When John McGowan (#1) passed away in 1862, his only son, also named John (#3), was 25 years old and unmarried. Since his mother had passed away some 17 years before and being the only male heir, it is assumed he would have inherited the farm automatically.



There is no registry entry showing this change in ownership. It should be noted, however, that official land registry entries at that time always refer to land being purchased and owned by a particular person and his heirs.



Based on details gathered by the census of 1861, it is possible to envision what the homestead looked like and how it would have been worked by ancestors at that time. Of the 100 acres, 40 were improved and 60 unimproved. Cash value of the land was estimated at $600 with machinery worth another $600. There were 2 horses, 8 cattle, 12 sheep and 1 pig. Dirt farming for that year would produce the following:

PRODUCT	QUANTITY	LAND USED
hay	10 tons	6 acres
oats	400 bushels	11 acres
Buckwheat	14 bushels	1 acre
potatoes	150 bushels	1 acre

In addition, 27 pounds of wool were produced with clothing and other manufactured goods estimated at $15 value. Items not produced included honey, bee's wax, wheat, barley, indian corn, rye, beans, peas, timothy, clover seed, carrots, mangel wurzel, flax, maple sugar, turnip seed and of particular interest, turnips (these would become popular in later years). This is how the farm looked in 1861.

Five years later, in 1866, John married Mary McCann(#11) in the Milltown Church. She was 27 years old at the time and he was 29. Between 1862 and 1882, they had six children and adopted a seventh. During his working life, it appears that the Rollingdam property was the only land John ever owned and that farming was his main occupation. Over a number of years the main cash crop was turnips.

During these years while raising their family, times were harsh and pleasures were few. In 1872, throughout the county, smallpox was a major concern, vaccination was available and local Board of Health Committees were active in insuring isolation and cleanliness were enforced.

Elsewhere between 1873 and 1876, Alexander Graham Bell, a Scottish immigrant invented the first telephone, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain was published and barbed wire fencing was invented. While telephones and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer have little to do with this story, barbed wire fencing on the Rollingdam farm does.

During the time I lived in Rollingdam (late 1950's early 60's) there was little farming done. Most of the homestead was woodland, and I became very familiar with every inch having helped my father cut wood there. The remnants of rock walls used to contain domestic animals are present throughout the land.

In addition, remnants of barbed wire are also present. It is assumed that the rock walls were constructed as the land was cleared. This was a convenient way of disposing of rocks and one that was quite familiar in Ireland during the 19th century. No doubt, they were essential for cattle barriers prior to 1870 and perhaps were maintained for many years after barbed wire was available. The barbed wire was generally located precisely where the dilapidated rock wall had been or in some locations, immediately adjacent to it. Fond memories remain of names used to describe locations on the property as told to me by my father such as the "little field" and the "interval".