Crowley Progenitors I
Submitted by Sue Crowley (crowley clan newsletter March 2005)
- ROBERT CROWLEY born about 1470, probably in Wexford, Ireland. Moved to England in the late 1400's. He had a house and 60 acres of land in 1495 in Wooten Wawen, England. The Duke of Buckingham owned the land as "common people" could only have land in trust. Died in Wooten Wawen, England.
- JOHN CROWLEY born about 1500, probably in Wooten Wawen. Buried 24 Apr 1546 in Wooten Wawen. Married Elizabeth.
- THOMAS CROWLEY born about 1527, probably Warwickshire, England. Married Agnes Jennings on 20 Jul 1547 in Wooten Wawen. Agnes was born 1529 in England. Thomas' mother was Elizabeth buried 11 Apr 1546 in Wooten Wawen.
- THOMAS CROWLEY born 23 Apr 1548, married Alicia Dowler 6 Jul 1568 at Wooten Wawen. He was buried 15 Apr 1596 in Wooten Wawen.
- THOMAS CROWLEY born 19 Apr 1579 in Wooten Wawen, England. His mother Alicia was buried in 1596 in Wooten Wawen.
- JOHN CROWLEY born about 1610. Married Ann Freeman on 7 Sep 1634 in Kinwarton, England.
- JOHN CROWLEY born 24 Aug 1637 in Kinwarton. Married Ann Alchin on 6 Jan 1662 in Kinwarton.
- JOHN CROWLEY born about 1663. Buried 22 Sep 1695 in Kinwarton. His mother was Ann Alchin born about 1639 in Warwickshire. Ann's father was Henry Alchin born 8 Jan 1592 in Kinwarton, buried 24 Nov 1665 in Kinwarton. This John was an "indentured servant" on the estate of Jeffrey Hopkins and he lived near the estate until he died in 1695, buried 22 Sept 1695.
- AGNES CROWLEY (never married) died in 1702 in childbirth at Kinwarton. She had a sister or cousin Sarah Crowley as Agnes and Sarah Crowley were once jailed for failure to attend Church of England service. Agnes continued to live on the Hopkins estate after her father John died. Jeffrey Hopkins was a married man with children both younger and older than Agnes. It is believed he was the father of Jeffrey Crowley born to Anges.
- JEFFREY CROWLEY born in 1702 and christened 29 Mar 1702 in the Church of England at Kinwarton Parish, Warwickshire, England and shown as base son. Married Effie (Efra) Nearne about 1729 probably in VA. Died in 1761 in Halifax County, VA. His will was probated in Feb 1762.
He and Effie occupied about 1,000 acres at Swift Run Gap (now in Greene County) when he first arrived from Europe. They moved to Lunenburg County and had land on both sides of the Little Otter River. They then sold out and went to Halifax County, VA (now Pittsylvania County). Effie died in 1756.
Jeffrey then married Martha. She was beneficiary and administratrix of his will. He gave his slave Peter to Martha and horses to sons Ben and Sam. Two sons by name and two daughters not named were mentioned in the will. One daughter was probably Mary born 1733 and married to Randolph Gibson, and the other Martha married a Heath. - BENJAMIN CROWLEY born 1730 in Caroline (Orange ?) County, VA son of Jeffrey and Effie Crowley. Probably their first child, but they may have had a son John born 1729 in Orange County, VA. A John sometimes appears, and we are not sure just who his parents were.
Benjamin's brother Sam was probably born to Effie too as these two boys owned land on the Little Sandy near their father's place on Little Otter. Ben occupied his until he sold and moved to GA in 1784. Married Sarah Strong and they had 12 children. Sam married Elizabeth and was killed as a Virginia Ranger on 10 Oct 1774. Ben died 14 Aug 1817 in Lexington, GA. - JAMES M. CROWLEY born about 1777 in Pittsylvania County, VA son of Benjamin and Sarah. Married Dorcas Smith on 23 Feb 1799 in GA. They had 16 children. Three died young. Moved to Decatur, DeKalb County, GA with his family in 1820 or 1821. Died after 9 Feb 1828. James left his family very well off with slaves and property. James and Dorcus both are buried in the Crowley mausoleum in Decatur, GA.
- ALLEN CROWLEY born 15 Jun 1806, married Eliza Towers. Had at least seven children. Moved from Georgia to Mississippi. Died 28 Aug 1864.
- JOHN WILLIAM CROWLEY born 10 Jun 1846 in Decatur, DeKalb County, GA. He went to Mississippi with his folks, married 20 Dec 1866 to Louise Augusta Cotton in TX. They had ten children, four died young. Died in Colorado 3 Dec 1927.