Patrick McGowan (abt. 1810 - 1858)

Born about 1810 in County Leitrim, Ireland

Descendants

Died 13 Jun 1858 at about age 48 in Underhill, Vermont

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Meg McGowan [send private message], Brendan McGowan [send private message], and Marty McGowan [send private message]

Biography

Patrick McGowan was born in Ireland.

Patrick and Ellen McGowan were Irish immigrants who settled in Underhill, Vermont, in the 1840's. Patrick's naturalization record, dated December 16, 1854, lists him as a native of County Leitrim in Ireland.^[1] The first record we have of the McGowan family is a baptism record for the third child Hugh, born in 1847.^[2]

Underhill Property

Patrick McGowan bought property in Underhill in March 1849. He paid $250 for a parcel from John Sweeney, who had himself only acquired the land in March 1847 from Alicia Livingston. Patrick agreed to pay Mr. Sweeney $50 in November 1849 and each November thereafter for five years until the full $250 was paid.^[3]

A few months after Patrick McGowan bought the Sweeney land, he swapped it with Stephen Hale of Jericho, Vermont, for a piece of Underhill land, described as "All of Lot No. 47 in the Second Division . . . supposed to contain 70 acres more or less, reserving to myself (Hale) the spruce timber on the lot." Patrick now had a note of $200 payable to Hale in $25 payments, with the first payment in November, and subsequent payments in January each year.^[4] A 1869 Underhill map shows a lot 47 along what appears to be Irish settlement road in School District no. 14 adjacent to property occupied by R. Farral (sic) and M. Hagherty.

The 1850 Census shows the Patrick McGowan family farming on property valued at $200. Patrick is 40 years old, his wife, mis-identified as Mary is 38, with four children: Sarah, age 7, who is attending school; Mary, 5, a boy whose name is unrecognizable, but should be Hugh, 3; and Terns (Terrence), 1.^[5]

In January 1857, about one and a half years before his death, Patrick McGowan bought an additional 37 1/2 acres in Lot 47 from Patrick McGlynn for $170. McGlynn subsequently transferred the mortgage for the property to Stephen Hale, who had sold and held the mortgage on Patrick's earlier purchase.^[6] Patrick and Ellen appeared to have refinanced their mortgage for the original 70 acre plot with Hale for $174 dollars payable in four years.

Death

Patrick McGowan died June 13, 1858 in Underhill of Dropsy, according to town records.^[7] He was 45 years old at the time of his death, his birthplace was listed as Ireland, and his parents' names were not recorded.^[8] He is buried in the Irish Cemetery, on Irish Settlement Road, in Underhill.^[9]

Research Notes

It is possible that Patrick and Ellen McGowan lived in Canada for a period. It is likely they married in 1842, since their first child Sarah was born around 1843. (The 1850 census lists Sarah's birthplace as Vermont,^[10] but on the 1880 census, when Sarah was living in Tara township in Minnesota, her birthplace is noted as Canada.^[11] The records of the birthplace of Sarah's brother Hugh are also inconsistent. The Underhill City Clerk’s birth record for Hugh’s daughter Ellen, indicated that her father was born in Richmond, probably in Vermont, although there is also a Richmond, Quebec. However on the 1905 census, Ellen McGowan Conroy reported that her father was born in Canada.^[12].

There is a Patrick McGowan living in St. Malachie Parish, in Beaunarhois, Quebec, in 1842. There are four persons in his household.^[13] Beauharnois is very close to Vermont. There is, however, also a Patrick McGowan still living in St. Malachy parish in Beauharnois in 1852, when this Patrick would have been living in Underhill.^[14]

There was at least one other McGowan in Underhill before Patrick and Ellen arrived. Bridget McGowan married John Tunny in December 1844.^[15]

Patrick was not listed among the town voters in Underhill in 1846. ^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ Declaration of Intent, Patrick McGowan, December 16, 1854, microfilm copy found in Swift County, District Court, Naturalization Records, 1871-1943. Minnesota Historical Society. St. Paul, Minnesota, 55101.
2. ↑ Summary of Data, Baptism Records reviewed in the Bishop Brady Center, Burlington, Vermont, by Martin McGowan III, June 29, 2000.
3. ↑ Records in the Underhill, Vermont, Town Office, recorded by B. M. Burbank, Town Clerk, Nos. 256, and 257 recorded March 10, 1849. Photocopy in the records of Meg McGowan.
4. ↑ Records in the Underhill, Vermont, Town Office, recorded by B. M. Burbank, Town Clerk, Nos. 337, 338, and 339 recorded June 25, 1849. Photocopy in the records of Meg McGowan.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC2C-X98 : 9 November 2014), Pattrick Mcgowan in household of Michael Mc Genning, Underhill, Chittenden, Vermont, United States; citing family 288, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). The McGowan family is incorrectly included with the McGenning family on the Familysearch.org transcript.
6. ↑ Records in the Underhill, Vermont, Town Office, recorded by B. M. Burbank, Town Clerk, Nos. 261 and 262 recorded January 1, 1857. Photocopy in the records of Meg McGowan.
7. ↑ Town and vital records, 1797-Sept. 1999; indexes, 1780's-Sept. 1999.
8. ↑ Photocopy from Underhill Town Hall, "Death-Male,", p. 236.
9. ↑ Patrick McGowen at Find A Grave #16158820.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12875-126614-51?cc=1401638 : accessed 29 Jul 2014), Vermont > Chittenden > Underhill > image 38 of 40; citing NARA microfilm publication M432.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ9R-D9K : 14 July 2016), Sarah Mcgowin in household of Terrence Mcgowin, Tara, Swift, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district ED 26, sheet 206A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0635; FHL microfilm 1,254,635.
12. ↑ "Minnesota State Census, 1905," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-159387-28686-0?cc=1503056 : 21 May 2014), Stevens > Hancock village, Moore township > image 3 of 11; State Library and Records Service, St. Paul.
13. ↑ "Canada, recensement du Bas-Canada, 1842," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X73Z-SMX : 18 November 2014), Patrick Mcgowen, St-Malachie, Beauharnois, Quebec, Canada; citing p. 1813, volume MG 31 C1, MG 31 C1; Library and Archives Canada microfilm number C-730, Public Archives, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,443,970.
14. ↑ 1852 Census of Canada on Automated Genealogy.
15. ↑ Bridget McGowan on Ancestry.com
16. ↑ Underhill Vermont Town Records, FHLC Microfilm @29010.

• Patrick McGowan Naturalization Record, Dec. 10, 1854, Burlington, Chittenden Co., Vermont, File no. 519