I am writing for myself , in Long Beach, California, and for my sister Carol Gebhart Marlo, in St. Louis, Missouri. We have been looking for our great grandfather, John J. Slowey (b. 1841), since about 1980 with little to show for it. In all the years we have been searching we have found exactly zero primary records. We have looked in the PRO, the PRONI, Scotland's People, Ancestry, various mailing lists and message boards, and a pro genealogist on your side of the Big Pond. We think that John married Elizabeth Davidson (b. 22 June 1842) in 1864. We know, or think we know, that their first two children, James J/John J (b. 1865), and Elizabeth (b. 17 February 1866), were born in Glasgow. It comes from US federal censuses that they were born in Scotland, and from family history that the place in Scotland was Glasgow. However Scotland's People could not place them in Scotland. We think that the family emigrated from the British Isles in about 1868. It appears in the 1870 census of the 17th Ward of Allegheny City (now part of Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania with the surname, Sloy, which we understand to be a recognized variation of Slowey. The proper names and the ages of parents and children were correct. But we have not found a port-of-entry. Three more children were born in Allegheny City/ Pittsburgh, the last being Mary Josephine, our grandmother, born 5 February 1876. City directories up to 1876 find John S with various corrupted surnames, e.g., Slowery, working as a Mechanic. Family history says he was an engineer, presumably of a locomotive for a coal mine.
In 1876 the family moved to Bogy Township in Jefferson County, Arkansas, where John J. is listed as a farmer in the 1880 census. We suspect that the move was brought about by John's declining health so that Elizabeth could be with her people. Her parents were John Davidson (possibly English) and Elizabeth Cline/Clyne. Nothing more is known about them. In the 1880 - 1890 period in Little Rock there were Davidsons, Clines, and Klines in Little Rock but no Sloweys. John J. died in about 1881 after which Elizabeth moved to Little Rock in Pulaski County, Arkansas, where she worked for two years in the Quapaw Cotton Mill as an "Operator". Later she is found in various Little Rock city directorys running one or another boarding house. Family history says that she was also a housekeeper in a RC parish but no such entry was found in the Little Rock city directories. Elizabeth later moved to St. Louis, Missouri where she died on 20 July 1914. She is buried at Calvary RC Cemetery in St. Louis.
We would be delighted if any of you good people in Clones, Ireland, or in Monaghan, Ireland, or in Ulster, Ireland, or in Ireland, or wherever could give us any aid in our search.
Thank you.
'
Wednesday 20th Nov 2013, 04:20AM
Message Board Replies
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Hi Frank
There are 8 matches for John Slowey born 1841 + - 5 years on www.rootsireland.ie/
The only 1 in Monaghan is 1836; the parish was not Clones however
There is no marriage record but there are 3 baptism records of Elizabeth Davidson 1842 + - 1 year - all 1843 - 2 in Antrim & 1 in Down
You need to purchase credi to view the full record which will have the parish and HOPEFULLY the parents' names - (some do some don't)
The Gebhart public member tree on ancestry has John born in England but do not cite a source of this
Col
ColCaff, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Wednesday 20th Nov 2013, 09:44AM -
Hi, Col! Thank you for your timely reply!
I have taken the liberty of weaving my thoughts and comments into your letter
Hi Frank
There are 8 matches for John Slowey born 1841 + - 5 years on www.rootsireland.ie/
Two are Slowey, one is Slowe, and five are McSloy. The last named seem to be concentrated in Tyrone, at least in the mid-1800s. John S. seems to be pretty consistant in his use of "Slowey". form of the surname. The only variation from this that I can recall is the 1870 census entry in Alleghany City where the "Sloy:" form is used as noted in my letter. I've never seen any record referring to the family where "McSloy" is used.
The only 1 in Monaghan is 1836; the parish was not Clones however
I have focussed on Monaghan/Clones because in the Evalution, developed as I recall in the early1860s, there are just 36 Slowey Heads-of-Household in the whole of Ireland, 33 in Monaghan, and one each in Armagh, Mayo and Fermanagh. And that brings to mind a hypothesis involving Slowey and Davidson in Armagh that perhaps irelandxo.com. can help us with .In Portadown, Armagh, there are the townlands of Tavanagh and Corcraine, In the Evaluation Elizabeth Davidson lived in Corcorain on Marley St , probably a widow since she is listed as H-of-H. In the neighboring townland of Tavanagh Hugh Slowey lived on William St. The Irish Times indicates that Drumcree (?), containing Corcrain and Tavanagh, is the only parish in Ireland which contained both a Slowey and a Davidson household. The question then is: did Hugh Slowey have a son, John, and did Elizabeth Davidson have a daughter, Elizabeth, who met, mingled, married and ultimately gave birth to my great-grandfather, John J Slowey? I think I'll post this and another hypothesis which is too involved to go into here but if you have any thoughts re: Armagh/ Slowey/Davidson please share them with me
There is no marriage record but there are 3 baptism records of Elizabeth Davidson 1842 + - 1 year - all 1843 - 2 in Antrim & 1 in Down
I'll have to look into this.
You need to purchase credi to view the full record which will have the parish and HOPEFULLY the parents' names - (some do some don't)
The Gebhart public member tree on ancestry has John born in England but do not cite a source of this
I suspect that the originator of this Gebhart tree goes by the ID of "trekingalong". If that is the case, he is my nephew and I have to say as gently as I can that he has a lot to learn about genealogy. He hasn't bothered with any sources and takes whatever he finds at face value.His tree contains many errors "John born in England" is one of them I'll say no more but if you have an interest in the Gebhart tree I will be delighted to help you with it.
Frank
Col
Friday 22nd Nov 2013, 12:08AM