Unfortunately, some of our Rowland ancestors were the victims of untimely and unnatural deaths. We grieve all those that have passed before us, especially those taken from us too early and by unnatural means. The following list excludes Rowlands that perished due to disease, war, and natural causes.
Murdered
William Rowland (1832-1856), who kept a small store at Double Springs (McMinn County, Tennessee, United States) was murdered on 20 Feb 1856. He was found in his storeroom on Saturday morning, with his throat cut in such a manner as to lead to the belief that it had been done with a hatchet.
William H Rowland (1842-1864), a civilian, was shot dead by one of William “Bloody Bill” Anderson’s guerillas on the morning of the Centralia Massacre, 27 Sep 1864 (Centralia, Boone County, Missouri). William died a hero, trying to protect a wagon full of women. See Murder in Centralia for the complete story.
Thomas Rowland (1809-1867) was shot at the gristmill (founded by his father) on the bank of the Sandy River near Hollow Rock, Carroll County, Tennessee.
Andrew Rowland (1820-1868), age 48, was murdered in his bed at 1:00 am the morning of October 19, 1868, near Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland. His wife was accused and stood trial for his murder. The complete story is told in The Murder of Andrew Rowland, a 5-part series.
Albert P Roland (1871-1896) was fatally shot (murdered) by Edward P Scollard in a bar fight in Calico, San Bernadina County, California.
Smith Davis Rowland (1849-1900), age 50, was one of three men killed in the shoot-out on the platform in front of Mr. Richard Grant’s store at Oak Ridge, Warren, Mississippi. Also killed were Dr. Otho Austin and Mr. Robert C. Stephenson. Reuben Rowland, son of Smith Davis Rowland, was wounded in the action. “Mr. S. D. Rowland, during the encounter, fired six shots, Dr. J. S. Austin fired six, Mr. Reuben Rowland fired six and Dr. Otho Austin fired either four or five. Mr. Chas. L. Stephenson, brother of Mr. Bob Stephenson, who was killed in the affray, was present, but there is no proof that either of them fired a single shot.”
John Adam Rohland (1846-1900) died of a skull fracture when the horse pulling his buggy was frightened by an electric car and began a mad dash in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
Mary Jane (Rowland) Clapp (1845-1900), a missionary born in Huron County, Ohio was killed in the Boxer Rebellion in Shanxi, China on 31 Jul 1900.
Martha Ellen (Joyner) Rowland (1841-1901), age 60, was murdered with an ax in her backyard by Arthur Price in Macon, Bibb, Georgia. Her husband, Robert Jackson Rowland (1843-1908), would be murdered in the same town seven years later.
Robert Jackson Rowland (1843-1908), age 63, was murdered and found at the bottom of an elevator shaft in a new building that was being constructed for Crescent Steam Laundry in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia. His wife, Martha Ellen (Joyner) Rowland (1841-1901), was murdered seven years before his murder.
Alvin Jackson Rowland (1896-1922) age 25, was murdered on 16 Aug 1922 on the streets of Mead, Oklahoma. The assailant, J. M. Davis, immediately turned himself in.
Thomas Lazurus Rowland (1872-1923), age 50, was found dead in his barn at Coweta, Wagoner, Oklahoma under suspicious circumstances. The coroner’s inquest jury “reached the decision that he came to his death at the hands of parties unknown and by means unknown to the jury.”
John Mordecai Rowland/Roland (1875-1928), age 52, died from a gunshot wound that was ruled a homicide in Yavapai County, Arizona. He was a miner and a prospector.
Annie (Rowland) Hiser (1876-1931), age 55, was murdered by her estranged husband, William Hiser. He shot her with a .32 pistol in her home in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland. Her son, Roy C Rowland, was wounded during the event and ended up being murdered in the same town 44 years later.
James Newsome “Newsome” Rowland (1897-1958), age 60, never knew what hit him as he sat on the doorstep of his home in Hallspur. Jeff Davis County, Georgia. His son, Arthur Rowland, 17, using a shotgun, practically blew off his father’s head with a load of shot fired at close range following claims that his father beat him.
Jess Rowland (1908-1963), age 55, died from gunshot wounds when he and his brother Laness Rowland began shooting at each other while hunting in Dekalb County, Tennessee.
Donald Earl Rowland (1946-1969), age 23, was murdered on 03 Nov 1969 in his home in Winfield, Texas. His wife, Bonnie Barbara (Nichols) Rowland was charged with the murder. See Oops, I Married A Serial Killer for the complete story.
Roy C Rowland (1918-1975), age 57, was murdered while at his job as a night watchman for E. J. Fennel Dress Manufacturing in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland. The perpetrators were believed to have been burglars who smashed his head and then set fire to the building. Strangely, he was wounded when his mother was murdered in the same town 44 years earlier.
Richard Glenn “Dick” Roland (1947-1987), age 40, was run over by a drunk driver in Harrison, Michigan, and was air-lifted to a hospital in Saginaw, Michigan where he died.
Speared/Killed by Natives
Margaret (Rowland) MacGowan (1833-1871) met an untimely end when she was “speared by a native” in Western Australia on 30 Jun 1871. Margaret is also the earliest known Rowland born in Australia.
Jackson Rowland (1831-1863) was killed by Indians about 2 miles north of present-day Perrin, Jack, Texas.
Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Boats
William Rowland (1810-1852) and four of his young children (Rachel, David, William Jr, and Sarah) died tragically in a steamboat explosion on the Missouri River. The April 9, 1852 explosion of the paddle steamer Saluda, near Lexington, Missouri, was one of the worst disasters in Missouri River history. It is believed that more than 100 people perished that day. Most were Mormon converts en route to Salt Lake City. William’s wife Rachel, and his daughter Mary from a previous marriage survived and eventually arrived in Salt Lake City.
Washington L Rowland, Sr (1846-1873) died “from the effect of injuries received by falling from the Rail Road Car between Philadelphia and Phoenixville” in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
Isaac Newton Rowland (1858-1893) died in a train wreck near Alpine, Brewster, Texas on 19 Jan 1893.
Michael Rowland (1865-1897), was killed by a Lehigh Valley passenger train near Ashland, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
Ephraim E Rowland (1847-1898) was instantly killed by a Rapid railway electric car in front of his residence, northeast of Detroit, leaving a widow and nine children.
John Mordecai Rowland (1872-1916) was mangled and killed in a streetcar accident near stop 4, Rushmill Line, in Warren Township, Marion County, Indiana on 01 Oct 1916.
William Ben “W.B.” Rowland (1908-1922) was run over by a train in Floyd County, Kentucky. He was only 14 or 15 years of age.
John M Rowland (1892-1926) of Lake County, Ohio died on 17 Dec 1926 at the age of 34 when he was hit by a Nickel Plate freight train at the Perry Main Street Crossing in Perry Township, Lake County, Ohio.
Ruth Theresa Rowland (1922-1934) was just 12 years old in Columbus, Ohio when she fell off of her bicycle and was crushed by an oncoming truck.
Jesse Eldoras Rowland (1893-1935), age 42, passed away on 29 Mar 1935 in Delaware County, Ohio from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
John Wyatt Rowland (1867-1936) passed away on 12 Sep 1936 at Hardin, Montana after his car collided with a truck the previous week while he was traveling between Billings and Hardin, Montana.
Warwick Inman Rowland (1890-1939), an attorney, age 48, died on 02 Jan 1939 from a skull fracture received in an automobile accident in Franklin County, Ohio.
Russell C Rowland (1919-1948), age 29, died in a car crash in Flathead County, Montana.
Samuel Isaac Rowland (1896-1952), age 56, was killed by a train on the Pennsylvania Railroad near the Church Street crossing in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland.
Mabel Emma (Manning) Rowland (1881-1947) died when Eastern Air Lines Flight 665 crashed near Galax, Carroll, Virginia.
Paul Harwood Roland (1934-1956) was killed in a head-on automobile crash near Angola, Steuben, Indiana on 20 June 1956 at the age of 21.
Leo Almond Rowland (1899-1957) was killed in an automobile accident at Daytona Beach, Florida. He had his own detective agency and was a former lieutenant detective with the Grand Rapids, Michigan police force and former Montcalm County undersheriff.
Lessie Marie (Rowland) Davis (1898-1959), age 61, was killed by an automobile in Anderson County, South Carolina.
Jan Elizabeth Rowland (1954-1978), age 23, died instantly in a car accident in Midvale, Utah.
Tornadoes and Storms
Jacob Daniel Roland (1801-1854), age 53, was killed by lightning on 16 Jul 1854 at Madisonville, Ralls, Missouri.
Jessie W Roland (1897-1912), age 14, was struck and killed by lightning in Kaufman County, Texas.
Washington “Lee” Rowland, his wife Mattie, and two of their children were killed in a devastating F3 tornado on 13 Mar 1913 that hit Rutherford County, Tennessee (and swept parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.
Sherrod Brent “Brent” Rowland (1875-1915) was killed by a bolt of lightning on 22 Apr 1915 in Boone County, Missouri while unhitching a team of mules because of an approaching storm.
Mary E Rowland (1854-1917) perished in a tornado that struck Centralia, Missouri on 05 June 1917. “… the most devastating tornado in Boone County history smashed into Midway, then bounced at least four times across the county, leaving 14 dead by the time it left Centralia and blew itself out over western Illinois. Two others died of their injuries within hours, and at least another three were not expected to live.”
Drownings
Robert S Rowland (1851-1855) had not even reached his 4th birthday when he fell into a well and drowned on 18 Jun 1855 in Boone County, Missouri.
John “Johnie” Rowland (1878-1896), age 18, drowned in the Maumee River near Carr’s Mill (Henry County, Ohio) on 19 Jul 1896.
James Rowland (1865-1886), age 21, drowned in the Powell River in Claiborne County, Tennessee.
Mayo Rowland (1892-1899), age 6, died from drowning in Sangamon County, Illinois.
John Mortimer Roland (1854-1910), age 56, drowned in Elliott Bay way on 28 May 1910 (Seattle, King, Washington).
Charles Roland, Jr. (1908-1914), age 6, died from drowning in Fairbury, Jefferson County, Nebraska.
Fred Rowland (1907-1930) drowned while swimming in Lake Cable, Stark County, Ohio. He was 22.
Fred Wilson Rowland Jr (1916-1940) drowned on 10 Aug 1940 in the Columbia River about one mile south of Longview, Cowlitz, Washington. It was the fifth drowning in eight days in that area.
Surrounded by Tragic Endings
William Henrich Rohland (1827-1888) escaped a tragic ending for himself, although his death and “burial by the Odd Fellows and Grand Army recall the fact that this has been a peculiarly unfortunate family. Several years ago his brother was killed on the railroad. Shortly afterward his son-in-law, James Hamilton was killed on the Birmingham overhead bridge on the Baltimore & Ohio. Several weeks after that another brother-in-law, named Strebig, was killed in a large wreck, up in the mountains. About two years ago his son Francis Rohland, was killed at the shaft, at Port Royal. Some time ago a niece of his was murdered across the river, the murderer immediately committed suicide. Only a few months since Emmett Rohland, a nephew, was run over and killed near Broadford.”
William King Rowland (1888-1936) was surrounded by tragic endings, culminating in his own death when he was killed in a railway accident in Toledo, Ohio on 28 Aug 1936. Prior to that, William shot and killed John Wesley Hamby on 04 Feb 1910, the first husband of his sister Alice (Rowland) Hamby, thereby ending an argument over farm implements. Then, on 26 Dec 1926, William killed his wife Arie (Alloway) Rowland. He was leaning over to kiss her goodbye as he left for work, and while also holstering his pistol, the pistol fell, discharging the shot that killed his wife.
Died a Hero
William H Rowland (1842-1864), died a hero trying to protect a wagon full of women in Boone County, Missouri. See more in the “Murdered” section above.
Clinton Rowland (1901- 1916) died a hero. Young Clinton Rowland of Cheltenham, Pennsylvania drowned while saving the lives of two strangers from drowning in Tohickon Creek, near Pipersville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Other Accidental Deaths
Jonathan Rowland (1808-1837) was 28 years old when he was killed by a falling tree in Ashland County, Ohio on 09 Feb 1837.
Alfred Evans Rowland (1856-1891) and James Rowlands (1851-1891) were killed by a dynamite blast at the Excelsior Slate Works near Bangor, Pennsylvania. The two men were not related.
John Rowland (1827-1891), a 64-year-old hatter, born in Manchester, Lancashire, England died of injuries after falling from a third-story window in his hat factory in Yonkers, Westchester, New York, United States.
Thomas A Rowland (1841-1891), age 50, died in a sawmill accident in Knox County, Tennessee.
Dr. David Thomas Rowland (1852-1897), age 45, died from a gunshot wound. The gun had accidentally discharged in his buggy while on his way to see a patient in Prince George County, Virginia.
William O Roland (1883-1898), age 15, died in a hunting accident from a gunshot fired by 17-year-old Albert Beck, his neighbor and hunting partner.
Glenn Rowland (1891-1902) was 12 years old, digging a cave in the dirt with his friends in Dawes County, Nebraska when he was suffocated by a cave-in.
George W Roland (1882-1902), age 20, was electrocuted on 11 Sep 1902 in Perry, Iowa while working for the Perry Electric Light & Power Co.
Omer Roland (1883-1905), age 22, was killed when he fell over the dashboard of a stationary buggy while delivering potatoes in Box Butte, Nebraska. The horses were found standing quietly.
Charles Rowland (1889-1907), age 18, lost his life by being crushed to death in Clarke County, Iowa. Rowland was driving a heavy mule team of a heavy stone-hauling wagon which overturned and fell on him.
Ivy Margaret Rowland (1901-1913), died at Salt Lake (Utah) as the result of burns sustained when a can of turpentine caught fire and was spilled on her by a boy who threw the can from a garage.
James Houston Rowland (1877-1917) died from a 40-foot fall in the marble quarry where he worked in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Neal Rowland (1911-1922) was 10 years old when he was accidentally killed on 31 Aug 1922 by his brother while hunting in Morgan County, Ohio.
Joseph M Rowland (1842-1923), age 80, died from a fall out of a pear tree in his yard in Tilghmanton, Washington County, Maryland.
Frank Carl Rowland (1885-1926), age 40, died from a fractured skull in Donna, Hildago County, Texas.
Lossie Wilford Rowland (1896-1927), age 31, passed away on 21 Sep 1927 at Columbus, Franklin, Ohio. He died from a “fracture of the skull caused by being struck by a fragment of a stump when a charge of dynamite exploded at Memorial Park while he was working (accidental).”
Otho Holland Rowland (1925-1930) was only five years old when died from burns received after pouring gasoline on a fire in Annapolis, Maryland.
William L Rowland (1871-1936) burned to death in an oil explosion on 13 Nov 1936 at Mount Vernon, Knox, Ohio.
Curtis Myron Rowland (1879-1937) died from an attack by an angry bear in Cranberry Township, Crawford County, Ohio on 18 Aug 1937.
Millard Roland (1848-1942), died on 12 Mar 1942 in a dynamite blast while helping Jesse James Wheeler clear stumps from his land in Yancey County, North Carolina. Millard, who was born into slavery, was about three weeks short of his 94th birthday.
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