Military family research - LOWRIE

[lesleystyles]

Hi,

I am researching my friend’s military family and have got back as far as her 4 x gt. Grandfather.

The family I am researching is LOWRIE.

All my friend’s grandfathers have the name THOMAS LOWRIE and they all served in the Royal Artillery albeit in different units and battalions.

I would very much like to find info on her 4 x gt grandfather Thomas LOWRIE, and find out how far back the military runs in this fascinating family. I cannot even find their marriage, his wife Catherine’s maiden name or where they came from.

I have the following info for them;-

THOMAS LOWRIE bc 1815 married CATHERINE ? bc 1815 Scotland.

Catherine was a widow and working as a nurse on the 1861 census, living at 10, Artillery Place, Woolwich, Greenwich, London, England with her children
Catherine born c 1834 West Indies ( Antigua) and sons
Thomas b 1845 Dover and
David bc 1853 Ireland.

Other children were Margaret bc 1842 West Indies, James Charles b 1837 in Barbados (proved from birth cert)and Robert b 1847 Dover Kent.

From son James’ birth cert I have found that Thomas was a Gunner & Dr. (Driver?) and that he was in the Royal Horse Artillery 7th Battalion and at that time they were stationed in Barbados.

I have looked for any record of Thomas with no luck. I would love to be able to find more of their story. Also a death record for Thomas who, I presume, died between 1853 and 1861 but where? Without a proper date of birth for either of them and places of birth and marriage I am quite stuck and don’t know where to look next.

Can anyone help?
We live in France so cannot visit record offices etc.
Thanks
Lesley

[gortonboy]

hi,,just to note Catherine was b 1839 not 1834,,,,the census is way off

First name(s)
CATHERINE I

Last name
LOWRIE

Birth year
1839

Place
ANTIGUA

Country
WEST INDIES

Record source
GRO Regimental Birth Indices Supplement (1761 to 1924)

Volume
R.A.22

[gortonboy]

I had a look for Thomas (Senior) Lowries service record on findmypast,,,,but cant see any that fit.

[christanel]

Welcome to British-Genealogy Lesley

One way of finding out Catherine's maiden name would be to order the birth certificate for Thomas born Dover Kent. However looking on FreeBMD there is no birth registration for a Thomas Lowrie 1844 - 1846. The only candidate is a Thomas Lowrey registration district Medway (which doesn't seem to include Dover) vol 5 page 373. You can order from the GRO stating that the parents must be Thomas and Catherine. If they aren't they refund your money.
As Catherine was born Scotland have you done some free searching on Scotland'speople? It is a pay per view site but some preliminary searching can eliminate a lot of possibles before you have to pay.

Christina

[christanel]

If this record is correct for Thomas jnr's baptism on family search.org then the birth registration I gave can't be the correct one because it is far too late.
Thomas Lowrie Baptised 9 Feb 1845 at Hougham Kent
Father Thomas Lowrie
Mother Catherine Lowrie

[Peter Goodey]

Thomas Lowrie bap 9 Feb 1845, Christ Church Hougham, son of Thomas Lowrie & Catherine abode Artillery Barracks occ soldier in Royal Artillery.

To order a birth certificate direct your order to GRO Overseas Section (I know Dover isn't overseas but that's the way the system worked)

To speed the order you can quote reference Lowrie, Thomas, Dover, 1845, Vol R.A.22, Page 115.

There's no guarantee that the birth certificate will show the mother's maiden name but with luck it should show the father's current regiment.

[Sandyhall]

Time line

Catherine LOWRIE
Birth 1834 in West Indies - 1861 Census, Age: 27, Woolwich, Kent, England

James Charles LOWRIE
Birth 1837 in Barbado
Married Jane Logan,Birth abt 1837 in Woolwich, Kent, England
Census 1881,91,01

Margaret LOWRIE
Birth 1842 in West Indies
Married John Knobs Henery, Corporal Royal Artillery, 3 Jun 1861, St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich, England

Thomas LOWRIE
Birth 1845 in Dover, Kent, England, Baptism 9 Feb 1845 Hougham, Kent, England
Census 1861, 91,01
Married Elizabeth ***, Birth abt 1855 in Sheffield, Yorkshire,

Robert LOWRIE
Birth 1847 in Dover, Kent, England
Baptism 26 Sep 1847,Hougham, Kent, England

David LOWRIE
Birth 1853 in Ireland
Census 1861, Age: 8, Woolwich, Kent, England

That's all I could find out

[Peter Goodey]

Men who died in service (if he did) are hard to trace. I would be inclined to try tracking him through the pay and muster lists.

https://nationalarchives.gov.uk/recor...-1730-1898.htm

We live in France so cannot visit record offices etc.

We can only advise on an approach. It's up to you whether to ignore it or commission some research or whatever.

[lesleystyles]

Hi,

Thanks for looking. I have looked loads of times in a vain hope that I will find him, but with no luck. One did stick out as some of his info fits with my Thomas so I have kept it just in case.

Thanks again for your help.

Regards
Lesley

[lesleystyles]

sorry,

Yes I have all the info for Thomas and Catherine's children and their families too. I ordered James' cert but no maiden name for Catherine