Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of William Bowie

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Descendants of William Bowie

Generation No. 2

2. ROBERT DAVIES² BOWIE (WILLIAM¹) was born May 11, 1860 in Singapore, and died November 17, 1915 in Philadelphia. PA. He married SARAH WHITE VANSANT March 12, 1884 in Trenton, NJ (Chambersburg), daughter of GARRET VANSANT and MARY MCLEECE. She was born January 28, 1864 in Penn Valley, PA, and died December 25, 1933 in Philadelphia, Pa.

Notes for ROBERT DAVIES BOWIE:
The 1900 Census shows Robert living with his wife, Sarah and their 5 surviving children at 408 Genesee Street (rented) in Trenton, It shows that he was born in Singapore in May 1860 and immigrated to the US in 1883 per 1910 census. He was a house painter and could read, write and speak English. His father was born in Scotland and his mother was born in Wales.

He appears in the Trenton City Directory in 1887-88 as a painter living at 232 Lincoln in Chambersburg (Trenton). By 1897 he was living at the Genesee address and continued living there until 1910 when both the Directory and the Census have him living at 1205 Anderson Street with his sister Jane's family. That census indicates that he was married once and had been for 26 years. (According to the 1910 Directory & 1910 census, Sarah W. Bowie was living at 37 Kent Street so they appear to be separated). He appears in the 1913 directory still at Jane's house and the family bible gives his date of death as 11/17/1915.

A copy of his obituary lists his place of death as Philadelphia, PA and his death certificate confirms that he died in Philadelphia General Hospital of carcinoma of the palette at age 56. His address of the death certificate is 3309 Powelton so he was living with Sarah at least part time in the days leading up to his death.

Found in the family bible is a handwritten Certificate of Membership for Robert Davies Bowie in the English Reformed Church of Amsterdam indicating that he was in that city from 1/12/1879 until at least 9/23/1883 and was a member in good standing.

By 3/12/1884 he was in the Chambersburg section of Trenton, NJ when he married Sarah White VanSant.

Note: the bible has one child, Thelma Bowie, born on 09/05/1903 in Trenton but there is no indication whose child she is. Robert W. was married in November 1903 and John married in 1909. Could this be another child of Robt. & Sarah? She does not appear in 1910 census and there is no obituary listing between 1903-10.

A business card for Robert D. Bowie found in the bible has the address 408 Genesee St, crossed out and "37 Kent St" in written in blue pencil.

In the 1920 Trenton City Directory none of the family appears although Julia Bowie, Robert W.'s former wife, is listed at 146 S. Broad Street as a dressmaker. She is also there in the 1920 census living with her parents and daughter whose name is not legible.

More About ROBERT DAVIES BOWIE:
Burial: November 20, 1915, Riverview Cemetery, Trenton, NJ
Immigration: 1883, From Amsterdam
Occupation: Painter

Notes for SARAH WHITE VANSANT:
Sarah W. Bowie's maiden name was VanSant. Her parents were Garret VanSant & Mary Ann McLeish. Her siblings were: sisters, Amanda and Anna and brothers, Isaac and Walter. According to census records, she was born in Pennsylvania (Penn Valley) as was her father while her mother was born in Ireland. Date of birth is taken from Bowie family bible and her death certificate where Mary Jane was the informant. Cause of death was mitral ??? and chronic nephritis with contributory pneumonia at age 69.

Writer has copy of obituary in 12/26/1933 edition of the Trenton Evening Times. It reads:

Funeral services for Mrs. Sarah W. Bowie, widow of Robert D. Bowie, formerly of this city, and who died yesterday morning at her home, 4818 Kensington Avenue (sic-4618 Kingsessing), Philadelphia, following a brief illness, will be conducted at her late home Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Interment will be in Arlington Cemetery. Friends may call tomorrow evening.

Mrs. Bowie is survived by two sons, John, of this city, and Albert, of Florida; two daughters, Mrs. Thomas F. Nolan, Jr. of this city and Miss Mary Jane Bowie, of Philadelphia; one brother, Isaac VanSant of this city and a sister, Mrs. Thomas Umstead, also of Trenton. Nine grandchildren also survive.

Sarah and Robert were separated for much of the later married years and she moved to Philadelphia in 1912 with Mary Jane and probably Stella and Albert. She appears in both the Phila. (was supposedly a widow! and living at 3309 Powelton) and Trenton City Directories in 1912. During the 1910 census, she was still in Trenton (see marriage notes)

Found in the 1920 Philadelphia census (ED 682, WD 24, sheet 5): Sarah & Mame living at 3309 Powelton. She was apparently running a boarding house as there were 7 lodgers living with them. Mame was a stenographer. Sarah was 55 and Mame 32. According to the City Directories in 1922 they were at 3393 Powelton, in 1925 at 4618 Kingsessing, 1930-35 at 4823 Kingsessing (Sarah's death certificate states 4813 as does The Phila. Public Ledger obit). In 1936 Mame had moved to 1998 S 42nd? 48th? (address is hard to read)

Interestingly enough in 1925, Gertrude (Darr), John, Mary Jane and Robert were all at the 4618 Kingsessing Avenue address. John and Robert never were listed after that although Gertrude appears in 1930 at 1128 S 52nd. We know that Robert pre-deceased her but John was living in Trenton at the time of her death.

More About SARAH WHITE VANSANT:
Burial: December 28, 1933, Arlington Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA

Marriage Notes for ROBERT BOWIE and SARAH VANSANT:
The entire family disappeared from the Trenton area sometime between 1910 and 1916 except for Stella who married and lived her entire life in Trenton. Mame is the only one heard of thereafter and she lived in Philadelphia as a spinster.

Found: Marriage certificate for Robert and Sallie (Sarah). Witnesses were John and Anna Duff. The pastor was Daniel Schnebel of St. John's Church of the Evangelical Association of NJ. at Jennie & Adelaine St, Chambersburg, NJ.

During the 1910 Census, Robert is living with his sister, Jane's, family. I found Sarah living at 37 Kent Street with daughters, Mary age 23 and Stella, age 17. Mary (Mame) worked as a decorator of pottery and Stella was a saleslady in a dry goods store. John was living with Charity at 232 Hewitt and Robert was living with Julia and daughter at 1133 E. State St. Where was Albert? By that time her may have been in Pittsburg.

Children of ROBERT BOWIE and SARAH VANSANT are:

4.	i.		ROBERT WILLIAM³ BOWIE, b. January 31, 1885, Chambersburg (Trenton); d. August 12, 1929, Trenton.
	ii.		JOHN BOWIE, b. August 29, 1886, Chambersburg (Trenton); d. Aft. 1933, Unknown; m. CHARITY ANNA STOUT, April 27, 1909, Trenton-4th Presbyterian Church of Trenton; b. 1886, Trenton; d. Unknown, Unknown.

Notes for JOHN BOWIE:
According to the 1900 Census when he was 13, John was a pottery apprentice and was living at home. He shows up in the Trenton City Directory in 1910 as a painter living at 232 Hewitt (see marriage notes for census), 1913 as boarding at 207 Lamberton (next door to in-laws?) , 1914 at 127 Franklin and 1916 through 1919 at 1452 S. Clinton Avenue. After 1919 he no longer is listed but was a grainer in 1918 & 1919 in Trenton. In 1920 he and Charity were living in Butler, PA where he managed a fishmarket for his brother, Albert.
,
In 1925, he appears in Philadelphia Directory living with his mother, brother, Robert and his wife, Gertrude and his sister Mary Jane.
We know he was living in Trenton from 1932-1934 from the City Directory and also from his mother's obituary dated 12/26/1933. After that time there is no record of John. His death is not listed in the family bible nor is his marriage.

Marriage Notes for JOHN BOWIE and CHARITY STOUT:
In 1910 they were married one year but had no children. They were living at 232 Hewitt St. in Trenton and were each 23 years old. In 1920, they were living with Albert in Butler, Pa where John managed the fishmarket. They were both 33 and still had no children.

Found: Marriage Certificate which provided further information. They were both 22, born in Trenton and it was a first marriage for each. John listed the 37 Kent Street address and Charity lived at 205 Lamberton Street. She may have had a brother, George, as he is listed as a witness as was Ethel R. Staats.

5.	iii.		ALBERT BOWIE, b. July 02, 1889, Chambersburg (Trenton); d. Unknown, Jacksonville, FL.
	iv.		MARY JANE BOWIE, b. December 02, 1887, Chambersburg (Trenton); d. Aft. 1955, Philadelphia, Pa.

Notes for MARY JANE BOWIE:
Mary Jane was known as Aunt Mame. According to my recollection, she never married and lived in Philadelphia. The family remembers her visiting us when we were children but little else is known about her. We always thought she was Stella's only relative until this research began. The 1910 census has this 23 year old working as a pottery decorator and living at home with her mother and younger sister, Stella.

GEORGE SOMMERS BOWIE, b. August 19, 1891, Trenton, NJ; d. April 17, 1892, Trenton, NJ.

Notes for GEORGE SOMMERS BOWIE:
The 1900 census indicates that Robert and Sarah had six children, five of whom were living. Dates for George's life are taken from the family bible. I also have a small obituary dated 4/18/1892 saying he died at 8 months and is buried at Riverview.

It is supposition on my part that he was named for Dr. George Sommers, a prominent Trenton physician, who, coincidentally is a relative on the Nolan side of the family.

More About GEORGE SOMMERS BOWIE:
Burial: April 1892, Riverview Cemetery, Trenton, NJ

vi.

STELLA CRESLAR BOWIE, b. November 10, 1893, Trenton, NJ; d. November 19, 1961, Trenton, NJ.

3. JANE ELLEN² BOWIE (WILLIAM¹) was born November 04, 1866 in Welsh Pool, and died June 14, 1955 in Trenton. She married HENRY ELSHOVE August 20, 1887 in Trenton, NJ, son of H.F. ELSHOVE and CHRISTINA MUNNICH. He was born June 1865 in Amsterdam, Holland-1900 census, and died September 30, 1948 in Trenton in McKinley Hospital.

Notes for JANE ELLEN BOWIE:
The Elshove's are on the same stone as Robert D. and his mother Jane Ellen Bowie in Riverview Cemetery but on the opposite side. They are in section W. Jane Ellen's birth date is listed as 1865 but the family bible indicates 11/64.

Writer has copy of obit stating she died at her residence (1205 Anderson) in her 90th year after a lengthy illness.

More About JANE ELLEN BOWIE:
Burial: June 20, 1955, Riverview Cemetery, Trenton, NJ

Notes for HENRY ELSHOVE:
According to the 1910 census, Henry was a carpenter in an iron mill. They were living at 1205 Anderson with their four living children although it is indicated that there were five births. Also living there were my great grandfather, Robert Bowie (married for 26 years) and a boarder Charles Pierce age 31 and single.

The 1900 city directory has Henry, carpenter, living at 910 Division and brother, John (married to Sarah's sister, Anna VanSant) living at 67 Ewing. He was a contractor.

In 1920 the directory lists Ernest and Henry as carpenters and Russell as a machinist. All were living at 1205 Anderson at that time.

Writer has a copy of Henry's obit. He was survived by his widow, Jane Ellen, daughter, Florence Wholey, three sons, Harry & Ernest of Trenton and Russell of Yardville; two grandchildren and one great grandchild. His age is listed as 84 which coincides with census but not marriage certificate.

More About HENRY ELSHOVE:
Burial: October 04, 1948, Riverview Cemetery, Trenton, NJ
Immigration: 1885, From 1900 census
Occupation: Carpenter-John A. Roebling's Sons Co.
Residence: 1205 Anderson Ave, Trenton

Marriage Notes for JANE BOWIE and HENRY ELSHOVE:
Writer has copy of marriage certificate and obituaries. In 1900 they were living with four of their living children (out of five) at 910 Division St., Trenton (11th ward, 91 ed, page 1210b).

Children of JANE BOWIE and HENRY ELSHOVE are:

	i.		FLORENCE³ ELSHOVE, b. October 1888; d. Unknown; m. ? WHOLEY; d. Unknown.
	ii.		HARRY ELSHOVE, b. January 1891; d. Unknown.
	iii.		ERNEST ELSHOVE, b. May 1894; d. Unknown.
	iv.		RUSSELL ELSHOVE, b. August 1897; d. Unknown.
	v.		UNKNOWN CHILD ELSHOVE, b. Unknown; d. Unknown.

Notes for UNKNOWN CHILD ELSHOVE:
Died as an infant. Mentioned in the 1900 census that there were 5 births and four living children.

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