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Tows with the wrong name

Tows with the wrong name

Jim Tow (View posts)
Posted: 3 Jul 2000 2:01PM GMT
I am one of a small group of Tow descendants who are researching Tow genealogy. We have found several files on the Internet which contain a significant error. In view of the large number of people who view this information, I am concerned that it will be propagated throughout future generations of Tow researchers.

These files list my great-grandfatherÂ’s name was Mitchell Alexander Tow. This name was originated by a lady in North Carolina who placed it in the LDS Family History records many years ago. She later admitted to one of my cousins in Texas that she did not remember where she obtained the name Mitchell and agreed that it is an error. However, she has not corrected this file and it not only resides in the LDS database, but has subsequently appeared in the records of many researchers.

The correct name for the person identified as Mitchell Alexander Tow in these records is Alexander A. Tow. The best source of this information is the family bible in which AlexanderÂ’s wife, Sarah Anna Stockton, recorded his name as Alexander A. Tow. Other sources of the first name Alexander include Federal censuses. His family called him Alex.

Please note that I used the name Sarah Anna Stockton in lieu of Sarah Ann Stockton or Sarah Annette Stockton. These latter two names are also used widely in genealogy records, but I believe them to be wrong. Again, my source for this name is the family bible in which Sarah recorded her family group. It is signed, “Sarah anna Tow borned July the 13 1827.”

Some of the files in which I have found the errors cited above also list my grandfather as Charles Gilbert Tow. His name was Charles Gibson Tow. I believe the “Gilbert” was originated by the daughter of one of Charles’ sisters, but have not been able to confirm that. His obituary contained his correct name and birth date and his children knew the factual information and had records of it. He was born September 21, 1871, in Taney County, Missouri, and died March 25, 1950, in Salem, Marion Co., Oregon.

I am confident that Alexander A. (not Mitchell Alexander), Sarah Anna (Not Sarah Ann or Annette) and Charles Gibson (not Charles Gilbert) are based on good source information. However, another error that appears in Tow genealogy is that Towe is too frequently used where Tow applies. I recognize that these are difficult to sort out, but records that use the name Tow go back as far as the 1600s. It appears that some researchers believe Tow is an error and change it.

Some of the early settlers named both Towe and Tow arrived in Maryland as early as 1665, 1672 and 1693. Some were illiterate and, therefore, relied on others to record their names. Tows in North Carolina in the 1700s who appear in official records as Tow have been found later to be the parents of Towes. Why is an older generation a Tow, while the younger generation is a Towe? I believe that the Tows who immigrated to the Colonies in the 1700s, and who could read and write, spelled their name correctly as Tow, whereas the Towes who are traced back to those early Tows are the victims of name changing because they were illiterate and someone else spelled their name wrong. However, there is family lore in some branches that indicates individuals changed the spelling from Tow to Towe because they thought it would cause the name to be pronounced correctly; i.e., like how now brown cow instead of like the bow in bow and arrow and the tow in tow truck.

Another example of this name changing is one of Charles Gibson TowÂ’s grandsons, who was raised by foster parents. They changed his name from Tow to Towe because they thought Tow was wrong. He is the only Towe in our branch of the tree.

Another problem I have encountered is that the cursive “T” was written by many scribes in the 18th and earlier centuries the same way we currently write the cursive “L.” This has resulted in transcribers of censuses, marriage records and other official documents in the 19th century recording the name Tow as Low and the name Towe as Lowe. This knowledge of changes in writing helped us find Rachael Tow, Alexander A. Tow’s sister, in a marriage record that documented her marriage to Isaac Cauble. Her name was recorded as Rachael Lowe by the person who transcribed the original marriage record. What makes this difficult is that most of the Lows I have traced in records are actually Lows, not Tows.

Genealogy sites on the Internet disseminate many errors which may appear to be factual. The root cause of most of these errors is that the contributor has not personally verified the information with good source documents. Others then use this information because they assume that the person who provided that information knows a lot of facts and therefore must be an expert. Very little of the information on the Internet is accompanied by the identity of a valid source document. Without a source, it is guesswork, not fact.

When I find what appears to me to be erroneous information, I sometimes ask the originator to provide me with a source. In return I have received silence, only the name of a person from whom that information was obtained or, worse, the identity of a web page without the identity of the person who posted it. These are not valid sources. I file such information in a folder titled, “Failed the snicker test.”

A valid source is an official record or family record; e.g., censuses, marriage bonds, family bible entries and other documents recorded at the time of an event. Each fact requires a source. Even a name of a person entered in a family group should be verified by a source document. To this end, researchers who pass their information to others should identify the sources with which they verified their information.

Although many official and family records contain errors, they are not, as a type, as unreliable as genealogy records found on the Internet. The internet provides a means for the posting of unverified information by people who do not perform the research necessary to establish reliable records. Family lore can be more accurate than the Internet, but even this source is best supported by documentation.

Please do not feel that I am putting down the LDS Family History or any other web site. I am simply trying to communicate the fact that they are all contaminated by errors because contributors are not required to include references to their sources. I still use them, but with caution. I use them only to obtain information on where to look for facts. For example, if a contributor states that two people were married in Washington County, Indiana, in 1860, I look in those marriage records to see if I can find a copy of that record. If I cannot find that record, I put the file I downloaded in my snicker folder.

I hope this message will help others understand the hazards associated with accepting information without verification. I am submitting it as an effort on my part to enhance the accuracy of records of my ancestors.

Jim Tow

Re: Tows with the wrong name

Posted: 1 Jul 2001 4:12PM GMT
I would like to thank Jim Tow for his info on Tow And Towe. I have some records of my father's family and it gets pretty confusing. My maiden name is Towe. But the history that I have also list some Tow's. I would like to get this figured out so that I can leave a well researched family history for my children. Thank you again, Donna Kay (Towe) Wilson

Re: Tows with the wrong name

Posted: 17 Jan 2003 5:12PM GMT
Classification: Query
My family history also goes back to Towe my mothers maiden name is Towe. Whether this the same branch or not, I don't know, but this is what I do know about the name. My mothers Grandfather, was Tow, my mothers father was Tow growing up. When he grew up, he added the E because kept saying "toe". He didnt like it, so he added the E.

Re: Tows with the wrong name

DeAnna (Towe) Carter (View posts)
Posted: 24 Jan 2004 11:29PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Jim I have read with great enthusiasim your account of how easily a record can be mistaken for the right one...I had not considered all the facts you set forth. You sound as if you have been doing Geneology searches for quite sometime! I commend you on how much you have learned on the subject!

I on the other hand am VERY new to this sort of thing. I had no help starting the search for my family members...just a few names is all...but like others I ASSUME if someone posted something to their family geneology that it is probly so...therefore it gets carried in to my family records..I see now how that can be bad at times...but how do you check something out to be true or false if you have no dea what resources you should be using?

I for one am intersted in following my family roots and learning all I can about them! But when I come to a person's entry and I have no idea what their name might be then it is just like drawing straws to figure out which way to go next....know what I mean? Anyway, I do have some Towe info and would like to see if your Tow might be related to us! I have had a time trying to obtain info on my great grandfather since I did not know his name or anything about him except he was born in TN. I was told his name was Wm, or William Tow (no e) so I searched that out and found lots of info but have not connected them to my line as of yet...my question is who do i search out next to find our line in that line? I was thinking I should probly search the childrens lines next, right Thanks for any help you might be able to give me...email me anytime at dedee44@comcast.net or dollydee40@yahoo.com Dedee

Re: Tows with the wrong name

Linda (View posts)
Posted: 6 Apr 2006 10:41PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Tow/Towe
Thanks for the post. It helps alot. I am Shirley Towe's daughter. Can you point me in the right directions on Alexander Tow and Sarah Stockton parent's. I had a Uncle Jim Tow growing up. Who are you named after?? Thnaks for all the help.
Linda

Re: Tows with the wrong name

Posted: 19 Jan 2008 4:46PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Tow, Williams
Mr. Jim Tow,

I understand it has been years since you posted this but it still rings true. I have been researching my family line of the Tow's for years and have seen these very issues. More with the Tow/Towe spelling than with anything else.

My Grandfather was Clarence Anderson Tow(1892-1940) from Clarksville TN. He died when my father, also named Jim, was almost two. Clarence is listed in the 1900 census with three sisters(Rosa, Ida, Norah) and his mother(Mary Elizabeth Williams, Mar 1864) but his father William died prior to that, when why or how I cannot find out. I know his name was William from Clarences social security application.
I also know William was from North Carolina, as were a great number of Tows.

The only other information I have on the family tree was passed from my Grandfather to my Uncle was Clarence wished his middle name survive and that name was Anderson. I have found several references to Anderson Tow and one moved from Buncombe Co, NC, to Tennesse with a son named William. Any connections I have made at this time are only speculation since I have no proof. There is also an Anderson Tow living in Montgomery Co. TN, same county as Clarksville which I believe to be the same Anderson but with second wife.

I also recently found out my Dad has a half sister by Clarence and her name is Margerette. My Dad was told this by his brother that she (Margerette) showed for my Grandfathers funeral and she was a twin of one of my Dads sisters Betty Lou (1930-1983). I can find nothing on her either.

If you have any information on this line of Tow's I would greatly appreciate it.

Robert Tow

Re: Tows with the wrong name

Posted: 20 Jun 2010 4:06PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Robert (and anyone that may have been following this string),
You are the connection we've been looking for. Here is what we have in common:
Norah Belle Tow was my grandmother, which would make you and I first cousins. She married James Edward Watson and had several children, one named James Ray Watson who was my father.
All the facts you lay our are consistent with what I have.
PLEASE contact me or my brother Dennis at ANY of the following email addresses or post back here:

jeds4@comcast.net
dwatson53@comcast.net

I'm really looking forward to hearing from you (and anyone else that can add to this history).

Many thanks,
Steve Watson

Re: Tows with the wrong name

Posted: 7 Jul 2012 3:19AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 7 Jul 2012 3:19AM GMT
Dennis, I found a funeral home record for Clarance's father, William W. on rootsweb.com.
You can find it here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nightshade...

I sent an email to your home email tonight regarding Rosa L. Tow, born 1888. I believe she was with my great grandfather in Lawrence County IN in 1900. Link:http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1900usfedcen&a...
I am researching my gr gr grandfather and it seems to lead me back to N.C. So I think there is a good chance your William W. was a cousin to my gr grandfather. W.W. had an older brother almost the same age as my gr grandfather, and W.W.'s father Anderson was almost the same age as my gr gr grandfather. Hope this helps! Hope the links work, and hope you get my email! :)
Wanda Towe
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