Lowell Genealogy
Last Edited: Sunday, January 15, 2006 - Original
text by Majorie Whalen Smith
English Ancestry of the Lowell Family
1. WILLIAM LOWLE OF YARDLEY in County Worcester, England.
Born 1288 County Worcester, England.
Died ?
Married daughter of family Lyttleton.
Children:
a. James
b. Andrew
c. Samuel
There is no specific date accessible to his birth or death but he is the
registered root, so far as English annals disclose, of the Lowell family.
By the strict rule of longevity it is safe to say the birth of William
occurred in the year 1288. Without doubt William Lowle was born at Yardley in
County Worcester, England and there lived and was buried. Place of internment is
unknown.
Within a few miles of Yardley, lived a noble Norman family, the Lyttletons.
With the family, William became connected by marriage. The Lyttletons held large
domains spreading out around Frankley and extending toward Yardley, whereon today
is Hagley Hall, seat of its present head, Earl Cobham, late Lord of Lyttleton.
Whether William was descended from savage Saxon progenitors on the banks of
the Avon or Severn or from the marauders from Normandy is matter more from
curiosity than to kindle enthusiasm. William lived at Yardley at a time when
Norman supremacy and Saxon subserviency had reached its acme. William Lowle
married a scion of a noble Norman family. It seems decisive that the claim of a
Saxon origin may confidently be dismissed.
2. JAMES LOWLE
Born ?
Died ?
Married daughter of family Baskerville.
Children:
a. Raffe
b. George
c. Edmund
d. Andrew
3. RAFFE LOWLE
Born ?
Died ?
Married daughter of family Haselrigg.
Children:
a. Walter
b. Thomas
c. Anthony
d. Sabity
4. WALTER LOWLE
Born ?
Died ?
Married Joane Russell.
Children:
a. Richard
5. RICHARD LOWLE
Born ?
Died ?
Married daughter of family Turner.
Children:
a. Thomas
b. Richard - slain at Birmingham, County Warwick.
6. THOMAS LOWLE
Born ?
Died ?
Married daughter of family Layhouse.
Children:
a. John
b. William
c. Thomas
d. Roger
7. JOHN LOWLE
Born ?
Died ?
Married daughter of family Wake.
Children:
a. John
b. Roger
8. JOHN LOWLE
Born ?
Died ?
Married Apolyn, daughter of Richard Leversedge.
Children:
a. Richard
b. Edmond John
9. RICHARD LOWLE
Born ?
Died ?
Married daughter of Edward and Elizabeth (Panthuit) Perceval of
Weston-in-Gardanc.
Children:
a. Percival 1571-1664
Lowells Come to America
10. PERCIVAL LOWLE
Born 1571 in N. Somerset at Kingston-Seymour, England.
Died 1664/01/08 age 93, in Newbury, MA. Recorded as "Percefall dyed Jan. 8, 1664"
Occupation: Merchant.
In England he has a large mercantile establishment under the firm name of "Percival Lowle & Co."
Married Rebecca ? ?-1645/12/28.
Children:
a. John 1595-1647
Occupation:
1619 was apprenticed to a "glover" in Bristol.
1640/2/2 was made freeman.
1641 constable
Married:
1. Mary ? who died in 1639 soon after the birth of their 5th child and same
year of her arrival in New England.
2. Elizabeth Goodale in Newbury, MA 1639.
"Dame Elizabeth Lowle of Newbury had her riding suit and muff,
silver bodkins & gold rings." (IPSWITCH, 37)
Children of John and Elizabeth:
i. Joseph
ii. Benjamin
iii. Thomas
iv. Elizabeth
b. Joanna 1609-1677
Married:
1. John Oliver (1613-1642) in England. He was importer of English goods.
2. Captain William Garrish (1617-1687). He had been associated with her
father in business in England; was captain in early Indian wars. One
of his granddaughters was long a captive among Indians.
Children:
i. Mary 1640-? born in Newbury to Joanna and John.
ii-x. ?? born to Joanna and William.
c. Richard 1602-1682/10/5
11. RICHARD LOWLE
Born 1602 in England.
Died 1682/10/5 age 80, in Newbury, MA.
Married:
1. Margaret ? who died 1642 in Newbury, MA.
2. Margaret ? in Newbury, MA. Was living as his widow in 1685.
Children:
a. Percival 1639-? of Richard and first wife.
b. Rebecca b,c,d with second wife.
c. Samuel
d. Thomas
1674 Richard and wife were members of the Newbury church. He had the
"freehold right" #63 in the Upper Common in Newbury. (Freeholder - one
who either by grant, purchase, or inheritance was entitled to a share in all the
common and individual lands.)
1650/06/02 effort was made to relieve him as overseer of an estate because he was
"sickly and unable to look after their interests."
WILL AND INVENTORY
Housing, barne & orchard and Value
26 acres of arable & pasture 250
36 acres of salt marsh & meadow 224
English corne in barne 8
3 acres Indian corne in field 3
Ox, 2 cowes, 2 yearling steers, 2 calves 15
20 sheep
6 swine and 3 small ones
3 feather beds and flock bed, 2 boulsters
3 pillows, 6 pairs of sheets 12
8 fine napkins & 12 other napkins
5 long pewter platters
a flagon, 2 basins, a pringer 5
brass candlesticks, and 2 butter dishes
3 sawcers, salt cellar
pewter candlestick
a chamber pott and pint pott
his wearing apparell, linen & woolen coats 10
an iron pot, 2 brass pots, old brass kettle,
iron droping pan
2 tramells, pair pot hooks 3.11
1 old brass pot, 20S another brass pot12s 1.12
3 brass potts, a brass skellet & a bel mettell
skellet, a brass chafin dish and a bell
mettel mortar and a pessell 2.05
(Note mention of quantity of "napkins" mentioned in this inventory. The
English & those coming to America in the mid 1630's were in the habit of
holding their food in a napkin in the left hand while with the right hand they
cut it with a knife and carried to the mouth. We accordingly find in early
inventories large numbers of napkins and an entire absence of forks.)
a brass kettle
spitts 5s tongs 1.05
an old warming pan
a fender, a cross cut saw 5s
4 augers 5s 1 ads & 3 wedges .15
an old gridiron & frying pan and flesh fork
part of a cart & wheels & 2 yoakes
part of a plow, 3 chaynes
2 tables & a joyned forme & 3 charges
4 cushions, a bed stead with curtain & vallens
& 4 partes & wheels
kneading trough, 2 barrels
2 chests & a box & lumber
20 lbs of wool
£ 671.15
(IPSWITCH, 478)
WILL OF RICHARD LOWLE
"I give and bequeath unto my loveing and beloved wife, Margaret, all my
Household Goods (except my Bible and my great Pot) and Chattels with house and
land and orchard and meadow, during her widowhood or naturall life if she remains
a widow. And after her I give and bequeath unto my son Percival Lowle, all my
house and Barnes and outhousing and orchard with all my land adjoying to my house
(except my 12 acres on the northeasterly side of my land). Also I give my son
Percival my 12 acres of Marsh in the Great Marshes by the Plumb bushes and 5
acres of Marsh or meadow below Benjamin Rolfes & 2 acres of my Marsh of the 8
acres at old Towne and also the 1/2 of my freeholds and privileges of commons and
my great Pot and my great Bible. And I do acknowledge that the meadow in Mirchen
meadows which was formerly mine to Percivall's by purchase... Also I give and
bequeath to my son Thomas Lowle 12 acres of my Upland adjoining to james Brownes
and Nathaniel Clarkes land and widdow Muzzeya land.. So much in breadth as shall
amout to the running the whole length...Moveables to be equally divided between
my 2 sons or their heirs.
Also I give my liveing stock of Cattell to my son, Thomas, and have a sixth part
of the Apples yearly so long as he lives a single man without wife and no longer,
and I give a book called Mr. Hookers Politic unto Anthony Somerby, my debts and
funeral expenses being discharged by my Executrix."
12. PERCIVAL LOWLE
Born 1639 or 1640 in Newbury, MA.
Died ?
Married:
1. Mary Chandler on 1664/09/07
(When married they were called "Percifall Lowle and Mary Chandlour."
In 1720 his name was spelled "Passafull")
2. Sarah ? probably in 1709
Children:
a. Richard 1668-1749
b. Gideon 1672-1753?
c. Samuel 1676-?
d. Edmund 1684-?
e. Margaret ?-?
f. Johanna 1690-?
On the Town Rate of Newbury, 1688 "Mr. Per Lowle" was placed for "2
heads, 1 horse, 5 plowlands, 10 meadows, 1 house, 4 oxen, 4 cows, 1 3-year old, 1
2-year old, 1 1-year old, 10 sheep, and 2 hogs."
13. GIDEON LOWELL
Born 1672/09/03 in Newbury, MA.
Died 1763 in Amesbury, MA.
Occupation: Mariner / "coasting skipper"
Married:
1. Miriam "Mary" Swett (1672-1734) in 1692.
2. Widow Elizabeth Colby in Amesbury, MA in June 1735. No issue by 2nd marriage.
Children of Gideon and Miriam:
a. Mary 1693-?
b. John 1696/2/1-?
c. Samuel 1698-? Also became sea captain.
d. Gideon 1700-? Mariner
e. Stephen 1703-1776 Mariner
f. Moses 1705-? Corporal in expedition to Crown Point at Ft. William Henry in 1756.
g. Hannah 1707-?
h. Joseph 1709-?
i. Abner 1711-1761
j. Jonathan 1711-?
1690- was a soldier in the first expedition to Canada.
1692- he was a "cordwainer" (shoemaker).
1706- called a "mariner" and "coaster". Calls himself a "yeoman" in his will of 1748 and when the
will was executed in 1753 he is called "captain".
1718/1/19- purchased 53 acres of land in "Almesbury", MA. It was upland, butting on Powow and
Merrimac Rivers.
1719- moved to Amesbury, MA and settled there at what was called the "Ferry." Tradition states
that he opened a street through his land in Amesbury; built a house for each of his seven sons
and the street was named Lowell St.
1728-29- he and his brother, Samuel, purchased land in Falmouth (now Portland), ME. He never
moved there but he transferred the land to his son Abner.
"Gideon was a sea captain. He built, owned and commanded his vessels...one
was a 'sloupe' of 50 or 60 tons burden. He sailed widely and took his wife,
Miriam, with him often. Probably some of his children were born while on these voyages.
Gideon was a bold and successful voyager; he amassed a considerable fortune. It
is probable that in his voyages, the King's revenue was not always considered,
nor did he hesitate to run-up aside of and board by force a French or Spanish
craft when opportunity arose."
He owned a wharf near "Ames" wharf at the mouth of the Powow River where
he landed his cargoes of "rhum" and "Shugar" from the West Indies
-- or rice, resin, and tar from other far places.
WILL OF GIDEON LOWELL (1748)
"I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth my wife, 1 cow and 1 chest with a Drawer
at ye bottom marked E.L. and also 1 Lenning Wheele which she Generally useth and
also all ye provisions that I have of all sorts whatsoever for her to Have to to
hold free and cleare forever.
I give unto said Elizabeth Ye use and Improvement of 1/3 of my Household goods as
followeth viz: 1 bed curtains with the bedstead and ye furniture be longing to
said bed which is the bed I generally lodge on in the west room of my dwelling
house together with so much of the rest of said household goods as shall make out
1/3 part thereof together with ye suller under said house as she shall chose with
convenient passing and repassing; and convenience of yard room for laying of wood
before ye door and also of Improvement of 1 acre of land and in my field on ye
westerly side of ye brook, ye above said cow to be kept winter and summer by my
sons that shall enjoy my homestead."
Inventory of Gideon's estate consisted of "Real homestead living about 35
acres with about 4 acres of swamp called Ye Great Swamp and buildings."
Amongst items of personal estate was an "old Negro good for
£000-000-00!"
Amesbury Union Cemetery in Amesbury, MA:
A very large cemetery, kept in excellent condition. Even the very old part of
the cemetery is mowed and carefully trimmed around each stone. The cemetery is
located on rolling knolls, dotted with tall evergreen trees, just at the
outskirts of town. The poet, John Greenleaf Whittier, is also buried in this
cemetery.
There are many Lowells buried here. About the oldest stone, or at least the
oldest Lowell stone is that of "Mrs. Mary Lowle, wife of Gideon, Died 1734,
aged 63." No stone for Gideon. However, there are wide spaces with no
markers or stones and can be assumed that other graves are here.
14. JOHN LOWELL
Born 1696/02/01 in SC, probably aboard one of his father's sailing vessels.
Died ?
Occupation: ?
Married: Rachael Sargent (1703-1779) in Amesbury, MA on 1722/01/04.
Children:
a. Jacob 1723-?
b. John 1724-?
c. Rachael 1726-?
d. Gideon 1730-? He became a shipwright and built the frigate "Alliance." 32 guns for
the Continental Congress to be used in the Revolutionary War. He was a soldier in the
Continental Army and a "Corporal" at Fort William Henry in 1756/10.
e. Eliphalet 1737-?
f. Alice 1740-1822
15. JOHN LOWELL
Born 1724 in Amesbury, MA.
Died ?
Occupation: ?
Married: Mary (or Martha) Currier in S. Hampton, NH on 1749.08/29.
She died in W. Bath, ME at 91.
Children:
a. Paul 1744(W.Bath,ME) -1824(Turner,ME) Fought in the Revolution.
b. Dorothy 1750-? "Dolly" Married and resided in Topsham, ME.
c. Joseph 1751/07/08-1832/10/02
d. Jacob 1752-? (Alna, ME)
m. Jane McFadden in 1776 in Arrowsic, ME.
1774-6 settled in Alna, ME which was then wilderness. Traveled in dugout canoe up
the Sheepscot River to Alna, built a log house which was the birthplace of his children.
e. Sarah 1755-1847 m. Capt. Ephraim Fitts, a sea captain.
f. Mary ? (W.Bath)-?
g. Ellice "Alice" ?-? m. Capt. Thomas Jones, a sea captain.
h. Martha ?-?
i. John, Jr. 1762-1845 o. shoemaker
j. William ?-?
k. Lydia ?-?
l. Eliphet 1774-1845
John and Mary moved to "New Meadows", now W. Bath, ME in 1752
He was at Fort William Henry, 1756/08/09. Also in 1756/10 in Bagley's Company.
16. JOSEPH LOWELL
Born 1751/07/06 in Amesbury, MA.
Died 1832/10/02
Occupation: farmer and miller
Married: Abigail Danforth on 1773/11/07 in Wiscassit, ME
Children:
a. Joseph 1774-1841 o. Tanner
b. John 1776-1848
c. Nancy 1779-1859
d. Samuel ?-?
e. David 1785-1868
f. James 1788-1864/12/27
g. Betsey 1789-1883
17. JAMES LOWELL
Born 1788
Died 1864/12/27
Occupation: ?
Married: Sarah Decker on 1811/06/21
Children:
a. Maria 1813-1897 m. Abner Baker, had eight children
b. Nancy ?-? m. Jesse White
c. Frederic ?-? "Fred" m. Abigail Card in 1851
d. Julia ?-?
e. Sarah ?-? m. Alden Call.
f. Lewis 1831-1913/01/10
James and Sarah lived in Wiscasset, ME.
18. LEWIS FREDERICK LOWELL
Born 1831
Died 1913/01/10 Buried in Rumwell Cem. Wiscasset, ME, 2.5 miles from village.
Occupation: farmer
Married: Laurette E. Meservey on 1858/11/26
Children:
a. George L. 1859/08/26-?
m. Jane A. Gibbs in 1890.
Moved to Cando, ND in 1890 and established a home on virgin land where he raised
wheat, flax, hogs, and cattle. Lived there until 1906, then settled back on farm
in Alna, ME. Ten of his 12 children wer born in ND. He left the Wiscasset are
for good about 1916 and was never heard from again! (I have heard my mother say
that a woman from Wicasset disappeared about the same time so he may not have
left town alone!-?)
b. Wilson E. 1863/03/07- 1951/03/17 (Vancouver, WA)
m. Emily Horn in 1893.
Went to ND with his brothers and lived in Coolin, ND for some years, then went
farther west and became a successful and wealthy cattle rancher. Had three children;
including daughter Ethel Mae.
c. Lettie M. 1865/01/12-1940
m. John Stinson in 1889 Children: Wallace and Willie.
d. Lewis Frederick 1872-
e. Laura 1876-1878
"The 'web toes' of the later Lowells come down from Laurette Meservey Lowell
and before her from her mother, Sarah Leeman Meservey. When Grandpa Lowell first
saw my daughter, Betsy, his first great-grandchild, the first thing he did was
look to see if she had the Lowell web toes that he had inherited from his mother.
My mother has them, I do, and all my three children!" -Author
Lewis and Laurette visited George and Janie in ND in the summer of 1900. One of
George's children has written, "Grandmother was a plump lovable little woman
with a pleasant face & disposition. Grandfather was a slender quiet man with
all the characteristics of the Downeast N.E. Lowells. He looked over the
enormous wheat fields, heads of horses, cattle and hogs, said little but thought
that was all on too big a scale for him. Farming in Maine was more
moderate."
19. LEWIS FREDERICK LOWELL
Born 1872/06/18 Lowelltown, ME (Wiscasset)
Died 1960/02
Occupation: dairy farmer. At one time, superintendent of the Sortwell Farm in
Dresden Neck, ME.
Married: Josie Marie White (1874-1959) on 1900/12/12 in Wiscasset, ME.
Children: ^^^^^^^^ (mixed order w/ spouses)
a. Sadie White 1901/12/15-
m. Arthur H. Whalen Child: Marjorie
b. Frank Leslie 1904/01/18-
m. Zulette Allen Children: Beatrice and Barbara
c. Gladys Baker 1905-1962
d. George Wilson 1906-
m. Madeline Lamb Children George Jr., Gloria, and adopted Richard.
e. Ralph Meservey 1908/05/20-1992/10/30
f. Ruth Josephine 1910-
m. Harold Beal Children: Roger and Richard
g. Ernest Gardner 1912-
m. Dorothea Cobb Children: Janet, Joyce, and Dale
h. Clair Frederick 1913-
m. Emma Pendexter Children: Betty, Clarice, and adopted Patty.
i. Mary Louise 1918-
m. Malcolm Lyons
Children: Malcolm, Jr., Patty, Michael, Robert, and Guy.
Lewis lived in Wiscasset, Windham, and N. Gorham, ME.
Josie and Lewis were second cousins. She called her father-in-law "Uncle
Lew".
"Grandpa Lowell spent one winter with his brothers in North Dakota but he
told me once that the winters were too severe there so he came back to Maine.
There were storms that winter when he had to tie a rope around his waist with one
end tied to the doorknob so he could find his way back to the house from the
barn." -Author
20. RALPH MESERVEY LOWELL
Born 1908/05/20
Died 1992/10/30 Buried Fosters Cor. ME.
Occupation: School bus driver, handyman, caretaker of summer camp.
Married: Lillabell Prescott Knight (1907/03/03-2004) of Gardner on 1929/07/13
Children:
a. Earle Prescott 1930/10/06-2005
m. 1. Theo Wallace on 1950/10/28.
2. Marilyn "Mitzi" MacArthur on 1976/10/09.
3. Betty
Children of Earle and Theo:
a. Lewis Stephen 1951/11/05-1951/11/07 Buried Fosters Cor. ME.
b. Nathan Owen 1952
m. 1. Ellen Rogers divo. 1977 2. Kaye ????/02/17
c. Laurie Jo 1954
m. Stephen Thibeault on 1972/08/26 divo. 1977
m. Robert Kennedy
d. Rosanne Ardelle 1955
m. 1) Clifton McPhee on 1971/07/04
2)
3) Gary Sacco on 1994/
Children by 1: Melissa Ann (1971), Skye Anson (1974)
e. Russell Kenneth 1958
m. Terisa Cole in 1977
Child: Zachary
f. Dawna Hairston adop. in 1971/01.
b. Neil Francis 1932
21. NEIL LOWELL
Born 1932
Died
Occupation: Retired Principal of the School for the Deaf
Married: Ruth Alison Foster (1934) on 1955/12/17 in Cumberland Ctr., ME.
Children: -- Partial information --
a. Alan 1957
b. Gary 1959
c. Eric 1960
d. Dana 1961
e. Mark Herbert 1964/11/22-1964/11/23 Buried at Fosters Cor., ME.
f. Paul 1969
22. DANA LOWELL
Born 1961
Occupation: Tech. Theatre Teacher
Married: Samantha Bledsoe (1970) on 2005/8/6 in Greensboro, NC.
Children:
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