Searching for a Battle of Dunbar prisoner's family

[3Griffs]

Hello group,

I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction to try and find my 9th great grandfather's family.

Background: His name is Alexander Bow/Bowe. He was captured at the Battle of Dunbar on 03 Sep1650 and deported as a prisoner to Charlestown (now Boston, Massachusetts, USA) aboard the ship "Unity" captained by Augustine Walker on 11 Nov 1650 and arrived in Boston at the end of December 1650. He was then sold into indentured servitude for 6 years in Charlestown. Alexander completed his servitude and lived out the remainder of his life in Middletown, Connecticut; he never to returned to Scotland.

Question: I have no firm information to go on but I have a "feeling" he may be found in Stirlingshire or Lanarkshire. Can anyone recommend where I could search to find his date/place of birth, parents, siblings, etc?

Thank you very much,
Elizabeth (Bowe) Boggs
Nashville, Georgia, USA

[SarahND]

Hello Elizabeth and
One of my 7th great grandfathers, Thomas Grant, was also taken at the Battle of Dunbar and first taken to London, then shipped over to New England in 1652 on the "John and Sarah." He married and remained in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. I sympathize with your problem!

Is your Alexander the one who first married Sarah ___ and 2nd married Rebeckah Huse/House in 1673 and then died in 1678?

On scotlandspeople.gov.uk there are 6 Bow births or baptisms in all of Scotland for the relevant years. Two are in Edinburgh, one in Fife and three in Stirling. There are none for the spelling Bowe and none are Alexander, as I'm sure you know:(

It is really a matter of luck whether one can find anything in the 17th century, so this may be the end of the road on that line. At least be glad you have a more unusual surname and not Grant

Have you tried doing a Wills & Testaments search on Scotlands People? There are a number of early ones for both the spelling Bow and Bowe. If you are very, very lucky, someone might just mention their son in America…

What were his children's names in order of birth? Sometimes one can at least give an educated guess on the names of the parents that way.

All the best in your search!

Sarah

[3Griffs]

Hi Sarah,

Yes, That is my family. I descend from his first wife Sarah. Rebecca's surname is Hughes by the way...there is much misinformation about this line on Ancestry.

His children in order of birth are:
Samuel b. 1660, Sarah b. 1662, Mary b. 1664, Anna b. 1674, Mary b. 1676, and Rebecca b. 1679

Yes, Scotlands People seems a bit disappointing for the births/baptisms but the wills & testaments may prove helpful.

Thanks so much!