Tuesday, September 13, 2011

SENSORY OVERLOAD WITH BOWSERS

 

Since I found the parents of Olive Bowser I have been looking at online trees, census records and the documentation of the Bowser Family in the early Pennsylvania history.   I have found that the Bowsers/Bausser/Bauser/Basur came to the USA in 1733.   It seems that a whole group of the family left Switzerland and headed for Philadelphia.

I have found them in Montgomery, Lancaster, York, Bedford, Somerset, and Armstrong County Pennsylvania.  I find much information, but what is right and documentable?   

For example I have the names of two different women as wives for Valentine Bowser.   Was he married twice and who is the mother of Daniel Bowser?    My Mary Murphy has a father named Thomas and was living with her and Jacob A. Bowser in Pennsylvania in 1860.   Someone else has him living in Iowa.  The two names are the same but they can not be in the same place at the same time.

I have written to a few of the owners of the trees and I hope someone answers so I can figure this out.   I find personally when something does not feel right, it usually isn’t.

More work tomorrow and I know this is going to be a long project.   The fascinating thing is how people have been able to trace this family back to the late 1600’s in Switzerland.   How much of it can I prove to be correct?

4 comments:

  1. Oh, Claudia, it sounds like you have some wading and weeding to do! How wonderful that you found so much information. Whether it's all accurate or not, at least you have some starting points for continuing your research. Hurrah for the Bowser researchers!

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  2. That's how I feel too. I have come upon a few items that I question. The death date of Jacob A, the family of Mary Ann Murphy, the wife of Valentine Bowser. I have seen two different wives in different trees. I am thinking that he was married twice but have no proof.

    I will be busy for years. I am considering to add people followed by a ? if I am not sure.

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  3. Good luck on your treasure hunt. I understand your frustration. I find so much conflicting information out there about my family. Just remember the important rule - always go back to the source documents and research research research.
    Good luck and happy hunting
    Alice

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  4. Alice, That is good advice except most do not have a source document listed and an reply that I did get was "I got it off an online tree."

    I think a lot of Bowser trees were done a while back before people cited their sources.

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