In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1830, Clay county
From History of Ray County, Mo. (1881)
THOMAS CROWLEY.
Thomas Crowley was born in the month of September, 1830, in Clay county, Missouri, and was reared there on a farm. In 1853, he went with a drove of cattle to the state of California, and remained there about two years, returning March 31, 1855. He came to this county and settled on the farm he now owns and occupies, in 1857. He owns a fine farm of five hundred and forty-two acres, five hundred acres of which are under good fence, and the greater part in cultivation. He has a comfortable, well arranged dwelling house, and a fine bearing orchard. Mr. Crowley was married in this county, in the month of October, 1857, to Miss Susan Nelson, by Rev. Hardy Holman. She is the daughter of Joshua and Henrietta Nelson, natives of Alabama, and was born in this county, December 20, 1839. Mr. and Mrs. Crowley became the parents of the following named children: Fanny, born November 14, 1858; John, born May 7, 1862; Robert, January —, 1864; Kate, born January —, 1866; Mollie, born January —, 1868; Thomas P., born January 12, 1873; Susan M., born February —, 1875; Cappy, born June 25, 1877; James H., born November 9, 1880; John died October 13, 1861, and one in infancy. Mr. Crowley is a member of the M. E. Church South, and an active supporter of religion. He is a very prosperous farmer and stock-raiser, and a public spirited and influential citizen.
As printed in History of Ray County, Mo. (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Their biographies name Thomas Crowley: John Crowley (b. 1828)
The printed record stops around 1881. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.