F stands for the Unknown and unnamed father of three brothers, who, according to a statement made by the grandson of one of them, came to NYC in 1768, their trade being that of forgemen. Our informant supposes they were Scotch, but admits he was uncertain.   One would be more inclined to look for Iron workers in the industrial counties of England. It is probable that the ancestor is the father of William Dow whom the 1790 census shows in Canaan, NY, with wife, dau and adult son. This William was necessarily b as early as about 1750. It seems highly probable that his earlier home was in   Morristown, NJ. A Mrs. Dow was there 1774 - 1779 a school madame. We suppose her to be the wife of William and it is natural that they should be where the boys started their iron forges. There is an entry that Mrs. Dow moved away. The three boys:

a. John       b. Moses    c. William b abt 1750-8

John Dow fa built the first iron forge on Rockaway River, as early as 1795, perhaps before. The Swedeland forge was built by John Dow and Cornelius Davenport. A third forge was built near by in 1800 or before. The Timber Brook forge near Greenville was built 1821-2 by John Dow, presumably the son of John fa. In all these enterprises the name of Moses Dow has not appeared. For his existence we have the word of a grand nephew, who relates that the son of William fc visited the son of Moses in Babylon, LI about 1844, and that Moses Jr lived to a very old age. It is also certain that the children of John Dow fa had own cousins in NYC. The region of the iron forges was the territory acquired subsequently by Cooper, Hewitt & Co, from which vast fortunes were made, the iron supply being for many years the largest in America. Perhaps John and Moses Dow sold out to that firm or their immediate predecessors. John Dow built a famous mansion in Belleville, NJ, owned by a lineal descendant when the history of that town was written. A letter in 1922 was returned, no Dow living in that town. There were two children, improbably more:

a. John        b. Margaret, probably the older

William Dow fc was attracted by the cause of the colonists and enlisted. Under the act of 1783 he received a grant of 160 acres, but apparently esteemed it of little value or too remote. He became a shipwright and settled in Milton, Ulster Co, where he d 1838 or 1839. His wife Sarah Fowler b Ulster Co, d Poughkeepsie. After his death, his son and executor bethought himself of the Soldiers land grant. Writing to Washington, he was informed, so a son says, that the 160 acres were where the heart of  Rochester, NY now is. Some search of deeds was made in that county and it is claimed that no transfer was ever made from William Dow. For a few years there was a little excitement, but the heirs seemingly did not care to throw good money away on a wild chase. Children:

a. Job m Susan Vancuren       b. Mariah m William Purcell

c. Jane m David Purdy           d. Caroline m William Johnson

e. Josiah Lacont b Ulster Co.  f. Hester m Sylvester Strong

g. Dorcas m John Wicklow.

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