A BRIEF
GENEALOGICAL
HISTORY
OF
ARTHUR, HENRY, AND JOHN HOWLAND,
AND THEIR
DESCENDANTS,
OF THE
UNITED STATES AND CANADA.
TOGETHER WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE EFFORTS
MADE IN ENGLAND TO LEARN OF THEIR
ENGLISH ANCESTRY, ETC.
BY
FRANKLYN HOWLAND.
FIRST EDITION
NEW BEDFORD, MASS.:
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR.
1885
THE PILGRIM HOWLANDS.
The original Howlands in America were Arthur (1,) Henry (85,) and John. The last was one of the Mayflower's number, and the others appeared in Plymouth colony in the early days of the settlement, but how, and from what place they came, the writer has been unable to ascertain, after much and patient research. This article will refer to what has been learned in relation to them in England. The records in this country show that Henry and Arthur were brothers, and my belief has been, from the commencement of this work, that John held the same relation to the other two. This assumption has been greatly strengthened, but has not yet become a fact fully established by record evidence. Considerable money and labor have been expended to learn from positive evidence just the line and social history of their ancestry, their relationship to each other, how, when and from whence they came, etc., but nothing definite on these points has been ascertained.
In the book entitled "Result of some Researches among the British Archives for information relative to the Founders of New England, made in the years 1858, 1859 and 1860," by Samuel G. Drake, of Boston, we read that "whoever goes to England expecting to find the genealogy of any particular family settled in New England at an early day, is pretty sure, in at least nine cases out of ten, to meet with disappointment. * * * For the descendant of a New England emigrant to find his ancestor among the nobility or landed gentry of the period of the emigration, is about as certain as it would be to find him among those classes of the present day! As the great body of emigrants to New England took no pains to transmit to their descendants any account of their ancestors, or even the places whence they came, it is pretty evident that they had nothing to expect from the one, or any special regard for the other. * * * Parish registers seldom indicate any connection with the so-called higher classes."
Extra efforts on this line of investigation were made in 1879, when Col. Joseph L. Chester, a barrister and noted antiquarian of London, was employed to make a thorough search of English records, and endeavor to solve these vexed problems. The result of his labors was duly communicated and no clearer abstract can be made of his letters than that made by Mr. L. M. Howland, as follows:
(*)"Col. Chester's investigations show that the surname Howland is found in no other county in England than Essex, and originally in no other locality in that county except at Newport, Wicken, and their immediate vicinity.
"At the period of the Pilgrim Howland's birth, there were living there contemporaneously several distinct families of the name, who were all in some way connected.
"The head of the line was,
"John Howland of Newport Pond in the county of Essex, whose will was proved 12th of April, 1550. His son John2 Howland, the citizen and salter, has been already mentioned, born in Newport Pond, married Agnes, daughter of John Greenway of Winton, co. Norfolk. His brother Ralph became distinguished as an alderman of London and Master of the Grocers' Company. John2 Howland, the citizen and salter, had eleven sons, and one daughter who died an infant.
"Several of his sons attained eminence, the most notable of whom were:
"The Right Reverend Richard3 Howland, eldest son, Bishop of Peterborough, a painting of whom is extant, and has been photographed. John3 Howland of London, second son, baptized 10th of August, 1541, and buried in the church of St. Mary's, Middlesex. He married Emme, daughter of Nicholas Revell, citizen and grocer of London.
"His son John4 Howland is the one which has been hitherto considered as identical with John Howland of the
Mayflower; but as Mr. Chester conclusively proves, the former died unmarried and was buried in England.
"The seventh son, Sir Giles3 Howland, in 1599 bought large estates in Surrey, and although his descendants were numerous, they eventually left no male issue; this was also the case with the progeny of his brothers.
"The second family of Howland is traced back to John1 Howland of the Stone, of Wicken, co. Essex; living in 1496, but who died after 1509.
"Of his son John2 Howland nothing is known but that he named his youngest child John3 Howland. This John3 was married at Newport to Blanche, daughter of William Nightingale, gentleman. Had four sons and three daughters.
"The youngest child, Jeffrey4 Howland, a posthumous son, was baptized in Newport 29th July, 1593. He became a citizen and grocer of London, and afterwards succeeded to the Streatham estates of Sir Giles Howland, of the family previously mentioned, to whom he was closely related, as not only this fact proves, but also the constant mention of him as 'cousin' in the wills of the other line. The family of Jeffrey Howland culminating in an heiress, these vast estates passed into the hands of the Duke of Bedford by the marriage of Wrotherly 2d Duke to Elizabeth 'only daughter and heir.' The property was so considerable that this nobleman was induced to seek and obtain the title of Baron Howland, which the present representative of the family still bears.
"There was then a third contemporaneous John Howland, called 'of the Wood, in Wicken,' evidently to distinguish him from the others, but of him the London records reveal nothing.
"A fourth John Howland, designated as 'husbandman, having children baptized at Newport from 1576 to certainly 1588, is also to be mentioned as being of a separate family. His history and that of his children can only be had by reference to the Newport registers.
"A certain Rohert Howland, buried in Debden, Essex
23d Nov. 1616, had a son named John who was living at Newport in 1616."
Just at the close of his investigations, the funds with which he was furnished having been expended, he opens up another family of Howlands, consisting of the following sons: Humphrey, citizen and draper of London, whose will was proved July 10th, 1646; George of St. Dunstan's in the East, London; also Arthur, John, and Henry. These last three brothers, in the order named above, were to receive by Humphrey's will, dated 28th May, 1646, œ8, œ4, œ4, out of the debt "due to the testator (Humphrey) by Mr. Ruck of New England." Col. Chester made no further progress, the Great Reaper cutting him down soon after he reached this interesting point in his valuable researches; but it is evident that he had caught a glimpse of the family from which came the noble trio whose courage, grand convictions of religious duty, and fearless support of the right, should inspire in their descendants an emulation of these virtues.(*)
There is quite convincing proof that our American ancestors were the Arthur, John, and Henry, these brothers, from the fact that records of Plymouth show that Arthur, the first mentioned in the will, was the eldest of the three; and perhaps the stronger evidence is that John Ruck was living in Salem, Mass., at this time. Savage refers to him as "John Ruck of Salem, s. of Thomas, b. in England about 1627." He was made a freeman of Massachusetts, Plymouth Colony, in 1640; kept a tavern in Salem in 1663; was a "selectman" of that town in 1686; represented it in the General Court in 1685-9. In Fell's Annals of Salem is this
(*) The death of the distinguished genealogist and antiquarian, Col. Joseph L. Chester, LL. D., D. C. L.,
of London, was a great loss to us here in America, and the New England Genealogical Society feeling this deeply, and the necessity of sending some one to England to prosecute the systematic research of English records, chose a committee of their directors to provide for this work. This committee consists of John T. Hassam, James W. Austin and John Ward Dean, with Charles A. Drew clerk. They have sent into the field Henry F. Waters, whose "gleanings" are published in the Genealogical Register. This committee has kindly requested Mr. Waters to communicate to the writer anything that may come under his notice that will throw light on our English ancestry.
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1659. A grist-mill is allowed on
South River, above Mr. Ruck's house."
It is plain that Mr. John Ruck
owed œ16 to Humphrey Howland, who willed it to his brothers then at Plymouth.
George Howland's estate was administered upon by Annie Howland, widow of his
brother Humphrey, July 11, 1646. She was also the executrix of the estate of
her husband. She was buried at Barking, county of Essex, 20th Dec. 1653. Her
will was dated 10th Dec. 1653, proved 22d Nov. 1654, by William Courtoyse, to
whom she left considerable legacies.
Doubtless these sturdy lads were
of the pilgrim band that had their headquarters for a while at Scrooby in
England, and in the Spring of 1608 went to Amsterdam, where they remained a
year, when most of them removed to Leyden, twenty-two miles distant. Here they
remained till they emigrated to New England. About one hundred persons composed
the band at Amsterdam, and their numbers increased at Leyden till the number
that left Holland for New England before 1630 was three hundred or more. One
hundred and two came in the Mayflower in 1620; thirty-six in the Fortune in
1621; sixty in the James and Anne in 1623; thirty-five, with their families, in
the old Mayflower in 1629; and sixty in the Handmaiden in 1630.
Their social life in England is
almost wholly unknown to the historian, but "it is fair to presume, with
all the evidence before us, that the pilgrim community in Leyden was made up of
members representing all the different classes of English life, outside of the
circle of noble families, bound together by a common religious faith, regardless
of those differences in education, culture and social standing, which were
insignificant indeed in comparison with their real bond of union. It was
doubtless this disregard of social distinctions, forced on them by the
necessities of their situation, which planted in their hearts that democratic
seed which at a later day germinated and grew in the soil of New England. It
was the life of labor, too, led by them in Holland,
which hardened their hands for
the duties and hardships of a life in the wilderness, and which developed in
their natures those capacities for practical, economical and thrifty work,
without which their attempt at colonization would have been a failure."(*)
Hunter, an eminent English
writer, says of this people: "The Pilgrims, too, came of an excellent
stock. The soundest, if not the noblest blood, flowed in their veins. Their
leaders were men of conduct and education, and the commoner sort possessed the
best of national characteristics, the firm, dauntless courage, persevering energy,
the practical good sense that distinguished the Anglo-Saxon race. Such
qualities, exalted by religion, enabled them to triumph over the severest
trials, and to lay the foundation of a mighty nation." These were the
words of an Englishman, and not an American.
As stated elsewhere, no link
connecting our family with royalty or titled blood in the mother country has
yet been found, and may never be, but our forefathers possessed what was of
more value to us than a patent of nobility, the "articles of indenture"
drawn up and signed in the cabin of the Mayflower. As we recall this grand
"compact," let us not forget the "high aims, the pure motives,
the severe trials, the exhausting labors, the noble characters of the fathers
of New England," and let them govern our lives.
Some of the readers of this may
not be familiar with the early struggles and hardships of these pioneers, and
it may not be amiss to make some reference to them here.
For three years the colonists
labored together, sharing in common the proceeds of their toils. This plan,
apparently, was not successful, or at least satisfactory, some exerting
themselves to their utmost for the welfare of the party, and others were lax in
their efforts to this end. The season of 1623 was one of great distress and
famine, and it was deemed necessary to devise some way of increasing the crops
and providing for any emergency that might come. "So they begane to think
how they might raise as much corne as they could, and obtaine a better crope
then they had done, that they might not still thus languish in miserie. At
length, after much debate of things, the Governor (with the advise of the
cheefest amongst them) gave way that they should set corne every man for his
owne perticuler, and in that regard trust to themselves; in all other things to
goe on in the generall way as before. And so assigned to every family a parcell
of land, according to the proportion of their number for that end, only for
present use, (but made no devision for inheritance,) and ranged all boys &
youth under some familie. This had a very good success; for it made all hands
very industrious, so as much more corne was planted than other waise would have
bene by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great
deall of trouble, and gave far better contente. The women now wente willingly
into the field, and took their little-ons with them to set corne, which before
would aledg weakness and inabilitie: whom to have compelled would have been
thought great tiranie and oppression."
Truly this was an emphatic
violation of their contract, but it was born of a glaring necessity which
compelled them the following year to infringe upon it still further. The next
Spring "they [the colony] begane now highly to prise corne as more pretious
then silver, and those that had some to spare begane to trade one with another
for small things, by the quarte, potle & peck, &c.: for money they had
none, and if any had, corne was prefered before it. That they might therefore
encrease their tillage to better advantage, they made suite to the Governor to
have some portion of land given them for continuance, and not by yearly lotte,
for by that means that which the more industrious had brought into good culture
(by such pains) one year, came to leave it the next, and after another might
enjoy it; so as the dressing of their lands were the more sleighted over &
to lese profite. Which being well considered, their request was granted. And to
every person was given only one acre of land, to them and theirs, as nere the
towne as might be, and they had no more till the 7 years were expired."
This plan necessitated a
division and allotment of land, in which John Howland received four acres
situated on what is now known as Watson's Hill. The next year (1624) the colony
numbered one hundred and eighty, and the two hundred acres divided among them
was probably largely tilled by them.
Up to this time they had no
cattle of any description, and consequently one of the luxuries they had to
forego was milk. This want was soon provided for, however. In 1623, while in
the straitened circumstances for food referred to, they sent Mr. Winslow to
England in the Anne, to "informe of all things and procure such things as
were thought needfull for their present condition." He returned in the
Charity the following year with a quantity of the necessities of life,
including "3 heifers & a bull, the first beginning of any cattle of
that kind in the land." From the records it is safe to infer they brought
goats, swine and poultry, in the first vessels. The stock was held in common by
the company till 1627, when the cows and goats were divided, "a cowe to 6
persons or shares & 2 goats to the same, which was first equalized for age
and goodnes, and then lotted for; single persons consorting with others as they
thought good, and smaler familys likwise; and swine, though more in number, yet
by the same rule."
By thrift and perseverance they
gained strength, enlarged their borders, and prepared a nucleus for a civil and
religious structure that is now doubtless nearer God's ideal of one than any
upon his round earth. In all this, none took a more active, conscientious part,
than Arthur, Henry, and John Howland.
The names of these supposed
brothers have heretofore, in this work, been written in alphabetical order, for
the reason that there is no knowledge of the order of their birth; though if
the ones mentioned in Humphrey's will are the pilgrim brothers, they are
probably referred to there in the order of their birth. For the same reason Arthur's
family record will be given first, and this will be followed by Henry's and
John's.
THE RELIGIOUS SECT OF THE PILGRIM
HOWLANDS.
John Howland, of the Mayflower,
held to the original faith of the Puritans during his life, and was a
consistent member of the Orthodox church till his death.(*) Arthur
(1) and Henry (85) were Quakers.(+) Most of their descendants for
many generations were, and many of them at the present time are members of the
Friends' society, and those who are not can name Quaker ancestors. On the other
hand, no descendant of John1 has been found who was of that sect. These facts
have aided greatly in indicating the branch to which a family belonged. No
religious denomination has had more Howland members than the Friends' society,
and this leads to a little notice of their relation to it.
The Plymouth colonists were very
bitter towards the Quakers, and stringent laws were made punishing their
refusal to contribute towards the support of the ministry of the colonial
church, holding meetings after their form, and entertaining their travelling
brethren.?? This resistance led
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(*) Rev. John Cotton took charge of the church
at Plymouth in 1667. His salary was to be œ80?? |
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(+) The sect originated in 1647, in England.
Its founder was George Fox, a man of great sim?? |
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?? The Quaker never would pay tithes; never
yielded to any human law which traversed his co?? |
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to the severest persecution of
this people: arrests, fines, seizures of property, imprisonments, etc., which
naturally made Plymouth a very undesirable place for them to reside. Rhode
Island had the reputation of being what it very largely was, as it claimed to
be, a place "with full liberty of religious concernments." They
naturally turned their footsteps in this direction, and many of them found a
home in Old Dartmouth, on the very borders of that State of Liberty.
Four of the six grandsons of
Henry settled here: Nathaniel (91,) Benjamin (92,) Henry (94,) Nicholas (95);
another, Daniel (93,) in Tiverton, R. I., the adjoining town to the west; and
his son Samuel (89) in Freetown, joining Dartmouth on the north. These were all
Quakers. They soon built a house of worship, calling it, from the Indian name
of the locality, the "Apponegansett Meeting House."(*) A
much larger one stands on the same spot to-day.
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(*) The following is from the Meeting Records:
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The Plymouth authorities
apportioned to each town not only a province tax, but one to support the
colonial ministers. The Dartmouth Quakers, and Baptists as well, gladly paid
the former, but were inclined to resist the latter.(*) This was
the chief obstacle they met here to the full enjoyment of their religious
freedom. Threats, indictments and imprisonments of the authorities of
Dartmouth occurred year after year. The following entry is in the Dartmouth
Friends' records: "20, 10, 1708. Deliverance
Smith, Selectman and Assessor of Dartmouth, was arrested and confined at the
county goal at Bristol for refusing to assess the œ60 tax." The Friends' ministers
received no salary, and the Dartmouth people apparently took advantage of
this fact. Each town elected its own minister, and for his support the tax
was levied. At a town meeting here 28th 3d mo., 1723, "Nathaniel Howland
was chosen minister for sd Towne, 55 votes for Nathaniel Howland, 12 votes
for Samuel Hunt."(+) Nathaniel3 was a grandson of Henry (85,)
a Friends' minister, and very popular; Samuel Hunt was the Presbyterian
minister, and preached at the "Precinct Meeting House," which stood
just east of Acushnet village, in the same town. The Dartmouth people then
could claim that they had no salaried minister, which justified them in not
paying the church rates. But this did not satisfy the Plymouth dignitaries,
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and they continued to forcibly
collect the tax. Dartmouth voted squarely the next year not to raise the œ100
church rates, but promptly raised œ700 to pay the expense of resisting the
collecting of them by the Plymouth authorities, the selectmen to be allowed a
per diem for the time they were in jail for refusing to comply with the Court
Order. Two of them were in the Bristol county jail eighteen months, and were
released then by an order from the King of England annulling the act of the
General Court. This was the crisis, and the practice was soon ended.
Their hatred of war was and
still is intense. An entry in the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting records, 19th 1
mo., 1750, says that Barnabas Howland, a g. g. s. of Henry (85,) had been in
prison twelve months for refusing to go to war.(*)
The town of Dartmouth, until
1787, comprised what is now the city of New Bedford and towns of Dartmouth,
Westport, Fairhaven, and Acushnet, and the stanch pioneer Howlands contributed
largely toward laying a good social, political, and religious foundation here.
Their posterity has been large, many of them settling in these towns, so that
this locality is called the "Mecca of the Howlands." There are
ninety-six Howland names in the New Bedford city directory for 1884.
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(*) Some idea of the feeling and unanimity of
the Friends on these and other points may be gained |
COAT OF ARMS.
The thought has been cherished
by many of our name in America that we descended from a family made royal by
having been granted a coat of arms by Queen Elizabeth. It appears on English
records that there was born at Newport Ponds, probably between 1515 and 1518,
early in the reign of Henry VIII, a John Howland who afterwards was a
"citizen and salter" of London. He married Agnes, daughter of John
Greenway, of Clay, Norfolk county. The issue of this marriage was eleven sons
and one daughter. The eldest son, Richard, was a doctor of divinity, and was
made Bishop of Peterborough.(*) To him was granted family arms, a
fac-simile of which is the frontispiece of this work. The grant, as recorded in
the Herald's college, Bennett's Hill, London, reads as follows:
"The Arms were confirmed to
Richard Howland, D. D., son and heir of John Howland of London, Gent., and
allowed to him, and all the posterity of John Howland, father of the said
Richard, under the hand and seal of Robert Cooke, Clarencieux King of Arms, by
patent dated 10th June, 1584. Act 27, Elizabeth."
It was believed that the
Howlands of America could be traced back to this distinguished and highly
honored family; but the family, by careful and accurate research, has recently
been traced to extinction in England by Col. Chester, as heretofore stated.
Col. Chester drops this crumb of comfort, however: "I am persuaded that
these and the emigrant Howlands came from the same stock."
The original painting from which
the engravings of the
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(*) Benjamin J. Howland, a descendant of John,
gave the matter of his pedigree a good deal of attention. |
Howland coat of arms in this
country were made is in water colors, highly ornamented, and the following
description of it is handsomely engrossed under the arms:
"He beareth Sable, two bars
Argent, on a chief of the second three Lions rampant of the first, and for his
Crest on a wreath of his colors a Lion passant Sable,
By the name of Howland."
Tradition says this was brought from England soon after the Mayflower came. In 1865 it was in possession of Rev. T. Howland White, of Shelburne, Nova Scotia. He was a grandson of Gideon White, whose wife was Joanna, daughter of John2 Howland, son of the pilgrim. From writing on the back of it, it was once in possession of Gen. Winslow, a descendant of John1 Howland.
NUMBERS AND ABBREVIATIONS.
The arrangement of this record
for tracing a line of ancestry or of descendants will be readily understood. It
is the best method in use. The figures to the left of the names of the children
refer forward to the corresponding numbers in the centre of a line over a
biographical sketch of the person, there indicating the family of which he is
the father, and the latter refers backward to the former. The figures at the
left of the head of a family correspond with those in the centre of the line at
the head of the family from which he came. These render it easy to trace the
lines of ancestry and descent.
The abbreviations need no
explanation. They are freely used to economize space. In every instance where
no state is mentioned after the name of a town or county, that town or county
is in the state of Massachusetts. The omission is made in the work and the
explanation given here to save repetition, so very many of the towns are in
Massachusetts. In copying from old records, and in every other instance where
it was known that the Old Style of reckoning was used, the dates have been
translated to New Style.(*) The number, instead of the name of the
month, is used, being preceded by the day of the month.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.
It was the desire of the writer
to present to the reader sketches of the lives of very many of the male persons
named in these pages, and especially of the heads of families. This favor was
requested in the circulars of inquiry; the meagreness of the responses in most
cases can be readily seen, and will be regretted.
In very few cases has anything
been furnished regarding pedigree of wives, which is also to be regretted.
The preparation of this work
would have gone on more rapidly but for the great disability of the writer from
army service, preventing his doing but little such work at a time, and
compelling the employment of an amanuensis.
It was the intention to publish
only the number of copies subscribed for, as it is an expense and risk to carry
a surplus. Friends, however, have urged the publication of more than that
number of copies, and their advice has been yielded to, more to accommodate
others than for profit to the writer. Until, then, the supply is exhausted,
which may not be in many months or years, copies may be had by addressing the
author at New Bedford, Bristol county, Mass.
Errors may be found in the
following records, and some dates incorrect.(+) This is not
surprising when one knows that the date of a person's birth, for instance, in
two different towns, is not the same in every case; and three or four
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(*) Town records are indicated by T. R.,
Friends' records by F. R., Probate records by P. R., Land |
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(+) There may be a supplement to this work
issued some day, and in view of this fact the writer |
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SECTION FOURTH.
JOHN HOWLAND AND HIS
DESCENDANTS.
John Howland was the second
mentioned in Humphrey's will, and the thirteenth name on the list of forty-one
persons who signed the memorable compact,(*) or
"combination," as Bradford calls it, in the cabin of the Mayflower in
"Cape Codd Harbor," on the 21st of November, 1620, is that of young
John Howland. At this time he was 28 years of age, and, according to Prince,
was a member of Governor "Carver's family." How this came to be is
unexplained by any of the early writers, but it is probable that Carver saw
elements in his character which led him to supply young Howland's wants when
they left England, and caused him to be considered one of his family. That he
possessed sound judgment and business capacity is shown by the active duties
which he assumed, and the trust which was reposed in him in all the early
labors in establishing a settlement. He had a grand part to perform in the
sublime work of laying the foundation of a government which has stood for two
and a half centuries, and has had no equal since governments existed. For this
the Everlasting Arm was underneath him in the hour of danger, when he came near
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(*) This celebrated document reads as follows: |
drowning on his voyage to the
New World. Gov. Bradford, referring to the storms the Mayflower passed through
on her first voyage,(*) writes:
In sundrie of these stormes the
winds were so feirce, and ye seas so high, as they could not beare a knote of
saile, but were forced to hull for diverce days togither And in one of them, as
they lay thus at hull, in a mightie storme, a lustie yonge man (called John
Howland) coming upon some occasion above ye grattings, was, with a seele of ye
shipe throwne into [ye] sea; but it pleased God yt he caught hould of ye
top-saile halliards which hunge over board, and rane out at length; yet he hild
his hould (though he was sundrie fadomes under water) till he was hald up by ye
same rope to ye brime of ye water, and then with a boat hooke and other means
got into ye ship againe, and his life was saved; and though he was some thing
ill with it, yet he lived many years after, and become a profitable member both
in church and commone wealth.
While the Mayflower was yet in
Cape Cod Harbor, ten of her "principal men," including John, were
"sente out" in a boat manned by eight sailors, to select a place to
establish a longed-for home for the weary band. A storm drove them into
Plymouth harbor, and Plymouth was selected as the place of settlement.
The first mention made of John
in the old Plymouth colony records is in a list of "freemen," and the
third in number in the governor's "cowncell" of seven members. In
1633 he was an assessor, and his tax amounted to 18 shillings; in 1634 an
assessor, and tax œ1 4s. In 1635 the council of Gov. Bradford was composed of
such eminent persons as "Mr Thomas Prince, Mr Edward Winslowe, Mr John
Alden, Mr Steuen Hopkins, Captayne Miles Standish, Mr William Collier,"
together with "Mr John Howland,"(+) who had occupied the
same honorable position two previous years. In 1636 we find him serving on a
"jewry," which he frequently did. He was "celect-man" of
Plymouth in
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(*) The Mayflower came to America again with
passengers in 1629, "Wm. Peirse Mr." |
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(+) Hutchinson, in his History of Massachusetts
Bay, says: "The first settlers of the Old Colony, |
1666, and chosen deputy of the
same town in 1652-56, '58, '61, '63, '66, '67, '70. His election in 1670, June
2d, was the last time he permitted his name to be used in a candidacy for
public office, being nearly eighty years of age.
Besides these public positions
of honor and trust bestowed upon him, he was very often selected to lay out and
appraise land, to run out highways, settle disputes arising from various
causes, and on committees of every description. He was not only full of zeal
for the temporal welfare of the colony, but gave powerful encouragement to a
high standard of morals and religion; so much so that he is recorded as "a
godly man and an ancient professor in the ways of Christ." It is shown
that he was active in this work, for Gov. Bradford writes that he became
"a profitable member both in church and commone wealth"; and it
appears that at the ordination of John Cotton, Jr., in 1667, John Howland
"was appointed by the church to join in the imposition of hands."
The colonists had a trading post(*)
on the Kennebec river, in Maine, and young Howland was intrusted with the
management of the colonists' interest there. Once, when there, he had a
personal encounter with one John Hocking,(+) who attempted to trade
within the limits of the Plymouth patent. The spirit in which this encroachment
was resisted by Howland may be learned from the following deposition, copied
from the records of Plymouth colony:
PLYMOUTH, 1634. Prenc Governor.
This deponent saieth, that upon the--day of April, John Hocking riding at anker
within our limitts above the howse, Mr. John Howland went up to him wth owr
bark and charged the said Hocking to weigh his ankcors and depart, who answered
hee would not, wth foule speeches, demanding whie he spake not to him that sent
him fourth. Answere was mad by John Howland that the last yeare a boat was
sent,
|
(*) The Indian name of this place was Cushmoc.
Here the colonists of New Plymouth established |
|
(+) Hocking belonged to a plantation on the
Kennebec river, and by going up the river above the |
having no other business, to
know whether it was theire mind that hee should thus wronge us in our trade;
who returned answer they sent him not hether, and therefore Mr Howland tould
him that hee should not now suffer him ther to ride. John Hocking demannded
what he would doe, whether he would shout; Mr Howland answered no, but he would
put him from thence. John Hocking said and swore he would not shoot, but swore
iff we came abord him he would send us (???) Thus passing by him we came to an
anker sumthing nere his barke. Mr Howland bid three of his men goe cutt his
cable whose names weare John Frish, Thomas Savory and William Rennoles, who
prsently cut one, but were put by the other by the strength of the streme. Mr
Howland seeing they could not well bring the cannow to the other cable, caled
him a bord, and bed Moses Talbott goe wth them, who accordingly went very
reddyly and brough the canow to Hockings cable. He being on deck came with a
carbine and a pistole in his hand and prsently prsented his peece at Thomas
Savory; but the canow wth the tide was put nere the bow of the bark, wch
Hocking seeing prsently put his peece almost to Moyses Talbotts head, wch Mr
Howland seeing caled to him desiering him not to shut his man, but to take
himselfe for his mark; saying his men did but that which he commaunded them,
and therefore desiered him not to hurt any of them. If any wrong was don it was
himselfe that did it, and therfore caled again to him to take him for his
marke, saying he stod very fayer; but Hocking would nut hear nor looke towards
owr barke, but prsently shooteth Moyses in the head, and prsently took up his
pistell in his hand, but the Lord stayed him from doing any further hurt, by a
shot from owr barke, himself was presently shoote dead, being shott neere the
same place in the head wher he had murderously shot Moyses.
He lived at what was called
Rocky Nook. He died 23, 2, 1672, O. S. (1673, N. S.) The following is a
verbatim copy of his will, which was exhibited to the court held at Plymouth,
March 5th, 1673, and copied from the Old Colony records by the writer.
WILL OF JOHN HOWLAND.
The Last Will and testament of
Mr John Howland of Plymouth, late deceased, exhibited to the Court held att
Plymouth the fifth day of March Anno: Dom 1672 on the oath of Mr Samuel Fuller
and Mr William Crow as followith:
Know all men to whom these
presents shall Come that I, John Howland sen'r, of the town of New Plymouth, in
the Colony of New Plymouth in New England in America, this twenty ninth day of
May one thousand six hundred seventy and two being of whole mind and in Good
and Perfect Memory and Remembrance praised be God; being now Grown aged;
haueing many infeirmities of body vpon mee; and not knowing how soon God will
call mee out of this world, doe make and ordaine these presents to be my
testament containing heerin my last Will in manor and forme following:
Imp I will and bequeath my body
to the dust, and my soule to God that gaue it, in hopes of a joyful
Resurrection vnto glory; and as concerning my temporall estate, I dispose
therof as followeth
Item I doe giue and bequeath
vnto John Howland my eldest sonne besides what lands I haue alreddy giuen him,
all my Right and interest to that one hundred acrees of land granted mee by the
Court, lying on the eastern side of Taunton River, between Titicutt and
Taunton, bounds and all the appurtenantes and priviledges therevnto belonging,
to belonge to him and his heires and assignes forever; And if that tract should
faile, then to haue all my Right, title and Interest by and in that Last Court
graunt to mee, in any other place, to belonge to him his heires and assigns
forever;
Item I giue and bequeath vnto my
son, Jabez Howland, all those my vpland and Meadows that I now posesse att
Satuckett and Paomett, and places adjacent, with all the appurtenances and
privilidges, belonging therevnto, and all my right title and interest therin,
to belonge to him, his heires and assignes forever,
Item I giue and bequeath vnto my
son, Jabez Howland all that my one peece of land that I haue lying on the
southsyde of the Mill: brook, in the towne of Plymouth, aforsaid; be it more or
lesse, and is on the northsye of a tract that is now Gyles Richards, sen., to
belonge to the said Jabez his heires and assignes forever,
Item I giue and bequeath vnto
Isack Howland my youngest sonne all those my vplands and meddowes devided and
undivided with all the appurtenances and privilidges vnto them belonging lying
and being in the towne of Middlebery, and in a tract of Land called the Majors
purchase, neare Namassakett Ponds; which I haue bought and purchased of William
White, of Marshfield, in the collonie of New Plymouth; which may or shall
appeer by any deed or writing that is Giuen vnder the said White's hand all
such deeds or writinges together with the aforemensioned peticular & to
belonge to the said Isack, his heires and assignes forever,
Item I giue and bequeath vnto my
said son, Isack Howland, the one half of my twelve acree lott of Meddow that I
now haue att Winnetussett River within the towne of Plymouth, aforsaid to
belonge to him the said Isack Howland his heires and assignes forever.
Item I Will and bequeath vnto my
deare and louing wif Elizabeth Howland the vse and benifitt of my now dwelling
house in Rockey Nook in the township of Plymouth aforesaid, with the outhousing
lands, that is vplands and meddow lands, and all appurtenances and privilidges
therevnto belonging in the towne of Plymouth and all other lands housings and
meddows that I haue in said towne of Plymouth, excepting what meddow and vpland
I haue before given to my sonnes Jabez and Isack Howland during her naturall
life, to injoy make vse of and improve for her benifitt and comfort;
Item I giue and bequeath to my
son, Joseph Howland after the decase of my louing wife Elizabeth Howland my
aforsaid dwelling house at Rocky nook together with all the out housing vplands
and meddowes appurtenances and privilidges belonging thervnto; and all other
housing vplands and meddowes that I haue within the aforsaid towne of New
Plymouth excepting what lands and meddowes I haue before Given to my two
sonnes, Jabez and Isack to belonge to him the said Joseph Howland to him and
his heires and assignes forever;
Item I giue and bequeath vnto my
daughter, Desire Gorham, twenty shillings.
Item I giue and bequeath vnto my
daughter, Hope Chipman, twenty shillings.
Item I giue and bequeath vnto my
daughter Elizabeth Dickenson, twenty shillings
Item I giue and bequeath vnto my
daughter, Lydia Brown, twenty shillings.
Item I giue and bequeath to my
daughter, Hannah Bosworth, twenty shillings.
Item I giue and bequeath vnto my
daughter, Ruth Cushman, twenty shillings.
Item I giue to my grandchild
Elizabeth Howland the daughter of my son John Howland twenty shillings.
Item my will is that these
legacies Giuen to my daughters, be payd by my executrix in such space as shee
thinketh meet.
Item I will and bequeath vnto my
louing wife Elizabeth Howland, my debts and legacys being first payd, my whole
estate, viz: lands, houses goods, chattels, or any thinge else that belongeth
or appertaineth vnto mee, undisposed of be it either in Plymouth, Duxburrow,
Middlebery or any other place whatsoever, I do freely and absolutely giue and
bequeath to my deare and louing wife Elizabeth Howland whom I do by these
presents, make ordaine and constitute to be the sole executrix of this my Last
will and Testament to see the same truely and faithfully pformed according to
the tenour therof; In witness wherof I the said John Howland, senior, haue
heervnto sett my hand and seale the aforsaid twenty ninth day of May, one
thousand six hundred seventy and two 1672.
JOHN HOWLAND
Signed and sealed And a [seale]
in the presence of
SAMUEL FULLER,
WILLIAM CROW.
The house now standing in
Plymouth most nearly associated with the pilgrims, is what is known as
"the Carver house," on Sandwich street. It was originally a six or
eight feet post house, but the old rafters indicate that the roof has been
raised three times, and it is now quite modern in appearance. The house was
erected by Jacob Mitchell, probably between 1665 and 1670, as he married in
1666 and bought the lot in 1667. He sold it to Jabez2 Howland, undoubtedly
before his father's death, and it is not too much to believe that the aged
pilgrims, John1 and his wife, were entertained beneath its roof. The main room
of the old house remains in nearly its original condition, and if its walls could
speak they could repeat the words of John1 and Elizabeth.
It is not known where in
Plymouth John was buried, as no stone marked the spot. The earliest burials
were on Cole's Hill, but they were discontinued there and commenced on Burial
Hill a long time before John died. His immediate descendants were buried here,
and the presumption
is that they were laid beside
their ancestor. Act?? upon this, a headstone(*) was placed here in
1836, to John's memory. The expense was borne by his descendants. The venerable
Dr. James Thatcher, one of John's descendants, attended to the putting of it in
place.
The writings of Gov. Prince
place John Howland as a member of Gov. Carver's family, as stated above, from
the time they left England, and Bradford speaks of him as Gov. Carver's
servant.(+) The general belief for many years was that John married
a daughter of Gov. Carver, till records ??e found which showed that Carver had
no daughter. ??ver's family originally consisted of eight persons,--him??f, his
wife Katharine, John Howland, Desire Minter, ??an servant" Roger Wilder,
"the boy" Jasper More, ??e boy" William Latham, and "the
servant maid." ??ver died in April, 1621, and his wife died in May, 1621.
??ger died before Carver, the "maid servant" died in a ??r or two,
and Jasper died Dec. 6, 1621; so that all that ??e left were Howland, Desire,
and William. The discov?? of Bradford's manuscript proved the tradition that
Howland married a daughter of Gov. Carver to be erroneous, and that he married
Elizabeth, daughter of John Tilly, who, with his wife, died before Carver and
his wife did. This sad circumstance, together with the death of her uncle
Edward the first Winter, left Elizabeth an orphan 14 years of age, and it is
not at all improbable that Governor and Mrs. Carver, whose hearts seemed to be
asylums for the friendless, called her to them to comfort them in their last
hours. Again, the fact that in the division of land in 1623,
|
(*) The following inscription is on the stone: |
|
|
(+) This word should not be used in a menial
sense. It indicated, doubtless, that John cast his lot |
|
??ur acres were assigned to John
Howland, when me acre was allotted to each person, led to the firm bolief by
many that he was married before he left England, and at this time had two
children. But his eldest son John2 was not born then, as Judge Sewell wrote in
his diary that he "saw Lieut. Howland upon ye Rode who tells us he was
borne Febr 24, 1626 [1627, N. S.] att our Plimouth." Now, if Desire was
the first born,(*) John might not have been married even as early as
1623, when Elizabeth Tilly was but 17 years old.
In my judgment nothing has yet
been found to prove?? John was married before he left England, or even in 1??
notwithstanding the above and the assertion of Brad?? that his marriage was the
fourth in the colony, and of ?? Shurtleff that it was the third, if not the
second. T?? widely differing statements were evidently not formed?? data. My
opinion, based largely upon record evidenc?? that the remnant of Carver's
household consisted of J?? Howland, Elizabeth Tilly, Desire Minter, and the lad
W??iam Latham; that they cast their lots together as one far?? under the
direction of John, and that the allotment of land above mentioned does not
prove that John and Elizabeth were or were not married at that date. They may
have been married, though Elizabeth was sixteen. If they were, probably
faithful Desire Minter remained with them. If they were not, doubtless Desire
was matron of the house; at least, she held a prominent place in the affections
of John and Elizabeth, who honored her greatly by naming their first daughter
for her, when it was almost the universal custom to name the first born from a
cherished ancestor. In 1627 John's family consisted of himself, Elizabeth, son
John, and daughter Desire. Desire Minter had probably returned to England,
where she died, and William Latham may have gone to Jamaica, where he died.
Elizabeth Howland was a woman of
superior natural
|
(*) Desire was next to John,2 who was the
eldest son. |
ability and earnest Christian
faith, and was a help meet for the sturdy pilgrim. She passed the closing days
of her life with her daughter Lydia Brown, in Swanzey, where she died,
according to the Swanzey town records, "21, 12, 1687, aged 80 years,"
which proves she was but 13 when she arrived in Plymouth. She was the last but
three of the Mayflower passengers, who died as follows: Resolved White, in
1690; John Cook, in 1694; Mary (Allerton) Cushman, in 1699.
Elizabeth's will is dated at
Swanzey, 17th Dec. 1686. In it she writes:
Being seventy nine years of age,
but of good & perfect memory thanks be to Almighty God, and calling to
Remembrance ye uncertain Estate of this transitory Life & that all flesh
must yield vnto Death when it shall please God to call: Doe make, constitute,
etc . . . . . And first being penitant and sorry from ye bottom of my heart for
all my sinns past, most humbly desiring forgivenes for ye same, I giue &
comitt my Soule vnto Almighty God my Savior and Redeemer in whome & by ye meritts
of Jesus Christ I trust & believe assuredly to be saved, & to full
remission & forgiveness of all my sins, & that my Soule wh my Body at
the generall Day of Resurrection shall rise again wh Joy, & through ye
meritts of Christ's Death & passion possesse & inherit ye Kingdom of
heaven prepared for his Elect & Chosen; & my Body to be buryed in such
place where it shall please my Executr, etc.
The following persons are
mentioned: Her sons John, Jabez, and Isaac, son-in-law James Brown, daughters
Lydia Brown, Elizabeth Dickarson, Hannah Bosworth, granddaughters Elizabeth
Bursley, Dorothy Browne, and Desire Cushman, grandsons Nathaniel Howland, James
and Jabez Browne. Her son Jabez, and James Browne, were appointed executors. In
the closing item is her "Will and Charge to all the Children that they
walke in ye Feare of ye Lord."
1123.
John and Elizabeth had the
following children, perhaps not placed in order of birth:
i. DESIRE, b. --; d. 13, 10, 1683, in Barnstable; m. 1643, Capt. John,(*) son
of Ralph Gorham, who was baptized at Benefield, Northamptonshire,
|
(*) He was in command of a company in the King Philip war, and d. at Swanzey, aged 54. |
Eng., 28, 1, 1621, d. 5, 2, 1675-6. It is recorded that "Desire
was the first and John2 the second child of John."1 They had: 1,
Desire, b. 20, 5, 1644, in Plymouth; 2, Temperance, b. 5, 5, 1646, in
Marshfield; 3, Elizabeth, b. 2, 4, 1648, in Marshfield; 4, James, b.
28, 4, 1650, in Marshfield; 5, John, b. 20, 2, 1651, in Marshfield; 6,
Joseph, b. 16, 2, 1653, in Yarmouth; 7, Jabez, b. 3, 8, 1656, in Barnstable;
8, Mercy, b. 20, 1, 1658, in Barnstable; 9, Lydia, b. 11, 11,
1661, in Barnstable; 10, Hannah, b. 1663, in Barnstable; 11, Shubael,
b. 1667, in Barnstable.
1124. ii. JOHN, b. 24, 2, 1627; d. 26, 10, 1651, at West Barnstable.
1125. iii. JABEZ, b. --; d. --, in Bristol, R. I.
iv. HOPE, b. 30, 8, 1629; d. 8, 1, 1684; m. as early as 1646, John Chipman,
of Plymouth, afterwards of Barnstable, who came in 1630 from
Barnstaple, England, where he was b. 1614, and who d. 7, 4, 1708.
Their son Samuel had a son John, who graduated at Harvard college,
and was a clergyman. Samuel's son Thomas had a son Samuel, who
was the father of Judge Nathaniel Chipman, a lieutenant in the Revolutionary
war, U. S. senator, and chief justice of Vermont.
v. ELIZABETH, b. --; d. --; m. 1st, 13, 9, 1649, Ephraim Hicks,(*) of Plymouth,
who d. 2, 12, 1649; m. 2d, 10, 7, 1651, John Dickarson, of Plymouth,
who m. 1st, Elizabeth, sister of Ephraim Hicks.
vi. LYDIA, b. --; d. --; m. James, son of John and Dorothy Brown, (who
came to Plymouth before 1636,) b. 1623, d. 10, 10, 1710. They settled
in Swanzey.
vii. RUTH, b. --; d. --; m. 17, 11, 1664, Thomas, son of Thomas and g. s.
of Rev. Robert Cushman, of Plymouth, b. 16, 9, 1637, d. 23, 7, 1726,
and was buried at Plympton. Thomas Cushman m. 2d, 16, 10, 1679,
Abigail Fuller, of Rehoboth.
viii. HANNAH, b. --; d. --; m. 6, 7, 1661, Jonathan(+) Bosworth, and had:
1, Mercy, b. 30, 5, 1662; 2, Hannah, b. 5, 11, 1663; 3, Jonathan, b.
24, 12, 1666; 4, David, b. 15, 9, 1669; 5, Jabez, b. 14, 2, 1673; 6,
Elizabeth, d. 31, 7, 1676; 7, Jonathan, b. 22, 9, 1680, m. 26, 11, 1703,
Sarah Rounds, and had son Ichabod, b. 31, 5, 1706. (Swanzey records.)
1126. ix. JOSEPH, b. --; d. 1st mo., 1704.
1127. x. ISAAC, b. 15, 11, 1649; d. 9, 3, 1724.
1124.
1123. JOHN,2 (John,1) born 24,
2, 1627, in Plymouth; m. 26, 10, 1651, Mary, dau. of Robert Lee, of Barnstable.
John lived for a time in Marshfield, appearing there as early as
1653, where he took the "oath of fidelity" in 1657. The Marshfield
records speak of a daughter (Elizabeth) born to John Howland, 17, 5, 1655, and
reference is also made in them to "John Jr formerly of this town." We
find him subsequently an inhabitant of Barnstable, as early as 1657. His father
owned land in Marshfield, which he afterwards exchanged for a tract in
Barnstable. John, Jr., may have occupied these lands, which would explain his
moving to Barnstable. He possessed a great deal of energy, was a systematic
business man, and was highly respected in the colony. He was connected with the
circumstance of an arrest of his uncle Arthur1 Howland, when he gave
information to "Arthur and the Quaker" that the constables were on
the way to arrest them, and to answer for this he was subsequently summoned
before the General Court. In 1674 he was appointed by the court "Ensigne
of the Milletary companie of Barnstable." In 1675 he and his brothers
Joseph and Jabez petitioned the Plymouth court for land granted to
"children heer borne and brought vp." In 1685 he took out a license
to sell cider in Barnstable. In 1689 he was chosen one of the selectmen of that
town. My only knowledge of the date of John's birth comes from an old diary
written in 1702, and quoted in the sketch of John.1 Children (all but the first
one on the Barnstable T. R.):
i. MARY, b. 1652; d. --; m. 1670, John, son of Thomas Allyn,(*) of Barnstable,
and had: 1, John, b. 3, 4, 1674; 2, Mary, b. 5, 8, 1675; 3,
Matthew, b. 6, 8, 1677; 4, Isaac, b. 8, 11, 1679. They lived in Barnstable.
ii. ELIZABETH, b. 17, 5, 1655; d. --; m. 1st, 2d mo., 1673, John Bursley;(+)
m. 2d, 14, 9, 1691, Isaac Hamblin.
1128. iii. ISAAC, b. 25, 11, 1659; d. --.
iv. HANNAH, b. 15, 5, 1661; d. --; m. 20, 5, 1686, Jonathan, son of John
(+) John Bursley, b. 1652, was son of Mr. John Bursley, who was early in Barnstable, and married
Joanna, dau. of Rev. Mr. Hull, 24, 11, 1639. John2 and Elizabeth (Howland) had: 1, Elizabeth, b.
1674, d. in infancy; 2, Mercy, b. 1675, d. in infancy; 3, John, b. 1678; 4, Mary, b. 1679; 5, Jabez,
b. 1681; 6, Joanna, b. 1684; 7, Joseph, b. 1687; 8, Abigail, b. 1690; 9, Elizabeth, b. 1692; 10, Temperance,
b. 1695. and Mary (Bodfish) Crocker, of Barnstable, b. 15, 7, 1662. John,
b. 1637, was son of William.
v. MERCY, b. 21, 1, 1663; d. before 5 mo., 1717; m. 27, 4, 1704, Joseph
Hamblin, b. 20, 11, 1680, d. 27, 8, 1766.
vi. LYDIA, b. 9, 1, 1665; m. 21, 3, 1689, Joseph, son of John and Mary
(Ewer) Jenkins, and had a son Benjamin, whose dau. Hannah m.
Job Howland (son of 1131.)
1129. vii. EXPERIENCE, b. 28, 7, 1668.
viii. ANNE, b. 9, 9, 1670; d. --; m. 18, 9, 1691, Joseph, son of John Crocker,
b. 1, 3, 1668.
1130. ix. SHUBAEL, b. 30, 9, 1672; d. --.
1131. x. JOHN, b. 31, 12, 1674; d. 3d mo. 1738.
1125.
1123. JABEZ,2 (John,1) born --,
in Plymouth; m. Bethiah, dau. of Anthony Thatcher,(*) who d. 19, 12,
1725. Jabez lived for a time in Plymouth, where he served the colony in various
capacities, holding, among other responsible positions, the office of constable.
He was active in the military, and manifested his belligerent propensities at
an early day by an encounter with one Joseph Billington, for which he was fined
"three shillings four pence." He did good service under Capt.
Benjamin Church, in the King Philip war. In July, 1676, he, with others,
volunteered to accompany Church from Plymouth to meet Awashonks, squaw sachem
of the Seconets, at Sandwich, according to a previous agreement with her. They
did not find her at Sandwich, so they pushed on through Wareham and towards
Marion. At the river between these two places "Howlannd began to
tyre," and Church left him, with two others, for a reserve, while they
advanced. They found Awashonks and her attendants at Mill Creek, southwest of
Sippican Harbor, and at once returned to the reserve. Church, having "a
Mind to try what Mettal" Howland was made of, sent some friendly Indians
to surprise him. As
|
(*) Anthony Thatcher came from Salisbury,
England, with his second wife, Elizabeth Jones. He |
soon as Howland spied them,
believing from their skulking, and not seeing Church with them, that they were
hostile red men, Church says, "Howland was on his guard, hearing the Guns,
and by & by seeing the motion of the English and Indians, concluded his
friends were distressed, was soon on the full Career on Horse-back" to
assist them, and did not halt till he was signaled that all was right. In
August, 1676, he went up with Church into Dartmouth, where the Indians were
doing a great deal of harm, and while there "had the fortune to discover
and imprison a parcel of the enemy." He is referred to at this time as one
"who was now, and often the Lieutenant, and worthy good Soldier" of
Church's band. He was doubtless with Church when they found and killed King
Philip at Mount Ho??e, and served with him subsequently. He became pleased with
the country about Narragansett Bay, and chose for his residence Bristol, R. I.
Jabez was a blacksmith and cooper, and carried on a large business in Bristol.
He was a lieutenant of the militia there, kept the hotel, was the first town
clerk,(*) an assessor, deputy, selectman, etc. He resided on Hope
street. The records of the First Congregational (Christ's) church, at Bristol,
R. I., show that Jabez had, 11, 2, 1679, a wife, four children, and two
servants. This church was built in 1684, and Jabez and his wife Bethiah, who
were active members of Rev. John Cotton's church at Plymouth, were foremost in
this enterprise. Letters of Jabez and Bethiah are in the possession of John A.
Howland, of Providence, R. I. Jabez, in one to Pastor Cotton in 1692, speaks of
his son Jabez as having been of a roving mind, but had concluded to settle
down. He asks Cotton if he knows of any one who would make him a good wife, and
adds, "he [Jabez' son Jabez] would speedily give your dau. Sarah a visit
upon that account if he thought he might have leave from you and meet no
repulse from her. I have but one daughter and when she is old enough, should
you
|
(*) The first town-meeting of Bristol, R. I.,
for the transaction of general business, was held 10, 11, |
desire such a kindness from me,
I promise you I will be willing and I believe my wife will also." This did
not accomplish its purpose, for Sarah Cotton married a minister, and Jabez
married Patience Stafford. Bethiah closes a letter to Mr. Cotton's family, in
1684, saying, "I must now leave off for I am very cold in body but not in
affection, and our nine o'clock bell has rung,"--probably the bell in the
new church. Jabez' will bears date 14, 5, 1708, and was admitted to probate 21,
2, 1712. Mention is made in the inventory of four swords and a fifty dollar
silver tankard, the whole estate amounting to some $3000. Children:
1132. i. JABEZ, b. 15, 11, 1669; d. 17, 10, 1732.
1133. ii. JOHN, b. 15, 1, 1673; d. 1st mo., 1673.
iii. BETHIAH, b. 3, 6, 1674; d. 1676, in Plymouth, and a coroner's jury returned
a verdict that "she was accidentally drowned or stifled in a tub
of Clothes and Water."
1134. iv. JOSIAH, b. 6, 8, 1676; d. 8, 2, 1717.
1135. v. JOHN, b. 26, 7, 1679; d. --.
1136. vi. JUDAH, b. 7, 5, 1683; d. --.
1137. vii. SETH, b. 5, 1, 1685; d. 4th mo., 1685.
1138. viii. SAMUEL, b. 24, 5, 1686; d. --.
1139. ix. EXPERIENCE, b. 19, 5, 1687; d. in infancy.
1140. x. JOSEPH, b. 14, 10, 1692; d. 16, 8, 1737.
xi. ELIZABETH, b. --; d. --; m. Nathan Townsend, of Newport, R. I.
1126.
1123. JOSEPH,2 (John,1) born --,
in Plymouth; m. 7, 12, 1664, Elizabeth, only dau. of Thomas(*) and
Elizabeth (dau. of John Reynor) Southworth, of Plymouth. He lived and died in
Plymouth, where he was always closely identified with the welfare of the
people. He was commissioned a lieutenant of militia in 1679, which position he
held many years. He also served the town as one of an auditing committee, and
was surveyor of highways, and selectman. He was a large real estate owner.
Joseph,2 his
|
(*) Thomas and Jane (Mynne) Southworth, of
Wells, in Somersetshire, England, had son Edward, |
son Thomas,3 his g. s.
Consider,4 and his g. g. s. Thomas S.,5 successively held the land on which
Pilgrim Hall, in Plymouth, now stands. Children:
i. LYDIA, b. 1665; d. 6, 7, 1717; m. 25, 2, 1684, Jeremiah Thomas. She
"was Joseph's eldest child."
ii. ELIZABETH, b. --; d. --; m. 14, 9, 1698, probably Joseph Hamblin.
iii. MARY, b. --; d. --; m. 3, 11, 1718, George Connett. (Davis' Plymouth.)
(Cammett?)
1141. iv. THOMAS, b. --; d. 7, 12, 1739.
1142. v. JAME??. --; d. --.
1143. vi. NATHANIEL, b. 1671; d. 29, 12, 1746.
vii. SARAH, b. 1687; d. before 1703.
1144. viii. BENJAMIN, b. 1689; d. 7, 9, 1689.
1145. ix. JOSEPH, b. --; d. 8, 7, 1689. He and Benjamin were probably twins.
1127.
1123. ISAAC,2 (John,1) was born
in Plymouth; m. Elizabeth, dau. of George Vaughn, of Middleborough, b. 1652, d.
29, 10, 1727. He was an earnest, active citizen, and was very prominent in the
early settlement of Middleborough, where he married, and ever after resided on
the land willed him by his father. He was surveyor of highways in 1672,
selectman in 1674, 1684-86, constable in 1674, admitted freeman in 1681, member
of the "grand enquest" in 1682, licensed in 1684 to keep an inn,(*)
and a deputy in 1689-91. At one time he received from Thomas Joslin, of Little
Compton, R. I., œ7 for "a yoak of oxen unjustly detained." He partook
of the military spirit of the family, and acted as lieutenant to Col. Benjamin
Church in his raids for King Philip, in August, 1776.(+) They found
the old chief in a swamp, probably in Rehoboth, which they surrounded, and
captured some of the Indians, but the slippery chief escaped. Children (from
Middleborough T. R.):
|
(*) Inn, ordinary or tavern.
These taverns could only be kept under a license from the General |
|
|
(+) Entertaining Passages relating to King
Philip's war. |
|
1146. i. SETH, b. 28, 11, 1677; d. 26, 10, 1729; m. 24, 5, 1728, Elizabeth Delano.
He kept an inn at Plymouth, and in 1692, after the charter of
William and Mary, he moved to Boston.
1147. ii. ISAAC, b. 6, 3, 1679; d. --.
iii. PRISCILLA, b. 22, 8, 1681; d. --; m., writes one, Peter Bennett; another
says, m. Peter Connet, of North Bridgewater, 30, 10, 1700.
iv. ELIZABETH, b. 2, 12, 1682; d. 1, 4, 1685.
1148. v. NATHAN, b. 13, 10, 1687; d. 13, 10, 1687.
vi. JAEL, b. 13, 10, 1688; d. 11th mo., 1743; m. Capt. Nathaniel Southworth,
who d. 8, 4, 1757.
vii. SUSANNAH, b. 14, 10, 1690; d. 11th mo., 1743 or '45; m. Ephraim Wood.
viii. HANNAH, b. 16, 10, 1694; d. 25, 3, 1792; m. 15, 12, 1716, John Tinkham,
b. 1680, d. 14, 4, 1766.
1128.
1124. ISAAC,3 (John,2 John,1)
born 25, 11, 1659; lived in Barnstable; m. 27, 12, 1686, Ann, dau. of Edward
and Mary (Menks) Taylor. Ann was born 11, 12, 1664. Her parents were married
19, 2, 1664. Children:
1149. i. EBENEZER, b. 7, 9, 1687.
1150. ii. ISAAC, b. 3, 7, 1689; m. Eliza Jennings.
iii. MARY, b. 9, 10, 1691.
iv. ANNE, b. 12th mo., 1694; bap. 3, 2, 1695.
1151. v. JOHN, b. 2, 2, 1696; d. 1747.
1152. vi. NOAH, b. 10, 7, 1699; bap. 16, 7, 1699; d. young.
1153. vii. JOSEPH, b. 30, 7, 1702, in Barnstable; m. 1st, 10, 1, 1739, Rachel
Crocker, who d. 9, 5, 1742; m. 2d, 16, 5, 1746, Maria Fuller. They
always lived in Barnstable co. Had: 1, Hannah, b. 8, 8, 1739, d. --,
m. 15, 1, 1761, Christopher Taylor; 2, Mary, b. 9, 8, 1740, d. --; 3,
Rachel, b. 2, 5, 1742, d. --; 4, (by 2d wife,) Ann, b. --, d. --.
1130.
1124. SHUBAEL,3 (John,2 John,1)
born 30, 9, 1672, in Barnstable; m. 12, 12, 1700, Mercy, dau. of Peter and
Sarah (Bodfish) Blossom,(*) b. 8th mo., 1678, d. 1759. They lived in
Sandwich after 1715, and died there. Children (from Barnstable T. R.):
1154. i. JABEZ, b. 16, 9, 1701; d. --.
|
(*) Peter Blossom (m. 4, 6, 1663) was a son of Thomas Blossom, who came to America in 1629. |
ii. MERCY, b. 4, 5, 1710; d. --; m. 15, 7, 1736, Joseph Jenkins, b. 29, 2,
1703.
1155. iii. ZACHEUS, b. --; d. --. A memorandum says he died very aged.
1131.
1124. JOHN,3 (John,2 John,1)
born 31, 12, 1764, in Barnstable; m. 1st, Abigail Crocker, writes one, another
says Mary Walker;(*) m. 2d, 11, 6, 1719, Mary Crocker,(+)
b. 29, 6, 1681. John lived and died in Barnstable. His will, in which all his
children are mentioned, was dated 8, 2, 1738, and proved 29, 3, 1738. The
estate inventoried œ1088 8s. His will says, "My will is that if my son
John should fail of being brought up to college, then he shall become an equal
partner with my son Job in the real estate." His son John graduated at
Harvard. Children (from Barnstable T. R.):
1156. i. GEORGE GILL, b. 30, 12, 1705; d. --; m. Abigail Crocker.
ii. HANNAH, b. 2, 2, 1708; d. 1738, unmarried.
iii. MARY, b. 11, 8, 1711; d. 1738, unmarried.
iv. JOANNA, b. 26, 1, 1715; d. --; m. 1st, 12, 4, 1750, James Lewis (his
3d wife); m. 2d, 28, 12, 1752, John Allen, of Hingham.
Children by second wife:
1157. v. JOHN, b. 13, 2, 1721; d. 4, 11, 1804.
1158. vi. JOB, b. 18, 6, 1726; d. 1, 5, 1794.
1132.
1125. JABEZ,3 (Jabez,2 John,1)
born 15, 11, 1669, in Plymouth; m. Patience Stafford. He moved to Bristol, R.
I., with his parents when a boy, where he lived, and died there, 7, 10, 1732.
On the headstone of Patience, Jabez placed the following:
Ye body of Patience ye wife of
Jabez Howland, died Oct. ye 23, 1721, aged 52, being ye first interred in St.
Michael's church yard.
|
(*) I have no doubt it was
Abigail Crocker. |
The Dame who takes her rest within this tomb,
Had Rachel's comely face, and Leah's fruiteful womb,
Abigail's wisdom, Lydia's purer heart,
Martha's just care, and Mary's better part.(*)
Jabez always lived in Bristol,
R. I., where he succeeded to the blacksmithing branch of his father's business.
He was an industrious, thrifty, enterprising man, and his estate inventoried
over $15,000. His daughters Bethia Bragg, widow, and Elizabeth, "a spinster,"
(23 years of age,) were administratrices of the estate. Children:
i. PATIENCE, b. --; d. (???).
ii. BETHIAH, b. 5, 12, 1702; d. --; m. 1st, 7th mo., 1724, Samuel Davis;
m. 2d, (???) Bragg.
iii. MERCY, b. 27,&nb