sarah being from East Nottingham and not Philadelphia as was (probably) assumed based on her marriage location. Capt. James McDowell had many business connections including some in Maryland. Daughter Nancy married John McCoy of East Nottingham, Cecil county, Maryland, so it is quite possible that Sarah hailed from this area too.

John and Sarah had nine children, all born in Chester county, Pennsylvania. Only two married.

James McDowell was born in 1796, managed the McDowell gristmill on the Buttonwoods property and was unmarried when he died at the age of 84.
John McDowell, Jr. was born in 1798, married a neighboring farmer's daughter, Elizabeth Henderson Carlile, and they raised a family of four children on the Carlile farm adjacent to Buttonwoods. He lived to the age of 62 and they have living descendants including the author of this webpage.
Mary McDowell was born in 1801 was single when she died at the age of 36.
Andrew Boyd McDowell was born in 1803, farmed the Buttonwoods pastures, and died at the age of 74, unmarried.
Elizabeth McDowell was born in 1805 and died at the age of 12.
William McDowell was born in 1807. He served as a ship's captain out of Philadelphia, sailing to American European, Mexican, and Chinese ports. After retiring from the sea he lived at Buttonwoods where he worked as a railroad surveyor. He died unmarried at the age of 79.
Henry Washington McDowell was born in 1810. He was called 'Washington' and he helped his brothers with the Buttonwoods mill and farm. He never married and, as the last surviving heir to John and Sarah, his death prompted the sale of the family farm in 1893 (it was purchased by great-nephew Thomas Rankin McDowell).
Martha Jane McDowell was born in 1813 died unmarried at the age of 37.
Sarah Gettys McDowell was born in 1815. She married Hugh Alexander Hamilton (son of John Hamilton and Francesca Blair Edmiston) in 1840 and they had two children before her death in 1847. They have living descendants.

I have moved the outline of John McDowell descendants to another page.

John McDowell, Sr. was born in 1768 in Chester County, Pennsylvania (probably Oxford), died six weeks after his oldest daughter Mary in 1837 in Chester County, Pennsylvania (probably at Buttonwoods, in New London), and was buried in the old section of the New London Presbyterian Church cemetery. In 1789, John was commissioned an ensign of the Fourth Company of Foot in the Fifth Battalion of Chester County militia and again in 1814 for seven years as ensign of the Ninth Company of the 91st Regiment of the Pennsylvania militia in the Second Brigade of the Third Division, composed of militia from Delaware and Chester counties. John was a farmer and miller, he was farming the Ruston tract prior to its purchase by his father, and inherited the 100 acres from his father upon his death in 1815. The land included the McDowell grist mill and the miller's house known as Buttonwoods. He married Sarah Gettys at the Second Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia on January 28, 1796 and they had 9 children. Sarah Gettys was born March 21, 1774, perhaps in Philadelphia, and died October 27, 1816. She was buried in the old section of the New London Presbyterian Church cemetery. At the time she died, the only McDowells buried there were her father-in-law, James McDowell, and her sister-in-law, Martha (Patty) Ann McDowell. Sarah was not buried with the McDowells but between several Boyds. A surviving scrap of family information is a list of various Gettys, Getteys, and Boyds with some birth and death dates and a note that the information was copied from the bible of Buttonwoods neighbor, William Strawbridge. It appears that one of Sarah's sisters married a James Boyd and one of their children married a Strawbridge which accounts for the bible. A second Gettys sister married an Oldham, whose unmarried granddaughter is listed in the 1880 census as keeping house for John McDowell's bachelor sons. The contemporary Oldhams were mostly residents of East Nottingham township, perhaps on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. At least one report has Sarah being from East Nottingham and not Philadelphia as was (probably) assumed based on her marriage location. Capt. James McDowell had many business connections including some in Maryland. Daughter Nancy married John McCoy of East Nottingham, Cecil county, Maryland, so it is quite possible that Sarah hailed from this area too.
John and Sarah had nine children, all born in Chester county, Pennsylvania. Only two married. James McDowell was born in 1796, managed the McDowell gristmill on the Buttonwoods property and was unmarried when he died at the age of 84. John McDowell, Jr. was born in 1798, married a neighboring farmer's daughter, Elizabeth Henderson Carlile, and they raised a family of four children on the Carlile farm adjacent to Buttonwoods. He lived to the age of 62 and they have living descendants including the author of this webpage. Mary McDowell was born in 1801 was single when she died at the age of 36. Andrew Boyd McDowell was born in 1803, farmed the Buttonwoods pastures, and died at the age of 74, unmarried. Elizabeth McDowell was born in 1805 and died at the age of 12. William McDowell was born in 1807. He served as a ship's captain out of Philadelphia, sailing to American European, Mexican, and Chinese ports. After retiring from the sea he lived at Buttonwoods where he worked as a railroad surveyor. He died unmarried at the age of 79. Henry Washington McDowell was born in 1810. He was called 'Washington' and he helped his brothers with the Buttonwoods mill and farm. He never married and, as the last surviving heir to John and Sarah, his death prompted the sale of the family farm in 1893 (it was purchased by great-nephew Thomas Rankin McDowell). Martha Jane McDowell was born in 1813 died unmarried at the age of 37. Sarah Gettys McDowell was born in 1815. She married Hugh Alexander Hamilton (son of John Hamilton and Francesca Blair Edmiston) in 1840 and they had two children before her death in 1847. They have living descendants.