Andrew is one of the older sons of Alexander McDowell. Alexander (died 1799) seems to have arrived in South Carolina in 1767 with several sons and one daughter. I don't know if Alexander's first wife survived the journey across the ocean or if she even began it. In Alexander's will he names his wife Jane as one of his heirs. Alexander and Jane had two sons named Smith and Alexander who were not yet 21 in 1793 when Alexander wrote his will. Therefore, Jane was young enough to be bearing children in the 1770's.
Andrew and his brother, James, may be the oldest children; they both enlisted in the Revolutionary War on 27 March 1776 and both were discharged on 1 June 1777. They were in the 6th Regt., South Carolina.
The McDowell's received Bounty Land for coming to South Carolina. They received their precepts from John Troup, Esq., on 28 May 1767. James received a plat for 100 acres on Little River. Andrew received 100 acres on Wateree Creek, and his brother William received his 100 acres on Poplar Hill Branch.The father, Alexander, received 200 acres in bounty land.
The other members of the family who came to South Carolina are Elizabeth and Hugh, who may have been born in the 1760's. The three older sons (James, Andrew and William) were probably born in the 1750's. Andrew's son, John, was born about 1775 and John had his daughter Elizabeth in 1795.
In the 1800 Census of Fairfield County, South Carolina, Andrew has a young son who is under 10 and another boy who is 10-15. (His son John is married and has 2 little girls.) Andrew has 3 little girls born between 1790 and 1800 and 2 women between 16 and 24 in his house. I believe the 2 youngest girls are the children of his second wife, Mary McKeown. They are named Margaret and Jane. I do not know the names of sons who live with him in 1800.
