A favorite place to visit is the quaint town of New Plymouth on the southern tip of Green Turtle Cay, Abaco in the Bahamas. This close-knit island community is full of historical significance. Many residents trace their ancestral roots to Loyalists from the American Revolutionary War. Green Turtle Cay is approximately three miles long and half-mile wide. Here my dad, John Wesley Lowe, was born.
Dad fostered my passion for family history. His boyhood stories of life on Green Turtle Cay captivated my attention. Life was unpretentious but entertaining during the 1930’s and 1940’s. There were no automobiles, no electricity, and certainly no technology. Dad’s father Howard Lowe died at the age of 29. A young widowed mother struggled to provide for her son. The community pitched in to help. Dad remained grateful to those that encouraged him. In his journal, Dad noted…
The seventh day of June 1925 was a special day for my parents, Howard and Bessie Lowe. It was a joyous occasion for them to have a baby boy added to the family. A name was chosen from each of my grandfathers, John (Lowe) and Wesley (Curry). It was on a small island located in the northern part of the Bahamas known as Green Turtle Cay chosen by my fore-parents to raise their families for more than two hundred years.
Beside its beauty, there were many good features of the island. The sandy beaches and beautiful harbours made it convenient for the fisherman to store their boats. Because of the abundance of seafood, they were able to feed their families. Fish, lobster and conch were plentiful. Occasionally, we would have turtle meat for dinner. With the help of hunting dogs, the men on the island would often catch wild pigs. It was quite a treat to have pork for a change!
Evan, I like this, the map, and the photo of your dad. Can you describe more from the photo? The year? Was it taken at GTC or in Nassau? Note the quarry blocks of building. When did he move to Nassau? I want to hear more!
Joy Lowe Jossi
Joy, my nephew located this photo from Dad’s sister’s album as he was compiling the video for Dad’s funeral. We had never seen this picture before as Dad did not have many pictures of life prior to marriage. Dad moved to Nassau at the age of 15. Not quite sure when or where this was taken, but it is one of my favorites!
Evan, what a great blog, so glad you’re writing this. Loved your dad, such a fine man, and love beautiful Green Turtle Cay. It is very special to us as we sailed there on our honeymoon. It’s also very interesting to hear the history and how they persevered through the years without the luxuries we enjoy. I look forward to reading more.
Evan. I have enjoyed reading every post of your blog. A real pleasure.
Thank you!
Evan, have enjoyed reading your blogs, and while all the names you mention are familiar to me, but indeed I learned a lot, and since my maiden name is Curry also, Allan and I feel we connect somewhere along the way with your Curry line……