Lowry family genealogy

Of Pomeroy, County Tyrone

Arms: Sa., a cup arg. with a garland of laurel between two branches of the same, all issuing thereout ppr. Crest: Two laurel branches interfretted ppr. Motto: over—Floreant Lauri; and below, Virtus semper viridis.

This is a junior branch of the Earl of Belmore’s family, and claims to be descended from a common ancestor with the family of Laurie of Maxwelton, Barts., now extinct in the male line. The name has been variously written Laurie, Laurey, Laury, Lowry, Lowrey, and Lowray.

1. Stephen Lawrie or Lowry purchased the estate of Maxwelton, near Dumfries, temp. James VI. of Scotland (or James I. of England), from the Earl of Glencairn; he had three sons:

1. John, who inherited Maxwelton, and whose son was created a Baronet in 1685.
2. Robert, who settled in Cumberland, and was the progenitor of the Lauries or Lowrys of that county, a family still extant. One of them was Mrs. Chantry, whose daughter in the early part of the present century, m. a brother of the Earl of Eglinton.
3. James, of whom presently.

2. James Laurey, Laury, or Lowry (for the name is spelled in each of these ways): third son of Stephen; settled in Ireland, at Ballynagarry, in the county of Tyrone, and, dying intestate in the year 1665, Letters of Administration to him were, on the 12th December, 1668, granted to John, his son and heir:

3. John Laurey or Lowry, who, being the Assignee of the arrears of pay due to one of the Royalist officers, received compensation after the Restoration. He settled at Ahenis, co. Tyrone, and was twice m.: first, to Miss Mary Buchanan, a Scottish lady, and had issue:

1. Robert, of whom presently.
2. John, Captain, of Ardee, co. Louth, who m. Mary, sister of Hamilton and Blaney Townley, Esqs., of Townley Hall, county Louth; he died s.p.
1. Catherine, who married Samuel Kerry of Moyloughmore, co. of Tyrone, Esq.
2. Rebecca, who mar. William Moore of Drummond, county Tyrone, Esq.
3. Anne, who married Robert McClintock of Cartwee, county Donegal, Esq.
4. Jane, who m. John McClintock, of Trintagh, co. Donegal, Esq.

John[1] Laury or Lowry married secondly Jane, dau. of — Hamilton, Esq., of Ballyfatton, co. Tyrone, but by her had no issue.

4. Robert Lowry,[2] of Ahenis: elder son of John. Was one of the Commissioners for the counties of Armagh and Tyrone, appointed in 1698 to raise the monies charged on these counties under the Statute 10th William III., cap. 3. This Robert Lowry m. Anne, dau. of the Rev. James Sinclair,[3] of Hollyhill, co. Tyrone (by Anna, his wife, dau. of James Galbraith, Esq., of Magevelin, M.P. for the borough of Johnstown, co. Donegal, from 1671 to 1692), and had issue:

1. John, b. 1698, d. 1724.
2. Robert, of Melbury, county Donegal, M.P. for Strabane, 1761; d.s.p.
3. Galbraith (b. 1706), who m. in 1733, Sarah, second dau. of John Corry, Esq., and co-heir to her brother Edward Leslie Corry, Esq, M.P.; who was father of Armar, the first Lord Belmore, and of Anne, Countess of Enniskillen. (See Burke’s Peerage.)
4. The Rev. James, of whom presently.
1. Isabella, who m. Henry Crawford, of Carnaley, near Fintona, Esq.
2. Mary, who m. Charles Eccles, of Fintona, Esq.

5. Rev. James Lowry,[4] of Tullahogue (b. 1707): fourth son of Robert; was Rector of Clogherny, and afterwards of Desertcreight, co. Tyrone, where he d. in 1787. He m. Hester (d. 1771), only dau. of John Richardson, Esq., of Rich Hill, co. Armagh, M.P. for that county, and by her had issue:

1. Robert, of Pomeroy, of whom presently.
2. John, Rector of Clogherny, who m. in 1772, Susannah, only daughter and heir of the Rev. George Underwood, Rector of Kencott, of Oxfordshire, and had issue, one son and one daughter:
   1. The Rev. James Lowry, Rector of Clogherny (died Nov., 1852), who m. Harriet (d. 1843), daughter of James Dumberley, of Ensham Hall, Oxfordshire, and left an only child Harriet-Martha, who m. Owen Jackson, Esq., of Bath, Barrister-at-Law, deceased. She died without issue.
   2. Jane (died 1862), who m. Charles Frederick Barnwall (deceased), and left no issue.
3. James Lowry, from whom the Rockdale branch of the family is descended.
1. Hester, who married Thomas Dickson,[5] Esq., of Woodville, county Leitrim, M.P. for that county, and had issue.

6. Robert Lowry, of Pomeroy, Esq. (b. 1748, d. 1802): eldest son of Rev. James Lowry; m. in 1777, Eliza (died 1822), dau. of Major William Tighe, of Ballyshannon, and had issue five sons and four daughters:

1. James, an officer in the 14th Light Dragoons, who d. unm. in 1807.
2. Robert-William, of whom presently.
3. John, formerly, an officer in the 8th Regiment of Foot.
4. Armar (d. 1876), an officer in the 45th Regiment.
5. William, of Drumreagh, near Dungannon, who died in 1875, was formerly Commander, Royal Navy. He m. in 1819, Isabella (d. 1873), dau. of the Rev. John Graham, Rector of Pomeroy and Mullinagore, co. Tyrone, and left issue five sons and three daus.:
   1. Robert-William, a Lieut.-General in the Army, m., 9th June, 1853, Emily-Rohesia, dau. of Sir Henry G. Ward, Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, Governor of Madras, etc., and had issue: 1. Robt.-Swinburne, b. 1854; 2. William-Henry, born 1855; 3. Henry-Ward, b. 1859; 4. Charles E. Corry, b. 1863; 5. Arthur-Cole, b. 1864; 6. James-Herbert, born 1866; 7. Ernest-Ward, born 1871; 8. Emily-Hope; 9. Mary-Georgina.
   2. William-John, d. 1864.
   3. John-Henry.
   4. James Armar (d. 1861), Capt. 47th Regiment; went through Crimean campaign.
   5. Armar-Graham, Capt. 8th Foot, who m. in Dec., 1869, Margaret, dau. of the late Robert Newton, Esq.
   1. Elizabeth.
   2. Isabella-Hester, who in Nov., 1864, m. John Toler, Esq., M.D.
   3. Mary-Grace, who d. in 1857.

The four daughters of Robert Lowry were: 1. Everina, who died unm.; 2. Hester, who d. 1863; 3. Elizabeth, who d. 1867; 4. Maria, d. unm.

7. Robert-William Lowry, of Pomeroy House, J.P. and D.L., High Sheriff county Tyrone, 1812; second son of Robert; b. 1787; m. in 1815, Anna, only dau. of Admiral Samuel Graves, elder brother of Sir Thomas Graves, K.B., and had issue, three sons and three daughters:

1. Robert-William, of whom presently.
2. John-Fetherstonhaugh, of Belmore, co. Westmeath; Doraville, co. Tyrone; and Fitzwilliam-place, Dublin; B.A., Barrister-at-Law, and J.P.; m. in 1854, Dorothea-Eliza, dau. of William John Moore, Esq. (and relict of George Folliott, Esq., of Vicar’s Cross, Cheshire), and had a dau., Anna-Graves.
3. Thomas-Graves, R.E.; killed at Sebastopol, 7th June, 1855.
1. Hester (d. in 1876), who in May, 1862, m. the Rev. Richard Johnston, Rector of Kilmore, co. Armagh (his second wife).
2. Eliza-Catherine, who in 1856, m. Captain J. Herbert Armstrong of Kildare, King’s County, and had issue.
3. Anne-Jane, who in 1869, m. John Malone, Esq., of Baronston, co. Westmeath (his second wife).

8. Robert-William Lowry of Pomeroy House, co. Tyrone, J.P. and D.L.: eldest son of Robert-William; b. 1816; married in 1852, Frances-Elizabeth, youngest dau. and co-heir of Benjamin Humphrey Geale Brady, Esq., of Mount Geale, co. Kilkenny, and had:

1. Robert-Thomas Graves, of whom presently.
2. William, who died young.
1. Mary Anne Catherine.
2. Letitia-Maria.

9. Robert-Thomas Graves Lowry, b. 16th June, 1857: son of Robert-William; Lieutenant First Dragoon Guards in 1879.

(This genealogy is here traced down only to 1879.)

Notes

[1] John: This John Lowry and his wife were in Londonderry during its famous siege in 1689; and Mr. Lowry died there, having on the 24th June, 1689, made a “nuncupative” (or orally delivered) Will, which was proved in 1693 by his elder son Robert.

[2] Lowry: This Robert Lowry was great-great-grandfather of the children of Llewellyn Nash.—See the “Nash” genealogy.

[3] Sinclair: According to Debret’s Peerage, under the “Belmore” title, it appears that the Rev. James Sinclair was the second son of Sir James Sinclair of Caithness, who was of the same family as the Earl of Caithness, whose Crest and family name are the same.

[4] Lowry: This Rev. James Lowry was great-grandfather of the issue of Llewellyn Nash; and his wife Hester Richardson, their great-grandmother. (See the “Nash” genealogy.)

[5] Dickson: This Thomas Dickson and his wife Hester, were the grandfather and grandmother of the issue of Llewellyn Nash. (See the “Nash” genealogy.)