The Low/Lowe family
Scott County’s Lowe family can be traced back to Mikel “Grand Mikey” Low (1771-1852), who settled on Smokey Creek and is often assumed to have been the first permanent white settler in present-day Scott County. He is the common ancestor of most Lowes in Scott County today.
See Also: The Scott County Lineage Project
Origins
Mikel Low was born in Tulpehocken Township, Penn. in 1771, the son of Johan Phillip Lau and Maria Magdalene Gentzler Lau. Grand Mikey’s grandfather, Johann Philip Lau (1726-1781) was born in Alsace, France and migrated to the American colonies with his father, Johann Christian Lau (1696-1772) aboard a pinke called the “John and William,” landing in Philadelphia on Oct. 17, 1732. They settled in York County, Penn.
Mikey Low married Maria Elizabeth Bortner in 1794, when he was 23 and she was 20. She was also born in Tulpehocken Township, Penn. At some point after that, the Low family moved to present-day Scott County.
In her book, County Scott and Its Mountain Folk, the historian Esther Sharp Sanderson wrote that Low moved to Smokey Creek in 1776, receiving a land grant from North Carolina. The date of this move is almost certainly inaccurate.
The earliest records placing Low on Smokey Creek aren’t found until 1830, when the U.S. census was taken. Smokey Creek was part of Anderson County, Tenn. at that time. However, it’s likely that the Low family moved to the area well before 1830. Low served in the 5th Regiment of the East Tennessee Militia during the War of 1812, making it almost certain that he had moved to Smokey Creek by then. The 5th Regiment, commanded by Maj. Gen. William Carroll, was made up of men from Anderson County, which Scott County was then a part of, as well as Knox, Blount, Sevier, Bledsoe, Hawkins, Rhea and Roane counties.
SeeMore: Did Mikel Low receive a Smokey Creek land grant from North Carolina?
The family tree
First Generation
Mikel Low (1771-1852)
Born: 1771, Tulpehocken Township, Penn.
Parents: Johan Philip Lau, Maria Magdalene Gentzler Lau.
Siblings: Gertrude Lau, Heinrich Lau, Elizabeth Lau Rudisill, Andrew Lau, Maria Magdalena Lau Menges.
Married: Maria Elizabeth Bortner (1794).
Children: Mikel Low Jr., Jacob William Low, Phillip Low Sr., Elizabeth Low Shoopman, Joseph Josiah Low, Mary Ann Low.
Died: Oct. 11, 1852 at ~81. Buried at Lowe Cemetery on Smokey Creek.
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Maria Elizabeth Bortner (1774-1879)
Born: March 8, 1774, Tulpehocken Township, Penn.
Parents: Johann Peter Bortner
Married: Mikel Low (1794).
Children: Mikel Low Jr., Jacob William Low, Phillip Low Sr., Elizabeth Low Shoopman, Joseph Josiah Low, Mary Ann Low.
Died: Jan. 3, 1879 at 104. Buried at Lowe Cemetery on Smokey Creek.
2nd Generation
Mikel Low Jr.
Born: ~1795.
Parents: Mikel Low, Maria Elizabeth Bortner
Siblings: Jacob William Low, Phillip Low Sr., Elizabeth Low Shoopman, Joseph Josiah Low, Mary Ann Low.
Married: Catherine Massengale (1818), Christine Carroll (1836), Martha Thompson (1850).
Children: Elizabeth Lowe Duncan, Sarah Lowe Duncan, Joseph M. Lowe, Mary Lowe Davis, Rainey Wells Lowe Duncan, Anna Richson Lowe Duncan, Martha Patsy Lowe Browning, Catherine Lowe, Michael Lowe, Louisa Lowe Adkins, Keziah Rittie Jane Lowe Adkins, Almira Jane Lowe Cross, John Lowe, Rebecca Lowe Hembree, Henry Lowe, Joseph Lowe, William Wilber Lowe, Isaac Union Lowe, Columbus Lowe, Phillip Lowe.
Died: Jan. 3, 1879 (~84). Buried at Lowe Cemetery on Smokey Creek.
+ Catherine Massengale Lowe
Born: 1800.
Parents: Matthew Massengale, Mary Ann Hall.
Married: Mikel Low Jr. (1818)
Children: Elizabeth Lowe Duncan, Sarah Lowe Duncan, Joseph M. Lowe, Mary Lowe Davis, Rainey Wells Lowe Duncan, Anna Richson Lowe Duncan, Martha Patsy Lowe Browning, Catherine Lowe, Michael Lowe, Louisa Lowe Adkins, Keziah Rittie Jane Lowe Adkins.
Died: Circa 1850.
+ Christine Carroll Lowe
Born: 1795 in Campbell County, Tenn.
Married: Mikel Low Jr. (1836)
Children: Louisa Lowe Adkins.
Died: ~1879 (~84).
+Martha Thompson
Born: ~1824
Parents: Henry Thompson, Margaret Duncan.
Siblings: John Thompson, Mary Thompson Low, Henry Thompson.
Married: Mikel Low Jr. (1850)
Children: Almira Jane Lowe Cross, John Lowe, Rebecca Lowe Hembree, Henry Lowe, Joseph Lowe, William Wilber Lowe, Isaac Union Lowe, Columbus Lowe, Phillip Lowe.
Death: ~1900 (~76).
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Jacob William Low
Born: 1800.
Parents: Mikel “Grand Mikey” Low, Maria Elizabeth Bortner
Siblings: Mikel Low Jr., Phillip Low Sr., Elizabeth Low Shoopman, Joseph Josiah Low, Mary Ann Low.
Married: Polly Ann Mitchell (1848).
Children: William Riley Lowe, Elizabeth Lowe Stout, Lettice Jane Lowe Thornton, Jacob Lowe, Louisa Eliza Lowe Tisdale, Mary Jane Lowe Campbell, Amanda Lowe Harden.
Death: July 3, 1860 in Hot Spring County, Ark.
Notes: Jacob Lowe and his family moved to Arkansas. His descendants will not be traced further for purposes of this project.
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Phillip Low Sr.
Born: 1801
Parents: Mikel “Grand Mikey” Low, Maria Elizabeth Bortner
Siblings: Mikel Low Jr., Jacob Low, Elizabeth Low Shoopman, Joseph Josiah Low, Mary Ann Low.
Married: Sarah Nancy Carroll (1820), Parzitta Hart (1865).
Children: Joseph Low, Jacob Low, Elizabeth Low Mason, Andrew Lowe, Riley Low, Jane Low Goodman, Michael Low, William A. Low, Matilda Low King, Motlaney Low Adkins, Lucretia Low Hatfield, Sarah Nancy Low McGhee, Phillip Lowe, John J. Low, Alexander Low.
+Sarah Nancy Carroll
Born: 1806 in North Carolina.
Parents: John Drewry Carroll, Nancy King.
Siblings: William Carroll, Morton Carroll, Martha Katherine Carroll Hembree.
Married: Phillip Low (1820).
Children: Joseph Low, Jacob Low, Elizabeth Low Mason, Andrew Lowe, Riley Low, Jane Low Goodman, Michael Low, William A. Low, Matilda Low King, Motlaney Low Adkins, Lucretia Low Hatfield, Sarah Nancy Low McGhee, Phillip Lowe, John J. Low, Alexander Low.
Died: 1864 (58).
+ Parzitta Hart
Born: 1816.
Parents: Joseph Hart, Eliza Wheeler.
Siblings: David Hart, Benjamin Hart.
Married: John Thomas Adkins, Phillip Low (1865).
Children: Prior Adkins, Sherwood Adkins, Martha Levina Adkins Byrd.
Died: 1870 (~54).
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Elizabeth Low Shoopman
Born: 1805.
Parents: Mikel “Grand Mikey” Low, Maria Elizabeth Bortner
Siblings: Mikel Low Jr., Jacob Low, Phillip Low, Joseph Josiah Low, Mary Ann Low.
Married: John Shoopman Jr.
Children: Sarah “Sallie” Shoopman Massengale, Joseph Shoopman, Jacob Shoopman, Emaline “Emily” Shoopman Hembree, Louisa Shoopman Massengale, Milton “Mitt” Shoopman, Martha Shoopman.
Death: 1884. Buried at Lowe Cemetery at Smokey Creek.
+ John Shoopman Jr.
Born: 1803, Virginia.
Parents: John Shoopman, Sarah Smith.
Siblings: William Andrew Shoopman, Nancy Shoopman Byrd, Mary Shoopman Delk.
Married: Elizabeth Low Shoopman
Children: Sarah “Sallie” Shoopman Massengale, Joseph Shoopman, Jacob Shoopman, Emaline “Emily” Shoopman Hembree, Louisa Shoopman Massengale, Milton “Mitt” Shoopman, Martha Shoopman.
Died: 1866. Buried at Lowe Cemetery at Smokey Creek.
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Joseph Josiah Low
Born: 1810, present-day Scott County.
Parents: Mikel “Grand Mikey” Low, Maria Elizabeth Bortner
Siblings: Mikel Low Jr., Jacob Low, Phillip Low, Elizabeth Low Shoopman, Mary Ann Low.
Married: Ora Griffith, 1840.
Children: John Josiah Lowe, Rebecca Jane Lowe Henry, Frances Lowe Lockhart.
Died: 1870.
+ Ora Griffith Low
Born: 1823, present-day Scott County.
Parents: Fielding Griffith.
Siblings: Armistead Griffith, Matilda Eliza Peak, Isaac Griffith, Martha Hattie Goad, Ruben Griffith.
Married: Joseph Josiah Low, 1840.
Children: John Josiah Lowe, Rebecca Jane Henry, Frances Lowe Lockhart.
Note: Ora Griffith Low was the granddaughter of Joseph Griffith.
—
Mary Ann Low
Born: 1814, present-day Scott County.
Parents: Mikel “Grand Mikey” Low, Maria Elizabeth Bortner
Siblings: Mikel Low Jr., Jacob Low, Phillip Low, Elizabeth Low Shoopman, Joseph Josiah Low.
Died: 1900.