Mcdowell, John

John McDowell was a brick wall for many years. I believe that he is the son of Thomas McDowell and Jennet Clark who were from Lancaster Co, PA. They moved to Washington Co, PA and are documented in the Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). [A family reunion of this branch was held in Washington County in 1896 in which they speak of their brother John who moved to Kentucky]. Once I discovered Thomas, he was a new brick wall, until I saw land deeds from his brothers, in which Thomas, and his wife, Jennet, are named. This led me to William McDowell and his wife Ruth Roberts.

John settled on the land that is now at the border of Bracken and Robertson Counties, along the North Fork of the Licking River. His son Thomas claims to have been born in the town of Washington in Mason Co, KY in Dec 1795. It was soon after that that they moved to what is now Kabler Mill Rd. John appears on the Bracken Co Tax List in 1797.

28 Sep 1798 Bourbon Co: A John McDowell sold 200 acres on Houston''s Fork of the Licking River to Stephenson Wallace.
(From the Gazetteer of Early KY Locations: Houston''s Fork of Licking Creek aka Huston''s Creek or the S Fk of Licking Creek see PW 182; Bourbon County).
[This John may be part of the branch that moved on to IA and IN. See Jeff McD tree/DNA]

On 6 Jan 1800 and again in Mar 1806, John was commissioned by Gov. Garrard as Justice of the Peace for Bracken County. In Dec 1809 he was issued rights to marry. In Jun 1810 he was a judge for the election of the North Fork Precinct of Bracken County and issued rights to marry. In 1811 he was commissioned by Governor Garrard as sheriff of Bracken County.

1810 census: KY, Bracken Co, page 3: Five sons and seven daughters living at home. John and Nancy are each age 26-44. This estimates their birth years between 1766-1784. They are near James Downing, Lewis Linville and the Tuckers.

Following his death, John McDowell''s estate was appraised in May 1816. A copy of his estate sale is on file dated 20 Feb 1819, and his account was settled in March 1819. Bracken Co Wills Book, Vol 2, pg 30. *Ben Stubbs (grandson of Thomas McD of Washington Co, PA) buys John''s horse, listed in settlement. Presumably, Benoni was John''s nephew. John''s ancestors lived next to the Stubbs family in Lancaster Co, PA.

Estate appraised May 1816. DOD unknown. Sale & inventory 30 May 1816, recorded Jun 1816 Bracken Co Will Book B, pg 23-24-25. Estate Settlement & sale 20 Feb 1819, recorded Mar 1819.

In 1821 the heirs of Robert Downing filed suit against the heirs of John McDowell regarding land in Bracken County. This again connects John to Washington Co, PA. (see land notes for Thos McD).

The McDowell family burial plot is on a farm which is on Kabler Mill Rd. I believe John and Nancy are buried there, but it is too overgrown now for them to be found.

Document copies for the above provided by K. Ulrich through her research at Bracken Co Courthouse archives.

This John is not John G McDowell who was also in KY. John G McD can be readily eliminated as a possibility based on parents'' identity; place and date of birth; name of wife; date and place of death. We may end up being related in some way as I do know we are related to another group out of Bedford Co, PA and also Bourbon Co, KY.