Dowd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Dowd or a variant listed above, including:

Dowd Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Henry Dowd, who landed in Connecticut in 1639 4
• Rich Dowd, who landed in Virginia in 1664 4
• James Dowd, who arrived in Maryland in 1667 4

Dowd Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Michael Dowd, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 4

Dowd Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Theophilus Dowd, aged 47, who arrived in New York in 1812 4
• Mary Dowd, aged 20, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 4
• Daniel Dowd, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1852 4
• M Dowd, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 4
• Patrick Dowd, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1858 4
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dowd Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

• John Dowd, who arrived in Arkansas in 1903 4

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dowd Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

• Nancy Dowd, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1822
• Richard Dowd, aged 41, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Providence" from Cork, Ireland
• James Dowd, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Sea Horse" in 1833
• Mr. James Dowd, aged 26 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Oregon" departing from the port of Killala but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 5
• Mr. John Dowd, aged 26 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Avon" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 5
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dowd Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• Miss Ann Dowd, (b. 1771), aged 38, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for stealing, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 21st January 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1829 6
• Mr. Martin Dowd, English convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 25th January 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 7
• Miss Jane Dowd who was convicted in Coventry, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 10th November 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
• Mary Dowd, English convict from Bristol, who was transported aboard the "Anna Maria" on October 4, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 9
• Theodore Dowd, Scottish convict from Edinburgh, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on April 16, 1855, settling in Western Australia 10
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dowd Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

• Mr. Patrick Dowd, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 11
• Mary Dowd, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Portland" in 1864
• John Dowd, aged 30, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1878
• Margaret Dowd, aged 30, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1878
• Charles Dowd, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hermione" in 1880
• ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

• Douglas Fitzgerald Dowd (1919-2017), American political economist, economic historian and political activist
• David Dudley Dowd Jr. (1929-2016), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (1996-2016)
• Clark Wayne Dowd (1941-2016), American politician and lawyer, Arkansas State Senator (1978-2000)
• William Richmond Dowd (1922-2008), American harpsichord maker
• Bernard J. Dowd (1891-1971), American politician, Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York (1946-1949)
• Ann Dowd (b. 1956), American film, television, and theatre actress
• Charles F. Dowd (1825-1904), American educator who proposed multiple United States time zones
• James Thomas "Jim" Dowd (b. 1968), American NHL player
• Maureen Dowd (b. 1952), American columnist and journalist who won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
• Robert Dowd (1936-1996), American painter
• ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)