The Dows of York County, N. B. are descendants of Thomas Dow and his wife, Phoebe Latty. He was thought to be born in Scotland, but they sailed from an English port and settled in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1639. The Dows were in what is now N.B. before the Loyalists came. David Dow and others left Salem, Massachusetts in 1753. They were lumbering along the Oromocto River when David was killed in 1783 by a falling tree. His son, Enoch, and several others built a large flat boat, loaded their belongings on it, and poled it up the St. John River to their Canterbury land grant, two miles on the river and four miles back. That’s the settlements of Dowville and Dow Settlement. Enoch was the father of Jesse Dow. They laid out the Dow Settlement at Dow Cemetery in Dowville and built a Baptist Church.
Jacob Dow was a lumberman with his father on a tract of land along the river which they lost through extended credit. It may be remembered that at this time the British Government withdrew its Preferential Tariff on lumber in favor of its colony. Scandanavian lumber flowed in, bankrupting many of the strongest firms in N.B. The Dow family were reduced from millionairdom to ruin. Jacob moved back to Dow Settlement near his brother Samuel Dow and cousin David Dow (from The Book of Dow).
Jacob Dow was buried in the Dow Cemetery in 1872 and probably his widow, Frances (Yerxa) Dow, but her name and dates are not on the stone. The Census of 1881 of Canterbury Parish, York County has Frances Dow listed stating that she was 70 years of age.
Generation Eight (1) Samson Dow (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, John Yerxa 6, Frances (Yerxa) Dow 7, Samson Dow 8)
Samson Dow was the oldest child of Frances (Yerxa) Dow and Jacob Dow, born in 1837. Samson married Adelaide Dibblee on July 2, 1892. They were childless. Samson Dow died 1919. He was married late in life.
Generation Eight (2) Sarah Dow (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, John Yerxa 6, Frances (Yerxa) Dow 7, Sarah Dow 8)
Sarah Dow was the daughter of Frances or “Fannie” (Yerxa) Dow and Jacob Dow, born 1839. Sarah married William Hull. There were 7 children by this union.
Generation Eight (3) Rhoda Dow (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, John Yerxa 6, Frances (Yerxa) Dow 7, Rhoda Dow 8)
Rhoda Dow, daughter of Fannie (Yerxa) Dow and Jacob Dow, was born in 1841. Rhoda was married to James McGibboney. Rhoda died in 1888.
Generation Eight (4) Allen Dow (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, John Yerxa 6, Frances (Yerxa) Dow 7, Allen Dow 8)
Allen John Dow, born 1844, son of Frances (Yerxa) Dow and Jacob Dow. He with his parents and other children are listed in the 1861 Census for Canterbury Parish. His occupation was miller. Allen married Ambrozine Kearney of Grand Falls, born about 1851. Children of Allen Dow and Ambrozine (Kearney) Dow were:
Allen changed his occupation from miller to lumberman. The Allen Dow family lived in Eel River, now Meductic, in the parish of Canterbury.
Allen Dow died August 9, 1935.
Generation Eight (5) Nelson Dow (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, John Yerxa 6, Frances (Yerxa) Dow 7, Nelson Dow 8)
Nelson Dow was born in 1845 and died in 1846 of measles.
Generation Eight (6) Zebulon Dow (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, John Yerxa 6, Frances (Yerxa) Dow 7, Zebulon Dow 8)
Zebulon Dow, son of Frances (Yerxa) Dow and Jacob Dow, was born in 1847, Canterbury Parish. He married Florence _________. Children of Zebulon and Florence Dow were:
Generation Eight (7) Wellington Dow (Poulus 1, Johannes 2, Johannes 3, Abraham 4, Johannes (John Yerxa) 5, John Yerxa 6, Frances (Yerxa) Dow 7, Wellington Dow 8)
Wellington Dow, son of Frances (Yerxa) Dow and Jacob Dow, was born in 1848. Maried Ardelia A. __________.
Children were:
References: Census Records 1871, 1881, 1891, York County. Family members, Dow Book, Wm. Ramage.