Transcript THE LOWRY FAMILY

THE LOWRY FAMILY
INDEX
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LOWRY FAMILY
SMITH/SCHMIDT FAMILY
DOAK FAMILY
FULLER FAMILY
AVERY FAMILY
MONTGOMERY FAMILY
SCOTLAND
ENGLAND
WALES
IRELAND
• Our Lowry family of Oklahoma City is
descended from the three daughters of Dr
Tom Lowry and Ethel Maud Smith:
– Lou Lowry (King)
– Liz Lowry (Brown)
– Jean Lowry (Abney)
LOU AND JEAN LOWRY
• The Lowry name comes from Adam Lowry (born 1765 in
Londonderry, Ireland, died 1826 in Ripley, Ohio)
• Adam was the great-great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• When he immigrated to America is uncertain
• He married Julia Montgomery Doak in 1795 in Washington,
TN
• The Doak family, a prominent family during the American
Revolution, ties the Lowry family to the prominent
Montgomery-Houston clans from Scotland
• The lineage of the Lowrys in Ireland is unknown, but most
likely they were descended from the Clan Lauren in Scotland
JEAN GILLFILLAN LOWRY
• Also notable among the Lowrys is Adam’s sister, Jean Gillfillan Lowry (born
1795), Tom Lowry’s great grand aunt
• She married Rev John Rankin. Their house in Ripley, OH, on the Ohio River
across from Kentucky, was a safe house in the Underground Railway,
helping escaped slaves from Kentucky find passage to Canada
• Her house was visited by Harriet Beecher Stowe, who witnessed the
passage of Eliza, an escaped slave, and her five children into the safe
house while men with guns and dogs hunted for them on the other side of
the river
• From that experience Harriet wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, although the
book does not tell the story of Eliza and her children
• The Rankin House in Ripley has been restored and is open to the public
REV SAMUEL GARDINER LOWRY
1800-1886
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The son of Adam and Julia Doak Lowry, great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
He preached for several years in Lewis County, KY
He moved to New Richmond, Clermont County, OH in 1823
In 1825 he moved to Decatur County, IN
In 1835 he moved to Crawfordsville, the location of Wabash College
On April 1, 1829, Rev Samuel G Lowry was appointed to the board of the Hanover
Academy (Hanover College in Indiana).
The history of Moscow Township, MN Lists Samuel G Lowry as one of several
pioneers arriving in 1857.
The 1882-83 city directory for Minneapolis, MN shows Samuel G Lowry living on
Vine Place between 15th and Oak
Married to Almira Thomas in 1820 at the Concord Church in in Carlyle, KY
Almira’s family was Scots-Irish, going back to Adam Scott, born 1731 in Falkirk,
Scotland
SAMUEL DOAK LOWRY
1826 - ??
• Son of Samuel Gardiner Lowry
and Almira Thompson,
grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Born in Putnam, Indiana
• Prof Lowry was at Cane Hill
College in Benton, AR from 1852
until 1860
• Eventually moved to Texas,
where he taught at Trinity
College
• Died in Rockwall, TX
• Married Emma Jane Mabley
(nothing is known of her family)
DAVID P LOWRY
1864-1920
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Son of Samuel Doak Lowry and Emma Jane Mabley
Born in Texas, married Eva Richey, an Abernathy descendant
1870 census shows David P Lowry living in district 84 west, Limestone, TX
1900 census shows him in Waco, TX working as a cotton classer.
1910 census shows him in Guthrie, OK
Lived in Rockwall, TX at one time (his infant son Doak P Lowry was buried in
Rockwall in 1887)
Children were:
– Tom Lowry
– Dick Lowry
– David P Lowry, Jr
– Doak P Lowry
– Janey Mae Lowry
TOM LOWRY
1891-1945
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Born in Rockwell, TX
The 1920 Census shows Tom Lowry (28) and Ethel M (24) living at 1507 N
Broadway, Oklahoma City
In the 1930 census they were living at 1205 NW 36th
TOM LOWRY
Served in France in WW I
Won the Letzeiser Medal at
Oklahoma University in
1913 for best all-around
scholar (scholarship,
student activities, athletics
and literary)
TOM LOWRY
• Practiced medicine
in Oklahoma City
with his twin
brother, Dick Lowry
• Served as Dean of
the Oklahoma
Medical School
TOM LOWRY
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Founded the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation while Dean
Original funds for the foundation were raised through memorial donations for
Tom and his brother Dick
TOM LOWRY
(from Oklahoma State medical Journal, December, 1945)
ETHEL MAUD SMITH
1886-1945
• Wife of Tom
Lowry
• German
ancestry
(Schmidts)
• Multiple ties
to passengers
on the
Mayflower
THE SCHMIDTS
Family of Ethel Maud Smith
• Dates back to Martinis Schmidt (born 1660 in the RhinelandPfalz of Germany – at that time part of the Holy Roman
Empire)
• 9th great grandfather of Ethel Maud Smith
• He was living there during the War of the Grand Alliance
(1688-89) in which Louis XIV of France laid waste to the entire
area, leading to mass emigration of German farmers to
America and other countries
JOHN (JOHAN) CHRISTOPHER SCHMIDT
1742-1808
• 3rd GGF of Ethel Maud Smith
• Records from the Moravian Church show that John
Christopher was aboard the 'Irene’ which left London Feb 20,
1749 and arrived in New York May 12. He traveled to New
Bethel, PA and married Mary Guss. She is not listed as a
passenger on that ship.
• 12 FEB 1791 Mt. Bethel Twp., Northampton Co., PA, listed in
deed adjoining lands of Christopher Baker, Charles and
William Lebar, James Durham, Theophilus Partridge, John
Long and Joseph Long
• Will: 12 MAY 1808 Register of Wills, Northampton Co., PA,
1808, Will # 2536
JOHAN (YOST) SMITH
1766-1841
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2nd GGF of Ethel Maud Smith
Born in Bedminster, PA
Founding father of Red Bank Township in Pennsylvania, about 130 miles northwest of
Philadelphia in Armstrong County.
The home in which Yost and Magdeline (Mahoney) lived still stands at Oak Ridge in Red
Creek, PA.
"In the northwestern part of this township is the territory covered by the Pickering &
Co. warrant No. 439. In the sharp northern bend of the Red Bank, opposite the mouth
of Town creek, was the site of the "Old Town," an Indian village, vestiges of which, such
as stone and earthen mounds, kettles and other implements used by the Indians, were
found by the early white settlers. Jacob Wells cut down a hickory tree, about eight rods
south of the Red Bank, on this tract, in 1875, in the trunk of which he found an ounce
lead ball, between which and the bark were one hundred and five concentric rings or
annual growths. Hence, it may be inferred that the "Old Town" was located here prior
to 1770. The date of that warrant is May 17, 1785, and that of the survey by George
Woods, May 31, 1786. The patent to Pickering & Co., "including the Old Town," is dated
March 25, and their conveyance to Yost Smith, August 17, 1820. He had probably on it
in 1807, for he was assessed on the Red Bank list in 1808, with the land, and the next
year with it and two horses, at $211”
ADAM SMITH
1803-1877
• Great grandfather of Ethel Maud Smith
• Farmer in Armstrong County, PA
• Was also in the lumber business early in the
development of Pennsylvania. From his home on Red
Creek Bank he could cut timber, then float it down Red
Creek to the Allegheny River, then to the Ohio River
and on to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati
• Home was on Red Bank Creek, a branch of the
Allegheny River.
• Married Mary Ann Schumaker
• Buried at Trinity Reformed Church, Berks County, PA
HENRY L SMITH
1845-1898
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Grandfather of Ethel Maud Smith
Born in Armstrong County, PA
Attended high school in Glade Run, PA
Was initially a teacher, then attended Columbus
Medical School in Ohio where he graduated in
1876
Practiced for 6 years in Kelly Station, PA, then
moved to Potwin, Kansas in 1885
Moved to Guthrie, OK April 23, 1889, in the
Oklahoma Land Run. First office there was in a
tent. Later built an office on Oklahoma Avenue.
Was the local surgeon of the Santa Fe railroad.
Original home in Guthrie still stands on East
Cleveland
Served as a pension examiner for the Oklahoma
Territory under presidents Harrison and Cleveland
Belonged to Lodge No 2, A.F.&A.M of the Ancient
Order of the United Workmen
RALPH VERNON SMITH
1781-1898
• Father of Ethel Maud Smith
• Lived in Red Bank, PA the first 6 years
of his life.
• Lived in Kelly Station, PA from 1877
until 1885.
• Moved to Kansas in 1885. Attended
Emporia State School for two years,
then became a teacher.
• Moved to Oklahoma around 1889 with
his father. Was employed as a clerk at
Ball Brothers until 1893, when he
accepted a position with the Santa Fe
Railroad. Worked as a contractor in
the fuel department until 1895.
RALPH VERNON SMITH
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Attended Washintgon University Medical College in Missouri and graduated in
1898. Practiced with his father in Guthrie (office on Beehive block).
Lectured 2 days a week at Oklahoma University Medical School
Moved to Tulsa in 1914 to practice orthopedic surgery
Served overseas in WW I, serving as a lieutenant colonel
The 1910 census shows Ralph V Smith living in Guthrie with Ethel M (14) and
Thelma (10).
The 1920 Census shows Dr. Ralph W Smith in Tulsa, OK (age 48), with wife Eva A
(age 45 so born abt 1874), sister Maud L Ball (age 50) mother Rebecca Smith (age
72, and a boarder Dr. Brown (age 30). Maud and Rebecca were born in
Pennsylvania. Dr. Brown the boarder was born in Louisiana. There was also in the
house Artie Watson, a servant, age 20 and born in Texas.
Married Eva A Cross of Pleasanton, KS
GUTHRIE, OK
511 E Cleveland Ave
Home to Ralph V Smith and Henry L Smith in 1909
THE FRANTZ FAMILY
• Ethel Maud Smith’s sister was Thelma
Smith, who married Harry P Frantz, Sr
• They are the patriarchs of the Frantz
family of Enid, with whom the OKC clan
still keeps close touch
THE DOAK FAMILY
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Julia Montgomery Doak married Adam Lowry in 1794, and was the 2nd greatgrandmother of Tom Lowry
The Doaks go back to Samuel Doak, born 1648 in Antrum, Ireland (Tom Lowry’s 7th
great-grandfather
In 1609 a number of Doak families were transplanted in Ireland as part of
England’s plantationing (taking land from the Catholics and giving it loyal English
protestants)
In 1698 King James besieged Londonderry for 105 days. It is likely that Samuel’s
son, James Doak, was in the city at that time
Samuel’s grandson, also Samuel Doak (born 1700 in Ulster Ireland -- Tom Lowry’s
5th great-grandfather), traveled to America and settled in Augusta, VA, where he
died in 1772
His son, Samuel Doak II, came to America in 1736. While on the ship he married
Jane Mitchell
REV SAMUEL DOAK III
1749-1831
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Father of Julia Montgomery Doak, Tom Lowry’s 4th great-grandfather
Graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1775
Married Esther Houston Montgomery, linking to the famed Montgomerys of Scotland
and Normandy, and to the powerful family that produced Sam Houston and Davy
Crockett
Rev. Doak was the first president of Washington College near Greenville, TN, which was
first chartered under the name of Martin Academy
“Just the sound of his name was enough to evoke images of God's great lion on the
frontier. Samuel Doak, became "the apostle of learning and religion in the West." And in
fact, there had never been anything like him on the wild edges of the new lands
frontier, later to become Tennessee. If ever an evangelist led his flock out of the
wilderness into the light, it was Rev. Samuel Doak”.
Even today, the name Doak is instantly recognised in East Tennessee and elsewhere in
Appalachia by both students of history and religion of the region, but also by school
children in the grade schools. He was a man who left an indelible mark on the
generations of the region and spoke one of the most famous lines in the annals of
Tennessee history.
REV SAMUEL DOAK III
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He was present the morning 1,100 rough, no-nonsense frontiersmen, made up mostly
of Scotch-Irish and who later came to be known as the Overmountain Men, formed on
September 25, 1780, at Sycamore Shoals in Elizabethton, Tennessee They had gathered
to confront General Charles Cornwallis's British troops and loyalists at a time when the
colonies had lost most of its battles against the well-trained British army. But before
heading across the mountains of Tennessee into South Carolina to Kings Mountain, the
Rev. Samuel had a few words to say.
Doak, gathering in the cooling morning mists at the beautiful shoals of the Watauga
River with the bold, determined buckskin clad men, sent them forth with a fiery speech,
words that have travelled down through the ages. He told them to go forward unafraid,
to confront the enemy. He said they would be protected by the "Sword of the Lord and
of Gideon," quoting the Bible, Judges 7:20.
The fearless Overmountain Men did go forward, over rugged mountains in heavy
snows. They won at Kings Mountain, a battle that has been called the turning point in
America's Revolutionary War.
Here, then, clearly was no ordinary preacher.
Samuel Doak was of medium height with rather large blue eyes. He was always in a
dignified manner, and no matter his audience he was a commanding presence. As large
as the frontier was, as deeply dark as it was wild, was no match for this man of the
cloth.
REV SAMUEL DOAK III
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Samuel founded Salem Presbyterian Church in
1780 and by 1783 he had received a charter
for the first school in Tennessee, Martin
Academy, later known as Washington College.
Samuel's son, the Rev. Samuel Witherspoon
Doak, graduated from Washington College in
1806 and became a licensed Presbyterian
minister by the Abingdon (Virginia) Presbytery.
Doak served as head of Washington College for
35 years, turning out students who became
leaders in almost every area of education and
public life. Over time, Washington College
produced 22 college presidents, three
governors, 28 members of Congress,
physicians, ministers, opera singers, judges,
lawyers, teachers and farmers.
THE FULLER FAMILY
• Samuel Fuller (born 1608 in Redenhall County, Norfolk,
England, died 1683 in Barnstable, MA) was a passenger
aboard the Mayflower
• Samuel was the 7th great-grandfather of Ethel Maud
Smith
• His parents, Edward Fuller and Ann Carpenter (8th GGPs
of Ethel Maud Smith), were also aboard the Mayflower.
They died the first winter and are buried at Cole’s Hill
• Samuel married Jane Lathrop (daughter of Rev John
Lathrop). They arrived after the Mayflower
• They soon settled in Barnstable, MA, which John
Lathrop established
MAYFLOWER PASSENGERS
• A number of Mayflower passengers were direct antecedents
Ethel Maud Smith. These include:
– Edward and Ann Carpenter Fuller (8th GGPs of EMS)
– Samuel Fuller (7th GGF of EMS)
– John Alden (10th GGF of EMS)
– Priscilla Mullins Alden (10th GGM of EMS)
– William C Mullins (11th GGF of EMS)
– Alice Mullins (11th GGM of EMS)
– Francis Cooke (12th GGF of EMS)
*Edward Fuller, John Alden, William Muller and Francis
Cooke were signers of the Mayflower Compact
REV JOHN LATHROP
1584-1653
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8th great-grandfather of Ethel Maud Smith
Father of Jane Lathrop, wife of Samuel Fuller
Educated as an Anglican minister
Denounced the Anglican Church and became a
protestant minister (Cause of the Independents)
Imprisoned by Bishop William Laud in the Clink Prison
Released when he agreed to leave England for America
Arrived in Boston in 1634 aboard the Griffith
Established the township of Barnstable, MA, where he
is buried
REV JOHN LATHROP
• While aboard the
Griffin he spilled
candle wax on his
bible, burning
several pages which
he replaced from
memory
• The Lathrop Bible is
on display at the
Sturgis Library in
Barnstable
MILES AVERY FULLER
1822-1895
• 4TH great-grandson of Samuel Fuller
• Great-grandfather of Ethel Maud Smith
• The Fuller family migrated from
Massachusetts to Pennsylvania, then to
Indiana where Miles Avery Fuller was a judge
and owner of Modena Mills
• Miles’ daughter, Adelia (Delia) Matilda Fuller,
married William Isaac Cross. They were the
grandparents of Ethel Maud Smith
AVERY FAMILY
• The Fuller family linked the Lowry/Smith familes to the Avery’s of Groton,
CT when Miles Avery Fuller (father of Adelia Mae Fuller, the grandmother
of Ethel Maud Smith) married Anna Avery, the 4th great-granddaughter of
Captain James Avery
• Captain James Avery was born in Lincoln, England in 1620
• After immigrating to America, he settled first in New London, CT, then
Groton, CT
• Avery was charged with dealing with the native Indians, specifically
Mohegan chief Uncas (depicted in “Last of the Mohicans”), who sided with
the English against the Pequots
• James home in Groton, known as the ‘Hive of Avery”, stood until 1894,
when a spark from a train burned it. A monument now stands in its place
• James was the 7th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith
James Avery Bust, Groton, CT
AVERY FAMILY
• James’ grandson, Humphrey Avery, (5th GGF of
Ethel Maud Smith) was a member of the
Susquahanna Company that established the
Wyoming Valley along the Susquehanna River in
Pennsylvania
• His name is on the list of Yankee Prisoners taken
by the British in Pennsylvania in 1774
• As an ensign in the Continental Army he survived
the Wyoming Valley Massacre in 1778 when 700
Iriquois Indians supporting the British attacked
the fort
AVERY FAMILY
• Humphrey’s grandson, Zebulon Avery (2nd GGF
of Ethel Maud Smith) built the Avery Foundry
in Tunkahannoch, PA, where farming
equipment was manufactured
• His daughter, Anna Avery, married Miles Avery
Fuller, and was the great-grandmother of
Ethel Maud Smith
ABERNATHY FAMILY
• Eva Richie, wife of David P Lowry, was the daughter of
Peggy Ann Abernathy, descended from the Abernathy
clan prominent in Scottish history)
• The American Abernathy’s go back to Robert
Abernathy Sr (born 1720 in Bristol parish, VA) (3rd GGF
of Tom Lowry)
• David Abernathy (2nd GGF of Tom Lowry) was a
Revolutionary War Veteran, serving in McLain’s army as
a captain, serving with General Rutherford against the
Cherokees, and credited with capturing Major Andre.
DAR Lineage number is 269382
CLAN MONTGOMERY
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Julia Montgomery Doak was the daughter of Esther Houston Montgomery (3rd
great-grandmother of Tom Lowry)
The Montgomerys were one of the most powerful families in Scotland, and in
Normandy
The family goes back to Rollo Ragnarsson (born 845 in Norway), a Viking who
conquered northern France in 911. Rollo was the 23rd great-grandfather of Esther
Houston Montgomery, and the 28th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
His name came from Hrolf the Walker because he was too big to be carried by a
horse
His descendants became the “Six Dukes” of Normandy
They later accompanied William the Conqueror to England, and gained large
landholdings in England and Scotland after his victory (1066; Battle of Hastings)
Through many marriages the Montgomerys link to the royalty of Scotland and
England, as well as France and Spain
DUKE ROLLO RAGNARSSON
• His statue is among
the Dukes statues in
Falaise, Normandy
• His wife, Josceline
Taurade, is linked to
Kings of Italy
(Bernard the Dane)
and several Dukes of
Saxony
WILLIAM LONGSWORD
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• 33rd greatgrandfather of Tom
Lowry
• 2nd Duke of
Normandy
• Betrayed and killed
by Arnulf of
Flanders, with
whom he was at
war
RICHARD I OF NORMANDY
933-996
• 32nd great-grandfather
of Tom Lowry
• 3rd Duke of Normandy
• Known as Richard the
Fearless
• Christianized Normandy
• Introduced the feudal
system
RICHARD II THE GOOD OF NORMANDY
963-1027
• 31st great-grandfather of Tom
Lowry
• 4th Duke of Normandy
• Attempted to improve relations
with England through his sister's
marriage to King Ethelred, but
she was strongly disliked by the
English. However, this connection
later gave his grandson, William
the Conqueror, part of his claim
to the throne of England.
ROBERT I OF NORMANDY
1000-1035
• 30th great-grandfather of
Tom Lowry
• 5th Duke of Normandy
• Fathered William the
Conqueror illegitimately,
but made him his heir
(William the Bastard)
• Died returning from the
Crusades
ROGER “The Great” MONTGOMERY
1022-1094
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Great-grandson of Duke Rollo
25th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
Accompanied William the Conqueror, his cousin, on the Norman Conquest of
England (Battle of Hastings, 1066)
Afterwards he was entrusted with land in two places critical for the defense of
England, receiving the rape of Arundel at the end of 1067
In November 1071 he was created Earl of Shrewsbury in England
Roger was thus one of the half dozen greatest magnates in England during William
the Conqueror's reign
He had estates in Surrey (4 manors), Hampshire (9 manors), Wiltshire (3 manors),
Middlesex (8 manors), Gloustershire (1 manor), Worcestershire (2 manors),
Cambridgeshire (8 manors), Warwickshire (11 manors) and Staffordshire (30
manors)
ROGER “The Great” MONTGOMERY
• 25th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• It is said that during the Battle of Hastings, an Englishman with a giant axe
was wreaking havoc on the Norman invaders. Roger put the Englishman
down with a blow of his sword, and the battle then turned
• Roger’s income from his holdings was 3% of England’s GDP at that time
• Roger first married Mabel of Bellême, who was heiress to a large territory
on both sides of the border between Normandy and Maine.
• The medieval chronicler Orderic Vitalis paints a picture of Mabel of
Bellême being a scheming and cruel woman
• She was murdered by Hugh Bunel and his brothers, who in December
1077 rode into her castle of Bures-sur-Dive and cut off her head as she lay
in bed. Their motive for the murder being that Mabel had deprived them
of their paternal inheritance
ROGER “The Great” MONTGOMERY
• The ballad "Memrables of the Montgomeries",
published in Glasgow in 1770, addresses Roger:
Earl Roger -- then the greatest man
Next to the King, was thought
And nothing that he could desire
But it to him was brought
Montgomery town, Montgomery shire
And Earl of Shrewsberie
Arundale do show this man
Of grandeur full to be
ROBERT DE MONTGOMERY
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Third Earl of Shrewsbury
23rd great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
First Montgomery to acquire lands in Scotland
Obtained from Walter the Steward (patriarch of the Stuart Kings of Scotland and
England) a grant of the lands of Eagleshame. This valuable estate is said to have
been conferred on Robert by Walter, as the dowry of his daughter Marjory, whom
Robert espoused as his first wife
That marriage tied the Montgomerys to the Stuart line which ruled Scotland and
England for centuries
He acquired the lands of Eagleshame, close to Glasgow
Robert de Montgomerie was witness to the endowment charter of Paisley by
Walter FitzAlan in the late 12th century
SIR JOHN DE MONTGOMERY
1338-1361
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16th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
Lord of Eagleshame
Sir John was the first known inhabitant of Eaglesham Castle, later known as
Polnoon Castle
Sir John married 1361 Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Sir Hugh Eglinton of Ilk,
one of the two Justicaries of Scotland, in the reign of King David II and at the death
of the latter
Sir John distinguished himself at the Battle of Otterburn, August 1388, a battle in
which the Earl of Douglas defeated English forces under Henry Percy, 1st Earl of
Northumberland
After the Earl of Douglas died in battle, Montgomery captured Lord Percy and took
him hostage
Polnoon Castle was built with funds obtained through Percy’s ransom
FROM THE BALLAD OF THE BATTLE OF
OTTERBURN
The Percy and Montgomery met,
That either of other were fain;
They swapped swords, and they twa swat,
And aye the blood ran down between.
"Yield thee, now yield thee, Percy," he said,
"Or else I vow I'll lay thee low!"
"To whom must I yield," quoth Earl Percy,
"Now that I see it must be so ?"
"Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun,
Nor yet shalt thou yield to me;
But yield thee to the braken-bush,
That grows upon yon lilye lee!"
"I will not yield to a braken-bush,
Nor yet will I yield to a brier;
But I would yield to Earl Douglas,
Or Sir John the Montgomery, if he were here."
As soon as he knew it was Montgomery,
He stuck his sword's point in the gronde;
The Montgomery was a courteous knight,
And quickly took him by the honde.
SIR JOHN MONTGOMERY
1362-1429
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Son of Sir John de Montgomery
15th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
He was one of the chiefs of the Scottish army which invaded England, 1402, and
was taken prisoner at the battle of Halidon Hill.
The Battle of Halidon Hill was fought during the War of Scottish Independance
which followed the murder of John Comyn by Robert Bruce. King Edward I of
England sought to suppress the Scots. Halidon Hill was a poor selection for the
battle, as the Scots had to travel through marsh to approach the English army, and
were easy prey to English archers. Most Scottish fighters literally fought to the
death as Edward prevailed.
Sir John Montgomerie was the last commoner of the family who possessed
Eagleshame. His eldest son Alexander, was created a peer by the title of Lord
Montgomerie
HUGH MONTGOMERY
1625-1690
• 6th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Hugh accompanied the forces of King James II
of England to Ireland, where the English
engaged the Protestant forces of William of
Orange in the Battle of the Boyne (1690)
• Hugh was killed in the battle, but his
descendants remained in Ireland
• Hugh was the great-grandfather of Esther
Houston Montgomery
LOWRY ANCESTORS IN SCOTTISH HISTORY
• For 19 generations the Montgomerys were a
powerful family in England and Scotland
• Through marriages of those 19 generations, ties were
created with every major clan and political family in
Scotland, weaving a spider’s web through the history
of Scotland that connects back to the very
beginnings of the land
EARLY SCOTLAND
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Scotland was inhabited by the Picts long before the birth of Christ
The Picts were late Iron Age and early Medieval people living in eastern and northern
Scotland
In the last decade of the 5th century the Scots arrived and occupied the area known
known as Argyll
The Scots came from Dalriata in Ireland, and were led by Fergus mac Erc (43rd GGF of
Tom Lowry)
Fergus and his brothers established the kingdom of Dalriata in Scotland, and brought
with them the Stone of Scone, upon which future kings of Scotland would be crowned
Fergus’ son. Domangart MacFerguson (42nfdgreat-grandfather of Tom Lowry) was a
companion of St Patrick, and was with him at his death
The area of Dalriata later became home to the Irish monk, Columba, who is credited
with converting Scotland to Christianity
The Picts and Scots went through various phases of conflict and peaceful coexistence
for the next two centuries, at which time Kenneth MacAlpin consolidated the two into a
single unit
KENNETH MACALPIN
820-858
• 31st great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Consolidated Scotland during the time of the savage Viking
(Norseman) invasions
• For 200 years following MacAlpin the Scots fought constantly
with the Vikings
• When the Vikings were inactive the Scots fought with the
English
• When the English were quiet the Scots fought with each other
• From this morass of combat and conflict Malcolm II (The
Destroyer) emerged as King of Scots in 1005
MALCOLM II (THE DESTROYER)
954-1034
• 29th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Earned the moniker “Destroyer” by murdering everyone else in line for the
throne
• Drove the English from southern Scotland (Lothian)
• Grandfather of MacBeth, Duncan, and Thorfinn ‘Raven Feeder’, who were
in line to succeed him since he had no sons
• Accepted King Canute of England as his overlord, which was used by the
English to claim sovereignty over Scotland for hundreds of years thereafter
• Duncan (25th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry) succeeded Malcolm
• MacBeth met Duncan in battle, and killed him in combat
• MacBeth installed a system of laws and began the civilization of Scotland
• Duncan’s illegitimate son, Malcolm Canmore (Big Head) killed MacBeth in
battle
MALCOLM CANMORE (MALCOLM III)
1031-1093
• 29th great grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Killed MacBeth, with the help of the English, to become King
of Scotland
• Married Margaret Atheling (Margaret of Scotland) after
having his first wife exiled and poisoned
• Margaret was the granddaughter of Edmund II ‘Ironside”, King
of England (31st great-grandfather of Tom Lowry) and the
granddaughter of King Stephen (St Stephen) of Hungary
• Paid loyalty to William the Conqueror of England, further
establishing the English claim to dominion over Scotland
• Killed at the Battle of Alnmouth against the English in 1093
MARGARET OF SCOTLAND
1045-1093
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29th great-grandmother of Tom Lowry
Wife of Malcolm III
Reformed the Church of Scotland to bring it under Roman Catholic control
Initiated the building of the great cathedrals in Scotland
Built schools, established abbeys, and personally cared for pilgrims and the poor
by distributing money for food with her own hands. The coins shown in her hand
on our statue of St. Margaret symbolize her very great charity.
Achieved sainthood (St Margaret) in 1249
Buried in St Margaret’s Chapel in Edinburgh Castle
Four of her sons became Kings of Scotland
Her daughter, Matilda, married King Henry I of England (son of William the
Conqueror)
DAVID I
1080-1153
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Youngest son of Malcolm III and Margaret
27th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
Assumed the throne after Malcolm III
Strong ties to England through his marriage to the Countess of Huntingdon
Spent 20 years in exile in the English courts prior to becoming king
Granted large parcels of land and titles to Norman friends from England (including
the Montgomerys)
The Normans developed heavy cavalry and archery to make Scotland’s army one of
the most effective in Europe, and brought the building of stone castles to Scotland
David I developed the parish system and promoted education by the church
through the building of abbeys
Supported Queen Maud against King Stephen of England in the Great Anarchy, and
was defeated at the Battle of the Standard
WILLIAM I (THE LION)
1143-1215
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23rd great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
Eventually succeeded David I
Quarreled with the Pope, got himself and all of Scotland excommunicated
Succeeded by his son, Alexander II, who was succeeded by David II, who
was succeeded by Alexander III, who died without male heirs
• The wars between the Normans of Scotland and the illegitimate heirs of
William I eventually led to the Wars of Scottish Independence, when the
English, under King Edward Longshanks Plantagenet (24th greatgrandfather of Tom Lowry) sought control of the Scottish throne over
Robert the Bruce (19th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry)
ROBERT THE BRUCE
1274-1329
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19th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
Claimed his right to the throne as the 4th great-grandson of David I after Alexander
III died without an heir
Murdered John Comyn (another contender) on the alter of Greyfriars Monastery
and proclaimed himself king (for which he was promptly excommunicated)
Took up the cause of Scottish independence against Edward I of England (Edward
Longshanks (24th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry) after the death of William
Wallace
Bruce is inaccurately portrayed as having betrayed William Wallace, leading to
Wallace’s capture and execution
Over a period of many years Bruce prevailed over the English, gaining
independence for Scotland
Following Bruce’s death his heart was carried to the Crusades as a talisman
WALTER STEWART
1293-1326
• 18th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Married Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the
Bruce
• Was of the Stewart (Stuart) family that had served as
High Stewards of Scotland since the Norman
conquest
• Their son, Robert II, succeeded as King of Scotland
• His son, Robert III, succeeded him
• His son, James I, succeeded him as the first Stuart
king of Scotland
James I Stuart
• 14th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Succeeded Robert II to become the first Stuart king of
Scotland
• Captured by the English as a child and held in exile by Henry
IV for 18 years
• Assassinated by a conspiracy of his own countrymen, who
captured him in his castle. He tried to escape through a sewer
line that led to the tennis courts, but could not because he
had ordered the sewer line covered because his tennis balls
kept going into it
• Succeeded by his son, James II
JAMES II STUART
1430-1460
• 13th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Second of the Stuart Kings of Scotland
• His reign was marked by constant wars with the
Douglas clan who sought to rule Scotland
• Introduced artillery to the Scottish army, only to blow
himself up when a cannon backfired on him
• Succeeded by James III
• Following James II lineage to the Lowry family passed
through his daughter, Margaret Stewart, and not
through James III and his descendants
OTHER SCOTTISH ANCESTORS OF NOTE
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Somerled MacGillibride (25th GGF of Tom Lowry) – founder of the MacDonald clan
–King of the Isles. He rose from poverty (raised in a cave) to head an army that
drove the Vikings from the Isles. Killed in battle against King Malcolm IV
John Balliol (22nd GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) – contended for the Scottish crown
(and gained it) against Robert the Bruce
Earl James Douglas (16th GGF of Tom Lowry) – carried the heart of Robert the
Bruce on the Crusades to the Holy Lands
John de Graham (17th GGF of Tom Lowry) – the first of the Scottish nobility to join
William Wallace against Edward I of England, killed at Falkirk
James Stewart (19th GGF of Tom Lowry) was High Steward of Scotland. Initially
supported Edward I against William Wallace, but withdrew his support
Andrew de Moray (21st GGF of Tom Lowry) one of William Wallace’s generals,
killed at the Battle of Stirling Bridge
John Menteith (21st GGF of Tom Lowry) – governor of Dumbarton Castle, where he
betrayed William Wallace, leading to Wallace’s capture and execution by the
English
OTHER SCOTTISH ANCESTORS OF NOTE
• Thomas Randolph (21st GGF of Tom Lowry) 1st Earl of Moray – commanded
the Scottish forces at Bannockburn where Robert the Bruce defeated the
English
• Malcolm Drummond (19th GGF of Tom Lowry) developed the caltrap (a
three pronged structure) that was used to incapacitate the English horses
at the Battle of Bannockburn
• David de Berkeley (20th GGF of Tom Lowry) killed at the Battle of
Bannockburn supporting Robert the Bruce
• Walter Stewart (18th GGF of Tom Lowry) led the Scottish vanguard at
Battle of Bannockburn
• Sir James Douglas (the Black Douglas) (19th GGF of Tom Lowry) – led
Scottish forces at Bannockburn
• Christina Bruce (21st GGM of Tom Lowry) defended Kildrummy Castle in
the absence of her husband, Andrew de Moray, who returned to defeat
the English forces under Edward III
OTHER SCOTTISH ANCESTORS OF NOTE
• Sir Thomas Boyd (17th GGF of Tom Lowry) commanded the Scottish
archers at the Battle of Neville’s Cross. Taken prisoner and held in London
• Edward de Keith (20th GGF of Tom Lowry) killed in the Battle of Nevilles’
Cross
• Sir James Douglas (16th GGF of Tom Lowry) led the Scottish forces at the
Battle of Otterburn, in which he was killed and John Montgomery
captured Sir Henry (Hotspur) Percy
• Margaret Tudor (13th GGM of Ethel Maud Smith) daughter of Henry VII
Tudor, King of England, and mother of Mary, Queen of Scots
• Colin Campbell (19th GGF of Tom Lowry) early chief of Clan Campbell, ally
of Robert the Bruce
• Gillespie Archibald Campbell (13th GGF of Tom Lowry) 2nd Earl of Argyll,
served as High Chancellor of Scotland under James IV
LOWRY ANCESTORS IN ENGLAND
• When William the Conqueror came to England from
Normandy in 1066, he brought with him a number of Norman
nobles, including the Montgomerys, who remained in England
and became major landholders and nobility
• William was the illegitimate son of Robert I, Duke of
Normandy, and was the 29th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• The ancestors who accompanied William married with the
English, creating ancestral lines back to the earliest rulers of
England
ALFRED THE GREAT
849-899
• 35th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Son of Aethelwulf, King of Wessex
• First to consolidate most of the
medieval English states into one
government
• Father of the modern navy
• Confirmed by Pope Leo IV as king of
the Anglo-Saxons
• Drove the Vikings from England
• Promoted education
• Created a unified code of law
GODWIN OF WESSEX
992-1053
• 28TH great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• First Earl of Wessex, one of the most powerful men in England
during the reign of Edward the Confessor, a descendant of
Alfred the Great
• In the confusion that followed the death of Edward the
Confessor. Godwin’s son, Harold Godwinsson, claimed the
throne of England
• Others, including William the Conqueror, also claimed the
throne, leading to the Battle of Hasting, the defeat and death
of Harold Godwinsson, and the Norman Conquest of England
HAROLD GODWINSSON
1022-1066
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27th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
King of England for a brief period
Captured in Normandy in 1064
Released by William the Conqueror after he
promised to support William’s claim to the throne
of England
• Ignored the promise after his release, returning
to England and proclaiming himself king, leading
to the invasion of England and the Battle of
Hastings in 1066, in which William prevailed and
Harold was killed
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
1024-1087
• 29th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Bastard son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy
• Prevailed at the Battle of Hastings to become
King of England
• Brought with him many noblemen from
Normandy who became the landed gentry of
England following the victory, including Roger
the Great Montgomery
HENRY I
1068-1135
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28th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
Succeeded his father William as King of England
A cruel ruler (blinded his own grandchildren)
Huge numbers of illegitimate children, but only two legitimate heirs
His son and heir, William Adeline, died in the wreck of the White Ship
Henry left his crown to his daughter, Maud, but the English were hesitant
to accept a female ruler.
• His nephew, Stephen, claimed the crown with the support of the Catholic
Church, and eventually prevailed in the wars known as the Great Anarchy
(the setting of Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth)
MATILDA (MAUD) BEAUCLERC
1102-1167
• 27th great-grandmother of Tom Lowry
• Daughter and named heiress of Henry I
• Married to Geoffrey V Plantagenet of Anjou, France
(her descendants became the Plantagenet rulers of
England)
• Opposed Stephen in the Great Anarchy, but ultimately
failed and fled to Anjou
• Her son, Henry II Plantagenet, later became King of
England after defeating Stephen’s son in battle
• The story of Maud and Stephen and the Great Anarchy
is the topic of Ken Follett’s novel “Pillars of the Earth”
HENRY II PLANTAGENET
1133-1189
• 27th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• His maternal grandmother was Matilda of Scotland, daughter
of King Malcolm III, giving him claim to the throne of Scotland
as well as England
• Married Eleanor of Aquitaine, tying the Lowry lineage to the
noble families of France
• His words led to the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of
Canterbury, at Canterbury Cathedral
• Instituted trial by jury in the place of trial by ordeal
ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE
1122-1204
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27th GGM of Tom Lowry
Wife of Henry II, ex-wife of King Louis VII of France
Mother of Richard the Lionheart and John I of England
She is a pivotal figure tying the Lowry lineage to royalty of
most of Europe
• Probably caused the failure of the Second Crusade by bringing
an unmanageable number of female friends and baggage
• Supported her sons against their father, for which he had her
imprisoned for 18 years
JOHN I (JOHN LACKLAND)
1166-1216
• 26th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Called Lackland because he was the youngest
son, not in line for a title
• Became King of England when his brother,
Richard the Lionheart, was captured returning
from the Third Crusade and died without issue
• Known as the evil king during the time of Robin
Hood
• Warred constantly with his native gentry, and was
finally forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215
HENRY III
1206-1272
• 25th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Son of John I
• Warred constantly with his Barons, as had his father,
for power over England
• Prevailed over the Barons in the Second Barons’ War
at the Battle of Evesham
• Profoundly anti-semetic, requiring Jews to wear a
‘badge of shame’
EDWARD I LONGSHANKS
1239-1307
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24th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
Son of Henry III
Instrumental in helping Henry III win the Second Barons’ War
Participated in the 9th Crusade
Warred constantly with William Wallace and Robert the Bruce
in the Scottish Wars of Independence, frequently devastating
the Scottish countryside and earning the nickname ‘Hammer
of Scotland’, as portrayed in ‘Braveheart’
• Married Eleanor of Castile (24th great-grandmother of Tom
Lowry) tying the Lowry lineage to the nobility of Spain
ELEANOR OF CASTILE
1244-1290
• 24th great-grandmother of Tom Lowry
• Daughter of Ferdinand III, King of Castile and
Leon
• Much loved by her subjects
• Patron of the Dominican monks and founder of
many priories
• The Eleanor Crosses over England mark her
funeral procession to London following her death
• Mother of Edward II
EDWARD II
1284-1327
• 18th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• A weak leader, Edward II finally lost the Wars of Scottish
Independence, freeing Scotland from English rule
• Wed to Isabella of France (18th GGM of Tom Lowry) creating
another link to the nobility of France (Isabella was the
daughter of King Philip IV the Fair and the sister of three
French kings
• Favored his male friends (Hugh the Dispenser and Piers
Gaveston)
• Eventually deposed and imprisoned by his wife and her
lover, Roger Mortimer (17th great-grandfather of Tom
Lowry)
EDWARD III
1312-1377
• 17th great-grandfather of Tom Lowry
• Transformed England into the strongest military
force in Europe
• Initially dominated by his mother, who had
deposed his father, he had his mother arrested
and exiled and her consort, Mortimer, executed
• His descendants were John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of
Lancaster (16th GGF of Tom Lowry) and Edmund
of Langley (Duke of York). Their descendants
would fight the Wars of the Roses as the
Lancasters and Yorks
OTHER ENGLISH ANCESTORS OF NOTE
• Aethelwulf of Wessex (33rd GGF of Tom Lowry) King of Wessex. Conquered
Essex, East Anglia and Wales and set the stage for his son, Alfred the
Great, to become the first Anglo-Saxon king
• Lady Godiva of Coventry (29th GGM of Tom Lowry) wife of Leofric, Earl of
Mercia. Rode naked through the streets to protest taxes imposed by her
husband
• Tostig Godwinsson (28th GGF of Tom Lowry) brother of Harold
Godwinsson. Harold killed Tostig in battle only weeks before being killed
himself by William the Conqueror
• Robert de Mortain (31st GGF of Tom Lowry) accompanied William the
Conqueror from Normandy and received 549 manors scattered
throughout England
• Richard FitzGilbert (28th GGF of Tom Lowry) accompanied William the
Conqueror and received 176 lordships
THE MONTGOMERIES OF ENGLAND
• Roger the Great de Montgomery (25th GGF of Tom Lowry) accompanied
William the Conqueror and acquired vast lands and titles in England
following the Battle of Hastings, including Arundel and Shrewsbury
• He was the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, bordering Wales, which was still
independent and often an enemy of the Norman English
• His wife, Mabel of Belleme (25th GGM of Tom Lowry) was beheaded in
their castle in Shrewsbury in 1077
• His son, Roger de Montgomery (24th GGF of Tom Lowry) chose the wrong
side in the conflict between William’s successors, and lost the lands
• Other Montgomery descendants later acquired lands in Renfewshire,
Scotland, where the Montgomerys became major nobility of Scotland
OTHER ENGLISH ANCESTORS OF NOTE
• Geoffrey V Plantagenet (28th GGF of Tom Lowry) husband of Maud
(daughter of William the Conqueror), son of Fulk V d”Anjou (King of
Jerusalem during the crusades), patriarch of the Plantagenet rulers of
England
• William Marshall (24th GGF of Tom Lowry) 1st Earl of Pembroke, served as
regent for the young King Henry III
• Simon de Montfort (23rd GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) Earl of Leicester, led
the barons against Henry III and died in the Battle of Evesham, killed by
Roger de Mortimer (19th GGF of Tom Lowry) who sent Montfort’s head to
his wife as a present
• Hugh le Despencer (19th GGF) chief advisor to and probable lover of
Edward II. Executed by the enemies of Edward II
• Roger de Mortimer (17th GGF of Tom Lowry) sided with his lover, Isabella
of France, against her husband (Edward II). He was hanged, drawn and
quartered as a result
ENGLISH ANCESTORS
• While the Montgomery family created connections of the
Plantagenets of England, the Cross family created ties to the
Tudors going back to the Wars of the Roses
• William Isaac Cross was the husband of Adelia Fuller, and the
grandfather of Ethel Maud Smith
• His mother was Sophia Peddicord, the 10th GGD of Henry VII,
first Tudor King of England following the Wars of the Roses
• That relationship in turn ties to the Valois rulers of France
• Ralph Neville (born 1291; 27th GGF of Tom Lowry) led the
English forces that defeated David I of Scotland at the Battle
of Neville’s Cross, the battle named in his honor
OTHER ENGLISH ANCESTORS OF NOTE
• John of Gaunt (16th GGF of Tom Lowry) son of Edward III. Served as Regent
of England during the infancy of Richard II, then fell out of favor. His
children challenged the Yorks of Richard II in the Wars of the Roses
• Joan Beaufort (14th GGM of Tom Lowry) grand-daughter of John of Gaunt,
wife of James I of Scotland
• Richard Plantagenet (16th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) Duke of York, served
as Regent of England during the insane periods of Henry VI. Opposed the
Lancasters in the Wars of the Roses
• Edward IV Plantagenet (15th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) King of England
during the Wars of the Roses
• Henry VII Tudor (14th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) King of England during the
Wars of the Roses, father of Henry VIII. His rule ended the Wars of the
Roses
OTHER ENGLISH ANCESTORS OF NOTE
• Thomas Wyatt (12th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith. Lyrical poet credited with
introducing the sonnet to English literature. He travelled to Rome to plead
for Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Later imprisoned in the
Tower of London for an alleged affair with Anne Boleyn
• Thomas Wyatt (11th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) son of the above. Led
Wyatt’s Rebellion against Mary, Queen of Scots in London. Not many
revolutionaries showed up, Wyatt was captured and executed
• William Winter (11th GGF of Tom Lowry) was Vice-Admiral of the British
Navy during the Spanish Armada – developed the fire-ship strategy which
destroyed many Spanish ships
• Roger II Bigod (23rd GGF of Tom Lowry) signed the Magna Carta
• Hugh Bigod (22nd GGF of Tom Lowry) signed the Magna Carta
• William d”Aubigny (23rd GGf of Tom Lowry) signed the Magna Carta
• Richard de Clare (26th GGF of Tom Lowry) signed the Magna Carta
• Gilbert de Clare (25th GGF of Tom Lowry) signed the Magna Carta
OTHER ENGLISH ANCESTORS OF NOTE
• Alan de Galloway (22nd GGF of Tom Lowry) signed the Magna Carta
• Geoffrey de Saye (25th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) signed the Magna Carta
• Llywelyn the Great ap Iorwerth (20th GGF of Tom Lowry) signed the Magna
Carta
• Geoffrey de Mandeville (28th GGF of Tom Lowry) founded the town of
Amersham and Ramsey Abbey. During the Great Anarchy he threw out
the clergy and used the abbey as a base from which to rob his subjects.
Killed by King Stephen’s army in 1144
• Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy (18th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) English military
leader, captured at Otterburn by the Montgomeries, later ransomed.
Helped depose Richard II, later rebelled against Henry IV and was killed at
the Battle of Shrewsbury
• Robert de Clifford (23rd GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) killed while
commanding the English forces at the Battle of Bannockburn
OTHER ENGLISH ANCESTORS OF NOTE
• Aubrey II de Vere (29th GGF of Tom Lowry) was Master Chamberlain of
England. Built Hedingham Castle in Essex. The castle was taken by
Stephen during the Great Anarchy, returned by Henry II, and later
besieged by King John
• Richard of Conrisburgh (17th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) plotted the
attempted assassination of Henry V, but was captured and executed
• Maud de Braose (19th GGM of Tom Lowry) Barroness Wigmore. Maud is
credited for plotting the escape of Edward I, who was held prisoner in a
neighboring castle during the first Barons’ War
• Richard ‘Strongbow’ FitzGilbert de Clare (25th GGF of Tom Lowry) 2nd Earl
of Pembroke, led the English forces that conquered much of Ireland in
1169
• Richard de Lucy (28th GGF of Tom Lowry) Chief Justiciar of England under
Henry VIII, he was one of the men who murdered Thomas Becket,
Archbishop of Canterbury. For penance he founded Lesnes Abbey in Kent
OTHER ENGLISH ANCESTORS OF NOTE
• Thomas Knollys (16th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) Lord Mayor of
London, he oversaw the renovation of London in the 15th
century
• Thomas Howard (13th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) Earl of
Surrey, commanded the English forces at the Battle of Flodden
Field
• Thomas de Gray (20th GGF of Ethel Maud Smith) built
Chillingham Castle (now considered England’s most-haunted
castle)
• David, Earl of Huntingdon (24th GGF of Tom Lowry) led the
siege of Nottingham Castle in 1194, thought to have been
Robin Hood, or the person on whom the legend was based
LOWRY ANCESTORS IN WALES
• Wales is described separately because, for most of its history,
it remained independent of England, with multiple
independent kingdoms
• Because the Montgomeries, and several other Norman
families of ancestry, settled in England along the borders of
Wales, intermarriage was a common occurrence, creating ties
of the Lowry line with the Welsh rulers and nobility
• Rodri Mowr, King of Gwynedd (41st GGF of Tom Lowry) who
died in 878, was one of the early rulers of much of Wales
• Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (28th GGF of Tom Lowry) was the first to
consolidate all the kingdoms of Wales into one body, just prior
to the arrival of the Normans
LOWRY ANCESTORS IN WALES
• During the Welsh Wars of Edward I, Roger de
Mortimer (19th GGF of Tom Lowry) was among
the first of the English nobles to invade Wales
• He was soon joined by William de Beauchamp,
Earl of Warwick (26th GGF of Tom Lowry)
LOWRY ANCESTORS IN IRELAND
• Most Lowry ancestors who lived in Ireland were
of Scottish origin, and lived in Ireland for short
periods
• However, a number of Scottish and English
ancestors distinguished themselves in Ireland
• Because Fergus Mac Erc (49th GGF of Tom Lowry),
who settled Dalriata in Scotland, and whose
descendants became kings of Scotland, was
descended from the kings of Dalriata in Ireland,,
he ties the Lowry family back to the ancient kings
and high kings of Ireland
ANCIENT KINGS AND HIGH KINGS OF IRELAND
• Several of these kings and high kings, mostly ancestors of Fergus Mac Erc,
are noteworthy
• Niall of the Nine Hostages (Niall Mor Noigiallach), 52nd GGF of Tom Lowry,
captured his enemy, Eochaid, and chained him to a tree, inviting nine of
his warriors to kill the enemy. But Eochaid broke his chains, killed all nine
warriors, and later killed Niall as well
• Milesius (109th GGF of Tom Lowry) alleged to have settled Ireland as the
first king. Some geneologists have traced Milesius back to Japeth, son of
Noah
• Roan Faeldergdoit (94th GGF of Tom Lowry) was the first Irish king to
require that his citizens were gold rings on their hands
• Cobthach Coel Breg (80th GGF of Tom Lowry) killed his brother to become
king, then forced his brother’s children to eat the corpse
ANCIENT KINGS AND HIGH KINGS OF IRELAND
• Tuathal Teachtmar (61st GGF of Tom Lowry) imposed a biannual fee on Leinster of 6000 cows, 6000 sheep, and 6000
ounces of silver
• Cormac Mac Art (57th GGF of Tom Lowry) was confronted by
St Patrick, and subsequently suppressed the druids in favor of
Christianity
• Muireadeach Tireach (54th GGF of Tom Lowry) married the
daughter of Old King Cole. He was the father of Niall of the
Nine Hostages, whose descendants became the patriarchs of
the powerful Ui Neills and Connachts
LOWRY ANCESTORS IN IRELAND
• Olaf the White (39th GGF of Tom Lowry) was one of many
Vikings to rule eastern Ireland
• He became king of Dublin around 853
• His wife was Aud the Deep Minded (39th GGM of Tom Lowry),
daughter of Ketil Flatnose (40th GGF of Tom Lowry)
• Olaf’s son, Thorstein the Red (35th GGF of Tom Lowry)
attempted to conquer Scotland but failed
• Olaf Sihtricson (25th GGF of Tom Lowry) was king of Dublin
and king of York in England
• Sigurd the Stout Lodvisson (33rd GGF of Tom Lowry) was the
last of the Viking kings of Ireland
BRIAN BORU
• High King of Ireland
• 27th GGF of Tom Lowry
• Defeated the Viking rulers at the Battle of
Clontarf (1014), a battle in which he was
killed
• Patriarch of the O’Brien Dynasty of
Ireland
LOWRY ANCESTORS IN IRELAND
• In 1167 Dermott MacMurrough, King of Leinster (26th GGF of
Tom Lowry) was expelled by the High King of Ireland
• He sought assistance from Henry II of England (32nd GGF of
Tom Lowry)
• Henry II organized an army led by Richard de Clare, Earl of
Pembroke (known as Strongbow) – 25th GGF of Tom Lowry
• Strongbow and his Welsh archers restored Dermott to the
throne of Leinster
• This opened the door for further incursions into Ireland by the
Norman leaders of England
LOWRY ANCESTORS IN IRELAND
• Following the death of Strongbow, Henry II appointed William
FitzAldelm de Burgh (24th GGF of Tom Lowry) as Deputy of
Ireland
• William founded The Priory of St Thomas the Martyr in Dublin
• William’s son, Richard mor de Burgh (23rd GGF of Tom Lowry)
became Justiciar of Ireland and founded the city of Galway
• Walter de Burgh, Earl of Ulster (20th GGF of Tom Lowry),
founded Athassel Abbey in Tipperary, where he was buried
• Walter’s son, Richard og de Burgh, Earl of Ulster (19th GGF of
Tom Lowry) married Elizabeth Bruce (19th GGM of Tom
Lowry), daughter of Robert the Bruce
LOWRY ANCESTORS IN IRELAND
• Hugh Montgomery (6th GGF of Tom Lowry)
traveled from Scotland to Ireland with James I to
battle William of Orange at the Battle of the
Boyne, where he was killed
• His descendants remained in Londonderry
Ireland, later emigrating to America
• Roger Tasker (born 1606; 8th GGF of Tom Lowry
through his mother, Eva Alexander Richey, was
Chancellor of Ireland from 1650-1655