Update on the Story of

Thomas Dukelow’s Immigration to the United States

[Published March 14, 2010] [Updated March 20, 2010]

 

Background:

Our ancestral grandfather Thomas Dukelow / Ducklow left Durrus Ireland and came to America in about the 1841 via Canada. He was 29 years old and acted as the father-figure escorting his then widowed stepmother Nancy Ann Dukelow, along with her eight young children, to a new land.  After traveling by ship for two or so months, Nancy, Thomas and the eight children arrived at Port Hope, Ontario by way of the St. Lawrence River.  After a short stay in there, the group crossed Lake Erie and initially settled near Rochester, New York.  It was in Rochester that Thomas married Elizabeth Nicholson and there they started a family.  This sketch of Thomas’ immigration story has been described in pervious posts and has solid source documentation.

 

A Richer Understanding:

Recently shared information from fellow Dukelow family researchers have shed more light on what might have been Thomas and his stepmother’s motivation to emigrate from Ireland. They were part of a much larger exodus of the Dukelow clan [footnote 1] to Canada and America. Scores of inter-related cousins, aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents left Ireland in the late 1830s and early 1840s. [footnote 2] The Dukelow clan immigration may have occurred from a “perfect storm” of events: (1) the collapse of home-based textile industry, (2) receipt of compelling letters from young pioneering cousins describing opportunities in America and (3) the advent of affordable fares on sailing ships crossing the Atlantic. Let me expand on each of these elements in some detail:

 

Collapse of Textile Cottage Industry

In reviewing the history of emigration of families around Durrus in the early 19^th century, one can infer that some members of the Dukelow clan made their living, at least in part, from home-based manufacturing of textiles [footnote 3]. Prior to the late 1700s, nearly all textiles were made by cottage-industry businesses using manually powered looms and other manual equipment.  But by the early 1800s textile manufacturing became highly industrialized with the introduction of steam- and water-powered looms— and part of a broad technology change called the "industrial revolution."  Factory-based manufacturing became highly efficient and eventually caused the collapse of home-based textile businesses.  As more and more factories opened in the 1800s, small manual labor-based makers could no longer compete.  This economic transition no doubt caused real hardship on some, if not many, members of the Dukelow clan.

 

Letters Home

Two clan members who were effected by the  poor economy of the 1830s were John and William Connell (brothers). In a biographical sketch of her grandfather William Connell, Elsie McFarland wrote that the brothers became “frustrated with lack opportunities” in Ireland [see footnote 4].  So in 1837 John and William, at ages 29 and 23, left Western County Cork and eventually arrived in New York State.  Upon arriving the brothers had success finding work helping build the Erie Canal.  And by 1839 William had saved enough money to travel to Wisconsin to purchase government homestead land in what later became Washington County.  William and John both sent letters back home describing their freedoms, land purchases and work available for industrious men. From Elsie's biography on William, "no tyranny, no oppression from landlords and no taxes" [footnote 4].

 

No doubt their letters also expressed their sadness over missing family.  Elsie's biography expressed as, “… his heart was heavy and he longed to see the dear ones.  He would like to have his family have the chance he was having so he sent glowing letters home about this wonderful country.  These letters were eagerly read not only by his own family but by the aunts and uncles and cousins.”   William and John’s letters were apparently compelling as many in the clan chose to leave the ever more difficult economic environment in County Cork and join them in America. Again from Elsie’s biography, “A large group decided to come based on these letters.  No doubt that the group was not just William’s family, but [Martha] Elizabeth’s too.”

 

In August of 1842 William Connell married our ancestral grandfather’s half-sister, Martha Elizabeth Dukelow in Rochester, New York. After they wed, they moved to William’s homesteaded land and are reported to have been one of the first 16 pioneer families to establish themselves in Washington County, Wisconsin [footnote 4].

 

Affordable Fares

One would expect the cost of having many family members and belongings transported across the Atlantic to be prohibitively expensive.   But starting the early 1820s it became affordable due in large-part to Ireland’s need for timber [footnote 3 and footnote 7].  Ireland’s domestic supply of timber was becoming scarce and demand high and rising. In the 1800s wood was not only used for building homes and shelters, but also an energy source for heating and cooking, and the raw material for making tools and furniture.  And as factory technology developed, wood demand rose even further as a supplement to coal as fuel for steam-powered machinery. To meet the demand, trees were harvested and shipped from Canada, which like Ireland, belonged to the British Empire.  Timber cut in the forests of Quebec and Ontario came to Ireland via sailing ships that traveled the St. Lawrence River and then across the Atlantic Ocean.  Owners of the vessels made good money on the delivery their timber cargo but made little or nothing on nearly empty return trips to Canada. So, with encouragement by the British government in supporting  landlords wanting to rid themselves of impoverished  tenants, ship owners offered affordable fares [see footnote 7].  This strategy was successful filling ships holds with many emigrates.  It became so successful that ship owners began making more money sending emigrates west than they did in bringing timber east [see footnote 6].

It seems possible that our ancestral grandfather Thomas, and his stepfamily made their voyage to Ontario on such a timber ship.  One vessel in particular is noted as carrying Dukelows to Canada. The ‘Dealy Brig’, a ship built in 1839, sailed from Bantry in West Cork, near Durrus [footnote 3].  Thomas’ arrival in the United States was in about 1841 matching well with the operations of this particular timber ship, although the typical North American destination of this ship was apparently St. Johns, New Brunswick [see footnote 5].  It would be great to locate records showing Thomas and family on a specific voyage.  The quest continues.

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Footnotes:

(1) Various family surnames names associated with the Dukelow clan include Clark Attridges, Bakers, Skues, Swantons, Sweetnam, Capithorn, Connell, Kingstons, Vickeries, Roycrofts, Shannons and Salters; all members of the protestant Church of Ireland.

 

(2) Notably, the Dukelow clan’s exodus in the late 1830s and early 1840s was prior to the potato famine years of 1845 to 1852 when an estimated one million Irish to America in what were called "Famine Ships" to avoid starvation.

 

(3) Either inferred or quoted from Pat Crowley’s “History of Durrus District, Barony of West Carbery, Western Division.”  Mr. Crowley lives in Dublin, Ireland and has become an expert historian of the Durrus area.  He has shared the text of this self-published work.

 

(4) Elsie Barbara Kingston McFarlane wrote an eight-page biography of William and Elizabeth (Martha) Connell in 1948 when she was 67 years old.  Elsie’ biography is based upon her early memories of her grandparents.  She was eleven years old when her grandfather William passed away in 1892 and 27 years old when her grandmother Elizabeth (Martha) passed away in 1908. Elizabeth was the oldest of John and Nancy's children, and was a half-sister to ancestral grandfather Thomas. The biography is not dated. But the date can be inferred from a reference she makes in the biography that the Bank of Chilton (founded by William Connell) was in business for 57 years.  The bank was founded in 1891 and so the date of 1948 can be determined.  

 

(5) “What Happened to the Good Ship Dealy?,” http://www.dalyclan.org/Brig/brig.htm

(6)  "The Famine Ships," by Edward Laxton, page 7

(7) Steerage fares are reported to have been £3 and 10 shillings in the 1850s.  An estimated equivalent value in 2010 US dollars is roughly $250 (based on 3% inflation over 160 years). While not cheap, it seems it was not an impossible price to pay.

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Actor Will Ferrell —

Nominated for Best Visual Impersonation of  Ancestral Grandfather Thomas Ducklow

[Published July 25, 2009]

Left: Actor Will Ferrell 

born 1967

Right: Thomas E Ducklow 

born 1812, died 1892

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Biography of Charles Ducklow
Background on Community-Based “History Books”
[Updated January 7, 2009]

In the late 1800s and into the early 1900s several printing companies entered the business of publishing "history books” on local communities and its key members. Publishers of these books were particularly successful when they found a community where pride and egos were in battle among prominent community members. Books from these publishers would typically have a chapter or two about the origin of the community and the geography that made the area highly desirable to live and work. Beyond these obligatory chapters, the vast volume of the book was filled with short biographical sketches of members of the community. Each person depicted was painted in glowing terms with flowery language that surely caused a few readers to consult a dictionary. In many cases the virtues of some men were so exemplary it is a wonder why the Catholic Church never conferred sainthood!

One quickly comes to understand that these types of “history” books were not particularly concerned about recording a balanced and accurate history at all, but rather about the publisher making money by playing into egos. They earned revenues by getting many "key" members of the community to pay a fee to be included in the book. Those that paid a fee were either interviewed by an agent of the publisher or the subject themselves created an autobiography by filling-out and mailing-in a questionnaire. The publisher’s staff writers converted the raw and often boring information into a glowing short biography. Little, if any, fact checking was done— the quality of the information was completely up to those providing the data. Inconvenient facts or embarrassing history was easily ignored.

Once enough community members signed-up and provided information, the publisher printed the “history book.” Beyond the up-front revenue from biography fees, the publisher also made money by selling the compilation of biographies back to everyone included, as well to selling it to the local libraries.

For uncertain reasons, these types of self-congratulating community books lost favor upon the start of World War II. However, a variation of the form continued at least into the late 1900s: The "Who's Who" series of books was still being printed in the 1980s, but rather than being based around a local area, they most often were centered on an industry or profession and covered the entire nation.

So what has this have to do with the greater Ducklow family history?

As fate would have it, Charles Ducklow, son of Thomas and Elizabeth, had his biography published, posthumously, in the "History of Monroe County." It was first printed in 1912 by C.F. Cooper & Co. firm of Chicago, Illinois. Charles’ family, or the perhaps the Masonic fraternity paid homage to him, including the extra expense to have his picture published on a stand-alone page [see image above]. Here is entire biography for Charles from that book [see footnote on copyright].

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"History of Monroe County"
Originally Published in 1912 by C.F. Cooper & Co., in Chicago, Illinois
pp. 658-660

Charles Ducklow, deceased. To the young men of our land the life of the subject of this sketch is an enduring example of the cardinal virtues of industry, uprightness and frugality, of strict temperance and unwearied perseverance.

Mr. Ducklow was a native of Wisconsin, born April 3, 1853 in the town of Ashippun, Dodge county. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth (Nicholson) Ducklow, natives of Cork, Ireland, and who came to the United States and settle in Dodge county in the early forties. They were the parents of twelve children. [see footnote] Charles being the eighth in order of birth. Five brothers and three sisters still survive. [see footnote]

Charles Ducklow passed his boyhood in Dodge county and his early experiences were those of the average poor boy of that region. He received his early education in the common schools of his native place, and in 1874 began the trade of carpenter and joiner, and followed this occupation in his home town, and also bought cattle in Calumet and Pierce counties. In 1879, he removed to Pierce county, Wisconsin, where he continued at cattle buying, until 1883, whence he moved to Modena, Buffalo county, and was postmaster under both the Garfield and Harrison administrations, and also engaged in mercantile pursuits, carrying on a successful business here until the spring of 1890. He then moved to Wilton, Monroe county, and resumed his mercantile trade in that place. In 1893 he added a lumber yard to his other line of business, which he enlarged from time to time as increasing trade demanded. In 1897 he disposed of his mercantile establishment and from that time on devoted his entire attention to his lumber interests, which grew to such large proportions, that at the time of his decease, November 26, 1911, his was among the largest enterprises of its kind Monroe county. He was a man of excellent ability, keen foresight, and success crowned his efforts. In all his affairs, Mr. Ducklow as characterized by his promptness, good judgment and conservation, and admired by all who were brought into contact with him for his honorable and inherent methods, and his passing away was mourned as that of a good man, a useful citizen and a loyal friend. He took a commendable interest in public affairs, and for several years worked in Republican campaigns.

Mr. Ducklow was reared an Episcopalian, but contributed liberally to the support of other churches. He was prominent in Masonic circles, a member of Wilton Lodge, No. 203, Sparta Lodge, No. 19, R. A. M., Sparta Commandery, No. 16, Wisconsin Consistory, Scottish Rite, and Tripola Temple, Mystic Shrine, Milwaukee. He was also a member of the Eastern Star, and Modern Woodmen of America. The burial was made at Woodlawn cemetery, Sparta, November 30, 1911, under Masonic auspices.

On November 20, 1882, Mr. Ducklow was united in marriage to Miss Eva I. Shaw, daughter of John and Jerusha A. (Wheeler) Shaw, residents of Rock Elm, Pierce county. Mrs. Ducklow is a native of Dodge county, Wisconsin where her parents resided for many years. Her father died in 1904; he was born in 1840. Her mother is still living.

To Mr. and Mrs. Ducklow were born four children, viz: William T., born October 22, 1883; Elmer E., born March 25, 1889; Charles E., born March 15, 1891, and Lynn S. Ducklow, born February 21, 1902.

Since the death of his father, William T. has been the active manager of the lumber business formerly conducted by his father. He is an enterprising young business man and gives promise of becoming one of Monroe county’s most influential citizens, following in the footsteps of his father in many ways. He is also active in Masonic circles, being a member of the same bodies as was his father, with the exception of the Eastern Star.

Mrs. Ducklow is a most estimable lady whose superior qualities of mind and heart attract to her the admiration of all who come within the range of her influence, and presides with grace and dignity over her beautiful home at Wilton.

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Footnote: The original publication occurred in 1912. Its copyright expired on or before 1987 . The book is now in the public domain.

Footnote: This biography states that Thomas and Elizabeth had twelve children. This is in conflict with the burial and baptism records of St. Paul's Church of Ashippun Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin. These records indicate that there were three siblings that died as infants. A count of twelve children would only account for one on these infants. Such a count may be a case that where the author of Charles' biography choose to ignore two deaths that may have been still-born, or perhaps was even unaware of two of the infants at all.

Footnote: This biography states that Charles was the eighth born. This seems certainly wrong, even with using a count of twelve children. All facts researched would indicated that he was the seventh born.

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From Ireland to America: The First Wisconsin Ducklows
[Updated December 16, 2008]

Thomas and Elizabeth Dukelow are the ancestral immigrants to which nearly all Ducklows living in Wisconsin and Minnesota today can trace their family roots. [see other posting in this blog to read about how the name changed from Dukelow to Ducklow]. Seven generations of descendant children can point to them as distant great grandparents. Many other families surnames of Wisconsin link to Thomas and Elizabeth. These names include the Good, Hanson, and Ostenson families.

Above: Thomas Ducklow / Dukelow Circa 1890

Elizabeth nee Nicholson Ducklow / Dukelow Circa 1890

Photos from Deb Good Ehlers Collection
The combination of suffering cataracts and sitting very still
for the photo make them appear a bit scarey

Thomas and Elizabeth were both born in County Cork, Ireland. On separate voyages their families immigrated to America seeking a better lives. Thomas came in October of 1841, arriving at the Port of Rochester, New York. Elizabeth's family also arrived in Rochester, coming in 1840.

The city of Rochester was where Thomas married Elizabeth Nicholson. They wed in Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in 1842 and shortly after began a family. Six years after their wedding they, along with their first four children, moved from Rochester to Dodge County in southern Wisconsin. There they had found government land in Ashippun Township, which lies about ten miles north of Oconomowoc, and made a homestead claim.




Location of Ashippun Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin
Image from Wikipedia Source



As pioneers in the untamed wilderness, they cleared and worked the land transforming it into a productive farm. To help succeed in farming, Thomas and Elizabeth raised a large family. In all, “Betsey” bore fourteen children over a period of twenty-three years. Of these, eleven children lived into adulthood, nine married, and eight raised their own families. Today the number of descendants from Thomas and Elizabeth number more than 720.

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St. Paul’s Episcopal Church &
Early Dukelow / Ducklow Family Connections
[Updated Nov. 26, 2008]

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Ashippun Township of Dodge County has an integral history with the Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow / Dukelow family. The existing church building, built between 1899-1900, lies about two miles south of the original Ducklow homestead. The roots of the church’s history go back some 50 years prior.

The very beginning of St. Paul’s history apparently starts in February of 1847. This is when Reverend Gustaf Unonius (a Norwegian itinerant pastor) began to minister to a few pioneer families that he called the “Irish settlement at Ashippun River.” The list of families that he noted in church records were:

Henry Johnson family
Samuel Johnson family
Richard Copithorn family
and the
Thomas Sanford family

Above: St. Paul's Episcopal Church - A very handsome building
Church cemetery in background

Photo from Jeff Ducklow Collection; September 2007

Ashippun Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin

What is significant to the Ducklow genealogy regarding Reverend Unonius’ list is that both Henry and Samuel Johnson were Thomas’ step-uncles [see footnote]. To be more precise, they were brothers to Thomas’ stepmother—Nancy Ann Johnson Dukelow. Thomas’ mother Elizabeth died when Thomas was less than ten years old. So Nancy Ann was very likely became a nurturing mother to him during his remaining childhood and early adult years in Ireland.

So Thomas’ step-uncles are considered the first ministered members of what grew into St. Paul’s congregation.

Had the traveling Reverend Unonius made his list just few months later, it very likely would have also included the Thomas and Elizabeth Dukelow family. The land grant date for Thomas’ homestead is August 25, 1847 just a few months after the Reverend's list was written. Considering the date of Rev. Unonius' list and the date of land grant suggests that Thomas and Elizabeth had come to Wisconsin shortly after Thomas’ step-uncles had first found land to claim as homesteads in Ashippun Township.

Also noteworthy regarding the Reverend’s list is Samuel Johnson’s wife, Bettie Copithorn. It seems very likely that Bettie was either a sister or daughter to the Richard Copithorn on the list. The Johnson and Copithorn families were certainly more than casual acquaintances as one might first think.

The links back to the deep roots of St. Paul’s occurs again when Thomas and Elizabeth’s son William Ducklow married Mary Jane Miles in 1883. Some twenty five to thirty years earlier, Mary Jane’s father George Miles was the original benefactor of land for St. Paul’s church and cemetery.

St. Paul’s building seen in the photo above was originally consecrated on June 5, 1900. The officiating minister was the Reverend Isaac Lea Nicholson. It may be just simple coincidence, but Elizabeth Dukelow / Ducklow's maiden name was Nicholson. Was the Reverend Nicholson a relative of Elizabeth's?... Another mystery worth pursuing in the future.

From the pioneer days of the mid 1840s through the early 1910s St. Paul’s Episcopal Church served as the spiritual, worship, and fellowship focus for Thomas and Elizabeth and their family. All ten of Thomas and Elizabeth’s children born in Wisconsin were baptized there [the first four were baptized in New York state]. Son Peter wed Helena Timmel there. And upon their deaths, Thomas and Elizabeth, daughters Francis and Lucinda, and sons Thomas and William were laid to final rest in St. Paul's cemetery [see footnote].

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Source: Ashippun Township History, Clayton Swanton, pages 93-94.
Source: Interview with Clayton Swanton, October 2007 and November 2008

Footnote: The Johnson / Dukelow genealogy source information in this post comes from research records shared by Grant Dukelow Brown. Mr. Brown’s research has been scrupulously accurate when compared to other sources. However this specific relationship that defines Henry and Samuel as Thomas’ step-uncles has yet to be independently verified.

Footnote: St. Paul’s and another area church, St. Olaf’s, have a complex and inter-twined early history. St. Paul's and St. Olaf's lie just a couple of miles apart and both congregations formed in the mid 1800s. Without going into too much detail, it appears that both churches served the Norwegian’s and Irish of the area and either church could have become an Episcopal or Lutheran congregations, but St. Olaf’s eventually called a Lutheran pastor and St. Paul’s became associated with the Episcopal church.

Because the early church congregations were inter-twined and St. Olaf’s had started a cemetery, it is likely that Thomas and Elizabeth’s three infant children are buried in unmarked graves in the St. Olaf’s cemetery before St. Paul’s cemetery existed. St. Olaf’s seems the most likely location for daughters “infant” Elizabeth and “infant” Marie Jane. Infant son George died when the St. Olaf’s cemetery was just started. He may be in an unmarked grave there, or somewhat more likely due to the date of his death, he is buried in an unmarked grave in another burial area a couple miles away. This area was called the “Gasman Cemetery" or "Gasman Burial Grounds.” It never became a frequently used burial place after the St. Olaf’s cemetery was started. And some of the burials in Gasman were moved to St. Olaf's cemetery, but not all, and no records are known of to clarify. Today the Gasman burial grounds are used as a cornfield. The farmer is apparently unaware or blind to the sacred nature of the field. It appears impossible to determine with certainly for lack of records or grave markers where Thomas and Elizabeth's infant children are actually buried.

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Financial Glimpses

Here is a look at Thomas and Elizabeth's Ducklow / Dukelow's modest wealth:

The Federal Censuses taken in 1850, 1860, 1870 recorded the value of owned property and personal assets. [The 1850 recorded real property only, the 1860 and 1870 census included both real and personal assets.] Great Grandfather Thomas Ducklow's assets where estimated in those years at $300, $1030, and $14,000. Bringing these 19th century amounts into 2008 dollars translates (roughly) into $59,800, $144,600 and $1,383,800 respectively. It's difficult to understand how his land and personal assets could have ballooned more than 10 times in value between 1860 and 1870. These numbers may reflect more on the lack of property valuation skills of the census taker than on the accuracy of Thomas' property value.

In 1892 Great Grandfather Thomas Ducklow died and his estate went to probate. The probate records show that a judge distributed $3,051.40 equally to his eight living children and his wife Elizabeth. Each received about $339.00. In 2008 dollars his estate would be valued in the neighborhood of $161,800, or about $18,000 each.

When Great Grandmother Elizabeth Ducklow died in 1904 her estate distribution was decided by her will. Her estate was valued at $1,730. This amount was distributed equally to the youngest three children of the family: James Ducklow (age 42), Peter Ducklow (age 41) and Lucinda Ostenson (age 39). Each received about $576 in 1905. The value of Elizabeth' estate today would be about $49,000, or about $16,350 each.

It is interesting that the youngest three children received an inheritance but not the older siblings. Mary Ann, John T, George, Charles, Elizabeth and William all were living at the time of Elizabeth's death. Daughter Elizabeth in particular might have been included as she was the care-giver in the last years of Grandmother Elizabeth's life suffering dementia / alzheimers. [Grandmother Elizabeth lived with daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law John. They were in the midst of raising six of their own children on their Barron County farm in Clinton Township.] One might presume that the older children received property or other financial help at an earlier time.

Thomas' Sister Martha Dukelow Connell and William Connell

Great Grandfather Thomas Ducklow had a younger sister named Martha Elizabeth. Like Thomas she too came to America in the early 1840s. She married William Connell in 1842 in New York State. And like Thomas and Elizabeth, William and Martha moved from New York to Southern Wisconsin in the mid 1840s. They lived in Washington County and had farming interests in Calumet County [eastern side of Lake Winnebago].

In 1891 William Connell was near the end of his life and had achieved considerable success. He considered options for passing on his wealth in a measured manner to his children. His solution: He established the State Bank of Chilton in Chilton, Wisconsin. His initial cash assets used to start the bank were $27,000. Today this amount would be in the neighborhood of $1.5 million dollars!

William and Martha Connell had a total of 11 children, 10 of whom were living at the time he started the bank. William died one year after founding the bank (in 1892). His son Thomas Edwin became long-time bank president running it for more than 40 years, including the period of the Great Depression. The State Bank of Chilton continues to operate to this day, marketing itself as the "Calumet County's Oldest Bank." Subsequent descendants of the Connell family have managed the bank through the years. The current president is Thomas A Bloomer who is a Great Great Grandson of William Connell. Click here to link to the history page of the State Bank of Chilton.

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Ducklow From Dukelow

Those of us with the Ducklow surname could easily be spelling and pronouncing our name as Dukelow. In fact, many of our distant relatives are Dukelows. By one accounting, the Dukelow name is three times more common than Ducklow in America. Thomas’ father, John, was a Dukelow. Thomas himself was called Dukelow when he first arrived in Dodge County in 1848.

So how is it that today we call ourselves Ducklows?

Neither Thomas or Elizabeth could read or write English. Legal papers, census records and church documents dating between 1840 and 1880 show a range of spellings including: Dukelow, Duclo, Duclow, Ducklow, and Duklow. Each time a census was taken, or a legal document prepared, the spelling was completely up to the clerk at hand. Thomas and Elizabeth both signed with an “X” (* see footnote) and apparently neither could rectify incorrectly spelled names. So anyone recording the name likely spelled it the best they could based on how they heard it pronounced. Or perhaps how others in the area spelled it. Try saying “Dukelow” with a strong Irish bough and ask a stranger spell what they hear; you’ll see why there are many variations.

But most curiously, from the year 1885 forward, the spelling on legal documents and records becomes a consistent spelling of "Ducklow."

The first adult child of Thomas and Elizabeth’s to die was Thomas junior, their fourth child. And his was a sudden and tragic death. On the early morning of July 30th of 1885 a summer thunderstorm struck Dodge County. Thomas and a hired hand were asleep in a farmhouse. This was not the main Ducklow residence, but rather a house that was part of new land that the family acquired. It likely was to have been the new home for him at age 36.

Thomas and a hired labor were asleep in two beds in an upstairs bedroom. The room had an exposed chimney stack, and the beds were set near it. As the thunderstorm passed, lightening struck the top of the chimney and traveled down. On its path to find ground it jumped from the chimney stack to the metal-framed bed were Thomas slept, killing him instantly. Fate was kinder to the hired hand. He was not injured, but jolted awake. When he realized the event that had just occurred, he went to the main farmhouse and alerted the family to the awful tragedy.

The family grieved hard. One display of their grief is the large (10’ tall) and ornate grave marker to pay tribute to Thomas’ memory. The tombstone of course needed to have his full name with accurate spelling. This forced the family, or more precisely the literate adult children, to decide upon a spelling. At this point the children must have agreed to spell Thomas junior’s surname as "Ducklow."

But why Ducklow and not Dukelow?

A reasoned assumption is that the Ducklow spelling most closely matched the way the children heard their parents pronounce it. So the family paid a mason to chisel the stone that marks Thomas’ grave. The chiseled stone is more than just grave marker. It is also the marker that set forth the spelling of Ducklow for all that descend from Thomas and Elizabeth.

The primary supporting evidence for this line of discussion is that Thomas and Elizabeth’s grave markers are chiseled with the Ducklow spelling, as are all the grave markers for their seven sons and one unmarried daughter. [Their married daughter’s graves stones are marked with their spouses’ surname]. In addition to consistency in grave marker spellings, census records and other public documents recorded after 1885 mainly use the "Ducklow" spelling.

The Ducklow spelling is unique compared to the rest of Thomas’ family who came to America with him. All of Thomas’ half-brothers (John, Samuel, Richard, Peter and Frank) who settled in southern Wisconsin have grave markers with the original Dukelow spelling.

Photo Left: Grave stone for Thomas Ducklow, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow [Dukelow] Located in St. Paul's Cemetery, Ashippun Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin. It is one of the largest stones in this cemetery standing about 10' tall.

*Footnote: The evidence that Thomas was illiterate occurs in his Declaration of Intention document where he claims his allegiance to the United States, signed on 2 March 1844. Thomas made his oath in front of a clerk in City of Rochester, New York where in two places Thomas he uses an “X” to sign his name; His name is then written out (signed) in the same hand (not Thomas’) used in the rest of the document. The evidence that Elizabeth was illiterate occurs in her last will and testament, as witness by an attorney she signs her will with an "X."

Thomas and Elizabeth’s Early Years in America

Less than 18 months after helping his stepmother Nancy Ann come to America, Thomas became engaged to Elizabeth Nicholson, who was also from Ireland. They married on April 12, 1842 at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, New York. Elizabeth was 21 years old and Thomas was 30.

They began a family immediately. Mary Ann, their first child, was born on Christmas Day, 1842. Fifteen months later their second child and second daughter, Francis, was born on March 31st, 1844. John T came next. He was their first son, born November 17, 1846. Then just ten months later their second son, Thomas, was born on September 18, 1847. These first four children were all born in New York State.

It was after the birth of daughter Francis that Thomas fully committed to making his life in America a permanent decision. On November 2, 1844 he rescinding his allegiance to the Queen of England [whose reign included Ireland] and swore an oath of alliance to the United States of America. The official papers recording this new allegiance are called the Declaration of Intent documents.

By the middle of the 1840s, many Irish families living around Rochester had decided to move to southern Wisconsin. There are likely several reasons for this: The middle of the 19th century was the time when Wisconsin was transitioning from being a U.S. territory with quasi-governmental ties to the Union to a fully recognized state. This change brought the hope and excitement of new opportunities and investment from Eastern businessmen.

Wisconsin was officially accepted into the Union on the 30th State in May of 1848. Many of the Irish families that helped and supported each other in Rochester saw the chance to homestead land in Wisconsin. By comparison, they saw that the highly desirable land for farming New York had already been claimed. The middle of 19th century was also a period in our Country’s history that Irish immigrants were treated cruelly. As a class they were viewed as dirty, lazy and stupid. They often were unfairly cited as the cause of economic problems and degradation of American society. This discrimination led many Irish to continue their migration in seeking a better life. So for these reasons, and perhaps others, Thomas and Elizabeth and their four children moved approximately 800 miles west to Dodge County in 1848.

Many immigrants who came to Wisconsin from New York in the 1800s traveled via the Erie Canal to Buffalo, then boarded a steam ship crossing Lake Erie, then transferring to another steam ship to across Lake Michigan. Ships docked at or near Milwaukee. Once in Wisconsin, previously established family or friends often met and helped move newcomers to the southern tier of counties with available government land. Thomas and Elizabeth homesteaded in Ashippun Township which forms the southeast corner of Dodge County and set upon a pioneer farm life in the largely unsettled wilderness of Wisconsin.

After moving to Wisconsin, Thomas and Elizabeth’s family continued to grow. Elizabeth delivered their fifth child, George, about September, 1949. Tragically, George died as an infant in October 1850. Thomas and Elizabeth's sixth child most curiously was also named George. He arrived August 10, 1851. Today it seems odd to have named two children from the same parents with the same name. But in the 1800s it was a common custom to name the next born of the same gender after the name of the child that died. It was a way to both honor and remember the child.

Besides infant George that died in 1850, there were one or two other babies that died at a young age. The three babies who died in infancy have been difficult to document. There are no specific birth dates for these children, nor grave markers, but there are two baptism dates: It appears that one of the infants was named Elizabeth, was baptized November 11, 1855, Maria Jane, baptized November 9, 1856.

The rest of the children born to Thomas and Elizabeth were: Charles was born April 3, 1853, Elizabeth in October 1857, William Thomas on October 21, 1858, James Richard on February 2, 1862, Peter Edward on May 21, 1863, and Lucinda Isabelle on December 6, 1865.

In all, Elizabeth gave birth to a total of fourteen babies. Of these, three died as infants or toddlers. The remaining eleven children lived into adulthood. From Mary Ann, her first, to Lucinda, her last, Elizabeth was delivering and raising babies over a 24-year period. Mary Ann was married and out of the house before Lucinda was even born!

Thomas Dukelow's Parents, Siblings and Irish Life

Thomas Ducklow [Dukelow] was born 17 March 1812 to a prosperous farming family that lived near Durrus, Ireland. Durrus is located in the western edge of County Cork, on the far southwest edge of the Ireland. Thomas’ father was John Dukelow. His mother’s name is uncertain, but may have been Elizabeth with a maiden name of either Swanton or Swetnam. Unfortunately, only fragments of information have been located (so far) that document Thomas’ parents.

Two house-keeping notes: (1) Thomas' name changed from Dukelow to Ducklow while living in Wisconsin. A separate entry of why this happened is coming. (2) For simplicity in writing about John's wife, I will assume her name was Elizabeth; further evidence will be needed to confirm it.

Besides Thomas, John and Elizabeth Dukelow had two daughters: Katherine and Martha Elizabeth. They were born after Thomas; around the years 1819 and 1820 respectively. It seems likely there were other children born after Thomas and before Katherine, but no information has been found to identify other siblings. Sometime shortly after giving birth to baby Martha, mother Elizabeth Dukelow died. While her age is uncertain, she was likely less than 29 years old.

About 1821, almost immediately after Elizabeth’s death, Thomas’ father, John Dukelow, married again. His second wife was Nancy Ann Johnson, who then was just 16 years old. He was 27. Upon marriage, Nancy Ann became an instant mother of three children: Martha, who was a baby, Katherine who was two, and Thomas who was then the tender age of nine. Within the first year of marriage she and John had their first of seven children together.

John Dukelow did not live a long life, dying about 1839 at age 45. His death left Nancy Ann, at age 35, a widow to raise a young and large family. She no doubt needed help, as her seven children’s ages ranged from nineteen down to two. Apparently important members of her family and social circle who could assist her had immigrated to the United States to start a new life. With her husband deceased, and her stepchildren having their own adult lives, she found it necessary to immigrate too. It is quite possible that ongoing hardships caused by potato crop failures played a large role in this decision as well [see History Back Drop].

The decision to leave Ireland was the beginning of a long and difficult journey. A passenger ship’s voyage to America normally took two months, but sometimes could take three. To make the difficult journey possible, Nancy Ann enlisted the help of her stepson Thomas to immigrate with her. So in the fall of 1841 she (at age 35), step-son Thomas (age 28), son John (age 19), son Samuel (age 17), son Richard (age 11), son Peter (age 9), daughter Ann (age 7), daughter Francis (age 3) and daughter Phillis Jane (age 1) all came to America by passenger ship. Their voyage took them across the Atlantic Ocean, and then up the St. Lawrence River to Lake Ontario docking at Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. After a brief stay there, they entered America at Rochester, New York by crossing Lake Ontario. At 28 years of age, Thomas became the father-figure that helped ensure everyone safely made it to New York state. Once they arrived, Mary Ann and her children joined extended family and friends living in the Rochester area. These families likely included the Johnsons, Copithorns, Swantons, Goods, and Gallaghers.

Thomas’ sister Martha Elizabeth also came to America, although it is not clear when. She married an Irishman named William O’Connell and eventually they settled in Washington County, Wisconsin. It appears that Martha did not travel on the initial voyage made by Thomas, Nancy Ann and her children.

Thomas was likely to have been married prior to 1841 (before his marriage to Elizabeth Nicholson). One genealogical source identifies Thomas as having a wife named Ann Connell. She could possibility have been the sister of William O’Connell, Martha Elizabeth’s husband. Ann Connell did not immigrate with Thomas and Nancy Ann, and so it is likely she died prior before October 1841. There were no known children from this first marriage.

Other Dukelows who also immigrated to North America likely took the passenger ships from Ireland to Port Hope, Ontario. But instead of going on to Rochester New York, some put down roots in Ontario, Canada. Today there are numerous Dukelow and Ducklow families who live across Canada, but especially in small cities of Ontario; most within a few hundred kilometers of Port Hope. It appears very likely that these families too trace their lineage to the same Dukelows from County Cork, Ireland. The prime evidence supporting this claim is occurrence of the same set of given names in both the Canadian and America Dukelow and Ducklow families. Given names that are common to both branches include John, Thomas, Francis, William, Charles, Samuel, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, and Vernon.

From Ireland to America: The First Wisconsin Ducklows
[Updated 10/14/2008]

Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow are the ancestral immigrants to which nearly all Ducklows living in Wisconsin and Minnesota today can trace their family roots. Up to seven generations of descendant children can point to them as distant great grandparents. Many other families surnames of Wisconsin link to Thomas and Elizabeth. These names include the Good, Hanson, and Ostenson familes.

Thomas Ducklow / Dukelow Circa 1890
Elizabeth nee Nicholson Ducklow / Dukelow Circa 1890

Thomas and Elizabeth were both born in County Cork, Ireland. On separate voyages their families immigrated to America seeking a better lives. Thomas came in October of 1841, arriving at the Port of Rochester, New York. Elizabeth's family also arrived in Rochester, coming in 1840.

Rochester was where Thomas married Elizabeth Nicholson. They wed in Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in 1842 and shortly after began a family. Six years after their wedding they, along with their first four children, moved from Rochester to Dodge County of Southern Wisconsin. There they had found government land in Ashippun Township and made a homestead claim.

As pioneers in the untamed wilderness, they cleared and worked the land transforming it into a productive farm. To help succeed in farming, Thomas and Elizabeth raised a large family. In all, “Betsey” bore thirteen [or maybe fourteen] children over a period of twenty-three years. Of these, eleven children lived into adulthood, nine married, and eight raised their own families. Today the number of descendants from Thomas and Elizabeth number more than 700.