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John is one of 9 children of Master Mariner John & Mary (née Morgan) Gowan of Skerries, Ireland. John was 14 years old when his father Capt. John Gowan was lost at sea with his ship Reaper & all his crew off the coast of Angelsey, North Wales.
Prior to emigrating to America around 1891-92, he primarily used the Gowan form of his Gowan / McGowan surname. After arriving in the United States, he was John F. McGowan and this never changed.
He lived in the Brooklyn home of his sister & brother in-law, Elizabeth & Thomas McCaffrey, who had arrived from Skerries in 1886.
Having already been a sailor since the age of 14, he found work on the literage boats on the NY/NJ waterfront. He is known to have taken at least one trip back to Ireland, in 1899 by which time he was already an American citizen. John's brother, Capt. Michael McGowan, emigrated in 1911 and settled in Brooklyn near John and their sister Lizzie McCaffrey.
It is believed that in his 1st decade in America he attended night school and may have earned a degree.
In 1908, the 43 year old John married the 27 year old Marcella Tyndall, a girl from Skerries whose family John knew and was a neighbor of in the years before he emigrated. In fact, Marcella & John were cousins through Marcella's mother's side of the family. A year later, 1909, John & Marcella had their only child together; a son – John F. McGowan II, who was called Jack. By this point in his life, he'd left the boats and was an engineer for a Brooklyn coal yard.
Marcella died suddenly in October 1910. At the same time period as Marcella's death, shortly before or shortly after, their little son Jack died as well. Both Marcella & Jack McGowan are remembered "In Memory Of" on the Tyndall family tombstone at Holmpatrick Graveyard in her native village of Skerries, Ireland.
In 1912, the widower John, now 48 years old, married another Skerries girl, the 41 year old Rosanna Halpin. John had known and was a neighbor of the Halpins back in Skerries. Years earlier, in 1904, it was John who delivered the news to Rosanna's family that her father, Capt. Thomas Halpin, had drowned while his vessel was docked at the New Jersey piers.
They lived in the Marine Park section of Brooklyn, close to his brother Michael & sister Lizzie. A year after their marriage, they had their first child together, a son. Like John's late first son, with Marcella, this child too was named John Francis McGowan. In 1916, their 2nd child Thomas Joseph McGowan was born.
John passed away in 1943. He is a shining example of the Irish-American immigrant success story of hard work & battling through adversity so that his children could rise even higher than himself in the most exceptional nation history has ever witnessed.
✞ John Francis McGowan is buried in his family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery. Both his wives, Marcella & Rose are buried with him. It's unknown were his infant son Jack is buried.
John is one of 9 children of Master Mariner John & Mary (née Morgan) Gowan of Skerries, Ireland. John was 14 years old when his father Capt. John Gowan was lost at sea with his ship Reaper & all his crew off the coast of Angelsey, North Wales.
Prior to emigrating to America around 1891-92, he primarily used the Gowan form of his Gowan / McGowan surname. After arriving in the United States, he was John F. McGowan and this never changed.
He lived in the Brooklyn home of his sister & brother in-law, Elizabeth & Thomas McCaffrey, who had arrived from Skerries in 1886.
Having already been a sailor since the age of 14, he found work on the literage boats on the NY/NJ waterfront. He is known to have taken at least one trip back to Ireland, in 1899 by which time he was already an American citizen. John's brother, Capt. Michael McGowan, emigrated in 1911 and settled in Brooklyn near John and their sister Lizzie McCaffrey.
It is believed that in his 1st decade in America he attended night school and may have earned a degree.
In 1908, the 43 year old John married the 27 year old Marcella Tyndall, a girl from Skerries whose family John knew and was a neighbor of in the years before he emigrated. In fact, Marcella & John were cousins through Marcella's mother's side of the family. A year later, 1909, John & Marcella had their only child together; a son – John F. McGowan II, who was called Jack. By this point in his life, he'd left the boats and was an engineer for a Brooklyn coal yard.
Marcella died suddenly in October 1910. At the same time period as Marcella's death, shortly before or shortly after, their little son Jack died as well. Both Marcella & Jack McGowan are remembered "In Memory Of" on the Tyndall family tombstone at Holmpatrick Graveyard in her native village of Skerries, Ireland.
In 1912, the widower John, now 48 years old, married another Skerries girl, the 41 year old Rosanna Halpin. John had known and was a neighbor of the Halpins back in Skerries. Years earlier, in 1904, it was John who delivered the news to Rosanna's family that her father, Capt. Thomas Halpin, had drowned while his vessel was docked at the New Jersey piers.
They lived in the Marine Park section of Brooklyn, close to his brother Michael & sister Lizzie. A year after their marriage, they had their first child together, a son. Like John's late first son, with Marcella, this child too was named John Francis McGowan. In 1916, their 2nd child Thomas Joseph McGowan was born.
John passed away in 1943. He is a shining example of the Irish-American immigrant success story of hard work & battling through adversity so that his children could rise even higher than himself in the most exceptional nation history has ever witnessed.
✞ John Francis McGowan is buried in his family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery. Both his wives, Marcella & Rose are buried with him. It's unknown were his infant son Jack is buried.
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John is one of 9 children of Master Mariner John & Mary (née Morgan) Gowan of Skerries, Ireland. John was 14 years old when his father Capt. John Gowan was lost at sea with his ship Reaper & all his crew off the coast of Angelsey, North Wales.
Prior to emigrating to America around 1891-92, he primarily used the Gowan form of his Gowan / McGowan surname. After arriving in the United States, he was John F. McGowan and this never changed.
He lived in the Brooklyn home of his sister & brother in-law, Elizabeth & Thomas McCaffrey, who had arrived from Skerries in 1886.
Having already been a sailor since the age of 14, he found work on the literage boats on the NY/NJ waterfront. He is known to have taken at least one trip back to Ireland, in 1899 by which time he was already an American citizen. John's brother, Capt. Michael McGowan, emigrated in 1911 and settled in Brooklyn near John and their sister Lizzie McCaffrey.
It is believed that in his 1st decade in America he attended night school and may have earned a degree.
In 1908, the 43 year old John married the 27 year old Marcella Tyndall, a girl from Skerries whose family John knew and was a neighbor of in the years before he emigrated. In fact, Marcella & John were cousins through Marcella's mother's side of the family. A year later, 1909, John & Marcella had their only child together; a son – John F. McGowan II, who was called Jack. By this point in his life, he'd left the boats and was an engineer for a Brooklyn coal yard.
Marcella died suddenly in October 1910. At the same time period as Marcella's death, shortly before or shortly after, their little son Jack died as well. Both Marcella & Jack McGowan are remembered "In Memory Of" on the Tyndall family tombstone at Holmpatrick Graveyard in her native village of Skerries, Ireland.
In 1912, the widower John, now 48 years old, married another Skerries girl, the 41 year old Rosanna Halpin. John had known and was a neighbor of the Halpins back in Skerries. Years earlier, in 1904, it was John who delivered the news to Rosanna's family that her father, Capt. Thomas Halpin, had drowned while his vessel was docked at the New Jersey piers.
They lived in the Marine Park section of Brooklyn, close to his brother Michael & sister Lizzie. A year after their marriage, they had their first child together, a son. Like John's late first son, with Marcella, this child too was named John Francis McGowan. In 1916, their 2nd child Thomas Joseph McGowan was born.
John passed away in 1943. He is a shining example of the Irish-American immigrant success story of hard work & battling through adversity so that his children could rise even higher than himself in the most exceptional nation history has ever witnessed.
✞ John Francis McGowan is buried in his family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery. Both his wives, Marcella & Rose are buried with him. It's unknown were his infant son Jack is buried.
John is one of 9 children of Master Mariner John & Mary (née Morgan) Gowan of Skerries, Ireland. John was 14 years old when his father Capt. John Gowan was lost at sea with his ship Reaper & all his crew off the coast of Angelsey, North Wales.
Prior to emigrating to America around 1891-92, he primarily used the Gowan form of his Gowan / McGowan surname. After arriving in the United States, he was John F. McGowan and this never changed.
He lived in the Brooklyn home of his sister & brother in-law, Elizabeth & Thomas McCaffrey, who had arrived from Skerries in 1886.
Having already been a sailor since the age of 14, he found work on the literage boats on the NY/NJ waterfront. He is known to have taken at least one trip back to Ireland, in 1899 by which time he was already an American citizen. John's brother, Capt. Michael McGowan, emigrated in 1911 and settled in Brooklyn near John and their sister Lizzie McCaffrey.
It is believed that in his 1st decade in America he attended night school and may have earned a degree.
In 1908, the 43 year old John married the 27 year old Marcella Tyndall, a girl from Skerries whose family John knew and was a neighbor of in the years before he emigrated. In fact, Marcella & John were cousins through Marcella's mother's side of the family. A year later, 1909, John & Marcella had their only child together; a son – John F. McGowan II, who was called Jack. By this point in his life, he'd left the boats and was an engineer for a Brooklyn coal yard.
Marcella died suddenly in October 1910. At the same time period as Marcella's death, shortly before or shortly after, their little son Jack died as well. Both Marcella & Jack McGowan are remembered "In Memory Of" on the Tyndall family tombstone at Holmpatrick Graveyard in her native village of Skerries, Ireland.
In 1912, the widower John, now 48 years old, married another Skerries girl, the 41 year old Rosanna Halpin. John had known and was a neighbor of the Halpins back in Skerries. Years earlier, in 1904, it was John who delivered the news to Rosanna's family that her father, Capt. Thomas Halpin, had drowned while his vessel was docked at the New Jersey piers.
They lived in the Marine Park section of Brooklyn, close to his brother Michael & sister Lizzie. A year after their marriage, they had their first child together, a son. Like John's late first son, with Marcella, this child too was named John Francis McGowan. In 1916, their 2nd child Thomas Joseph McGowan was born.
John passed away in 1943. He is a shining example of the Irish-American immigrant success story of hard work & battling through adversity so that his children could rise even higher than himself in the most exceptional nation history has ever witnessed.
✞ John Francis McGowan is buried in his family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery. Both his wives, Marcella & Rose are buried with him. It's unknown were his infant son Jack is buried.
Inscription
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McGOWAN
Marcella 1911
John 1934
Rosanna 1962
MY JESUS MERCY
Gravesite Details
The tombstone lists an incorrect death year for Marcella.
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