Henry Howland (abt. 1604 - 1671)

Born about 1604 in Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire, England

Son of Henry Howland and Margaret (Unknown) Howland

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Howland — married [date unknown] in England

Descendants

Died 1 Jan 1671 at about age 67 in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message] and Carroll Woods [send private message]

Henry Howland migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 2, p. 1016) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

This profile is part of the Howland Name Study.

Henry was a Friend (Quaker)

Per Mayflower records in "Plymouth Colony Its History and People 1620 - 1691" by Eugene Aubrey Stratton (1986), Henry Howland was in Plymouth as early as 25 March 1633 when he appeared on the tax list also on original freeman list. Quaker. He was a highway surveyor for Duxbury. His will was made on 28 November 1670, inventory was taken on 14 January 1671, and he named wife, Mary, sons Zoeth, Joseph, John, and Samuel, and daughters Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Abigail.

In 1985, Wakefield & Sherman wrote about Henry's family, correcting previously published errors and providing new evidence, including:^[1]

• He was born before 1613, probably at Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire, England, son of Henry; he died at Duxbury, Massachusetts, on 1 January 1670/1671.
• He was apprenticed on 1 October 1623 to his brother Humphrey Howland in London
• He likely married in England, to Mary ______; she died in Duxbury on 16 August 1674. No evidence of the surname "Newland" has been found.
• His earliest Plymouth Colony record was a tax list dated 25 March 1633, at which point he must have been at least 21.
• By 5 January 1635/1636, he removed to Duxbury where he was Constable.
• He was not involved in the 1627 division of cattle in Plymouth.
• He was a freeman in Duxbury on 7 March 1636/1637.
• He served on juries through 1653.
• Around 1656, he became permanently involved with the Quakers, as did brother Arthur; various family members penalized for their faith.
• His will was dated on 28 November 1670, was probated on 8 March 1670/1671, and was inventoried on 14 January 1670/1671; he bequested to son Joseph, son Zoeth, daughter Sarah, son John, daughter Elizabeth, son Samuel, daughters Mary and Abigail, and wife Mary.
• Will of Mary "sometimes wife of Hennery Howland now deceased," was written on 8 May 1674; she bequested to daughter Abigail Young, sons Zoeth and John, daughter Mary Cudworth, son Samuel, daughters Sarah Denis and Elizabeth Allin, son Joseph.

Birth and Baptism

There is no baptism or birth record for Henry Howland in the parish registers of Fenstanton. The parish registers of Fenstanton do not begin until 1612, but Bishop’s Transcripts exist for the years 1604-1605, 1608, and 1610, providing a few extra years of coverage not available in the surviving original registers.^[2]

In 2016, Henry Howland of Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire: Father of Mayflower Passenger John Howland by Caleb H. Johnson explained:

“In the town of Ely, Cambridgeshire, the parish registers record the marriage of a Henry Howland to Alice Ayers [or Apers] on 26 April 1600, and the couple had children John (bp. 16 January 1602/3) and Henry (bp. 25 November 1604). It has also been noted that Humphrey Howland, in his will, bequeaths some silver goods to his daughter that are labeled ‘A.H.’ that were her grandmothers. The initials ‘A.H.’ match with Alice Howland. So it has been suggested that perhaps this is the Mayflower family or that this is the same Henry Howland just living in a different location for a few years.^[2]

That Henry Howland of Ely, and Henry Howland of Fenstanton, are different men, can be seen by the fact that Henry Howland of Ely had a son Henry baptized on 25 November 1604, and Henry Howland of Fenstanton had a son Simon baptized 19 August 1604 at Fenstanton. If these were the same man, we would need to believe he moved from Ely to Fenstanton between 1602 and 1604, baptized a child in August, and went back to Ely and baptized another child two months later, then came back to Fenstanton once more. This is highly improbable; these are two separate men. It seems entirely plausible that the two Howland families were closely related to one another, especially given the use of the name Henry, and the reasonably close proximity (a little under 20 miles), but they are definitely different men. In fact, Henry Howland of Ely was buried on 27 May 1621 at Holy Trinity, Ely, while Henry Howland of Fenstanton was buried 17 May 1635 at Fenstanton.^[2]

Reading Humprey Howland’s will more closely, the initials “A.H.” were probably because he was giving the items to his daughter Anne Howland, and he himself had gone around and affixed an “A.H.” label on them to identify what belonged to her: it was probably not meant to suggest her grandmother’s initials “A.H.” had been engraved into the silver.^[2]

Additionally, the John Howland baptized on 16 January 1602/1603, would have only been 17 years old at the time of the signing of the “Mayflower Compact,” which by any legal definition (especially given his servant status to John Carver) would have been too young to have been a signer. And, lastly, Humphrey Howland’s last Will, as well as the records of the Drapers Company, make it quite clear that these men were children of Henry Howland of Fenstanton, as the parish name is explicitly stated in the records: and several of the references to Henry Howland of Fenstanton occur in 1622 and 1623, after Henry Howland of Ely had been buried.”^[2]

Henry Howland of Fenstanton’s son, Henry Howland’s birth and baptism dates remain unknown.

Chronology

Henry Howland was born about 1600,^[2] probably in Fen Stanton, Huntingdonshire, England,^[3] based on his apprenticeship in 1623^[4] and a possible marriage around 1623.^[2] Siblings included John Howland (profiled by Anderson) and Arthur Howland.

1 October 1623: Apprenticeship, London, England.^[5] Note: The source for this information suggests that it is likely that Henry did not finish his apprenticeship to his brother, Humphrey. (Henry Howland of Huntingdonshire, a son of Henry Howland, yeoman, of Fenny Stanton, Huntingdonshire, was a new apprentice under Master Humphrey Howland, clothworker, of Thames St, London at the Drapers' Company on October 1st, 1623 with the bond of 7 years).^[4]. See also: The Drapers' Company.

1627: Erroneous claim that he participated in the Plymouth Colony Division of Cattle.^[6]

About 1632/1633: Immigration to Plymouth Colony.^[7]

25 March 1633: Tax list, Plymouth Colony.^[8]

1633: Freemen list, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts.^[8] There is no place listed, but the context of it suggests the likelihood that he was still living in Plymouth. As he was listed on a freemen list, it stands to reason that he was born before 1613 as a man had to be at least 21 to be considered a free man.

March 1634: Tax List, Plymouth Colony.^[8] There is no location listed, but it seems likely that he was still living in Plymouth as the context suggests this is the case.

1636-1653: He frequently served on Duxbury grand inquest or other juries after being listed in the freemen list.^[8]

7 March 1636/1637: Freeman list, Duxbury, Plymouth.^[8]

26 July 1638: Supposedly shared cattle among the poor, Plymouth Colony.^[8] The source for this suggests there may be a mistake as at the time of this event, Henry had relocated from Plymouth previously.

1643: He was listed as able to bear arms in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts.^[8]

2 March 1657/1658: He was fined for entertaining a meeting of Quakers in his house in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts.^[8]

6 October 1659: Henry Howland and William Newland were sentenced by the court for "being abettors and entertainers of Quakers" in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts.^[8] They sentenced "to be disfranchised of their freedome of this corporation....for their being abettors and entertainers of Quakers."

1 May 1660: He was fined for permitting a Quaker meeting in his house and "entertaining a forraigne Quaker" in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts.^[8] Henry was again fined on 1 May 1660, for permitting a Quaker meeting in his house and for "entertaining a forraigne Quaker contrary to the order of the Court," and again fined on 2 October 1660 for entertaining two Quaker meetings.

3 June 1668: He was a surveyor of highways; it suggests that there must have been a change in sentiment for Henry with his reappointment as a surveyor in 1668.

8 March 1670/1671: Will was probated in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts.^[8]

Children

1. Abigail Howland, married in Plymouth, 13 December 1648, John Young (see PCR 8:5).
2. Zoeth Howland, married 1656, Abigail Unknown. See "DNA."
3. Samuel Howland, b. abt. 1638; married before 2 June 1681 (and possibly before 1673), Mary Sampson.
4. John Howland, b. abt. 1641; married in Duxbury, 29 January 1684/1685, Mary Walker; d. in Freetown, before 8 August 1687, apparently widowed as administration of his estate was granted to his brother Samuel and the inventory included women's apparel. See BrPR 1:2.
5. Mary Howland, b. abt. 1643; married before 1665, James Cudworth. See NGSQ 75:110.
6. Elizabeth Howland, married about 1668, Jedidiah Allen.
7. Sarah Howland, b. abt. 1645; d. in Portsmouth, 2 October 1712; married in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, 19 November 1672, Robert Dennis. (NGSQ 75:216)
8. Joseph Howland, b. abt. 1649 (was not a minor when his father wrote his will); married in Hampton, 4 May 1683, Rebecca Hussey. See NGSQ 75:217.

Death

He died on 1 January 1670/1671 in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony.^[9][10]

Burial

Henry Howland was buried in a marked grave at Standish Burial Ground in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.^[11]

Last Will & Testament

Hennery Howland being week of body, yet a good and perfect memory makes and ordains this to be his last will and Testament as followeth:

Imprimis. I give and bequeath all my housing, both dwelling house barne with all my lands both vpland and meddow land now lying and being within the Township of Duxburrow unto my sonne Joseph Howland only during my wife's life she shall have and injoy the new Room to herself for her owne self

2 I give and bequeath to my son John Howland five oxen and two heifers and one horse with all the trappings belonging there to as also a bed with things belonging there to as also my fowling piece.

3 My will is that my son Joseph Howland out of the fore mentioned houses & lands & cattle shall pay or cause to be paid unto my son Zoeth Howland 20 pounds that is to say 5 pounds by the year till the 20 pounds be paid; as alsoe twelve pence apiece to all his brothers and sisters and their children sviving.

4 Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah two heifers and two sheep and one mare now running at Apponogansett; as alsoe one bed and bedding there unto belonging

5 Item I give unto my son John one muskett

6 Item I give unto my Elizabeth one cow

7 Item I give my old mare now running at Apponogansett unto my son Samuel Howland.

8 Item I give unto my son Joseph Howland ten acres of meadow land now lying and being at a place commonly known by the name of the Garnetts Nose Marsh

9 I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary, 10 shillings to be paid out of my estate as yet undisposed of

10 Item I give unto my daughter Abigail 10 shillings to be paid by my son Joseph who is to sell a barrel of syder and to pay it out of that

11 I give unto my two sons John and Samuel both of them a barrel of syder

12 Lastly I give and bequeath unto my loving wife all the rest of my estate both movables and chattelsthat this is my last Will and Testament I here unto sett my hand and seale this 28th day of Nov 1670

Signed and sealed in the presence of: Samuel Nash

Henery Howland [A Seal] and

John Sprague.^[12][13]

His inventory was exhibited at Plymouth Court on 8 March 1670 on the oath of Joseph Howland, son of the said Henery Howland. It was taken on the "14 of the 11th month 1670."^[13]

"Howland, Henry, born England; died Duxbury, Massachusetts January 17, 1671; married Mary Newland; died Duxbury, June 16, 1674. She was a sister of William Newland who came from Lynn in 1637 and settled in Sandwich. She and her brother were Quakers. Henry resided for a while in Plymouth, but became an early settler in Duxbury ? by the bayside, near Love Brewster.' He was a surveyor of highways, and was able to bear arms in 1643. As a Quaker he suffered the persecutions of the times. On April 2, 1659 Henry with 26 others bought of the Indians what is now Freetown, for a few old coats, rugs, iron pots, etc. including "one little kittle. In 1664 he purchased a large portion of land in Mattapoisett (Swansea). Henry was owner of the sixth lot in Freetown. However, his sons, John and Samuel, really became the actual settlers."^[14]

DNA

Confirmed Y-DNA results through the two Big Y-700 tests reveal that Henry Howland, Jr's Haplogroup, and SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) is R-FGC58211. His haplotree line is R-M269 >> R-U106 >> R-Z8 > R-Z1 > R-Z344 > R-Z6 > R-A96 > R-S10415 > R-A9701 > R-A9703 > R-A9708 > R-FGC58211.^[15] For additional information, see The Howland (Y-DNA) page of the Mayflower DNA Project and The Howland DNA project.

The DNA line of one or more descendants of Zoeth Howland, Henry's son has been Confirmed by the Howland DNA project at Family TreeDNA.] His yDNA haplogroup is R-A9708 → R-FGC58211.

Frank Howland's FTDNA kit #B587043 and FTDNA kit #37929 share two Y-DNA SNPs which are identified as FGC58203 and FGC58211 on the R-FGC58211 block level on the Y haplotree.

The two variants, FGC58203 and FGC58211, are the unique SNPs that occurred between the birth of Henry Howland, Jr. and the birth of Nathaniel Howland, and they belong to two male descendants of Henry Howland, Jr., through his son, Zoeth Howland’s line. Two SNPs identify three generations starting with Henry, Jr., Zoeth, and Nathaniel. Two SNPs prove that the relationship between Nathaniel Howland's two sons, John Howland and James Howland, is genetically related. So far, no Y-DNA descendants from Henry's other son, Samuel, have done 111 STR or SNP testing, so it is possible some of these mutations may be common to all descendants of Henry. However, all other male testers who are descended from either Arthur or John Howland do not have two SNPs in their Y-DNA results.^[16] It is confirmed by SNP testing by Frank Howland and FTDNA kit #37929. Now, two SNPs are grouped into a new subclade R-FGC58211 under the clade of R-A9708 for Henry Howland, Jr's line.

In addition, four descendants of Henry Howland, Jr. through his son Zoeth Howland have taken 111 STR testing and have shared two STR mutations in the 68-111 STR panel (from FTDNA): DYS485=14 and DYS505=11.^[17]

The paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA STR and SNP testing. Anonymous Howland and Frank Howland match on 105 out of 111 markers and share the Y-DNA haplogroup, R-A9708, as reported by Family Tree DNA. This confirms their direct paternal lines back to their most recent common ancestor, Henry Howland Sr.

The more DNA testings can discover other SNPs unique to the descendants to trace the Y-DNA to one of three Howland brothers in America. Recruiting additional Howlands for further SNP testing - anyone interested in submitting their Y-DNA. See more information at Howland (Y-DNA) under the Mayflower DNA project and Howland DNA project under Family Tree DNA.

Research Notes

• Governor Thomas Prence was not known for his compassion towards Quakers. Few families were more identified with the Quakers than those of Arthur and Henry Howland, the two brothers of "Mayflower" passenger, John Howland, who was a Puritan.^[18]
• By the 1670's there were a number of Plymouth Quaker families who had removed to the newly opened area of Dartmouth and the adjoining Saconnet (Little Compton), including the Howlands, from the families of Henry and Arthur.^[19]
• On April 8, 1633, Henry Howland bought the indenture of Walter Harris, who had bound himself to serve Mr. John Atwood of London under the command of John Doane of New Plymouth.^[20]
• The following is on Henry's Find A Grave memorial page: "Spouse Mary may have been an indigenous person."^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ Robert S. Wakefield & Robert M. Sherman, "Henry Howland of Duxbury, Massachusetts, 1633, His Children and His Grandchildren," in NGS Quarterly, 75 (June 1987):105-113.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Johnson, Caleb H. Henry Howland of Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire: Father of Mayflower Passenger John Howland. The Pilgrim John Howland Society (www.pjhs.starchapter.com), 2016, https://pjhs.starchapter.com/images/downloads/henry_howland_of_fenstanton.pdf.
3. ↑ Robert Charles Anderson, Great Migration Begins, Boston, Massachusetts: NEHGS, 1995, p 1018
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Institute of Historical Research. “Event Details of Humphrey Howland.” Records of London's Livery Companies Online, Institute of Historical Research, 2018, https://www.londonroll.org/event/?company=drp&event_id=DREW8578.
5. ↑ TAG Vol 14:214-215.
6. ↑ on line at Division of Cattle] Henry Howland had not yet immigrated as he was not listed here. Later sources erroneously list him as sharing cattle in 1627.
7. ↑ Great Migration Begins, Vol 2, Page 1016.
8. ↑ ^{8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10} Ancestry.com Message Board. "RE: wife of Zoeth Howland & early Howland line.
9. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850, Duxbury, www.americanancestors.org
10. ↑ "English Research." Howland Quarterly Magazine Vol XXVIII, Jan-April 1964, page 6. View on FamilySearch
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231207249/henry-howland: accessed 19 September 2023), memorial page for Henry Howland II (1604–1 Jan 1671), Find A Grave: Memorial #231207249, citing Standish Burial Ground, Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by MJ's FamilyTree (contributor 47101009).
12. ↑ Howland of Huntingdonshire, England, and Plymouth, Massachusetts
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-V3TR : 9 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 319 of 616; State Archives, Boston.
14. ↑ Leon Clark Hills, History and Genealogy of the Mayflower Planters and First Comers to Ye Olde Colonie, page 161.
15. ↑ General Society of Mayflower Descendants. “Mayflower: Official Project of General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD).” FamilyTreeDNA, FamilyTreeDNA.com, 2023, www.familytreedna.com/groups/mayflowersociety/about. Mayflower DNA Project - Y-DNA Colorized Chart.
16. ↑ Howland DNA Project. Family TreeDNA. Family TreeDNA.com, 2023, https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/howland/about.
17. ↑ Howland DNA Project - Y-DNA Colorized Chart. Family Tree DNA. FamilyTreeDNA.com, https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Howland?iframe=ycolorized.
18. ↑ Stratton, Eugene Aubery. Plymouth Colony, Its History & People 1620-1691, p. 93. Link to page at archive.org.
19. ↑ Stratton, Eugene Aubery. Plymouth Colony, Its History & People 1620-1691, p. 98. Link to page at archive.org.
20. ↑ Stratton, Eugene Aubery. Plymouth Colony, Its History & People 1620-1691, pp. 236, 310. Link to pages at archive.org.

See also:

• Robert Charles Anderson, "Henry Howland", in The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Vol II, Boston, New England Historic Genealogical Society 1995 pages 1016 - 1022. AmericanAncestors (subscription)
• Clarence Almon Torrey, "The Howland Ancestry," in The American Genealogist, Vol 14, (1937-8): 214-215. This article cites Boston Evening Transcript, December 16, 1908. 105-113. AmericanAncestors.org LINK.
• Cutter, William Richard . New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements..., Volume 1. (New York, 1913): 184-186.
• Lainhart, Ann Smith. Mayflower Families through Five Generations, Volume 23, Part 1, Family of John Howland, (General Society of Mayflower Descendants: Plymouth, 2004).
• Hubert KInney Shaw, Families of the Pilgrims - John Howland, Boston, MA: Massachusetts Society on Mayflower Descendants, 1955.
• L. M. Howland, "A Sketch of the Howlands," NEHGR; Vol 34 (April 1880) Pages 192-194.
• Mayflower History .com.
• RootsWeb for Henry Howland born 1564.
• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (Boston, Little, Brown and Company, 1862).
• Pope, Charles H. The Pioneers of Massachusetts (Charles H. Pope, Boston, Massachusetts, 221 Columbus Ave., 1900).
• Howland Quarterly Magazine, The Pilgrim John Howland Society,
  Vol. 1 No. 3 (January 1937): 1. Ancestry of the Pilgrim John Howland. Archive.org LINK.
• Familysearch.org records.
• William Richard Cutter, A. M., Genealogy - Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1908.
• Representative Men and Old Families of Southeastern Massachusetts (J. H. Beers & Co., 1912).
• Emery, William M. The Howland Heirs (E. Anthony and Sons, Inc., New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1919).
• Jackson, Ron V, Massachusetts Census, 1790-1890. Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, Territorial/State censuses, and/or census substitutes.
• Ancestry.com Message Board. "RE: wife of Zoeth Howland & early Howland line."
• Eileen McKinnon-Suggs, Our Kingdom Come; Last updated October 10, 2004; Accessed December 2, 2005).
• Eugene Aubrey Stratton., "Plymouth Colony Its History and People 1620 - 1691" (Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Pub., 1986).