Individual Details

Robert is believed to be a son of Samuel BOWLBY (9). He is believed to be one of six children born by a first wife whose name is unknown. Robert's son, William, states that his grandmother was "Miss Inseve", which is quite close to "Insley" suggested by the biographer of Joseph I. BOWLSBY, Robert's proposed brother. The only presently available information on Robert comes from correspondence with Mrs. Florence KRING in Lexington, NE who submitted a copy of the autobiographical writing of Robert's eldest son, William. William tells a story of Robert and his brother, Samuel, sliding in the snow on an incline beside a mill in New Jersey. The boys knew brakes had to be applied to keep from going into the millstream. A black slave girl owned by the family wanted a ride, so the boys let her, but she did not know how to apply the brakes and went into the millstream. The father of the boys saved the girl but impressed them with how much it would have cost the family had the girl been lost. The mill was probably the mill at Imlaydale on the Musconetcong River where Samuel BOWLBY (9) farmed land belonging to his father who also owned the mill. Robert learned his trade as a shoemaker in New Jersey. He left home at the age of 22 years and was employed as a shoemaker in Pennsylvania from around 1820 to 1842 -- this was probably around Fayette or Somerset Counties where Samuel BOWLBY (9) is supposed to have died. Durin this time Robert married ____ DECKER, but his wife died two years later without issue. Robert removed to Ohio in 1842. It was about this time that Samuel BOWLBY (10), Robert's proposed brother, moved to Licking County, OH where their proposed brother, Joseph I. BOWLSBY, lived for many years. Robert married Susan ZEHMER who was born in Ohio around 1813. Though William gives the year as 1848, the family left Ohio on or before the birth of their daughter in 1846 according to the 1850 census where the names of four children are given: William, nine years old, born in Ohio; Samuel, eight years old, born in Ohio; Matilda, four years old, born in Indiana; and Sarah E., one year old, born in Indiana. William says his father had no ability as a farmer and "bailed out" friends and neighbors to the detriment of his family and finally lost all but 40 acres of his land. He describes his mother as a weaver of homespun clothing. There were five know children in this family: William Harrison, Samuel, Matilda, Sarah, and Susan.

Birth	21 JAN 1799	Sussex Co., NJ
Marriage	Bef 1842	(First wife of BOWLBY, Robert) DECKER
Marriage	28 JAN 1841	Shelby Co., OH - Susan ZEMER/ZEHMER
Census	1860	Washigton, Nobel Co., IN
Death	18 JUL 1875	Noble Co., IN

Spouse

(First wife of BOWLBY, Robert) DECKER ( - )

Spouse	Susan ZEMER/ZEHMER (1813 - )
Child	William Harrison BOWLBY (1843 - 1912)
Child	Samuel BOWLBY (1845 - 1882)
Child	Matilda BOWLBY (1846 - )
Child	Sarah E. BOWLBY (1849 - )
Child	Susan BOWLBY (1850 - )
Child	Robert BOWLBY (1860 - )

Father	Samuel BOWLBY (1753 - 1827)
Mother	Grace INSLEY OR LACEY ( - )
Sibling	Joseph Insley BOWLSBY (1770 - 1877)
Sibling	Aaron BOWLBY (1772 - 1857)
Sibling	(Daughter of Grace INSLEY and Samuel) BOWLBY (1780 - )
Sibling	Samuel L. BOWLBY (1798 - 1878)
Sibling	Moses BOWLBY (1808 - )

Notes