We know little more than bare bones information about the family of John Lowry and Mary Spillane, parents of Dennis Lowry (and others).
John and Mary married in the Cashel & Emly diocese in County Tipperary, Ireland on 14 May 1837. Using parish baptismal records and Irish civil records, we have identified seven (possibly eight) children for the couple: Patrick and Johanna (from death records for John and Mary, respectively), and John, Michael, Margaret, Dennis, and Matthew from baptismal records.
It is possible that there were two sons named Dennis. A baptismal record exists for Dennis, son of John and Mary, baptized on 25 Nov 1850; however, U.S. census records consistently identify Dennis’s birthdate as February 1857, as does his death certificate. It was not unusual in the 19th century (and even earlier) to name a child after a earlier sibling who had died in infancy, so our Dennis may be the second of that name. Until we can sort out these discrepancies, we’re combining the information into one Dennis.
John was a farmer and, with wife Mary, spent his entire life in the Coolnaherin area of Tipperary, just the west of the town of Tipperary. He passed away at home on 21 March 1886 of old age; his son Patrick filed the report and was present at the death.
Mary died five years later, on 30 September 1891, also of old age; her daughter Johanna (Lowry) Connors was the informant this time and had also been present at her mother’s passing.
Their surname can be spelled several different ways in records: Lowry, Lowrey, and Lowery are the most frequent versions that we’ve found.
John Lowrey (b. ca. 180, Co. Tipperary, Ireland — d. 21 Mar 1886, Coolnaherin, Co. Tipperary, Ireland)
m. 14 May 1837, Cashel & Emly diocese, Co. Tipperary
Mary Spillane (b. ca. 1813, Co. Tipperary, Ireland — d. 30 Sep 1891, Coolnaherin, Co. Tipperary, Ireland)
Children:
i. Patrick Lowrey (b. ca. 1840, Co. Tipperary, Ireland — d. aft. 1886, place unknown); m. possibly Margaret Collins
ii. John Lowrey (bapt. 23 May 1842, Co. Tipperary, Ireland — d. unknown, place unknown)
iii. Michael Lowrey (bapt. 13 Oct 1845, Co. Tipperary, Ireland — d. unknown, place unknown)
iv. Margaret Lowrey (bapt. 12 May 1847, Co. Tipperary, Ireland — d. unknown, place unknown)
v. Dennis W. Lowrey (b. 12 Feb 1850/7, bapt. 25 Nov 1850, Co. Tipperary, Ireland — d. 25 Oct 1921, Worcester, MA); m. Mary Dwyer
vi. Matthew Lowrey (bapt. 18 Feb 1853, Co. Tipperary, Ireland — d. unknown, place unknown)
vii. Johanna Lowrey (b. ca. 1855, Co. Tipperary, Ireland — d. aft. 1891, place unknown); m. Thaddeus Connors, 13 Feb 1877, Tipperary, Ireland
Sources:
- John Lowry & Mary Spillane, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915, Tipperary, 1810-1844, Cashel and Emly parish, 14 May 1837, John Brohan & Johanna Collins, witnesses, parents not named, Ancestry online, image 75
- John Lowery, farmer, Tipperary Death Register, civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie, #356, image #04792691, p 530, registered 30 Mar 1886, died 21 Mar 1886, Coolnaherin, Co Tipperary, “probably decline of age, no medical attendant”, 80 years old, place of birth not given, parents names not given, informant, Patrick Lowery, son, present at death, Coolnaherin.
- Mary Lowry, widow of John Lowry, a farmer, Tipperary Death Register, file #281, image #04725636, filed 17 Oct 1891, died 30 Sep 1891, Coolnaherin, “probably decline of life, no medical attendant”, 78 years old, place of birth not given, parents not given, informant Johanna Connors, daughter, present at death, Coolnaherin.
- Patrick Lowry & Margaret Collins, Marriage Record, Vol. Tipperary, 1845-1881, Cashel & Emly diocese, Tipperary, Ireland, marriage date 28 Jan 1871, Jeremiah Leahy (?) & Johanna Reily (?) witnesses, parents not named, presider illegible, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915, Ancestry online, image 63.
- John Lowrey, Cashel and Emly diocese, Tipperary, Ireland, Vol. 1833-1848, John Lowrey & Mary Spillane, parents, baptized 23 May 1842, Patrick Licit [sic] & Judy Cronin, sponsors, Catholic Parish Registers, Ancestry online, 1655-1915, image 141.
- Michael Lowry, Cashel & Emly diocese, Tipperary, Ireland, Vol. 1833-1848, John Lowry & Mary Spillane, parents, baptized 13 Oct 1845, Dan Kinane & Marg’t Lowry, sponsors, Irish Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915, Ancestry online, image 190,
- Margaret Lowrey, Cashel & Emly diocese, Tipperary, Ireland, Vol 1833-1848, John Lowrey & Mary Spillane, parents, baptized 12 May 1847, Daniel & Margaret Spillane, sponsors, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915, Ancestry online, image 215
- Denis Lowrey, Vol. 1849-1868, parents John Lowrey and Mary Spillane, birthdate not given, baptized 25 Nov 1850, sponsors Laurence Spillane and Judith (?) Lowry, Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, Cashel and Emly diocese, Tipperary, 1849-1868, image 30
- Dennis Lowrey, Certificate of death, Massacusetts Division of Vital Statistics, Worcester, MA, file #431, filed 31 Oct 1921, died 25 Oct 1921, St. John’s Cemetery, Worcester, parents John Lowrey & Mary Spillane, spouse Mary Dwyer, Katherine T. Lowrey, informant.
- Mary A. (Lowrey) Houlihan obituary, died 4 May 1961, daughter of Denis W. and Mary (Dwyer) Lowrey, widow of John F. Houlihan, Worcester, Sunday Telegram, 5 May 1961, page C11.
- Margaret Dwyer, parents Denis Lowry (farmer, Scallaheen) and Mary Dwyer (“now the wife of Denis Lowry”), Birth registry, civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie, Co. Tipperary, Catherine Dwyer (her x mark), grandmother, present at birth, Coolnaharin, Cloupet (?), entry #267, 17 Jun 1882
- Dennis Lowrey household, 1900 US census of population, Ward 1, Worcester, MA, 6 Jan 1920, ED 210, SD 115, sheet 25B, dwelling #233, family #467, 9 Milton Street
- Dennis Lowrey household, 1910 US census of population, Ward 2, Worcester MA, 18 Apr 1910, ED 1861, SD 129, sheet 3B, dwelling #33, family #67, 155 Lincoln Avenue.
- Matthew Lowry, Cashel and Emly diocese, Tipperary, Ireland, Vol. 1849-1868, John Lowry & Mary Spillane, parents, baptized 18 Feb 1853, James Kinnane (?) & Mary Sheahy, sponsors, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915, Ancestry online, image 54
- Thadeus Connors & Johanna Lowry, Marriage record, Vol. Tipperary, 1845-1881, Cashel & Emly diocese, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915, James Connors (?) & Margaret Lowry, witnesses, parents not named, presider illegible, image 74.