Gowans, Andrew St John's NF

[Treetotal]

Gillian...the photo was taken looking towards Water Street and the docks...here is an old postcard of Water Street...the oldest  street in North America
Carol

[Gillian Mauchan]

  Carol, Thanks those are great! I will certainly use them to illustrate my modest family history - I am doing it just for my immediate family- we are a bit of a nomadic breed it looks like most of the Gowan's passed through St John;s and moved on. Strangely my Grandmother did not appear to make contact with her cousin's in South Africa after she emigrated there - or not that my father made known!
Will keep searching - might have to temporarily upgrade my Ancestry membership to do a bit of North American research!

Thanks again

Gillian

[valerie525]

Hello,

This is the first time I've seen new info about my great grandfather. Thomas Crawford Gowans (born 1893 in Scotland) was my GGrandfather. I now see where he got some of his children's names. He had two sons: Thomas and Andrew and four daughters: Margaret (my grandmother who died of TB in 1942), Martha, Elizabeth and Rita. Both Bet and Rita are still living but are not in great health. Rita lives in Montreal and Bet lives in St. John's NL. Both sons (Tommy and Andrew) are now dead and lived in the States. Neither of them had children. All of Bet's children live in NL. She has 3 sons and 2 daughters.

So are you saying the Andrew Gowans who died in 1916 was Thomas Gowans father? And that they were from Greenock, Scotland? Tom Gowans is buried in St. John's, NL. Although he lived for years in Montreal and his wife, my GGrandmother, is buried in Cote de Neige cemetery.

If you have other info such as who was Thomas's oldest sibling or their birth order, I'd really appreciate it. I know very little about his life as a child. And until today I knew nothing of his aprents. I know Thomas served in WW1 with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. We have some photos of him in uniform.

Thanks
for any help.

Regards
Valerie

[Treetotal]

Hi Valerie...Don't know if this Thomas is yours on the 1935 :

http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1935/35-st-johns-pgs-600-614-sjw.shtml

Carol

[valerie525]

Hi Carol,

Yes that's him. His daughter Margaret was my grandmother (although she died at 22). I just don't have any info about him before he was an adult. When I read that earlier thread I realized this might be his parents and siblings. I knew he had a least one brother and one sister and the fact that he came from Scotland, he was in the Army during WWI etc. My father remembers him quite well as does my father's younger brother who lived with his grandparents in Montreal.

I didn't know where in Scotland he was from (perhaps it is Greenock), who his parents were etc. In my notes it says he had a sister Dorothy but there is no Dorothy in the list of children of Andrew and Margaret Gowans. If you have any info I'd appreciate it.

Thanks
Valerie

[J.J.]

actually the son Andrew Gowans Jr. died  27 Jun 1913 Lakeville, Massachusetts...but he was buried in Boston
Image with cause of death etc. can be found here:
http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#givenName=andrew&searchType=close&p=recordResults&collection=fs%3A1463156&surname=gowans&deathYear=1913
Marriage same year Aug. 26 1913 Cyril FARNHAM and Miss Mary GOWANS.
There was also a John b. 1872 and a David b. 1873 you hadn't mentioned

Welcome to rootschat Valerie!
Not often we find a great resource like this, his stint in ww1, injuries, return to NL & promotion in ranks
 http://www.rootschat.com/links/08ss/  Lieutenant Owen William Steele of the Newfoundland Regiment: diary and letters
 

[Treetotal]

Hi Valerie...Here is some info on the Newfoundland Regiment:


http://ngb.chebucto.org/NFREG/index1.shtml

Carol

[J.J.]

wills: Prudence B Bishop  1960   / & not sure if this is right Harold -  Harold Ashley  Bishop 1933
http://ngb.chebucto.org/Wills/nfwillsb.shtml

A Martha Gowans, but daughter of whom on the census
http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1921/21-Pg-723-742-supp-2-sjw.shtml

Cyryl & Mary with daughters 1921 http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1921/21-hearts-content-1-tb.shtml
and 1945 http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1945/45-hearts-cont-tb-s.shtml
a photo of Mary with him same year of his death http://ngb.chebucto.org/Stonepics/stonepics-ef.shtml
wills : Cyril Farnham  1959 http://ngb.chebucto.org/Wills/nfwillsf.shtml

A Gowans previous to your family coming to Newfoundland  http://ngb.chebucto.org/H1864/64-st-johns-f-g.shtml
and a stray Archibald from Scotland...see now that he is yours  http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1921/803027-sjw.shtml

There is a Gowans on the list of seafarers...Wonder if the family came as passengers on a merchant vessel
but its a $ cd http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/names/names_g5.php

[valerie525]

Wow J.J. this is great stuff. My GGrandfather must have been quite a bit younger than his brothers. He died in 1977 and he was about 84 then. Where did you find all this info?

Thanks so much.
valerie