Gowans, Andrew St John's NF

[valerie525]

Hi J.J.

Just saw your next treasure trove of info. Thanks again. I can't wait to check out all these threads.

BTW Martha Gowans was my grandmother's younger sister. I've always found it odd that she's listed on a street her family did live on when she was an infant in the 1921 census and she's listed with a lot of other babies. Almost seems like it would be a hospital or orphanage yet my parents (who have lived in St. John's all their lives know of no such thing there. Granted it could have been a home of some sort but where is her family?). In the 1921 census I can't find the Gowans family and I've tried every variant spelling I can think. Someone stated earlier that Martha drowned and it probably says that in the death announcement but my father said they were swimming at Ocean Pond and she suffered a brain aneuryism. Whether from that or drowning, she died that day at 16.

Cheers
Valerie

[Gillian Mauchan]

 

Well taken me a while to get back to this post.
The Thomas who was the son of Andrew and Margret Gowans was born in Greenock on 8th Oct 1891
I have surmised from the Canadian web site mentioned that he married an Elizabeth? and had children Thomas, Margaret, Elizabeth, Rita and Andrew. I stopped there on this line.
I am descended from his older brother John Gowans who remained in Scotland. His father Andrew died in in St John's and his mother returned to Scotland and died there later. She lived near another daughter Martha Orr Gowans who had returned to Scotland and Married an Arthur Frame

If this is the same family I am happy to share the information I have gathered for them - Unfortunately I haven't got further back than the Andrew's father being Capt Andrew Gowans who died in Jan 1855, I have traced Margaret (Martin) back quite far to farming stock on the Isle of Bute and Ayr

Gillian

[valerie525]

Hi Gillian,

I will gladly take any info you have about Andrew Gowans and Margaret Martin. Until yesterday I didn't even know Tom Gowans parents names. This is fantastic.

Thanks so much
Warmest Regards
Valerie

[Gillian Mauchan]

Valarie

You can download his Birth Record from http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk - it does cost but if you're smart you can get 5 records for your initial investment
His record is     1891   GOWANS   THOMAS CRAWFORD   M   GREENOCK EAST   /RENFREW   564/01 0953   
This record should confirm Margaret And Andrew as his Parents.
So the Family is:

Andrew McCurdy Gowans only Son of Andrew Gowans and Prudence Bell b 01 Aug 1836 Greenock
married  14 Dec 1869 Rothsay Bute
Margaret Martin daughter of John Martin and Martha Orr  b 21 Apr 1850 Rothsay, Bute
Children:
- Andrew b 01 Sep 1870 died 21 Apr 1874
- John b 26 Apr 1872 died Wandsworth England 1942
- David b 08 Dec 1873 died South Africa c 1943
 - Martha Orr b 06 Nov 1875 died 1946 Hamilton, Scotland
- Andrew b 25 Nov 1877 died Boston 1913 (see earlier post)
- Margaret Martin b 24 Jan 1880
 - James 08 May 1882
- Prudence Bell 18 May 1884 died c 1960 St John's
- Archibald 18 Nov 1886 died 10 Jul 1887
- Mary Orr  02 Feb 1889
 - Thomas Crawford 08 Oct 1891
 - Archibald Martin 10 Apr 1894

Andrew and Prudence were married 08 Mar 1824 in Greenock - according to her Tombstone (see my post more Impossible Gowans on the Renfrew page) he was 'Lost at Sea in January 1855   - I have not found any further information on capt Andrew - he was at Sea on the census records I have found for Prudence and Andrew Jnr. Prudence was the daughter of David Bell and Janet according to her death record 27 Mar 1869 Greenock -I haven't found her birth - she came from Irvine

John Martin 27 Mar 1869 Rothsay Bute son of Archibald Martin and Margaret Jamieson
married 27 Jul 1849 Martha Orr b 1826, Dalry Ayr daughter of James Orr and Margaret Muir

There is a wonderful site http://www.butesonsanddaughters.co.uk/ which you can find some history of the Martin's on - it's not totally accurate but you can get the gist search the farms for Martin.

Hmm Middle name Crawford maybe a clue to some of those records I cannot find

So what was Thomas's wife maiden name and when did they Marry? Can you please tellme their death dates as well

Regards

Gillian

[valerie525]

Hi Gillian,

Thanks for this. You know a week ago I knew nothing about Tom Gowans other than he served in WWI, was born in Scotland and was a pretty crotchety old guy. Now I have tons of history.

So here's what I can fill in for you. Tom died in St. John's in 1977. Tom's wife (my GGrandmother) was Elizabeth Janes b. 22 Jan 1893 in St. John's, Newfoundland (NL), Canada. Around 1948 they moved to Montreal (actually Tom was already there so not sure when he went. Elizabeth followed after her son-in-law (my grandfather) remarried.  She had been caring for her 3 little grandsons. Elizabeth died in Montreal in 1963 and is buried in Notre Dame des Neiges cemetery. Her headstone says she was born in 1894. Elizabeth's parents were James Janes b. Oct 1870 in Grate's Cove, NL and Mary Murray b. Aug 1875 in Cape Broyle, NL. So far I have no other details on them but I don't live in NL anymore so when I'm home I spend time at the Provincial Archives. Their records are not all online unfortunately.

Tom and Elizabeth had 6 children:

- Tommy b. 1915. Married Syvia King, had no children. Lived in Boston I think but has since passed away.

- Margaret (my grandmother) b. 1919, d. of TB 03 July 1941. She married my grandfather William Finney in 1937 and had three sons William (my father) in 1938, Kevin in 1939 and John in 1940.

- Martha b. 1921, d. of a barin aneurysm while swimming in 1937.

- Elizabeth (Bet) b. 1923. Married Mike Yetman, had 3 sons Jim, Mike and Robin and 2 daughters Dorothy and Gail. Bet is still living in St. John's.

- Rita b. 1926. Had a son Bobby Gowans. Later married Art Roberts and had 2 sons, Gary and Glenn. Rita is still living in Montreal.

- Andrew b. 1929. Married a woman named Rosa and lived his life in Florida. They did have children but I know no details. He has since passed away.

I know plenty of details about aunt Bet as I grew up knowing her and her children are my father's first cousins. Everyone else lived away from NL so I never met them.

Regards
Valerie

[Gillian Mauchan]

Thanks will update my Records

I will be in Scotland later on this year -and intend to visit the Scotlands People Office to look up a whole lot of information. Will Look at Thomas's birth record whilst I am there

 Regards

Gillian

[cagowans]

Hi Valerie,
My name is Charles. I am the youngest son of Andrew James Gowans. My Grandfather was Thomas Crawford Gowans, your Gr Grandfather. Andrew had 3 sons with his first wife Rosa and a daughter with his second wife Gladys. My brothers are Andrew James Gowans Jr. and Bradham Thomas Gowans. My sister is Barbara M. Gowans.
Thanks,
Charles

[Gillian Mauchan]

Hi Charles
- I seem to be tracking down a lot of Gowans' through Rootschat.
Let me know if you are interested in Thomas Crawford's Ancestry - I did look at his birth recrd in Scotland and he is the child og of my Gr Gr Grandpa Andrew McCurdy Gowans
Regards
Gillian

[cagowans]

Hi Gillian,
Yes I would like more information. He did live with us in Florida for a short amount of time when I was a small child. The only people I have met, from my fathers side of the family, is my Uncle Tom and Aunt Rita. I met Rits's son Glenn when they visited Florida once in the 70's and talked to my Aunt Bettyonce to inform her that my father had passed. I have not been able to reach any of them in the past 2 years and have been trying to make some connection. I am going to go through my uncle Toms old photo albums and if there are some old family pictures I will post them.
Thanks,
Charles