DOWLAND REUNION HELD IN SKULLBONE Transcribed by Dixie Lea Wright

DOWLAND REUNION HELD IN SKULLBONE
Dixie Lea Wright

On Sunday, July 30, 1961, the "Tennessee Dowland Society" held its annual
Reunion in the Community Building in Skullbone, Gibson County, West Tennessee.
Skullbone is located on State Highway 105, between Trezevant and Bradford.

Timothy Dowland of Skullbone, photo above, built the first bridge across the
South Fork of Obion River, in 1839. He owned much rich land and many slaves.
He had his Negro slaves to build Shades' bridge. His "head" slave or Negro
foreman was "Uncle" Tom Shade, hence the name. During the Civil War, Shades'
bridge and the "Jackson and Dresden" road were very important to the Federals.
The "Union" soldiers used this route going to Shiloh battle field and others in
the South. Skirmishes were fought there at Shades' bridge for its control.
Like here of similar circumstances, Timothy Dowland didn't want to lose his
slaves and, therefore, was a red hot Confederate Democrat, whereas most of his
children were strong "Union" Republicans.

There were two Timothy Dowlands in Tennessee, but, this Skullbone Timothy is the
progenitor of most of the Dowlands in West Tennessee and several other states.
He was the great-grandson of emigrant Henry Dowland, a naive of Shaftsbury,
Dorset County, England/ In 1752, Henry settled on the Yadkin river, eight miles
west of where Salisbury, North Carolina was founded among the friendly (?)
Saponi Indians, near their Indian village and trading post, which was called
"Trading Ford". This Henry Dowland is the progenitor of most of the Dowlands in
our United States.

Goodspeeds' History of Tennessee, published in 1887 says, quote: "Timothy
Dowland is a son of Henry and Susannah (Smith) Howland, who was born and married
in Rowan County, N. C. Their family consisted of ten children, nine who lived
to be grown. Both parents were active members of the ______ Church, and the
father was a gunsmith, carpenter and blacksmith, and continued the latter
calling until his seventy-fifth year. He was quite a mechanical genius and very
skillful with tools. He was for some time Captain of the State Militia, and was
a Magistrate for many years. He was a Whig, and came to Gibson county,
Tennessee, in 1839. Here, he died in 1858 and his wife in 1852. Their son,
Timothy, was born in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, May 17, 1812, acquired a
good common education and distinguished himself as a mathematician. In 1839, he
came to Gibson County and built the first bridge of note across the South Fork
of Obion River. By his industry he became the owner of 1,100 acres of land and
in 1846, married Sarah Mitts, who was born January 19, 1819. To them were born
ten children, nine are living and eight are married and settled in the
neighborhood. Emerson E., the youngest, is unmarried and resides at home. Mr
Dowland has been a staunch Democrat since the death of the Whig party, and he
and wife are members of the Missionary Baptist Church". (Mt. Pleasant
Congregation) end of Goodspeed quote.

The usual crowd attended the Reunion and no crowd ever enjoyed a program, more.
There were "oddles" of music, "professional", non-professional and music by
Dowland kin,--- quartets, trios, duets, solos, piano and harmonica,--- to say
nothing of talks, dialogues, clan history and genealogy. Rev. Ernest Crider, of
Murray, Kentucky, "returned thanks" at "dinner time". Also, prominent
Skullbonians and politicians were there, including Magistrates Ben Stockard
and Odie Hampton.

One of the most important things at the Reunion was that fine "dinner" of
Southern style, pit-cooked barbecue, Southern fried chicken, cakes, pies and
everything else that a "heavyweight" could desire. And, speaking of
heavyweights, about this time, Robert E. Dowland, of Paris, yelled into the
door, "look who is coming in, Paul Flowers, of the Memphis Commercial Appeal,
ole "Greenhouse' himself, " whereupon the crowd burst forth with applause. As
Columnist Flowers ______, "Mayor" Reid Dowland, Master of Ceremonies,
exclaimed "Aw no, it can't be true, dear", called for an escort to the
microphone where they put in a nostalgic dialogue about home towns, Skullbone,
Frog Jump, "Soup Street" in Greenfield, and other interesting and humorous
subjects. Now, Paul Flowers is OBVIOUSLY, an authority on good "eats" and he
spoke and ACTED interestingly on that subject. One Skullbonian said that "only
Fats Everett can empty a feedbag quicker than Paul Flowers." Without bleeding
his arm, Indian style, the Dowland tribe, in an official pow-wow, VOTED him
their "blood brother", including the right to attend all future pow-wows.

Everything was scheduled to radio precision. The doors opened promptly at
10:A.M. The programs started on schedule at 10:30A.M. with the East Prairie
Mixed Quartet starting things off. The famed "Gospelaires" Male Quartet of
Nashville followed. The business session began at 11:30A.M., which only lasted
15 minutes. Other entertainers were Danny Dowland of Kenton, Dixieaires,
Goodwill Quartet, Bradford Sisters, Virgil Hollis and Russell Klett. More about
Hollis and Klett later in the report. Both are great "discoveries". In this
short time the organization attended to the minutes, treasury report, re-
election of officers, established and filled the offices of "Clan Historian",
all in 15 minutes.

At 11:45A.M., music was resumed until 12 noon, when "dinner" was served 30
minutes early in order for California cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Finis Crockett, to
drive to Memphis to catch a jet plane back home, probably taking less time from
Memphis to Los Angeles than from Skullbone to Memphis!

Believe it or not, the Dowland Clans use Quartets singing "gospel' songs for
dinner music, instead of the classical, long-haired variety and so far as we
know, are the first to do so.

At 1:00p.m. the M.C. called for a show of hands of those who had never attended
before. There were so many that their Clan Historian deemed it advisable to let
them hear the old, old story, that is, the origins, lines and migratory routes
of the Dowland clans all over the world, including Saxony, Germany, England,
Wales, Ireland, India and Australia, as well as many states in this Nation. The
sketch based on centuries of information, was limited to exactly 10 minutes, the
gist of which, follows: "There are 26 different spellings of the Dowland breed.
Dowland is the oldest English language name of the breed, the "Dow" pronounced
as in Dowery. The other 24 variations were caused by phonetics and, in some
cases, just good old-time ignorance on the part of the county records, clerks
and others. There are several different pronunciations used. All over the
world, Dowland, Dowlan, Dowlane, Dowlen and in all other variations beginning
with "Dow", the "Dow" is pronounced as in Dowery. Part of the North Carolina or
Skullbone breed pronounce Dowland with "long O" as in Dolan, but, not all of
them so pronounce. For instance, the Middle Tennessee Dowlen from North
Carolina, the most numerous clan in the world, pronounce it as in Dowery. So do
those in England, Wales, Ireland, Australia, Middle Tennessee, Minnesota, Utah,
Michigan, Wisconsin and almost everywhere else.

As to migrations, the breed came from Saxony during the reign of Alfred the
Great, to the coast of Dorset county, 2 miles west of where the town of Lyme
Regis, England was later founded. All Dowlands in the world stem from this
original English settlement. Dowlands did not come over on the Mayflower in
1620, but emigrant James Dowland did follow on their heels and told them to move
over and make room soon thereafter, in 1640, (?) Bowersetshire in Pennsylvania.
Emigrants Peter and Edmund Dowland came to Lower Norfolk County, Va. in 1650.
These three were progenitors of the breed in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan,
Northern Illinois, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Emigrant Henry Dowlands' grandson,
Harris Dowlen, progenitor of Middle Tennessee Dowlens, settled near Fort
Nashboro in 1795. Timothy Dowland II, and two more sons, Nelson Dolen and Dr.
Isaac Dolen moved from N.C. to Sullivan County, East Tennessee in 1825. His
wife died, he married again and raised another family in Carroll County, near
Vale. David Dowland came to Skullbone, Gibson County, about 1830. Henry III and
his son Timothy in 1839.

The Central Illinois Clans were started by emigrants Stephen Dowland, from
Shaftesbury, England to Chesterfield, Illinois in 1849. Charles and William in
1855. William and George went from London to Los Angeles in 18??. John Albert
Dowland came from Woodlands, Dorset County, England to Minnesota about 1860.
Graham Dowland went from Southampton, England to Perth, West Australia about
1915, and became a sheep rancher on three million acres. Col. Ryan Dowland was
woth the military in India. Ray Dowland of England was Colonial Secretary.
James Dowland, his father was Govenor of Trinidad. This Govenor James Dowland
was a decendant of John Dowland, the great musician who lived from 1563 to 1626.

John is the "Patron Saint" of all Dowlands, just like Davy Crockett is to all
the Crocketts. While in England, Reid Dowland visited with one of the musicians
decendants, William Dowland-Rangeley, in their thatch roofed home with stone
floor. He exhibited old paintings of Dowlands, painted long before cameras were
invented. His grandfather, James Dowland, had some of Johns' original
manuscripts. He said there is no doubt about Tennessee Dowlands being the same
breed. Thus, Skullbone Dowlands get their musical "bent" naturally, and were
first in the world to successfully commercialize both Hillbilly and gospel
quartet music, attracting crowds of many thousands each year to Skullbone.

Melvin Dowland, of Milan, Tennessee brought his handsome young son in his arms
and received the plaudits of the multitude as he walked down the aisle,
receiving special recognition by the Master of Ceremonies. He was a hero on
that day. Not too many boys now to carry on the same name. But, the M.C.
quickly gave the girls his blessing.

Reid Dowland welcomed the Dowlands, Dowlens and Dolans from everywhere, then
recognised them by states, sections and family names other than Dowland, such as
Galey from Weakley County, Hampton, Campbell, Crider, Hutchinson, Sellers,
Terry, Cates, Mount, Arrington, Blankenship, Scott, Mosely, etc. of Gibson
County; Finch, Epsey, Thomas, Wilson, Prince, Smith, Swearinger and the Comptons
from Carroll County; the Finis Crocketts, from Los Angeles; the Tollie McClures
from Kentucky; the Bud Davenports from Jacksonville, Illinois; the Russell Klett
family from Michigan, etc. Space does not permit naming all visitors, but
everyone seemed to be pleased with the food and program.

Timothy Dowland, Reids' grandfather, came from N.C. to Skullbone in 1839. had
only one daughter, Victoria, who married Preston Crider. They are the
progenitors of a very large number of Criders living in Tennessee, Georgia,
Kentucky and other states, many of whom always attend the Skullbone Reunions.
Their emigrant ancestor was Rev. Joseph Kreider, near Salisbury, N.C.

A talk was made by Robert E. Dowland, Esquire, erstwhile U.S. Consul to
Australia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Morocco. Lebanon, Damascus and presently
with the Mitcham Corporation of Paris, in charge of International and Overseas
Promotion and Sales. He is a public speaker and linguist, including the Spanish
and "Arab" (Arabic) languages. Finis Crockett made a few hurried remarks of
pleasure and appreciation just before driving to Memphis to catch a jet plane
for Los Angeles. Another very interesting talk was given by Mrs. Gertie
Dowland, of Jacksonville, Illinois. She related how the mail of C.(?) Dowland
of Jacksonville and the mail of C.(?) Dowland of Skullbone got mixed up out in
the western states while both were touring them. Without either knowing the
others' itinerary, they both visited the same cities for months, about one week
apart. They both gave their "folks' and the Postmasters a rough time about
their mail getting mixed up, so many times.

Reid Dowland has motion pictures, slides and stills of most all ancient
Dowlands, towns, homes and churches thereof, of Dowland Musicales, Reunions,
etc., both in America and overseas, which he shows in the Skullbone Community
Building on the night before Reunions. He displayed over 300 photos on Reunion
day. At this 1961 Reunion, Robert E. Dowland showed his slides on the various
countries of his Consular activities. Finis Crockett showed slides taken in the
Hawaiian Islands during his vacations, there.

Gene Cook, Manager of the Gospelaires Quartet, of Nashville, presented two
large framed pictures of Christ: one to John Dowland, 87, for being the oldest
Dowland present, and one to Mrs. Lyndell Dowland Crockett, from Los Angeles, for
being the most distant cousin attending and she, in turn, presented it to her
native Church, Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church of Skullbone.

The musical portion of the program was enlivened by non-professional kin and
"homefolks". Danny Dowland, of Kenton, Tennessee, rendered high class vocal
solos, as well as "Rock and Roll" with instruments for the younger set.
Margaret Krider, a beautiful cousin of Murray, Kentucky, rendered several
beautiful vocal solos. Russell Klett, from Michigan. a very handsome young
gentleman, sang several solos with a quality, power, depth and resonance seldom
heard. He is a decendant of the Carroll county breed of Dolans. He is a
graduate of music, Choir Director in a big Baptist Church in Michigan, and plays
most every kind of instrument, including pipe organ, piano, guitar, etc. He
made quite a "hit". But the man who "stole the show" was a home boy, Virgil
Hollis, the Greenfield Harmonica Wizard who, with some proper management, should
soon become the "Harmonica King" of the Nation. Very few on radio can equal
him. Paul Flowers agreed with Reid Dowland on one thing, that "Harpo" Hollis is
the best harper in the land and requested a tape-recorded audition to send to
record companies and radio stations.

The officers of the Tennessee Dowland Society are: Jess G. Dowland, President;
Cecil R. Dowland, Vice President; Mrs. Odis Hampton, Secretary-Treasurer; John
Dowland, Service Chairman; Mrs. Jess Dowland, Hospitally Chairman; and C. Reid
Dowland, Clan Historian.