APRIL 1995 NEWSLETTER
I was able to do a little research in Utah during February and since in the last newsletter I included some of the data I had on Henry Mower Sr. and his son, Henry by Mary AMICK, I thought I would add some more details for those of you interested in this line.
Tedi Jeen and I were able to come to Provo a few weeks ago and went to the BYU library and when Tedi Jeen asked me what I was going to research I said, "Census records". (Why I said that I don't know because I really had no idea I would find anything new in those records). I decided to fill in a few gaps with Henry Mower Sr. and his son Henry MOWER Jr. by Mary AMICK. What I found is really a puzzle to me and that is why I am putting it into the newsletter.
There was an 1856 Census in Utah also and in it there is a Thomas William MOWER in the Henry MOWER Jr. family. He is also listed in the 1860 Census. The name struck me funny, as I never have heard of a Thomas William MOWER. I ran the name through my computer and turned up empty. I assume him to be a son of Henry MOWER Jr. as he was living in the family. In the 1860 Census two of Henry MOWER Jr.'s wives are living with him in Springville, Utah. Those wives are Elizabeth (HALL) MOWER and Alice (BURTON) MOWER. Susan (STRONG) MOWER was dead by 1860.
Son, Thomas is listed as 10 years old in 1860, meaning he was born about 1850. Is he then a son of Susan STRONG? All of you who descend from this STRONG branch of the family, get out your old family group sheets and see. I do not have him listed on any family group sheets. This is interesting to me. Perhaps he died before 1870 because he is not listed in the Census. Or maybe he moved away, being about 20 years old. He is listed as having been born in the Utah Territory.
Who was Thomas William MOWER. Did he marry and have a family? Did he move away? Who was his mother? Is he a lost MOWER? I am curious. I can't believe that he fell through the cracks and that no one over the years remembers Thomas William and mentioned him. Help me solve the puzzle.
Census Extractions
Henry Mower, son of Henry and Mary (Amick) Mower Census of 1850 Utah Territory, Free Inhabitants in the County of Great Salt Lake, Deseret, as of 1 June 1850, page 57 B, family 496: Henry Mower, farmer, age 26, bn Pa; Susan age 26, bn. Pa; John A. age 3, bn Iowa.
Census of 1860 Springville, Utah Territory FHL #805314 taken on 7 Sep 1860, page 298 dwelling 2634, family 2068: Hy Mower age 36, bn Pa; Elizth 40 bn Carolina; Alice 20 bn England; John A. 12 bn Iowa; Thos. W. age 10, bn Utah Territory; Geo. H. 8, bn UT; Wm E. age 6, bn UT; Hy age 2 bn UT; Jno. L. age 1 bn UT; Chas. A. 10/12 bn UT.
Census of 1870 of Fairview, Sanpete, Utah FHL # 553111 page 20 family 51: Henry Mower age 46, farmer, value of real estate $500, value of personal property $600 bn. PA; Elizabeth age 49, bn North Carolina; William E. age 16; George H. 19; Henry 12; John L. 11; Charles A. 10. All children born in Utah.
Census of 1880 FHL # 1255338 Fairview, Sanpete, Utah Territory, page 461 family 12: Henry Mower 53, farmer, bn. Pa, father bn. Pa, mother bn. Va; Ruvinia 46, bn. Pa, father bn Pa., mother bn. N. Y.; Cynthia 13; Nelson 10; Lula 8; Lydia 11; Two Syler step-sons ages 17, 21. Not very readable.
Now folks I have another one to sort out: As I continued on searching through Sanpete county, I found Amy (JONES) MOWER, wife of Henry Jr. Living in the family is a daughter that I have here-to-fore not known about. Her name is also Amy and she is listed as 12 years old, her father as being born in Pa. Since she is named MOWER, I am assuming her father is Henry MOWER Jr., as he was born in Pennsylvania. However, she is born somewhat before we thought Henry and Amy (the mother) got married.
Since we don't have an exact marriage date for them, we would like to get this one sorted out. Amy, the child, doesn't show on any family group sheets that I have. Was HenryJr. quietly married during the persecution days of polygamy? Could Amy, the mother have married Henry soon after the GARLIC marriage ended? It is interesting. Some of you out there know the answers to these two children. How about cluing me in and I will share it in the next newsletter?
Census of 1880 FHL # 1255338 Fairview, Sanpete, Utah Territory, page 464: Amy Mower 47, bn. OH, parents bn. MD; Amy A. 12, bn. Ut, father bn. Pa, mother bn. OH; Sidney W. 3; David Garlic 17; William H. Garlic 15.
Census of 1880 FHL # 1255338 Fairview, Sanpete, Utah Territory, page 467: Elizabeth Mower 59, bn NC, parents bn. NC; John L. 21, bn Ut, parents bn Pa, NC; Emily 16 (dau. in law), parents bn Sweden as was she.
John Albert MOWER, son of Henry and Susan (Strong) Mower: Census of 1870 of Fairview, Sanpete, Utah FHL # 553111 page 22, family 87: John A. Mower age 22, farmer bn Pa (?); Sarah, 18 bn Ut.; John w. age 1, bn Ut.
George Mower, son of Henry and Elizabeth (Hall) Mower Census of 1880 FHL # 1255338 Fairview, Sanpete, Utah Territory, page 462 Geo. 28; Sarah 23; Amanda E. 6; Geo. H. 4; Emma J. 2. All bn. UT.
William Mower, son of Henry and Elizabeth (Hall) Mower Census of 1880 FHL # 1255338 Fairview, Sanpete, Utah Territory, page 469: William 25 bn. Utah, father, Pa, mother NC; Emily K 22, bn. UT, father IN, mother Pa; William E. 4; Elizabeth 2; Elmira 2/12 bn. March.
Henry Mower Sr.: 1860 Census of Springville, Utah FHL # 805314 page 291-292, dwelling 2596 family 2036. Henry had a household of 8, a real wealth of $350, and a personal wealth of $600. Hy Mower age 62, farmer, bn Maryland; Lucretia age 41, bn Maine; Elmira age 19, bn. Maine; Orson age 10, bn Iowa; Oscar age 8, bn UT; Eliza age 6, bn Ut; Delila age 1 bn Ut; Hy age 1 bn Ut. (Hy was the census taker's abbreviation for Henry)
John Mower, son of Henry and Mary (Amick) Mower: Census of 1850 Utah Territory, Free Inhabitants in the County of Davis, as of 1 June 1850, Family 191, page 15 B: Elizabeth Bidewell age 47 bn. NY; Sarah 18, bn N.Y; Laverne 17 bn NY; Joseph 14, bn MO; Emma 12, bn IL; Julia 7, bn IL. (Next door) Family 191: John Mower age 24, blacksmith, bn PA; Sarah Ann age 20, bn NY. (Sarah Ann was a daughter of the Bidwell family)
REPORT FROM TRUDY SCHENK ON MICHAEL MAURER RESEARCH
Dear Jerry,
I have been working on your MAURER research and was ready for a report when your letter arrived.
You will see I have worked (in the neighboring villages of Doettingen) in Braunsbach, Orlach, Kirchensall and Kocherstetten, and also finished Doettingen and Geislingen.
The Maurers are mostly in Doettingen and Eschental. Only frequently is there a Maurer family in another parish and three times now these had been listed as daughters or sons of Hans Maurer from Arnsdorf, parish Eschental.
One of Hans MAURER's sons had to have been the father of Johann Michael, the emigrant. I have come across these names in other towns such as Braunsbach, and Orlach, that refer the Maurers to Arnsdorf parish in Eschental. I feel this is the ancestry of Johann Michael Maurer.
Susanna Barbara Maurer/Schwab's son, born in 1718, was listed as "in America".
As far as the other Michael who comes also in 1738, I don't know. Remember Ludwig GLOTZ, also born in 1720 in Jungholzhausen who was found with Michael MAURER in Pennsylvania? Johann Stephan GUTMANN I found born in Geislingen in 1708. He is also in Pennsylvania, Springfield and Trappe. The Sigmans are listed by Annette Burgert from nearby Baden, as well as Ferdinand DOERZBACH, all appear in the same Pennsylvania townships. Thank you for the $500 check. Sincerely yours, Trudy Schenk
COMMENTARY: As we look at the evidence we can conclude several things:
1. Michael MAURER, our ancestor lived in Pennsylvania and attended 3 different Churches there.
2. Several families also attended the same Churches as he did and are listed on the same ship in 1738 on which he immigrated.
3. Specifically Johann Stephen GUTMANN and Ludwig GLOTZ have been located in Pennsylvania with Michael MAURER and they came on the same ship to America that he came on. Their births have been located in German records.
4. We can conclude that we have located the place of origin of our immigrant ancestor, Michael MAURER based upon the facts and that he hails from the Eschental Parish records area and specifically the small villages of Goggenbach or Doettingen, which lie by each other.
5. Since early records of Goggenbach were destroyed by fire in the 1740's, we have researched the neighboring villages and have found additional MAURER families located in those villages. From this information we have been able to piece together a very likely scenario of this family. We have been able to go back and find families and genealogies in neighboring records.
I feel that we have done all that we can do in finding existing records. We are not finished with extracting all neighboring villages and we are still finding additional MAURER family members who spread out from Goggenbach. I am spending time entering these families on computer and we are getting a lot of names from the work Trudy is doing. We are now in need of more contributions to finance her work, although she currently is funded to research till about May. Your help is most appreciated.