Descendent of Michael and Bridget Rowles from Doon

Here's material about the Rowles family of Cloonteen from Ancestry posted by Ann Lamb: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/9624631/person/-770541735/story/3b8c7d89… :

Tithe Applotment, Cappamore Parish 
March 24, 1826 http://www.connorsgenealogy.net/LIM/cappamore.htm
The Tithe Applotment lists occupiers of land who were 
expected to pay tithes to support the Church of Ireland.
Rowls George Clonteen Coonagh landlord 
Rowls Michael Clonteen Coonagh landlord

George Rowles and Sarah Griffin came to America from the townland of Cloonteen which was located at that time in the civil parish of Doon, which lies in the northeast corner of County Limerick, Ireland, right next to the Tipperary border.  The townland of Cloonteen lies between the villages of Cappamore and Doon.  The parish of Doon is in the Barony of Coonagh, and in the Diocese of Cashel and Emly. Their parish church was in the village of Cappamore, which lies in the civil parish of Cappamore, to which several townlands, including Cloonteen and Bilboa, were transferred in recent years.

County Limerick was badly hit by the famine and almost 30,000 people died between 1847 and 1850.  About 17% of the population emigrated between 1851 and 1855.  In 1841 the population of County Limerick was 330,000 but by 1891 it had fallen to about 160,000. It continued to fall to about 122,000 in recent years but with the current prosperity in Ireland, it is now gradually on the rise.

    George and Sarah came on a Norwegian ship from Dublin to New York in the fall of 1852 with their son John and daughter Margaret, and joined their sons Luke and George who had come there earlier with their wives and were living and working on farms in Easton township, Washington County, which lies along the Hudson River near to the town of Schuylerville and about 35 miles north of Albany.  Sarah died about three months after they arrived and is buried near some friends who also came from Cappamore with her. The rest of the Rowles family lived in NewYork about three and a half years more before moving to Waupun, Wisconsin in about early 1856.

    Only one Rowles family was left in Doon after they left, that of Michael Rowles and his wife Bridget Ryan. Michael and Bridget had 7 children between 1845 and 1861, named William, Edward, John, Mary, Alice, George and Bridget.  The family emigrated to Australia in 1864. As the name was very rare in Ireland, but there was a cluster in this one small townland, it is likely that they were related.

    All of the Rowles family moved to Wisconsin, probably at or near the same time.  The most likely route would have been west along the Erie Canal from Albany to Buffalo.  The Canal was built in about 1825 under Governor DeWitt Clinton and was called familiarly "Clinton"s Ditch" .From Buffalo they probably went by boat through the Great Lakes to Wisconsin.

Death: Church records, St. Joseph's of Waupun WI. George may have been buried at the cemetery of St. Mary's of Springvale, a very small church several miles out in the country from Waupun, or at Fox Lake. (Sources: notes from Richard Heaney and from  a family history written by Lizzie Rowles, daughter of George and Sarah's son John.

A very strong social custom  in the 19th Century was the Irish naming pattern which was followed also by the Scots, another Gaelic people. While it was not invariable, nevertheless, most people followed this pattern to some extent. The first son was named for the father's father, the second son for the mother's father, the third son for the father. After that sons were named for the brothers of the parents.  The first daughter was named for the mother's mother, the second for the father's mother and the third for the mother.  Then names of the parents' sisters were chosen.  Look through the names of this family and you will see that even after they came to America, they continued to use the family names for several generations until other names began to take over in the 20th century.

I also found Michael in Griffiths Valuation in Cloonteen, Doon, Limerick. You can search for the record here: http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/

Doesn't answer your question, but I hope it gives you more information and some leads.

Steve

Hi Cheryl,

Yes, I remember that we have corresponded in the past and I have shared my research with you.  Since then I have been shered genealogy info with several other descendants of the Michael Rowles family that emigrated to Australia and have built the tree more.  You can find some of it on my Tree on Ancestry but I have not added all of it yet.

I have found some records in Ireland (mid 1600s) that seem to indicate that the original Rowles ancestor came to Ireland from England possibly as a soldier with Cromwell or as an "adventurer" (investor).  Whether in the U.S, or Australia, all people named Rowles except the descendants of George and Michael are of English origin. (We are unique :-) )The name is Norman French in origin. 

Thanks for the lovely Youtube tribute to your father.  I have saved the link to my family file in Legacy. I saw one face that looked like one of my American Rowles relatives

I still have the same email address and am still looking for a proven link between George and Michael Rowles of Cloonteen,.  Also I recently had a  Y-67 DNA test done on my brother (our grandmother was named Rowles) and a Family Finder test done on me. Also my 2nd cousin who is named Rowles has been tested.  I hope someone in your family has done the same.  Perhaps we will meet up also on one of the DNA sites.

Ann Moloney Lamb 

Thank you very much Steve. I will look at these links.

Thank you very much Steve. I will look at these links.

Hi Ann,

It has been awhile since I looked at material I collected. Now that I have some spare time I will carry on. Your links are invaluable!

So far to date, it seems I'm the only one in my family that is interested in tracing the Rowles side. I need to put all the information in one place, once I find it all again in boxes.

I did finally find where Andrew was buried and visited a lovely peaceful little Catholic cemetary where he lies in an unmarked grave. I will have to organise something later. I know he had a least one brother, and possibly cousin who lived in the same area in New Zealand where he died, but have yet to cross-check records. Andrew's death certificate and army records verify that he belongs to this branch from Ireland.

The youtube video was done awhile ago, before I placed it on youtube, and I really should have named people, but it was part of a backdrop for a family land meeting.

Andrew is the one wearing a cloak while standing with a Maori performing group from our tribe or iwi, as he was active in community in Whakatane about time that he met and had two children to Ngarangikahiwa Hohapata (she was the eldest daughter of a much respected Chief of Ngatiawa and as such was a high ranking woman in her own right). I have the original army picture of Andrew but it needs to be restored before I can use. You are welcome to any material that I have. I just have to collate it first!!

As far as DNA testing - well, John is probably the best bet for that seeing as he is the only surviving son of Edward. But as to getting him to do that - I can only encourage him, but he's about to release his own autobiography by the end of this year and hasn't shown much interest in tracing anything else! lol.

I was actually watching one of those UK trace your ancestors programs which featured Irish ancestry last night, so I googled and found this site. I wonder also if the Rowles in Ireland did not come across from England when the British owned huge land parcels in Ireland. So far, all the death certificates that I collected for Andrew's family, say that they were miners - both in Ireland and in Australia. However, Andrew did not list himself as a miner.

Warm regards and thanks

cheryl

Hi again, Cheryl,

When reaching the Rowles family who came from Ireland to NSW, I found that many did go into mining, although the relative who they said they were going to join, John Ryan, brother of Michael wife Bridget, was a farmer.  None of the Rowes family who went from Doon to New York, then Wisconsin,  and eventually Minnesota, were farmer, although I do believe that some of them worked for a while in construction of the state prison in Wisconsin in the 1860s.

Michael was a carpenter when he came to New South Wales.  The children were all too young to have an occupation. Note the spelling of the name.  I have found 11 different spellings. 

Australian immigrartion records are much better than ours and I found all of Michael Rowles' family listed on the Immigrant Index 1860-79 (assisted immigrants) at http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/

http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/indexes_to_assisted_immigrants_366.asp 

Arrival: "Queen of the East, 30 April 1864

SURNAME FIRST AGE  REEL REMARKS

ROLLS Alice 5  2139, 2482 and family

ROLLS Bridget 2  2139, 2482 and family

ROLLS Bridget 35  2139, 2482 William and Mary Ryan, dead Abington, Co. Limerick

ROLLS Edmund 15 2139, 2482 and family  (or Edward) 

ROLLS John 13  2139, 2482 and family

ROLLS Mary 10 2139, 2482 and family

ROLLS Michael 38  2139, 2482 parents Michael and Alice, dead Doon, Co. Limerick

ROLLS William 17  2139, 2482 and family

Source Information:

Ancestry.com. New South Wales, Australia, Assisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1828-1896 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.

It seems to me that George and Michael have to be related.  Maybe uncle/nephew or cousins.  Age difference is too much to be brothers. 

I am very happy to be in touch again.  I still have your old email address.  I will try it.

Ann Lamb

Hi again Ann,

That's awesome. I just spoke with my older sister who collected information on our mothers Irish side - so now I'm looking for William and Catherine (or Kate) from County Tyrone. Apparently they came out to New Zealand around 1890ish and settled in Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand to run a laundry. Looks like a lot of Irish in us from both sides.

The email address I use is oceaniahuman@gmail.com, in case you have an earler one.

Very happy to be in touch again also. looks like the bug has hit again - on with the chase!! lol

Warm regards,

Cheryl

Hi Cherylmona and Ann Lamb

My names Patrick Beirne I've been researching Elle's, my Fiancee's, distant Irish connect to the Rowles, when I discovered this tread. Elle's grandfather  is Robert (Bob) Micheal Buckvold son of  Patrica Ann Rowles born 1922 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Patrica was the daughter of  Charles George Rowles born 1839 in Goodhue Minnesota. His father Patrick Rowles born 1863 in Fond Du lac, Wisconson is the Son of George R Rowles from Doon. Both Elle, Bob and thee extended wider Rowels family in America would love to make contact with you both to share genology of your shared family lineage. please let me know if this is possible, as they've been looking for there Irish connection for a while. 

All the best from Éire,

Patrick Beirne

Contact, bpaddy95@gmail.com