Ephraim McDowell

1673 - 1777  (103 years)

• Name	Ephraim McDowell
  Born	3 Mar 1673	Londonderry, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK
  Gender	Male
  Died	1777	____, Rockbridge Co., VA
  Person ID	I18818	DNA Family 1 Genealogies
  Last Modified	4 May 2006

  
  

  Family	Margaret Irvine,   b. Mar 1672, ____, Longford County, Ireland, UK ,   d. 1728, Londonderry, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK  (Age ~ 55 years)
  Married	Londonderry, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK
  Children	1. Mary Elizabeth McDowell,   b. 17 Nov 1707, ____, ____, Ireland, UK ,   d. 14 Mar 1809, ____, Rockbridge Co., VA  (Age 101 years)   2. Joseph McDowell,   b. 1715, ____, Ulster, Ireland, UK ,   d. Abt 1770, ____, Burke Co., NC  (Age 55 years)   3. Capt. John McDowell,   b. 19 Jan 1719, ____, ____, Ireland, UK ,   d. 14 Dec 1742, ____, Augusta Co., VA  (Age 23 years)
  Last Modified	4 May 2006
  Family ID	F6981	Group Sheet

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 3 Mar 1673 - Londonderry, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK Married - - Londonderry, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK  = Link to Google Maps   = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  The name McDowell is a modification of the Gaelic MacDughall, or MacDughale, meaning son or descendant of the dark stranger. The name was given over ten centuries ago to Danish settlers in Galloway, Scotland. Ephraim's father left Scotland during the period of the English civil wars. He fought at the seige of Londonderry at the age of 16, and at the Battle of Boyne River (in 1690). Many historians have written that he brough this family to America on the "George and Ann", but the passenger list for that ship, although it lists a number of McDowells, does not include Ephraim and his family. It is possible that they came on the John of Dublin at about the same time (1729), but that has not yet been verified. It is said that seven of his wife's brothers also came to America at the same time. They are believed to have settled for a while near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where his daughter Mary Elizabeth married James Greenlee. The first son of his son John, Samuel McDowell, was born in Pennsylvania. About 1738 went with his family down the Shenandoah trail to settle near what is now Lexington, Virginia, becoming the first settlers in this area. Ephraim served in the Augusta County militia until 1743, when he was exempted from further service due to his age (70 years). He is buried at the site of Maryland Tavern owned by his son John. A monument erected in the mid 1800s by the children of his great grandson Governor James McDowell of Virginia shows that he died "about 1780". In "A History of the McDowell Family" by Lemuel Ford Perdue, he states that the date of death was more probably 1770, as "family tradition has it that he died at age 98".