The Dowdle Family of Bibb County, Alabama

This genealogy of the Dowdle family was written by Samuel Wesley Dowdle, the son of William Robert Dowdle and Hattie Belle Dunlap Dowdle.

The handwritten document was transcribed by Mrs. Linda Deloach of Woodstock, Alabama.

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Samuel Dowdle son of Robert Dowdle Sr. came to Ala. From Anderson County S.C. about 1819-1820.

He entered some land on the Bibb and Tuscaloosa County line (now owned by “Shorty Chris or Crisp).

In 1829 he bought the “Hill” land grant and place (W R Dowdle Jr. has the original land grant dated 1819 and signed by President James Monroe.)

This land is about 2 miles east of Vance Ala.

His wife was Martha Wood born Dec. 8, 1779 died Jan. 16, 1852. Her parents names are unknown. [Her tombstone says she was born in 1778.]

Her brother Oliver was born on the ship coming over. Another brother Wilson Wood married Nancy Wallace and lived near Vance Ala a great-great-grandson of this couple (Ross Arnold) is buried in Jacksonville, Ala.

Children of Samuel Dowdle

1. Robert Barr Dowdle married Sarah Vance of Bibb County Ala

He settled at or near Reform Ala where his descendants now live

1. James Dowdle (will list his children later) (our line) Great Grandfather
2. William Dowdle married Rebecca Ann Moore. He was born Oct 14 1813 died July 16 1854. He was a shoemaker by trade. After his death his widow and children moved to Texas before the Civil War. Nothing else is known about them.
3. Peggie Dowdle married a Mr Wood

Their children were Martha, James and John

1. Jane Dowdle married a Mr. Malone

Their children were Dave, Robert, William, Samuel and Winnie

1. Samuel Dowdle Jr. married Nancy Vance a sister of Dr. William Vance and James Vance. He moved to Pickens County Ala before the Civil War. One child is known (Mary J) six years old in 1850 (He was born 1818 died 1885)

The family of James Dowdle (my great grandfather)

He was born Nov 3, 1808 in South Carolina died Sept 17, 1893 and in buried at Union Cemetery near Vance Ala.

(Note) Sarah Starr Moore was the daughter Nancy and Mike Moore Smith

Nancy Smith Moore was the daughter of William & Catherine (Rogers) Smith

See (The Smiths) (Hence the DAR connection)

He married Sarah Starr Moore daughter of James Micheal and Nancy Smith Moore. She was born about 1812 in what is now Madison County Ala

She died in 1898 and is also buried at Union Cemetery.

Their children were

1. Nancy Wood Dowdle born May 20 1831 died Oct 1918. She was known as (Aunt Push)

She married James Murray in 1855

He was born May 28 1830 and died Dec 27 1863. Both of them buried at Hurricane

The children of James Murray and Nancy Wood Dowdle were

1. Sarah Elizabeth Murray born Dec 1854 died Aug 16 1935. She married N. N. (Sid) Smith Nov 15 1899

They had no children

1. John Robert Murray born Feb 28 1856

Died May 16 1938 married Bessie Morgan March 1886

Their children were

1. Robert Clifford Murray born Dec 18 1887 died Oct 1939 married Alice McLauren of Valley Head Ala. They had six children
2. William Moore Murray born 1889 married Ruth Mosley of Marietta Ga. They had 3 children
3. Lois Louise Murray born Aug 4 1895 married Lawrence Brice of Oneonta Ala. They had 2 children
4. Mary Jane Murray born Nov 20 1858 died Sept 16 1928 married William Asbury Wood Oct 26 1882

No children

1. William Moore Murray born April 7 1860 died Jan 21 1904 married Helen Glenn Bartin Feb 3 1891. She was from Opelika Ala
2. David Jefferson (Jet) Murray born Jan 7 1862 died

(Never married)

James Murray and Nancy Wood (Dowdle) raised two girls left by a good friend when she died. They were Hattie and Adelle Sadler. Hattie married Charlie Gallant and he was killed. She later married Walter George who married Edd Sansing.

Adelle married William Martin of Meridian, Mississippi they had several daughters

1841-1910 The Cowleys

Mary M. Dowdle daughter of James and Sarah Starr (Moore) Dowdle married James M. Cowley born 1833 died 1888. Both are buried at Union Cemetery near Vance Ala. She was known as Aunt Prish.

Their children were

1. Walker Cowley 1863-1888
2. Micheal W. Cowley (Tuck)

Children of M. W. (Tuck) Cowley and Bessie Sansing Cowley

1. William Jones Cowley married Ethel Huckabee of Bham. No children
2. Walker Frank Cowley. He married Alma Johnson. They had 3 children

1. Elizabeth Cowley
2. Sarah Cowley (twin)
3. Walker Frank Cowley Jr. (twin)

1. Nelly Cowley married Cass Davenport since his death she lives in Fort Walton Fla
2. John Sansing Cowley. He married Doris Vanoy of Vance Ala and they had one daughter
3. Homer Cowley
4. John Thomas (Tom) 12/6/1866

Children of J. T. (Tom) Cowley and Emma Frances Gafnea born 1876

1. Willie Mary Cowley born 1897 married Roscoe Gallant June 30 1918

Their children

1. Mary Frances
2. Maylon Lynn
3. Thomas Roscoe
4. James Floyd (twin)
5. William Lloyd (twin)
6. James Eugene (Jim) Cowley Aug 5 1899 married Willie Mae Norwood – Bham 1927

Their children

1. Peggie Cowley
2. Mary Ann Cowley
3. Joyce Cowley
4. Irene Jane Cowley Oct 7 1901 married Burrell Hendrix in 1925

He died in 1940

1. Mildred Cowley born 1903 married James Claud Largin March 4 1922

Their children were

1. James Claude Largin Jr.
2. John Leonard Largin
3. Fredrick Wyatt Largin
4. William Robert Largin
5. Lommie Jewell Cowley March 14 1908 married Thomas Hereford of McCalla

Their children

1. Thomie Sue Hereford
2. Carolyn Hereford
3. Sallie Cowley March 3 1868

She married C. W. (Uncle Lum) Steele of Brent Ala. (No children)

The children of James and Sarah Starr Moore Dowdle were

1. Robert David Dowdle born March 29 1843 died Nov 8 1866

He was wounded in the Civil War and only lived a year or so it was only a flesh wound but there was no medication available

1. Rebecca(ERS) Dowdle born Feb 22 1847 – June 27 1886 buried Union

Married C. C. Carroll

Their children were

1. Fanny Carroll born 1881 married Jefferson Brown and moved to Florida both are dead left 2 children
2. James Micheal Carroll 1878 – buried Union
3. Columbus C Carroll June 27 1886 – Sept 10 1887 buried Union
4. Martha Ann Dowdle no record of birth or death

She married William Slaton and moved to Locksboro Arkansas in Sevier County

Their children were

1. Amanda Slaton
2. James Slaton
3. David Slaton
4. Sarah Slaton
5. Samuel James Micheal Dowdle (old paw) son of James and Sarah Starr (Moore) Dowdle was born June 22 1849 died June 22 1915

He married Susan Emaline Sansing (Miss Susan) who was born June 28 1848 died Jan 3 1932 Both buried at Union Cemetery (They were my grand –parents)

He moved to Bibbville in 1896 to be Superintendent For Bibbville Fire Brick Co.

Their children were

1. Daisy Myrtis Dowdle Jan 26 1878-

She married Sabert Donald Chesser Dec. 24 1895

Their children

1. Mable Chesser born May 26 1901 married Edward C Bush

Their children were

1. Edward C Bush Jr born April 8 1917
2. Louis Dowdle Bush born Sep 24 1923
3. Mary Beatrice (wid) Chesser born Feb 21 1904 married Roy Killian of Woodstock (1924)

Their children were

1. Roy Virginia Killian born Oct 1925
2. Mary Killian born Aug 5 1929

Mary Beatrice Killian married George Blake of River Bend (Bibb Co)

1. Ward Chesser born Aug 27 1906 married Fred Patterson 1941

He was from Waverly Tenn. And died. They had one daughter Janie

1. Queenie Lucile Chesser born Nov 5 1908 married Floyd McElroy and had Flora Lucile born Feb 1930

Married Henry Burnette and had

1. Virginia Burnette born Sep 26 1935
2. Henry Usery Burnette born Dec 31 1937

Samuel James Micheal and Susan E Dowdle raised two negro boys to help around the house. They were not part of the family but boys nobody wanted. He took them because they were given to him by relatives who could not keep them.

They were Jim Banks who later raised a large family and made a good citizen and Hub Small no records of family and was last heard of around Bessemer

There never was a slave in the Dowdle family (my great grandfather was strictly against slavery) So was my great grandfather Sansing.

James Davis Dowdle (Uncle Jim) (son of SJM & Susan Dowdle was born Jan 21 1880)

He married Elizabeth (Aunt Lizzie) Caffee (1904)

Their children

1. James Davis Dowdle Jr married (?) Fitts had one son now in California
2. Elizabeth Dowdle born April 1911 married John B McGinnis they had one child
3. Joan Elizabeth she married

They had ___ children

Elizabeth McGinnis and Mary Elizabeth Dowdle (Aunt Lizzie) are now in Lilburn Ga as is Joan McGinnis

William Robert (Bob) Dowdle Sr. (my father) was born June 19 1881 died Jan 30 1967 married Hattie Belle Dunlap of Ashley on Oct 7 1907

She was born April 22 1882 died July 10 1962

Both buried Bibbville Church Cemetery.

Their children were

1. W. R. (Dutch) Dowdle Jr born May 21 1910 (never married and is now in Gadsden (1416 Hill Ave)
2. Samuel Wesley Dowdle Sr. born June 18 1915

He was married Lillian Kathleen Roberts who was born Carrollton GA June 4 1914

They had 2 children

1. S W Dowdle Jr. born Jan 30 1943 at Fairfield Ala TCI Hosp

Married Brenda Joyce Johnson March 17 1967

They had 2 children

1. Mary Elaine Dowdle born 4/115/1973
2. Elizabeth Ashley Dowdle born 8/10/1974
3. Julia Belle (Judy) Dowdle born June 21 1946 at TCI Hospital married Horace Robert Owens Dec 2 1965

They had 2 children

1. Robert Jeffery Owens 1-21-67
2. James Samuel Owens 7-12-73
3. James Micheal Dowdle born March 18 1921 married Billie Jack Crowder

They had 2 children

1. Nancy Micheale
2. Kathy Ann
3. Sarah Caroline Dowdle born Feb 28 1882 (Aunt Babe) married Horace J Caffee Dec 26 1898 He died April 1937

Their children were

1. Willie Sammie Caffee married John Stafford

They had one child

Caroline Meigs Stafford

1. Lorene Caffee born Sept 1907 married Charles P Cross (1940) (He died 1979)

They had one child Charlice Cross

She married Dwight Giles

They had one child Charlie

1. William Thomas Dowdle Sr. adopted son of SJM & Susan Dowdle born Aug 11 1897

He married Ethel Wildsmith of Birmingham

They had 2 sons

1. W. L. Dowdle Jr married Lois

And they had children

1. Joseph Clyde Dowdle married Joan

And they had children

The Smiths

William Smith Colonel of the Fourth Battalion York Association in the Revolutionary War pages 415-503 Vol 2 Sixth Series Penn.

In politics he was a follower of Geo. Washington and in the religion known as Disciple of Christ. He married Mary Catherine Rogers. It was often said by the “old ones” that he was the brother of Joseph Smith the founder of the Mormon Church. In fact Young Hayes was named for his uncle who in turn was named in honor of Brigham Young.

The children of William and Catherine Smith are

1. Joseph married Susan Davidson
2. Simeon
3. Jackson
4. Thomas married Lugana Roberts
5. Jane married James Edwards
6. Betsey married David Herndon
7. Irene married William Hayes
8. Rebecca married John Eeds or Eads
9. Pollie married Hubbard Trimell
10. Nancy married James Mike Moore
11. Robert married Addie Moore

The Hayes

William Sydney Hayes son of Andrew Wilson Hayes was born in Burke County N.C. Dec 19 1821 died Nov 22 1895 and is buried Greenpond

He married Irene Smith Moore who was born Aug 11 1823 died April 26 1906 at Woodstock Al buried at Greenpond. She was the daughter of Mike Moore and Nancy Smith Moore. She was the sister of Sarah Starr Moore Dowdle.

Their children

1. Nancy Jane born Nov 24 1845 died Nov 29 1916 she married William D Wood
2. Micheal Young Hayes born June 19 1848 died July 28 1895 He married Mattie A. Hickman
3. Mary Rebecca Hayes born Jan 7 1852 died Jan 6 1896 she married James M Mason
4. An unnamed daughter who died young no records
5. Andrew Wilson (Prof. Baldy) Hayes born Sept 7 1855 buried at Greenpond. He married Josie Going
6. Sarah Louise Hayes unmarried buried at Greenpond
7. William Robert Smith Hayes born Feb 7 1862 died April 30 1930 buried Greenpond. Never married and ran a store (which burned) at Woodstock Ala for some time.