Rowland/Roberts - Racine Wisconsin

[Mair]

Dear Listers

Here is a shot in the dark - well - twilight. 

In the mid 1840's -ish the family of Rowland(s) we know travelled to the US. Some went under the name of Roberts (Welsh patronymics) and some under the name of Rowland(s).  We are seeking Thomas, Mary Rowland (husband and wife) children were David Thomas Rowland, Elinor Rowland, Daniel Thomas Rowland, Elizabeth Rowland, Catherine Rowland. Mary Rowland and Hannah Rowland.  Cousins who travelled over were John Roberts ( John son of Robert Rowlands, Thomas' brother) and Uncle John Rowland who travelled we think with his son & daughter in law at quite an old age for that time in the mid C19th.

Daniel T Rowland turns up later in Iowa and South Dakota and is relatively easy to track on a "rough" basis.  They were Calvinistic Methodists and D T Rowlands made a name for himself preaching in the New World to the Welsh communities.  He returned to Wales on a brief visit in 1871 taking back to the US the same year my great uncle for "a visit"!

However, it is the family's initial emigration we seek - no success on passenger lists to date due to patronymics - we think we have found the families in Wisconsin later in C19th around Racine but here there are no references to their arrival at all be it through the Great Lakes or over land.

Any pointers as to where to look would be appreciated.

Mair

[grub]

Hi Mair
Perhaps this is your family.
Found on Ship: Chas Chaloner
From: Liverpool
To:     New York
Arriving: July 31, 1847
Manifest ID Number is 2319 (for all)
Last Residence: Great Britain
Purpose for Travel: Staying in USA but not citizen of USA.
Mode of Travel: Steerage

ROWLAND
T           age 50 male
My         age 40 female
Elzbt     age 24 female
R.          age 21 male
Cath      age 20 female
D           age 20 male
Hannah age 11 female

Hope this helps
Valerie.

[Mair]

HI Valerie

This would appear to be them - at last!  Thank you.

Now that a definite date can be given it gives a basis of searching records.

Just need to find the other relatives now.  Many thanks once again.

M

[Mair]

Valerie

From the list you have kindly supplied there seem to be definitely two children unaccounted for - David and Mary.  We do not have any records of Elinor in the States and so we think she did not make the trip. 

However, we do know for certain that David and Mary arrived in Wisconsin.

David's DOB is 1815 with Mary's DOB 1830.  Is there anywhere I can look to try and find them?

M

[grub]

Hi Mair
I did notice that the family was not complete when I posted under "perhaps" , but as there were no ages given I took a guess.

I'm not seeing David 1815 and Mary 1830 under the surname of Rowland(s) anywhere in the same year range as the others posted earlier.

John Roberts..did you locate him? and the elderly John Rowland....was he father to Thomas/FIL to Mary?

I'm wondering if the surnames did not perhaps get switched depending on the provider for the Passenger List.

I will look some more.

Valerie

[Mair]

Valerie

The tale is rather a rambling one so I will try and cut it down a bit!

Thomas Rowlands 1784 - 1850 m Mary d 1851 - Wisconsin both of them interred on their farm we understand.

However, TWIST one, patronymics plays a part in all this.  Thomas' s two children left in Wales we have traced under surname Thomas - the son taking the fathers first name as a surname.  They did not revert back to "Rowlands" until their fathers generation in the locale died. 

TWIST two -Thomas was one of five brothers the other 4 remaining in North Wales.  Until, that is, we found a rogue John Rowlands living on a John Roberts farm in Wisconsin, neighbouring the other Rowlands'.  His DOB fits the DOB for Thomas Rowlands brother, John.  I did some digging around and find that this John Rowland's son and wife moved to the States and lo and behold there is another younger John Rowlands (call him John Jnr!) and his wife Catherine on  another neighbouring farm.

John Roberts we think is Thomas's & John's nephew - son of their brother Robert Rowland!

TWIST three, However, as Roberts in not an uncommon name it's difficult to pin down and we think he may have gone over at a different time to our Rowland family.  Wife name Jane + children.

Jude
If you followed all that - well done - I still have to have the notes out

[grub]

Hi Jude...Sorry to have been so long in responding but I had difficulty uncrossing my eyes.....

This might be Jane Roberts.....can't find the others yet.

Jane Roberts found in:

Irish to America Passenger and Immigration Lists Volume 2, 1846-1886
18,  Female     
Nation of Origin:  Wales     
Last Residence:  Wales
Embarked at Liverpool, Debarked at New Orleans   
Date of Arrival:  May 29, 1846     
Final Destination:  Wisconsin     
Ship's Name:  Finland     
Ship's Manifest Number:  20022   

sailing with this Jane was a Robert Roberts, age 1 and a John Hugh Roberts, age 47, butcher.  All other details are the same.

Valerie
     
 

[Mair]

Valerie

Many thanks for remembering me!

However, background info has been unearthed (!) of the people we had already found. The Jane you have found is too young.

John Robert's father, Robert Rowlands, we know for a fact stayed in Llanberis - grave found at Nant Peris Church.  No later member of the known family found. This would be one item to confirm our thoughts that John Robert in Llanberis is the John R Rowlands in the States.   

The John R Rowlands in Wisconsin is trackable forwards in time - but trying to find out when John Roberts Wales emmigrated and the John R Rowlands in Wisconsin immigrated would be the key pin to saying that they are both the same person.

John Roberts would be shown as a farmer or agricultural something or other on the manifest. His DOB is 1799.  Assuming a lot of things his wife would be Jane of roughly the same age, and the children of which there were  6 John, Robert, Owen, Dorothy, Morris, Humphrey born approx 1825 - 1841-ish.  I can't track the younger children in Wales on BMD due to patronymics as the children may be Jones' Roberts' or Rowlands'!!

Personally I think the US  info and the hunches are correct - well I would like them to be. 

Many thanks again - off back diggin' again.

Jude

[grub]

Hi Jude
On August 29, 1845, arriving in New York, departing from Liverpool, the ship "Republic" reports the following passengers:

ROBERTS
John, 46, male, farmer, from Wales, destination: Wisconsin
Jane, 44, female
Jane, 20, female
John, 18, male
Robert, 17, male
Humphrey, 15, male
Ellen, 13, female
Owen, 11, male
Dorothy, 8, female
Morris, 5, male

Microfilm Serial #237, Microfilm #59
Family Group # is the same on all...as 76068

I did not see Ellen in your post, but she was smack in the middle of the rest.

Kind regards,
Valerie