This Family Record belongs to Ruth Dowdy-McArthur

Descendants of Thomas Dowdy

Generation No. 1

1. THOMAS¹ DOWDY was born Abt. 1700, and died Abt. 1790 in Beaufort County, North Carolina.
Notes for THOMAS DOWDY: Dowdy/Dowda Family -- noted by Randall M. Smith, Sierra Vista, AZ: This is the first if at least eight generations of the Dowdy family to have named a son, Thomas, This Thomas, b. 1720 being Thomas The Elder.
"Family tradition as reported by Leonard Dowdy of Ratcliff, TX, says that a Henry Dowdy came from Surrey or Kent, Englad to Guilford, Connecticut in 1639 and died or was buried August 31, 1668. His wife, Elie died in 1683. A Thomas was one of their seven children."
-- O'Dowd's to NC - NC Deed records 1752-1768, Thomas Dowdy bought land from Joseph Pinson, 8 Feb. 1763.

Child of THOMAS DOWDY is:
2. i. THOMAS² DOWDY II, b. Abt. 1720, Albemarle Parish, Sussex County, Virginia; d. Aft. 1802, Chatham County, North Carolina.

Generation No. 2

2. THOMAS² DOWDY II (THOMAS¹) was born Abt. 1720 in Albemarle Parish, Sussex County, Virginia, and died Aft. 1802 in Chatham County, North Carolina. He married LUCY POE. She was born Abt. 1725 in North Carolina.

More About THOMAS DOWDY II: Will: March 01, 1806, Lists five children: Bartley, George, Ann, Thomas and William. From LDS Library Records

Children of THOMAS DOWDY and LUCY POE are:

3. i. THOMAS³ DOWDY III, b. Abt. 1745, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. 1815, Chatham County, North Carolina.

ii. GEORGE DOWDY, b. Abt. 1747, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. WFT Est. 1748-1837.

iii. BARTLEY DOWDY, b. August 08, 1749, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. WFT Est. 1750-1839.

iv. ANN DOWDY, b. Abt. 1751, Chatham County, North Carolina; m. EDWARD BRAY, JR.; b. Abt. 1751, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. WFT Est. 1765-1798.
Notes for ANN DOWDY: Lived in Hamilton County, Ohio

v. LUCY DOWDY, b. Abt. 1753, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. WFT Est. 1754-1847; m. AUGUSTINE TISER; b. Abt. 1750.

vi. WILLIAM DOWDY, b. Abt. 1759, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. April 25, 1782, Chatham County, North Carolina; m. ELIZABETH SEABROOK BARTLETT, Chatham County, North Carolina; b. November 06, 1765, Georgia; d. Raleigh, North Carolina.
Notes for WILLIAM DOWDY: From Research undertaken by Claude H. Dowdy: William is listed as a Patriot in the DAR Records (No. #268032). His twin children, Lucy and William Bartlett were born in 1781 and are named as heirs of Thomas Dowdy in the 1806 sale of his property to William Norman. Deed Book O, p. 299.
It is assumed that this is the William who was surprised at a wedding party by a group of British soldiers. The account of the action was reported in a letter (by unknown) to Col. David Fanning in April of 1782, and published in the State Records of North Carolina, p. 225:
"...I then set out for Chatham, when I learned a wedding was to be that day. On my way I took one prisoner, before I came to the house. There, being but five of us, we immediately surrounded the house in full charge. I ordered them, immediately out of the house; three of my men went into the house and drove them all out one by one; I caused them all to stand in a row to examine them, to see if I knew any of them that was bad men. I found one, by the name of William Dowdy, concealed up stairs. One of my men fired at him; as he was running from one house to the other; he received the ball in his shoulder. I then having my pistols in my hands, discharged them both at his breast, with which he fell, and that night expired. I then paroled the rest, on the 25th."

More About WILLIAM DOWDY: Appointed: August 1774, One of a group appointed to turn a road called Husbands . Also assigned road work August 8, 1776; appointed as overseer of a road on August 12, 1777.
DAR Record: 268032
Military service: 1772, Member of Chatham County Militia

vii. JOHN DOWDY, b. April 24, 1762, Sussex County Virginia.

Generation No. 3

3. THOMAS³ DOWDY III (THOMAS², THOMAS¹) was born Abt. 1745 in Chatham County, North Carolina, and died 1815 in Chatham County, North Carolina. He married REBECCA ARMSTEAD Abt. 1762 in North Carolina. She was born Abt. 1748 in Chatham County, North Carolina, and died Abt. 1820 in Chatham County, North Carolina.

Children of THOMAS DOWDY and REBECCA ARMSTEAD are:
i. LUCY⁴ DOWDY, b. 1764, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. Bef. August 1808.

ii. SARAH DOWDY, b. 1765, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. WFT Est. 1816-1896; m. WILLIAM NORMAN; b. Abt. 1769; d. WFT Est. 1816-1849.

iii. REBECCA DOWDY, b. 1768, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. WFT Est. 1835-1905; m. JOHN CLARK, October 01, 1829.

iv. WILLIAM DOWDY, b. Abt. 1769, Beaufort, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. Bef. 1826.

v. JAMES DOWDY, b. 1771, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. WFT Est. 1787-1876; m. JANE RIDDLE.
Notes for JAMES DOWDY: From Research by Claude H. Dowdy Before 1993:
Listed in the 1805 will ($1.00). Seems to have been a non-resident in 1821 (See Armstead L.) May have married Jane Riddle. P. 127, Nov. Session 1843, Chatham Co., NC Court Records lists a deed from Lydia Riddle, Nancy Riddle, Sally Riddle, James Dowdy, Jane Dowdy, Elizabeth Riddle & Lydia Riddle to Martin Smith. On December 4, 1829 James Dowdy is listed as one of the buyers at the estate sale of Thomas Riddle, deceased. He is listed on the 1815 Chatham Co., NC Tax List in Captain McMaster's District. In the Chatham Co. Court Records, James was assigned road work in Feb. 1797. Either James returned from Georgia or we have records of two James.

vi. ARMSTEAD LILLEY DOWDY, b. Abt. 1773, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. WFT Est. 1822-1886; m. ELIZABETH CROSS, May 30, 1816, Franklin County, Georgia; b. Abt. 1773.
Notes for ARMSTEAD LILLEY DOWDY: From Research by C. H. Dowdy:
Court Records of Chatham County, NC from May Term 1821, p. 97 indicates that James, Armstead and Balaam Dowdy were non-residents in that they gave Power of Attorney to Thomas Dowdy to settle the estate of Thomas and Rebecca Dowdy. Thomas Jr. had been appointed administrator in 1818. Listed 1805 will ($1.00) Franklin Co., GA Deed Book T, pp. 134-5, recorded Feb. 5, 1811 lists James and Armstead Dowdy, both of Franklin Co., purchasing 155 acres on Nails Creek in two adjacen tracts. Franklin Co., GA., Book B. p. 430, Mar. 8, 1822, recorded Feb. 29, 1823, Armstead witnessed the sale by James Dowdy of 76 acres on south fork of Nails Creek. Listed in Franklin Co., GA, 1805 (Land Lottery?)

vii. NELLIE DOWDY, b. Abt. 1774; m. UNKNOWN GOODMAN.

viii. JOAB DOWDY, b. 1775, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. WFT Est. 1807-1896.
Notes for JOAB DOWDY: From Research by Claude H. Dowdy Before 1993:
Listed in the 1805 will (One mare, bed and furniture). He is listed in the 1815 Chatham Co., NC Tax List in Captain Alstons's District, (Joab Dowdy for Thomas Dowdy's heirs 134 a. on Deep River - $168). Listed in the 1810 Chatham Co., NC Census Records.

5. ix. JOHN DOWDY, b. Abt. 1776, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. April 1845, Williamson County, Tennessee.

6. x. BALAAM DOWDY, b. March 31, 1777, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. March 02, 1878, Cherokee County, Georgia.

7. xi. BENJAMIN DOWDY, b. 1780, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. WFT Est. 1781-1870.

8. xii. THOMAS DOWDY IV, b. Abt. 1782, Dowdy Mountain, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. April 1859, Chatham County, North Carolina.

Generation No. 4

4. WILLIAM⁴ DOWDY (THOMAS³, THOMAS², THOMAS¹) was born Abt. 1769 in Beaufort, Chatham County, North Carolina, and died Bef. 1826. He married REBECCA. She died WFT Est. 1797-1832.
Notes for WILLIAM DOWDY: 1820 Census Chatham County, North Carolina; Fought in the War of 1812
Children of WILLIAM DOWDY and REBECCA are:
i. ANDREW JACKSON⁵ DOWDY, b. 1797, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. February 24, 1860, White County, Arkansas (near Searcy); m. SARAH SUTHERLAND, November 15, 1832.

ii. THOMAS DOWDY, b. WFT Est. 1805-1834; d. WFT Est. 1806-1895.

iii. JAMES DOWDY, b. WFT Est. 1805-1834.

5. JOHN⁴ DOWDY (THOMAS³, THOMAS², THOMAS¹) was born Abt. 1776 in Chatham County, North Carolina, and died April 1845 in Williamson County, Tennessee. He married SERANY PENELOPE HOWSER April 24, 1803 in Craven County, North Carolina. She was born Abt. 1780.

Children of JOHN DOWDY and SERANY HOWSER are:
i. MICAJAH⁵ DOWDY, b. Abt. 1803, Tennessee.

ii. JOHN DOWDY, b. Abt. 1804, Tennessee.

iii. MARY DOWDY, b. August 11, 1806, Tennessee.

iv. AMOS DOWDY, b. Abt. 1810, Tennessee; m. REBECCA ELLIOT, Abt. 1832, Tennessee; b. 1810, North Carolina.
More About AMOS DOWDY: Census: 1850, Marshall County, Tennessee
More About REBECCA ELLIOT: Census: 1870, Henderson County, Tennessee with son, Issac

v. FRANCES DOWDY, b. Abt. 1813, Tennessee.

vi. ELIZABETH DOWDY, b. Abt. 1815, Tennessee.

vii. GARNER DOWDY, b. Abt. 1820, Tennessee.

viii. RACHEL DOWDY, b. Abt. 1823, Tennessee.

ix. SAMUEL ALLEN DOWDY, b. Abt. 1826, Tennessee.

x. SARAH DOWDY, b. Abt. 1829, Tennessee.

6. BALAAM⁴ DOWDY (THOMAS³, THOMAS², THOMAS¹) was born March 31, 1777 in Chatham County, North Carolina, and died March 02, 1878 in Cherokee County, Georgia. He married KEZIAH H. RIDDLE May 02, 1806 in Chatham County, North Carolina, daughter of THOMAS RIDDLE and FRANCES MINTER. She was born Abt. 1791 in Chatham County, North Carolina, and died October 29, 1865 in Cherokee County, Georgia.
Notes for BALAAM DOWDY: From Research By Claude H. Dowdy: Census: Chatham Co., NC, 1810, Franklin Co., GA 1820?, Hall Co., GA, 1820-70, Page 117, May Term 1832 for Chatham County Court Records included a petition that Balaam Dowdy and his wife, Keziah, being non-residents and failing to appear should be excluded from the settlement of the estate of the late Thomas Riddle, deceased. In the Nov. 1832 Term, pp. 118-10, the petition was amended to include them in the settlement of the estate.
Chatham Co. Court Records assign road work to Balaam Feb. 1797, Feb. 1806, Feb. 1807, May 1808 and list him as insolvent for the year 1810, 1 poll tax. Balaam is listed in the 1805 will ($1.00).

More About BALAAM DOWDY: Burial: Dowda Cemetary, Cherokee County, Georgia
Census: 1810, Chatham County, North Carolina

Children of BALAAM DOWDY and KEZIAH RIDDLE are:
i. BENJAMIN JEETER⁵ DOWDY, b. Abt. 1810, Georgia; d. 1907, Cherokee County, Georgia; m. (1) MARGARET WILSON; b. 1825, South Carolina; d. 1858, Cherokee County Georgia; m. (2) CAROLINE RIGGINS, July 31, 1859, Cherokee County, Georgia; b. Abt. 1840, Cherokee County Georgia.
More About BENJAMIN JEETER DOWDY:
Census: 1820, Hall County, Georgia
Will: 1907, Filed

ii. WILLIAM BALAAM DOWDY, b. August 28, 1813, Georgia; d. June 04, 1904, Cherkee County, Georgia; m. (1) MAHULDAH WORLEY; b. April 24, 1819, Georgia; d. Cherkee County, Georgia; m. (2) JULIANN WILLIAMS, January 25, 1846; b. February 10, 1828, Georgia; d. Abt. 1905, Cherokee County Georgia.
More About WILLIAM BALAAM DOWDY: Census: 1850, Cherkee County Georgia, Dowdy Family History

iii. JOHN GIBSON DOWDY, b. Abt. 1814, Cherokee County, Georgia; d. WFT Est. 1878-1916, Kerr County, Texas; m. (1) SARAH UNKNOWN; b. Abt. 1826; m. (2) PEGGY CROFT; b. Abt. 1830.

iv. SARAH KING DOWDY, b. Abt. 1816, Hall County, Georgia; d. March 30, 1912, Cherokee County, Georgia.
More About SARAH KING DOWDY: Census: Btn. 1860 - 1870, Cherokee County, GA - also known as Sarah Dowda

v. HESTER H. DOWDY, b. Abt. 1818; d. WFT Est. 1833-1926, Georgia.

vi. JAMES ELIAS DOWDY, b. June 08, 1818, Cherokee County, Georgia; d. November 23, 1900, Kerr County, Texas; m. SUSAN G. CASTLE; b. May 12, 1830, Marion County, Mississippi; d. June 15, 1913, Kerr County, Texas.

7. BENJAMIN⁴ DOWDY (THOMAS³, THOMAS², THOMAS¹) was born 1780 in Chatham County, North Carolina, and died WFT Est. 1781-1870.
Notes for BENJAMIN DOWDY: From Research Documented by Claude H. Dowdy: Benjamin. b. ca. 1774. Deed Book X, p. 271, 1820, James Armstead, Benjamin and Balaam all of Franklin Co., GA. gives brother Thomas Dowdy (Jr.) of Chatham Co. power of attorney to see land in Chatham Co. Benjamin proved Thomas (Jr.) Power of Attorney, Chatham Co. Court Records, May 1821. (Benjamin must have returnef to Chatham Co. at this point). Deed Book X, p. 331, 1821, Thomas, Armstead, James, Balaam, Joab and Benjamin Dowdy, John Clark and wife, Rebecca (Dowdy), heirs of Thomas Dpowdy sells land. Thomas Dowdy (Jr.) acts as attorney for himself and others. Listed in the 1790 and 1800 Chatham Co., NC census records and in the Chatham County Militia 1812-1814. (War of 1812 - Benjamin Dowdy Sr). Received one horse, bed and furniture in Thomas' will.
More About BENJAMIN DOWDY: Census: 1850, Henderson County, Tennessee (70 yrs. of age)

Children of BENJAMIN DOWDY are:
i. ARMSTEAD⁵ DOWDY, b. 1820, North Carolina; m. SUSAN A. HENLEY; b. Abt. 1820.

ii. EMILY DOWDY, b. 1834, North Carolina.

iii. WILLIAM DOWDY, b. 1840, Tennessee.

iv. MATTHEW DOWDY, b. 1842, Tennessee.

v. ROBERT DOWDY, b. 1844, Tennessee.

8. THOMAS⁴ DOWDY IV (THOMAS³, THOMAS², THOMAS¹) was born Abt. 1782 in Dowdy Mountain, Chatham County, North Carolina, and died April 1859 in Chatham County, North Carolina. He married SARAH RIDDLE Abt. 1800 in Chatham County, North Carolina, daughter of JOHN RIDDLE and LYDIA MATHIS-MATTHEWS. She was born Abt. 1785 in Chatham County, North Carolina, and died Abt. 1863.

Children of THOMAS DOWDY and SARAH RIDDLE are:
i. JAMES⁵ DOWDY, b. August 26, 1802, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. December 30, 1896, Stoddard County, Missouri; m. MARY JANE RIDDLE, Abt. 1820, Chatham County, North Carolina; b. Abt. 1800, North Carolina.
Notes for JAMES DOWDY: James was a farmer and a sheriff.
More About JAMES DOWDY:
Census: 1850, Stoddard County, Missouri
Occupation: Btn. 1830 - 1850, Farmer
Residence: Abt. 1830, Maury County, Tennessee

ii. ALLEN DOWDY, b. February 17, 1808, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. October 27, 1878, Dexter, Stoddard County, Misouri; m. (1) MARIA SANDERS; m. (2) ANN MARIAH.
More About ALLEN DOWDY: Burial: Private cemetary near Dexter, Stoddard County, Missouri
More About ANN MARIAH: Burial: With Allen Dowdy in private cemetary near Dexter, Stoddard County, Missouri

iii. ARMSTEAD LILLEY DOWDY II, b. November 15, 1812, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. April 01, 1903, Stoddard County, Missouri; m. (1) MARTHA RIDDLE; b. November 15, 1812, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. January 15, 1873, Stoddard County, Missouri; m. (2) CYNTHIA CAROLINE NORMAN; b. October 1830, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri; d. 1906.

iv. THOMAS DOWDY IV, b. Abt. 1814, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. Bef. 1860, Stoddard County, Missouri; m. ELIZABETH RIDDLE, Abt. 1833, Tennessee; b. April 15, 1814.

v. WILLIAM A. DOWDY, b. Abt. 1815, Chatham County, North Carolina; m. ELIZABETH.

vi. MARY DOWDY, b. January 22, 1816, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. July 13, 1915, Oakland, Alabama; m. (1) DUNCAN MCINTYRE, Abt. 1836, Chatham County, North Carolina; b. March 20, 1816, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. November 02, 1851, Florence, Alabama; m. (2) NELSON GARRETT HILL, May 08, 1855.

Family Records of Allen Dowdy and Family Records of Henry Franklin Dowdy by Ruth Dowdy-McArthur

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