the dowdie news gazette volume 3, issue 1

The Dowdie News Gazette

Volume 3, Issue 1 January, 2013

"Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors." –Ralph Waldo Emerson Published: 01/25/13

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Happy New Year Dowdie Family! Welcome to Volume 3 of The Dowdie News Gazette. My 2012 seemed to fly by, but I am left with fond memories of the times that I shared with my family, near and far. From my Easter spent with Carl Dowdie and family, in Maryland, to Memorial Day with George Dowdie and the family in New Jersey, then our July Dowdie Family Reunion in Mountainside, St. Elizabeth (Jamaica), followed by Thanksgiving in England with mom, Judy and George, and finally Christmas with George Dowdie and family, in New Jersey, I was able to meet “new” family and my Dowdie rolodex continues to grow. As I say farewell 2012 and hello to 2013, I look forward to another year of memorable family experiences and anxiously anticipate celebrating our Family Reunion in July. As I look back to when I first began this journey, I could not have imagined that my extended family would have been as large as I have discovered it to be. My goal was to learn more about my family and create a family tree that could be used as a reference tool by many, for years to come and I can say without hesitation that I have accomplished my goal and then some. With family scattered around the world, a family reunion is a great way to meet relatives and learn about our

ancestors. There is something about blood getting together with blood. There is something about the Dowdies that makes us unique in that I have noticed that the love flows naturally when we are together. We greet each other with a genuine smile, followed by a warm embrace. Don’t let this be another missed Dowdie affair. If you have not done so already, please complete and return your registration form by February 15th, so that you can be included in the headcount and our planning.

Our Family Tree The Dowdie Family Tree continues to grow and the count for Peter Dowdie’s descendants is currently 1,004. There are a lot of blanks to fill-in and fortunately, I was able to fill-in some of the blanks over the past few months. I have spent some time on the Family Search website and believe I might have identified more of Peter Dowdie’s children, however, I will continue to research and verify the information, then share my findings with you at a later date.

Following is the breakdown of the offspring for those reflected in the above diagram:

Gifford Dowdie 2 Mary Ursula Dowdie 40 Maude Dowdie 35 Terah Dowdie n/a Peter Vecas Dowdie 37

Sanford Dowdie 119 William Arthur "Cameron" Dowdie 78 David "Bignal" Dowdie 668 Mary Adela "Dowdie" Dowdie 15

2013 Family Reunion The Reunion Planning Committee has begun discussing plans for a fun-filled Mardi Gras themed weekend with the Dowdies, in Florida. Our extended weekend plans will be similar to that of the 2011 Dowdie Family Reunion that is scheduled to begin on July 24th through July 28th. For those traveling from abroad, make this your family vacation and either come early or stay late. There are relatives in the surrounding area that will be more than happy to play host to you before or after the Dowdie affair. Also, if room and board will be an issue, please advise as soon as possible, so that we can make alternative arrangements. Reunion Details The 2013 Dowdie Family reunion will take place in Dania Beach, Florida (Fort Lauderdale) from Wednesday, July 24th through Sunday, July 28th. The theme will be Mardi Gras and we are planning for a long weekend with family, friends, dancing, good music, good food and good fun.

♂ Peter DOWDIE

♂ Gifford DOWDIE ♀ Mary Ursula DOWDIE

♀ Maude DOWDIE ♂ Terah DOWDIE ♂ Peter Vecas DOWDIE

d. 1957

♂ Sanford DOWDIE ♂ William Arthur "Cameron" DOWDIE

b. 31 Oct 1864

♂ David "Bignal" DOWDIE

b. 1875d. 1956, aged 81

♀ Mary Adela "Dolly" DOWDIE

b. 1888d. 1978, aged 90

Ann & Sheila (Dowdie) Smith




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Confirm Your Attendance At present, the best thing that you can do is, mark your calendar, plan your time off, and share the news with family members who might be interested! The Committee also asks that you help with our planning efforts by confirming your attendance and completing/returning the Registration Form, by February 15, 2013. It is very important for catering and planning purposes to know how many people will be attending. You may confirm your attendance via email ([email protected]), postal service or telephone, to any of the following Reunion Committee members:

Allison (845) 282-9991 Antonia “Ann” (917) 226-1069

Christina (561) 762-1144 Dean (646) 361-3853

Dionne (678) 392-0727 Evans (201) 916-1607 Jessica (347) 731-8090

Joy (347) 326-2343

Joyce (347) 789-5427 Judy (954) 815-4732

Nicole (646) 281-1172 Sasha (516) 610-6042

Shaneice (917) 569-8991 Tyson (347) 489-1400

The names of the first 50 registration forms (per person) received on or before February 15, 2013 will be placed in a drawing and one winner will be picked to receive a prize. The winner of the drawing will be announced on Saturday, July 27th at the Banquet/Masquerade Ball. You must be present in order to claim the prize. Please be aware that you may include your t-shirt order on the Registration Form, even if you are unable to attend the Family Reunion.

Our Host Hotel Our host hotel for the 2013 Family Reunion is The HYATT house™ Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port Hotel and it is located just south of the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. This suites hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to and from the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood

International Airport. The hotel also offers complimentary hot breakfast buffet, free Wi-Fi and free parking. A block of 30-rooms, per night has been reserved for our Dowdie affair. You may make your reservation by calling HYATT’s toll free Reservation Line, 866-974-9288, or the Hotel directly at 954-922-0271, as soon as today. For you to receive the established Group rate, you must identify yourself as members of the Dowdie Family Reunion when making the reservation. The hotel MUST receive all individual reservations no later than June 24, 2013. Reservations made after June 24, 2013 will be subject to availability and the best available rate. This link was created for those who are interested in making their reservations on line:

http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/reservations/flow6/propCheckAvailability.jsp?pid=fllxd&extCorporateId=G-DWFM. Following are the room types and rates:

RATES Room Type Single Double Triple Quad

Studio King $99 $99 $109 $119 Studio Double $99 $99 $109 $119

The Hotel room rates are subject to applicable Taxes (currently 11.0%) in effect at the time of check-in

Please note that you are not obligated to stay at our host hotel, the HYATT House Fort Lauderdale and may use a hotel of your choice or stay with family/friends.

Studio Double Studio King

The names of the first 50 guests to reserve their hotel room on or before May 31, 2013 will be entered into a drawing for a prize. The winner of the drawing will be announced on Saturday, July 27th at the Banquet/Masquerade Ball. You must be present in order to claim the prize.




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Heated Outdoor Pool We will not be able to negotiate the above rates offered by the HYATT house™ Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port Hotel, with another hotel, so please be sure to reserve your room as soon as possible! Do remember that they only require a credit card to secure your room. Your credit card will be charged at checkout, only. Money Matters Money sometimes becomes an issue with these types of events. The good thing about this is, they only occur every other year and things like job loss, hardship and inflation play a big part in our lives. WE ARE FAMILY and there is nothing greater than that. As I stated in a previous issue, it is time for us to end the trend of meeting at funerals and weddings. Death is certain, but life is not a guarantee. Please remember that there are costs associated with putting together an event like this. Said costs include, but are not limited to: event meals, banners, t-shirts (logo, design, printing, etc.), transportation costs and decorations. Your reunion fee DOES NOT include the hotel cost. With all of that in mind, we recommend that if you have not begun to do so already, $TART $AVING now! We are trying to be as creative as possible and looking for ways to contain costs while making it a fun and exciting family affair. Our Estimated Registration Fee is: $225 - Adults (13 & above), $175 - Child (6 – 12), $30 Child (1 – 5). Please note that these amounts are estimates. We hope to have a final head count and cost per person by February 28th.

The accepted payment methods are:

Money order Cashier check Personal check Bank deposit

You may choose to pay in full or make monthly payments. All fees must be received by April 31st, 2013. No personal checks will be accepted 20 days prior-to our event. You will receive confirmation once payment has been processed. Please remember that the more people that attend, the lesser the cost for everyone, so begin to spread the word. In the meantime, if you $TART $AVING and making your payments early, it will be a lot easier for you financially and reduce the stress for all of us in the long run. A bank account will be established and the details will be shared in the coming months.

As with the first reunion, we will share details with you when they are available. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please feel free to share them. For those interested in joining the Reunion Committee, please send your request to [email protected].

2012 England Travel This trip to England was one in the making since early 2011, but nothing ever happens before its time. My travel companions for this trip was my

mother, Dassy (Dowdie) Herbert (of course), Judy Dowdie (daughter of Leonard Dowdie), and O. George Dowdie (son of Jonathan “JC” Dowdie). Mom and I flew from New York, Judy from Florida and George from New Jersey. Our homebase while abroad was at the Hampton by Hilton in Birmingham on Broad Street and I was looking forward to a great visit. My goal over the course while on the other side of the pond, was to try and visit as many family as possible. I had the pleasure of seeing my travel companions, who are three first cousins, meet and greet their other first cousins. Unfortunately, given the time constraints and geography, we were not able to connect with all the family I had intended. I have always said and still maintain that I am grateful for any opportunity I am given to meet my family, even if it is a brief visit to say “howdy cuz”. Being somewhat familiar with the Tube (London Subway, I printed the map so that I could prepare for my London excursions. Keisha McCallum & Ann




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Friday, November 16th I decided to be a little adventurous on this trip and the adventure began when mom and I arrived in Birmingham on Friday morning. We decided to take public transportation from the airport to the hotel and it was an adventure that I will likely remember for quite some time. We laughed along the way and at times I felt like we were contestants on the American television show, The Amazing Race. We had never taken the train to/from the airport in England, so I pre-mapped our route. We had three bags each (suitcase, carry-on and hand bag) that we tugged and pulled as we ran to catch the airport shuttle and then the train to Birmingham New Street Station. By 10:00 am (local time) we arrived at the hotel on Broad Street and jet lag started to slowly creep in. We were too early for check-in so we left our bags and went searching for a mobile phone store. It was quite chilly, so after buying minutes, we stopped for a warm drink and quick bite, then headed back to the hotel. It was noon and still too early for check-in, but my plans for getting acclimated were thwarted when I succumbbed to jet lag and passed out in a couch towards the back of the the reception area. I’m not sure how long I was asleep, but I was awakened by a friendly voice who took pity on me. Natalie said she felt horrible and decided to hurry the cleaning staff to prepare a room in order to allow us early check-in. I passed out in the room for about two hours and I woke up feeling recharged and ready to take on Birmingham. I phoned some family to announce my arrivial and make plans. My first visitor was Dawn Williams (daughter of Lucille Dowdie and granddaughter of David “Bignal” Dowdie), who I briefly met in 2009. Dawn and son, Jaheim Benjamin, fetched us from the hotel and on our way to her home, we stopped to buy fish and chips. Cordehlia, Dawn’s daughter greeted us when we arrived at the house and the four of us chattated for a couple of hours before Dawn took us back to the hotel.

Saturday, November 17th The next morning we were on the London bound Birmingham Coach, with two stops to make, one in south London and the other in the northwest London. Our first stop was in south London where we visited Sheila (Dowdie) Smith, daughter of Jeffrey Authur Dowdie and granddaughter of William “Carmeron” Arthur

Dowdie. I learned that Sheila and daughters, Yvonne Smith and Lorna Smith were living in London, while speaking with her (Sheila’s) son, Collin “Andy” Douglas, a few weeks before I traveled. Andy shared her telephone number with me and prior to leaving the States, I phoned Sheila to introduce myself and expressed that I would like to meet her while I am in London. Mom and I took the London Overground line to Penge East rail station in South London, where Sheila met us. We walked the short distance from the station to her home, where we enjoyed tea and slice of homemade cake. Sheila then shared photos with us of her parents and presented me

with my very own copy. Lorna was preparing lunch for us at her home, so we walked to her home where we met her sons, Triston, Keiron and Tyron. As mom and I dined on the delicious meal that Lorna prepared, she (Lorna) took the time to review the family tree and was amazed to see how large her family is. It was almost an eat and run visit, because it was getting late and we soon had to make our way to northwest London. We chatted a little with Yvonne when she arrived, took some photos and bid them farewell. Lorna and Sheila drove us to the Tube station and kept our company as we waited for the train.

The next stop was at the home of Livette (Dowdie) Ricketts, in northwest London, my usual England homebase. I cannot recall ever visiting Aunt Livette’s home (with mom) and not seeing cousin Uly Sawyers. Whenever cousin Uly learns his family is in town, one could always count on him passing through. Mom had introduced and re-introduced cousin Uly to me time and again over the years (probably since my first visit to England in 1985) and explained how we were related. Mom’s first cousin is the son of Anges (Dowdie) Sawyers and the grandson of David “Bignal” Dowdie. As a youth, family connection was not at the top of the list of things I cared about. In fact, all that mattered was that we were family. My mother is one of sixteen children for her parents; cousin Uly is one of nine; and their aunt, Muriel (Dowdie) Roache had eleven children. As you can see, the three siblings (Stanley, Agnes & Muriel) children amounted to that of a small village. In my younger days, the one thing that I was sure of was that I had a lot of cousins. Eventually, I realized the importance of genealogy and I began to take note. Whenever I think about how/when I began this genalogical journey, I remember cousin Uly and the many times I met him. It was not until I sat down and created the family tree that I realized how close our family connection was and started paying

attention. The family tree brought a lot of things into perscpective and a lot of things began to make sense.

Left to Right: Uly Sawyers, Herman Dowdie, Jr. III, Dassy, Emmanuel Dowdie, Antonia, Jaheim Dowdie, Herman Dowdie, Jr., Keyone Dowdie & Judy

Picture 1: Tyron Thomas, Ann, Sheila (Dowdie) Smith, Keiron Thomas, Lorna Smith; Picture 2 Dassy, Yvonne Smith & Ann




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I was also able to meet my first cousin, Herman Dowdie, Jr., the son of Herman Dowdie, who was able to stop by with his wife Nadine, sons, Herman III, Jaheim and Emmanuel and daughter, Keyone. Our other travel companion, Judy, met us at the house as she had flown into London Heathrow the day before. It being her first visit to London, Judy was interested in seeing the sites of London and was able to do so with her friend Terri and was now ready to meet her extended family. Our visit was most enjoyable as we shared hugs, love, laughter and took photos and around 8:00 pm the three visitors began to make tracks to Birmingham. We arrived at our hotel around 12:30am. Sunday, November 18th

Over the years I have spoken with Venris Dowdie, son of Theophilus Dowdie, on the telephone and was thrilled to finally meet him in person. Venris lives near Dawn and stopped by with his stepdaughter, Keisha Wilsom, to say hello. We (Mom, Judy and I) were able to make a quick run back to his home where we were able to meet his wife, Lorna and Keisha’s children Eugenia, Leopold and Jahmar. After a delicious meal with Dawn and the family, Dawn, mom, Judy, Cordehlia, Jaheim, Marie (Dawn’s niece) and me piled into two cars and traveled to Wolverhampton to visit with Uncle JC, son of David “Bignal” Dowdie. I recalled my first encounter with my last surviving granduncle in 2009 and I felt blessed having had the opportunity to

visit with him, once again. Judy was able to meet her last surviving uncle, whom we found in great spirits. Uncle JC offered us refreshments and we started to chat about this and that. He mentioned that he longed to see his nephew, Lincoln Dowdie (mom’s brother) and Judy spoke of her father, Leonard Dowdie (son of David “Bignal” Dowdie) and uncle JC confirmed that he hadn’t met his brother, but knew of him. I was nervous as I had an important question to ask him and thought I would proceed with caution. Uncle JC went to his bedroom for a photo to share with us and mom told me to follow him. I asked Dawn to come along for support. While in the privacy of his bedroom, I reminded Uncle JC that he informed me of his six childen and advised him that I was able to locate Orthnell (he goes by his middle name, George). I told Uncle JC that George was scheduled to arrive in Birmingham the next day and nervously utterterd the words “he would like to meet you”. I honestly think that at that moment, my breath stopped as I awaited his response. With a smile on his face, Uncle JC expressed that he would like to meet his son (George) as well. At that moment, I silently thanked God. I hurriedly joined everyone in the other room and gleefully told mom and Judy the good news. All those who were aware of this trip and knew the mission I was on, prayed for me and I thank each and everyone of you! We all enjoyed the few hours with uncle JC and we left with a promise to return on Tuesday. Back at Dawn’s house, I was able to meet her brother, Anthony Williams, before heading back to the hotel.

Picture 1: Marie Genesis, Cordehlia Williams, Ann; Picture 2: Dawn Williams, Ann, Dassy, JC Dowdie, Judy; Picture 3: Ann, Jaheim Benjamin; Picture 4: Ann, Keisha Wilson; Picture 5: Judy, Tony Williams, Corhelia, Dassy, Dawn

Photo of Uly Sawyer’s wedding, from Uncle JC’s archives.




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Monday, November 19th Sonia Dowdie (my twin first cousin, born the same day, same year), daughter of Cesline “Crow” Dowdie gave a quick visit from Nottingham, with brother Leon Richards. Our visit was quick as Sonia had to return to Nottingham for company business. Cherrelle Dowdie, granddaughter of JC

Dowdie and George’s niece, came to take us to see some sights, but was called in to work and promised to return in the evening. We decided to take it easy, so that George could get some rest after his long journey from America. When Cherrelle returned in the late afternoon, we decided to have dinner and she recommended Nando’s, a South African casual dining restaurant group originating from the Mozambiquan-Portuguese community. Cherrelle contacted her father, Ivor Dowdie, who met us at the restaurant on his way home from work. I was happy to finally meet Ivor whom, I have been friends with on Facebook since 2009, but never spoke with on the phone. I was also pleased to introduce the brothers to each other. We enjoyed our meal and made plans to see each other, later in the week. We decided to have an early night so that George can get some well-needed rest.

Tuesday, November 20th For me, the highlight of this day was the introduction of George to his father, JC Dowdie. Many of us were looking forward to this day and I recalled that the first time I spoke with George via telephone, was June 29, 2010. I found the notebook I took with me the first time I visited with uncle JC in 2009. In my notes, I wrote the names of Uncle JC’s children and had written one of the names as Artnell, but after speaking with Terry Dowdie, one of uncle JC’s sons in Birmingham, I realized that I had spelled the name incorrectly. Terry confirmed that he knew of a brother whose name began with an “O”, not and “A”. He told me the few details he knew and it didn’t take long before I searched for my cousin. I did some investigating and in less than 24 hours, I spoke with George on the telephone and learned that he lived in New Jersey. George sounded as excited as I felt about the connection. On October 9, 2010, mom, cousin Delano “Dicky” Dowdie and my niece, Alleena, visited with George for the first time and we met his wife, Donna and youngest son, Zachary. George’s eldest son, Andrew, was away at University. We celebrated Thanksgiving that November with George and his family. This was a special day for George as he was able to celebrate with his Dowdie family for the very first time. Back to present day…we planned to visit uncle JC early and by

2:00pm, Dawn picked us up from the hotel and we were on our way to Wolverhampton. I was very nervous about this trip because I didn’t know what to expect. Come to think about it, I think we all were suffering from a mild case of butterflies in the stomach. When we arrived at uncle JC’s home, we rang the bell, but there was no answer. In the meantime, we tried calling

his cellphone, to no avail. I don’t think I need to explain to you that I was terrrified and thought uncle JC had a change of heart. Of couse, I did not express my feelings to the others, nor do I know what they were thinking. Dawn peeped through uncle JC’s lace curtains to find a dark

living room. She believed he was not home, since the television was not on. We left for a short while and returned to find the television on. We went inside and I had to contain my emotions as I introduced George to his father and they greeted each other. We listened as uncle JC took a trip down memory lane and we hung on to every word. As he reminisced, uncle JC called the names of George’s mother’s family and friends, whom George had not heard in many years. During the fascinating conversation, we learned that uncle JC was the one who gave him the name, Orthnell George. The names were derived from two of the people who meant a lot to uncle JC, at the time. Orthnell was a friend and George is after the elder George Dowdie of Mountainside, St. Elizabeth. For the record, George answers to his middle name. The highlight of the conversation was when uncle JC went to his bedroom and returned with the birth certificates of George and his older brother, Leroy who resides in St. Thomas. That, for me, was a defining moment.

Left to right: Ivor Dowdie, Ann, Judy, Cherrelle Dowdie, George, & Dassy

JC & George

Left to right: Alleena Porter, Delano “Dicky” Dowdie, Ann, Donna Chance-Dowdie, Zachary Dowdie, Dassy, & George




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Uncle JC is not the ordinary 94-year-old, not in the least. His memory is impeccable and he has more energy than any senior citizen that I have ever met, at his age. Uncle JC’s only current ailment is a slight hearing problem, but he made it quite clear that he can still hear without it. Other than that, the energetic senior citizen lives a very independent life, where he cooks, cleans and maintains a social life with his family and friends. Dawn asked uncle JC to return to Birmingham with us and I honestly thought that the request would have been denied. It took some coaxing, but uncle JC obliged. I was asked to accompany uncle JC on the tram, as the car would not fit the six of us. As we began our trek, I expected it to be a slow paced walk, but this physically fit 94-year-old proved me wrong. As we approached the platform, a tram was pulling into the station and I can still hear uncle JC’s voice say, “come” as he began to run. Hugh Dowdie drove from Manchester and met us at Dawn’s house. When he arrived he phoned his daughter Laura who stopped by for a visit with her daughter, Ebony. Uncle JC phoned Venris to let him know that we were at Dawn’s and asked him to stop by to meet George. We spent some time looking through some of Dawn’s photo albums and at the family tree. As with all Dowdie gatherings, laughter filled the air as we joked and behaved as if we all knew each other from years before. Soon it was time for us to go our separate ways and we did so, knowing that we had created lasting memories.

Wednesday, November 21st We planned for an early start to London, so the night before arrangements were made for the 9:30 Birmingham Coach. Our first stop in London was with Kenneth “Ken” Legister, son of Mildred Dowdie, grandson of David “Bignal” Dowdie. We took the Central line, on the tube, to the Leytonstone tube station in east London. From there, we took the bus a short distance where Ken met us and after the introduction to George and Judy, we walked a short distance to his home. Ken’s wife, Joyce greeted us when we arrived and returned to the kitchen to finish preparing lunch. Soon after our arrival, cousin Ken took us on a trip down memory lane and shared stories of when he was a youth in St. Thomas and St. Elizabeth. He lived in Golden Grove, St. Thomas and used to ride his bicycle from St. Thomas to visit his uncle, JC, in Mountainside, St. Elizabeth. After retiring, his grandmother, Maude “Minky” Robinson moved back to St. Elizabeth and took Ken with her. Ken migrated to England in 1958 and traveled 29 days on the Irpinia Ship. Ken paused his stories when Joyce invited us to the dining table for lunch and we enjoyed Joyce’s delicious meal that hit the spot, as usual. As our visit with cousin Ken and Joyce came to an end, I was able to meet Ken’s granddaughter, Natasha Robinson, who was upstairs resting. We bid, Ken, Joyce and Natasha farewell and made our way back to the main road to catch the bus that would take us to the Leytonstone tube station. Our next destination was in northwest London. We took the Central line, then the Bakerloo line to Willesden Junction. It was a treat to see my first cousin, Keisha McCallum, who is in the Navy and is currently studying in Italy and visiting with aunt Livette for a few days. I was pleasantly surprised when I went in the back room to find my aunt Liz (Elizabeth Briggs) awaiting my arrival. Due to scheduling conflicts, I wasn’t able to see her on the first visit and didn’t expect to see her today. During this visit I was able to meet Glen Sawyers, son of Uly Sawyers, who stopped by with son, Nathan and daughter, Natasha. My first cousin, Carol Dowdie, daughter of Herman Dowdie, stopped by to visit also and had graciously offered to take us back to Birmingham. We made a quick stop at her home, so that we could meet her sons, Jamel and Cadon and then we were on our way for the long journey to Birmingham. We spoke about this and that during the journey and it wasn’t long before I closed my eyes for a nap. We arrived at the hotel a little after midnight and Carol text to let us know she made it back home safely around 2:30a.m.

Picture 1: George, JC; Picture 2: Hugh Dowdie, Dassy, Judy, Ann, Venris Dowdie, Cordehlia, Ebony Lawrence, JC, George, Laura Dowdie; Picture 3: Hugh, Venris, JC & George




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Thursday, November 22nd The four of us decided to venture out to Bullring (a shopping and leisure complex) on what started out as an unusually bright morning in England. If we were home, we would have been celebrating Thanksgiving Day (a U.S. holiday) in New Jersey with George Dowdie and his family. The sunny

day quickly turned cloudy and along the way, it began to rain. We did not make plans to celebrate but due to the inclimate weather, we found shelter at a restaurant in the Bullring Shopping Centre where we enjoyed an intimate meal. During our meal, we reflected on the times we shared with our cousins during this trip and reminised on our journey over the years, including my first encounter with Judy (in June, 2009) and George (in October, 2010). We were in the restaurant for what seemed like an extremely long time and after the meal (wine, coffee/tea and desert), it was time to leave. When the rain appeared to have eased off a little, we decided to take the opportunity to head back to the hotel. I cannot recall whose bright idea it was to walk back to the hotel (in order to burn off some of the calories we had consumed), but it turned out to be a bad decision. The trek back was a little uncomfortable as it was not only chilly, but rainy and windy. Because of that, the

walk seemed longer than I remembered. Our umbrellas were no match for the rainy, windy conditions this evening. Mom’s umbrella, that she purchased hours before, was mangled and lived a very short life, while Judy’s survived but was in critical condition, mine had some minor cuts and bruises. Needless to say, the momemt was quite commical as the wind twisted our umbrellas in every way immaginable and we were able to laugh at the experience on our journey back to the hotel. To top off our night, Shacara, daughter of Ivor Dowdie, visited us at the hotel and we had refreshements and snacks in George’s room. Shacara shared some of her life story with us and expressed how happy she was to meet her Dowdie family. Friday, November 23rd On our final day in Birmingham, we decided to visit the German Christmas Market in the city’s Victoria Square to do some souvenir shopping. The wooden chalets offered traditional handcrafted gifts, including jewellry, wooden toys, dolls and candles. They also had German mulled wine, German beers, traditional sausages, meats, breads and pastries. When we entered the market, I noticed a stall named Hall of Names, and their services allowed us to search and print our surname history on parchment paper. The document has surname histories that include the first recorded instance of the

Picture 1: Family friend, Judy, Ann, Natasha Sawyers, Nathan Sawyers, Livette Ricketts, George, Glen Sawyers Picture 2: George, Judy, Dassy, Kenneth Legister, Joyce Legister Picture 3: Elizabeth Briggs, Ann Picture 4: Ann, Natasha Robinson Picture 5: Judy, Carol (Dowdie) Wilson, Livette, Keisha McCallum, Dassy, George, Picture 6: Judy, Dassy, George Dowdie Picture 7: Ann, Cadon Davis, Carol and Jamel Rust

Left to right: Judy, Dassy, George & Ann

Left to right: Ann, Shacara Dowdie, Dassy, Judy & George




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name, early and present day notables, a survey of immigration patterns of the name, and some background history of the national origin of the name. We searched the Dowdie name and Judy and I ordered prints of The Ancient Arms of Dowdie surname history. The document begins, “The history of the name dowdie dates back to a time before irish names were translated into English. The original Gaelic form of dowdie was O Dubhda. The first portion of the name comes from the word dubh, which means black, while the second portion is probably an obsolete Irish personal name.” And continues, “ We found that the family name dowdie was first recorded in county Mayo where they held a family seat from very ancient times. The family can be traced back to the ancient King Niall of the Nine Hostages, who in turn could be traced back to the Heremon Kings.” I have included a copy of The Ancient Arms of Dowdie surname history at the end of this newsletter and will be sure to display the document at the reunion in July, as well. Our last night in Birmingham was spent at the home of Patricia Sawyers (daughter of Hiram Uzett Sawyers and granddaughter of Agnes (Dowdie) Sawyers) for dinner with the family and it was the perfect way to end a great family vacation. Present at dinner was Patricia’s son Marcus Sawyers with his wife, Michelle and their children, Rio and Zachariah. Also at dinner were Patricia’s brothers and their families: Barrington “Barry” Sawyers with wife, Sandra (Binns); Patrick Sawyers; and Bilal Mubarak, his daughter, Samantha (with husband, Jermaine Bowen-Smith) and sons, Na’im Mubarak and Omari Mubarak. Shacara stopped by and for the first time realized that she was related to Samantha, whom she had known for a number of years. We enjoyed the great meal that was prepared by our family and an evening that was filled with laughter, love and family bonding.

Later in the evening, George’s brothers Ivor and Terry stopped by, along with Cherrrelle, and Jadaa, Terry’s youngest daughter. I was so happy to finally meet Terry as it was with his help that I was able to “find” George. Dawn, Cordehlia and Jaheim also stopped by and it felt like a little family reunion of mostly first cousins. The time flew by and we had to begin our customary long goodbyes. Judy left with Terri to travel back to London for her morning flight back to Florida. and we soon after bid our family a fond farewell and Barry took us back to the hotel. I was hoping to enjoy a night out with the cousins, but it didn’t quite work out that way. Sonia and Andrea who traveled from Nottingham with brother Leon and friend, were waiting for us in the lobby for what was supposed to be a funfilled night of dancing at a club. Unfortunately, we were not able to party, since everyone was exhausted. Instead, we sat in the lobby and had some drinks

from the hotel bar and chatted for a few hours until around 2:30, when it was time to go to our rooms to pack. At that time of the morning, it felt like an impossible task as I was extremely tired and could not ignore the whispers of the bed calling me. It wasn’t long before I answered.

There is one thing that I will never grow tired of and that is my family. Often times I wish I had another week, day or hour to share with family, but I feel blessed to have even a few minutes to meet and enjoy fellowship with the family. Even though I always plan to mix and mingle with the family, it never seems to work out quite that way, however, I am happy to see the family connections that are made at each family affair.

George & Terry

See page 12




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22001122 DDoowwddiiee AArrrriivvaallss

RReemmiiyyaahh HHeennrryy

KKaarriissssaa AArriiaannnnaa DDoowwddiiee

MMaarrccuuss XXaavviieerr RRooaacchhee

OOtthheerr DDoowwddiiee NNeewwss

Heritage “Reggae” read by our own, Carolyn Cooper

“Carolyn Cooper is a Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, and 1992, she initiated the establishment of the university’s International Reggae Studies Centre. These plenary lectures from the “Global Reggae” conference convened at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica in 2008 eloquently exemplify the breadth and depth of current scholarship on Jamaican popular music. Radiating from the Jamaican centre, these illuminating essays highlight the “glocalization” of reggae – its global dispersal and adaptation in diverse local contexts of consumption and transformation.

The globalization of reggae music and its “wild child” dancehall is, indeed, an affirmation of the unquantifiable potential of the Jamaican people to reclaim identities and establish ties of affiliation that are not circumscribed by the Caribbean Sea: To the world!”

Carolyn is the daughter of Daniel George Cooper and granddaughter of Mary Ursula (Dowdie) Cooper.

Congrats to Haley Dowdie Haley Dowdie was awarded the Posse Foundation Scholarship, a 4 Year full scholarship, to Denison University. The Posse Foundation has identified, recruited and trained 4,237 public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential to become Posse Scholars. Since 1989, these students—many of whom might have been overlooked by traditional college selection processes—have been receiving four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships from Posse’s partner institutions of higher education. Most important, Posse Scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent and make a visible difference on campus and throughout their professional careers. Haley Dowdie is the daughter of Dale Dowdie and granddaughter of Carl Dowdie.

Tune in to our very own, DJ Pascoe (Sawyers)

Want to hear something fun and funky? Then tune into DJ Pascoe’s Groove Control Experience radio show from 10pm to midnight (UK time) every Wednesday on www.soulradiouk.com. The show, which features a blend of motivational talk with an eclectic mix of soulful music. is presented by Dowdie Family member Pascoe Sawyers. If you are not able to listen live you can hear re-runs of the show or download a podcast from www.djpascoe.com. “Although I have been DJing at clubs and parties for over 15 years, now having my own radio programme is a very new experience”, says Pascoe. “It’s a great opportunity to play some of my favourite classic tune, but I also enjoy the chance to play some positive message music – the kind you don’t often

hear played anywhere these days”.

Pascoe Sawyers is the son of Uly Sawyers and grandson of Agnes (Dowdie) Sawyers.

Born: October 18, 2012 Proud Parent: Raphael & Gina (Phillips) Henry

Grandparent: Sydna “Juley” Phillips Sanford Dowdie Line

Born: November 6, 2012 Proud Parent: Keron Dowdie & Mishelee Bell

Grandparent: Delano “Dicky” Dowdie, Sr. David "Bignal" Dowdie Line

Born: November 23, 2012 Proud Parents: Tolliver Roache & Tamika Mullings

Grandparent: Dalton Roache David "Bignal" Dowdie Line




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I hope you enjoy reading this issue of The Dowdie News Gazette. I appreciate your continued feedback. I can only report what I am informed of and no one is ever intentionally ignored. My aim is to keep the entire family network connected, through the newsletters! Please continue to let me know your thoughts, suggestions or comments about the newsletters. Help me to help us stay connected, by updating me on your (and your family’s) achievements and also by sharing stories that you may have regarding your branch of the Dowdie Family. If you have any old photographs or newspaper clippings, please send them to [email protected] or to the attention of: Antonia Allen, 234-18 137th Avenue, Rosedale, NY 11422.

JJaannuuaarryy -- MMaarrcchh DDoowwddiiee BBiirrtthhddaayyss January February March

Colin Dowdie 01 Basil Sawyers 02 Daniel George Dowdie 01 Barbara Gravesande 02 Cornellia Dowdie 03 Danielle Smith 01 Gabrielle Dowdie 02 Sadé Jones 03 John Dowdie, Sr. 04 Nicholas Coleman 05 Patrick Murphy 07 Demorah Robinson 05 Chadwick Watson 07 Gloria Bernard 11 Nastajha Ortiz 05 Errol Smith 08 Tallibah Williams 07 Shaneice Silvera 05 Linval D. Fearon 08 Cherron Dowdie 14 Jervis Fearon 06 Paula Patrice 08 Dahlia Johnson 14 Winsome Dowdie 07 Darren Smith 09 Dassy Herbert 14 Jordan Hayles 09 Mason Dowdie 11 Andrea Dowdie 16 Exton Voce 11 Charles Scarlett 13 Sasha Pryce 16 Hue Genesis 11 Raul Dowdie 13 Ivor Dowdie 18 Livette Ricketts 12 Darren Sawyers 14 Janiah Grant 19 Timothy Williams-Silvera 13 Reyah Henry 14 Kristine Cooper 19 Michael Beswick 15 Stormy-Ann Scarlett 17 Sebert Cooper 22 Sharn Wallace 15 Tyler Dowdie 17 Hugh Dowdie 23 Diamond S’ade Wilkins 16 Charles Herbert, Jr. 18 Andre Dowdie (JA) 28 Keneisha Neil 17 Duane Chambers 18 Petrina Coleman 28 Mai Dowdie 17 Peta-Gaye Dowdie 18 Jasmine Fearon 28 Jessica Dowdie-Douglas 19 Avis Minott 19 Delroy Smith 29 Callum Smith 20 Sadie-Jade Richards 19 Harmony Grant 23 Rodgae Lyn 21 Keneisha Dowdie 23 Neville Williams- Silvera 22 Charlene Byfield 25 Andrew Dowdie (US) 23 Desmond Dowdie 26 Midori Dowdie 23 Ingrid Cameisha Dowdie 26 Courtney Dowdie (JA) 25 Inessa Karrin Cooper 27 Van Andry 25 Jaheim Williams 29 Tana Walcott 26 Preshus Smith 29 Allison Cardoza 28 Jamila Grant 31 Evans Roache 28 Kenyah Sawyers 28 Jordan Wallace 29 Timilehin Grant 30

Please let me know the date of your birthday or any missing family member’s

and I will add it to the list.

DDoowwddiiee WWeeddddiinngg AAnnnniivveerrssaarriieess January

Dale & Susan Dowdie - January 5, 1996

February

Lynden & Avis Minott -‐ February 21, 1952

Photos from Page 9 Picture 1: Samantha Sawyers, Ann Picture 2: Cordehlia, Jermaine Bowen-Smith, Na’im Mubarak, Sandra Sawyers, Michelle Sawyers, Patrick Sawyers, Barry Sawyers Picture 3: Michelle Sawyers, Patricia Sawyers, Marc Sawyers, Dawn, Zachariah Sawyers, Samantha, Ivor, Terry, Cherrelle, Jadaa, Ann, Jahaiem, Rio Sawyers, Shacara, Dassy, Barry, Cordehlia, Sandra, George, Na’im Picture 4: Judy, George, Ivor, Jadaa, Dassy, Shacara, Terry, Dawn, Ann Picture 5: Ann, Nai’im Picture 6: Jadaa, Ann, Jaheim, Shacara Picture 7:Ann, Bilal Picture 8: Dawn, George, Dassy Picture 9: Cordehlia, Jadaa, Shacara Picture 10: Zachariah, Patricia, Marc, Ann Picture 11: Patrick, Omari, Bilal, Rio Picture 12: Marc, Zachariah, Judy Picture 13: Judy, Dawn, Ann, Dassy; Ivor, Terry, George, Cherrelle, Shacara, Jadaa Picture 15: Ann, Patricia Picture 16: George, Sonia, Dassy, Andrea, Ann, Leon

the dowdie news gazette volume 3, issue 1

Documents

dowdie family reunion

dowdie family tree

george dowdie

new family

mary adela dowdie dowdie

sanford dowdie

maude dowdie

gifford dowdie