John Howland
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John Howland (abt. 1598 - 1673)

John Howland
Born about in Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire, Englandmap [uncertain]
Husband of — married about 1623 (to 23 Feb 1673) in Plymouth Colonymap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 75 in Plymouth, Plymouth Colonymap
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Contents

Biography

Birth

John Howland, the 1620 Mayflower passenger, was the son of Henry Howland of Fenstanton, England, and Margaret _____. His date of birth is estimated as 1598 based on him being the 4th son, being old enough to sign the Mayflower Compact; being an apprentice in 1620 to John Carver; and marrying about 1623. The 1598 date is used by the renowned Mayflower researcher Caleb Johnson; the commonly found 1592 date comes from a statement that he was above 80 years at his death which is certainly an exaggeration.[1][2] John's brothers, Arthur and Henry, also migrated to Plymouth, where their Quaker leanings were at odds with the established government and religion.[3][4]

Mayflower

Sept 1620, John Howland sailed on the Mayflower as one of two "man-servants" of Gov. Carver.[5]
John almost lost his life by being swept overboard. "In sundry of these storms the winds were so feirce, & ye seas so high, as they could not beare a knote of saile, but were forced to hull for divece days togither. And in one of them, as they thus lay at hull in a mighty storme, a lusty young man (called John Howland) coming upon some occasion above ye grattings, was, with a seele of tye shipe, thrown into ye sea; but it pleased God yt he caught hould of ye tope-sail halliards which hunge over board, & rane out at length; yet he held his hould (though he was sundrie fadoms under water) till he was hald up by ye same rope to ye brim of ye water, and then with boat hooke & other means got into the ship againe & his life saved and though he was something ill with it, yet he lived many years after, and became a profitable member both in church and comone wealthe."[6]

Marriage

John married before the 1623 land division, in Plymouth Colony, fellow Mayflower passenger, Elizabeth Tilley. Elizabeth, daughter of John and Joan (Hurst) Tilley, was baptized at Henlow, Bedfordshire, England, 30 Aug 1607. She died, at Swansea, 22 Dec 1687, aged eighty. The Howlands had 10 children.[2][1]

Plymouth

1620: 11 Nov, John Howland signed the Mayflower Compact.[7]
1621 Winter: Death of about half the passengers on the Mayflower, including Gov. Carver and the entire Tilley family except Elizabeth. John Howland was "man-servant" to Govenor Carver and was part of his household family. The Governor and his wife were among the fifty Pilgrims who died during the first year at Plymouth. It is believed that John Howland inherited John Carver's estate as the Carvers had no children of their own.[8]
1623: John Howland received 4 acres in the 1623 Land Division[9]
1626, 1627: The expedition to Plymouth was funded by about 70 men, known as "Adventurers." After several years, for various reasons, it was decided to purchase the shares in the colony from these Adventurers. John Howland became one of the group (eight men from Plymouth and four in England) known as "undertakers" who purchased the shares for £1800.[10]
1627: The Plymouth cattle division of 1627 listed John as the head of the fourth lot. His wife, Elizabeth, and children John Jr and Desire were also listed. Their share was one of the 4 heifers that came in the Jacob.[9]
1633: The first list of Plymouth freeman in 1633, contains the name of John Howland placed as part of the Council.[11] His name was on subsequent lists of freeman dated 6 Mar 1636/7 and the Plymouth sections in 1639, 1658, and 1670.[12]
1634 April: The Plymouth colonists began trading with the natives of the Kennebec area about 1626. In 1629, they secured legal rights to this trade known as the Kennebec or Plymouth Patent. In April of 1634, when John Howland was in charge of the trading, John Hocking challenged those exclusive rights to trade. John Howland told Hocking to weigh anchor. Hocking replied with angry words, and Howland ordered three of his men to cut the anchor. Unfortunately, the current was strong, so they added a fourth man Moses Talbott. When they reached the ship, Talbott was shot and killed by Hocking, despite Howland's protests that Talbott was only doing as ordered and that Hocking should shoot himself (Howland) instead. Before any more people could be shot by Hocking, he was shot and killed by someone on Hocking's boat.[13]
1633-5: Plymouth Colony Assistant.[14]
14 Mar 1635/6 John represented the "Duxborrow side" in a meeting.[15] He was one of the early settlers in the area known as Duxborrow (Duxbury). He sold his property in Duxbury 2 April 1640,[16] but had previously purchased land in Plymouth 2 Feb 1638/9.[17] This property was in the area known as Rocky Nook.[18]
1641: Plymouth Deputy to the Plymouth General Court for about 30 years between 1641 and 1667.[19]
1641-1665: As early as 1641, Mr. John Howland was active in the affairs of the town of Plymouth. He served on committees, as a "rater" (assessor), as surveyor of highways (1649), selectman (1665).[20] About 1665, John fades from the town records and his sons Joseph and Jabez become active. John would have been in his 70s.
1643: John Howland Sr. was on the 1643 list of men in Plymouth "able to bear arms"[21]
1656: In his years in Plymouth Colony John acquired many parcels of land for himself and to see that his children were well settled. Many of these can be found in the Plymouth Colony Records, especially in Vol 12. There were sometimes disagreements.
1656 "A writing apointed to bee Recorded"
"Wheras there was a diference fell out betwixt John howland senir Thomas Bourne and John Dingley about the Range of a pcell of marsh meddow lying in Marshfeild and not eazye to be knowne;
"These are therefore to put an end to the aforsaid Diference; It is agreed by and between the said John Howland senir Thomas Bourne and John Dingley senir: that the line or Range shall begin att the beach next the sea upon a west line sett by a compas to a homacke in the marsh whre there lyes an old Ceader tree there being noe other nor no more trees neare next to the great Iland but that onely And from the aforsaid homacke and tree to Run upon the aforsaid west line to the Basse creeke To which agreement all the aforsaid pties have freely assented unto as abovesaid; alsoe that this agreement bee put upon Record both att Marshfeild and the court booke att Plymouth to avoid all further Diference for time to Come about the prmises; in witnesse wherof wee the said John howland senir: Thomas Bourne and John Dingley have put to our hands this fourth of May 1655" It was signed in the presence of Myles Standish by John howland, Thomas Bourne and John Dingley[22]
1659: John Howland served on the committee for Fur trade.[23]

Death

Death: February 23, 1672/3 at Plymouth, Plymouth Colony.[24] "The 23th of February, 1672, Mr. John Howland, Senir, of the towne of Plymouth, deceased. Hee was a godly man and an ancient professor in the wayes of Christ; hee lived untill hee attained above eighty yeares in the world. Hee was one of the first comers into this land, and proved a usefull instrument of good in his place, & was the last man that was left of those that came over in the shipp called the May flower, that lived in Plymouth; hee was with honor Intered att the towne of Plymouth on the 25 of February, 1672.[25] The current gravestone on Burial Hill was erected in 1897 with funds raised by Mrs. Joseph Howland. It replaced a stone erected about 1836 by John and Henry Howland of Providence, Rhode Island. The older stone was buried under the new one. It stated that Howland's wife was a daughter of Governor Carver. The 1856 discovery of Governor William Bradford's manuscript "Of Plimoth Plantation." proved this to be wrong. Instead, he married Elizabeth, daughter of John and Joan Tilley.[26] The Plymouth Church record gives this date as the 24th stating: "he was a good old disciple, & had bin sometime a magistrate here, a plaine-hearted christian."[27]

Will & Inventory

John Howland's Will was made 29 May 1672 and presented at court 5 Mar 1672 [1672/3] "now Grown aged; haveing many Infeirmities of body" he made bequests to John howland, eldest son; son, Jabez; Isaac Howland, youngest son; wife, Elizabeth Howland (also named executrix); son, Joseph; daughters, Desire Gorum, Hope Chipman, Elizabeth Dickenson, Lydia Browne, Hannah Bosworth, Ruth Cushman, grandchild Elizabeth Howland, daughter of son John.[13][28]
John had an extensive inventory, which not including land, and after debts and charges was appraised at £157 8s 8d. He had his dwelling house at Rocky Nook in Plymouth, land at Jones River, 1/2 a house and land at Colchester in Plymouth, land in Duxburrow, house and land in Middleberry, and shares of land called "Majors Purchase. His house was three rooms, a front and back room and an upstairs chamber. Besides his Bible, he had other books.[13][28]
See John Howland's Will and Inventory (complete)

Children[1]

  1. Desire Howland, b. say 1624; m. by 1644 John Gorham (eldest child b. Plymouth 2 April 1644 [MD 5:72]).
  2. John Howland, b. Plymouth 24 April 1627; m. Plymouth 26 October 1651 Mary Lee [PCR 8:13].
  3. Hope Howland, b. say 1629; m. by about 1646 John Chipman.
  4. Elizabeth Howland, b. say 1631; m. (1) Plymouth 13 September 1649 Ephraim Hicks [PCR 8:8]; m. (2) Plymouth 10 July 1651 John Dickerson [PCR 8:13].
  5. Lydia Howland, b. say 1633; m. by about 1655 James Brown.
  6. Hannah Howland, b. say 1637; m. Swansea 6 July 1661 Jonathan Bosworth [SwVR 23].
  7. Joseph Howland, b. say 1640; m. Plymouth 7 December 1664 Elizabeth Southworth [PCR 8:25], daughter of THOMAS SOUTHWORTH.
  8. Jabez Howland, b. about 1644 (deposed on 19 July 1680 aged 36 years [SJC#1915]); m. by 1669 Bethiah Thatcher, daughter of Anthony Thatcher (eldest child b. Plymouth 15 November 1669 [PVR 668; NYGBR 42:154-57]).
  9. Ruth Howland b. say 1646; m. Plymouth 17 November 1664 Thomas Cushman [PCR 8:25], son of Thomas Cushman.
  10. Isaac Howland, b. Plymouth 15 November 1649; m. by 1677 Elizabeth Vaughn, daughter of George Vaughn [TAG 23:24-26].

Some Descendants

John Howland is an ancestor to President George Bush, to First Lady Edith (Carrow) Roosevelt (Mrs. Theordore Roosevelt), and to former Vice President Dan Quayle. Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford are descendants of John Howland's brother Henry. Winston Churchill is descended from John Howland's brother Arthur.

Research Notes

DNA

Confirmed DNA results through the Big Y-500 (original Big Y) test, Big Y-700 test, and Y Elite test reveal that Henry Howland of Fenstanton's Haplogroup and SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) is R-A9708. 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.[29][30]

Eight Howland men share one Y-DNA SNP which is identified as A9708 on the R-A9708 block level in the Y haplotree.

This Y-DNA SNP, A9708 occurs sometime before the birth of Henry Howland of Fenstanton, and they are genetically passed to all his sons and their male descendants; however, there are more unique private variants that have occurred in the Y-DNA of their paternal line descendants sometime after the births of Arthur, John, and Henry Howland individually.[31]

For example, two private variants belong to one male descendant of Pilgrim John Howland's son, John Howland, Jr., and four private variants belong to one male descendant of Pilgrim John Howland's son, Jabez Howland, but none of these two private variants are identical to the four private variants. It means Pilgrim John Howland did not have any more novel variants to pass on to his sons but only did have inherited just one SNP, A9708 in his Y-DNA chromosome from his father at that time when he was born, and later he did pass it on to his sons.

Furthermore, those two and four private variants are not identical to any of those private variants or SNPs in the results of Arthur Howland and Henry Howland, Jr's male descendants.

If another paternal line descendant of Pilgrim John Howland takes the Big Y-700 test and his results reveal a match to any of those private variants, it will create two new separate haplogroup subclades of R-A9708 in the future for Lt. John Howland, Jr's line and Jabez Howland's line.

The parentage of Arthur Howland, John Howland, and Henry Howland, Jr. has been confirmed by SNP testing by Anonymous Howland, Frank Howland, two descendants of Arthur Howland, two descendants of John Howland, and two descendants of Henry Howland, and the results show that they share one unique SNP, A9708 and are therefore all-male descendants of Henry Howland Sr.

The more DNA tests 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.

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Anderson, Robert C., The Pilgrim Migration, "John Howland" Boston: Great Migration Study Project, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006. pp 279-284. link (free) AmericanAncestors
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lainhart, Ann Smith. Mayflower Families through Five Generations, Volume 23, Part 1, Family of John Howland, General Society of Mayflower Descendents, Plymouth, MA., 2006.
  3. Johnson, Caleb H. "Henry Howland of Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire: Father of Mayflower Passenger John Howland". Available at The Pilgrim John Howland Society website (2015). Link to online PDF.
  4. Arnold, James N. Vital record of Rhode Island : 1636-1850 : first series : births, marriages and deaths : a family register for the people "Volume 2. Providence County." (Providence, R.I. : Narragansett Historical Pub. Co., 1892) "about 1590" p. 229 This wasn't a contemporary record, but provided by a later descendant.
  5. Bradford, William. History of Plymouth Plantation (Massachusetts Historical Society, 1856) p. 447 "8 [persons] M. John Carver; Kathrine, his wife; Desire Minter; & . 2. man-servants, John Howland, Roger Wilder; William Latham, a boy; & a maid servant, & a child yt was put to him, called Jasper More." p. 450. "M. Carver and his wife dyed the first year; he in ye spring, she in ye somer; also, his man Roger and ye litle boy Jasper dyed before either of them, of ye commone infection. Desire Minter returned to her freinds, & proved not very well, and dyed in England. His servant boy Latham, after more then 20 years stay in the country, went into England, and from thence to the Bahamy Ilands in ye West Indies, and ther, with some others, was starved for want of food. His maid servant maried, & dyed a year or tow after, here in this place." "15. [persons]His servant, John Howland, maried the doughter of John Tillie, Elizabeth, and they are both now living, and have 10. children, now all living; and their eldest daughter hath 4. children. And ther 2. daughter, 1. all living; and other of their children mariagable. So 15. are come of them."
  6. Bradford. History of Plymouth p. 76
  7. Morton, Nathaniel. New England's memorial. (Boston: Congregational board of publication, 1855) Originally published 1669.p. 26. Note: The original compact is gone. Morton furnished the earliest known list. 1669 facsimile.
  8. B. Clay Shannon. Still Casting Shadows: A Shared Mosaic of U.S. History. (2006) p. 18
  9. 9.0 9.1 Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England, Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, eds., 12 volumes in 10 (Boston 1855-1861) Vol 12 of Series. Deeds, &c. Vol 1 p. 1620-1651 and others. 1623 p. 4; 1627 p. 10
  10. Stratton, Eugene Aubrey, FASG. Plymouth Colony Its History & People. The Generations Network, Inc., Provo, Utah: Ancestry Publishing, 1986 pp 19-29
  11. Plymouth Colony Records Vol 1:3
  12. Plymouth Colony Records. Vol 1:52, 5:274, 8:173 and 8:197
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Bowman, George Ernest. "John Howland's Will and Inventory. The Mayflower Descendant Vol 2: Will p. 170, Inventory p. 173, 1634 shooting pp 10, 11.
  14. Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England : printed by order of the legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Court Orders Vol. 1 1633-1640. (Boston : Press of W. White, 1855) Vol 1p. 5, p. 21, p. 32
  15. Plymouth Colony Records Vol 1 p. 41
  16. Plymouth Colony Records Vol 12 p. 56
  17. Plymouth Colony Records Vol 12 p. 41
  18. Wakefield, Robert S. "John Howland in Maine." The Mayflower Descendant 42:15 (1992) Link at AmericanAncestors ($)
  19. Plymouth Colony Records. Vol 2 pp 16, 94, 117, 123, 144, 154, 167, Vol 3: pp 8, 31, 44, 49, 63, 79, 99, 135, 214, Vol 4 pp 37, 122, 148.
  20. Plymouth (Mass.). Records of the town of Plymouth (Plymouth : Avery & Doten, 1889) Howland selectman, p. 82 surveyor, p. 28
  21. Plymouth Colony Records Vol 8: 187
  22. Mayflower Descendant v. 10; April 1908; pp. 72 - 73. Cites Plymouth Colony Deeds p. 169.
  23. Plymouth Colony Records Vol. 3 p. 170
  24. MF 5 Gen by Lainhart & Wakefield.
  25. Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, in New England Vol. 8 Miscellaneous Records 1633-1689 (New York : AMS Press, 1968 reprint.) (Original 1857.) Vol 8. p. 34.
  26. The Pilgrim John Howland Society.
  27. Publications of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts Volume XXII : Plymouth Church Records 1620-1859 Part I, (Boston: by the Society, 1920), p. 147; digital images, Google Books, (https://books.google.com/books?id=7boMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA147#v=onepage&q&f=false : accessed April 2023).
  28. 28.0 28.1 "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-V3R5 : 9 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 331 of 616; State Archives, Boston.
  29. General Society of Mayflower Descendants. “Mayflower: Official Project of General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD).” FamilyTreeDNA, FamilyTreeDNA.com, 2019, www.familytreedna.com/groups/mayflowersociety/about. Mayflower DNA Project - Y-DNA Colorized Chart.
  30. Howland DNA Project. Family TreeDNA. FamilyTreeDNA.com, 2020, https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/howland/about.
  31. Block Tree. Family TreeDNA, Family TreeDNA.com, 2020.

See also:

  • Caleb Johnson's MayflowerHistory, database online.
  • White, Elizabeth Pearson. John Howland of the Mayflower through Desire Howland for Five Generations (Picton Press, Camden, Maine, c1990-) vol.1, pages 1-7.
  • Stratton, E.A., Plymouth Colony, Its History & People 1620-1691, Ancestry Publishing, Salt Lake City, UT, 1986. Other editions available.
  • Banks, Charles Edward, The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers Who Came to Plymouth, (Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1976).
  • Bowman, George Ernest, The Mayflower Reader, (Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978).
  • Willison, George F., Saints and Strangers (The Cornwall Press, Cornwall, NY, 1943) Third Printing.
  • John Howland, Mayflower passenger, Wikipedia.
  • Howland, Franklyn. A Brief Genealogical and Biographical History of Arthur, Henry, and John Howland (The Author, New Bedford, Mass., 1885).
  • Hanna, Doreen Potter. A Potter-Richardson Memorial: the ancestral lines of Wiliam W. Potter of Michigan, and his wife, Margaret (Richardson) Potter, published 1957, city and publisher unknown. Reproduced in facsimile by HeritageQuest.com. ProQuest Information and Learning Company Address: 300 North Zeeb Road, PO Box 1346, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A. 48106-1346. 734.761.4700. HeritageQuest Online is owned by ProQuest Information and Learning Company and is protected by copyright. See also online at Archive.org.
  • John Howland, The Pilgrim John Howland Society, Founded 1897.
  • Roberts, Gary Boyd. Notable Kin, Volume One. Carl Boyer, 3rd; Santa Clarita, California; 1998. Published in cooperation with the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts. The Mayflower Descents of President George Herbert Walker Bush, First Lady Barbara Pierce Bush, and Vice President James Danforth Quayle.
  • Ward, Robert Leigh. "English Ancestry of Seven Mayflower Passengers," The American Genealogist (Oct. 1976) 52:203.
  • Bangs, Jeremy Dupertuis. "The Pilgrims and Other English in Leiden Records: Some New Pilgrim Documents," New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 1989) 143:209.
  • The Mayflower Descendant (Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants) 3:54-57: Bristol Co. Probate 1:13-14 (Elizabeth Howland). Plymouth Colony Wills and Inventories 3:1:49-54 (John Howland). 2(1900):70-77.
  • Roser, Susan. Mayflower Deeds and Probates, 1600-1850 (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.).
  • Roser, Susan. Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.).
  • https://www.dartmouthhas.org/uploads/1/0/0/2/100287044/records_new_plymouth_vol_8.pdf
  • Find A Grave: Memorial #6613808, citing Burial Hill, Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. Permission received from Caryn to upload headstone onto Wikitree on 4/3/2020.
  • Arnold, James N. Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850 (Narragansett Historical Pub. Co., Providence, R.I., 1891) Vol. 2 Providence County, Page 268: Deaths.
  • Bradford, William, 1590-1657. Of Plimoth Plantation: manuscript, 1630-1650. State Library of Massachusetts "List of Mayflower Passengers." In Bradford's Hand.
  • PCR12 p. 14. 1627 laid out lots; p. 40. 1638 bought 30 acres from William Holmes; p. 41 Feb 1638/9 bought house, barns etc. and land at Rocky Nook from John Jenney; p. 60. bought 5 acres from William Reynolds; p. 135. 1646 memorandum John exchanged 30 acres from William Holmes for 20 and 3 acres at Jones River Bridge; p. 164. 1648 bought land "great island Marshfield" from William Bradford; p. 165. On the same day he sold half this land to his son-in-law John Gorum]
  • The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower or John Howland's Good Fortune, a children's book, is a fictional work based on historic facts, by author and illustrator P. J. Lynch, published by Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts, copyrighted 2015.

Suggested Children's reading





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Comments: 59

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"Plymouth Church Records" gives his date of death as 24 Feb 1673, age 79. See https://books.google.com/books?id=7boMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA147 It also says "he was a good old disciple & had bin sometime a magistrate here, a plaine hearted christian."

"The Mayflower Quarterly" cited above is available online, for a fee, here: https://www.americanancestors.org/DB2760/i/58404/177/0

posted by Rick Pierpont
edited by Rick Pierpont
Thank you, this information has been incorporated into the biography.
posted by Anne B
Howland-4447 and Howland-21 appear to represent the same person because: Clear duplicates, please merge.
posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
Looks John Howland has the following relationship to US Presidents, plus.

John "Mayflower" Howland is the 6th great grandfather of 32nd President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. John "Mayflower" Howland is the 7th great granduncle of 37th President Richard M. Nixon. John "Mayflower" Howland is the 9th great granduncle of 38th President Gerald Ford. John "Mayflower" Howland is the 11th great grandfather of 41st President George Herbert Walker Bush. John "Mayflower" Howland is the 12th great grandfather of 43rd President George W. Bush. John "Mayflower" Howland is the 10th great grandfather of Sarah Louise (Health) Palin. John "Mayflower" Howland is the 5th great grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson. John "Mayflower" Howland is the 5th great grandfather of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

John "Mayflower" Howland is the 7th great grandfather of 1st Lady Edith Kermit Carow, wife of the 26th President, Theodore "Teddy: Roosevelt. [John "Mayflower" Howland - Desire Howland - Col. John Gorham Jr. - Stephen Gorham - Nathaniel Gorham - Elizabeth Gorham - Elizabeth Leighton - Emily Lee - Gertrude Elizabeth Tyler - 1st Lady Edith Kermit Carow, wife of the 26th U.S. President, Theodore "Teddy: Roosevelt]

posted by Richard Piepho
Howland-4371 and Howland-21 appear to represent the same person because: Merging my howland 4371 with Howland 21
The following comment was with regard to a G2G post I did back in 2015: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/176138/disputed-parentage-henry-howland-brothers-mayflower-arthur

It was answered Aug 20, 2018 by Matthew Fletcher, who said:

"These Howland profiles confirm my theory that the quality of a profile is often inversely correlated with the number of profile managers.

"Henry (senior) may well have lived in Fenstanton by the time of his sons' indentures but the baptisms of John (16 Jan 1602/3) and Henry (25 Nov 1604) at Ely are highly likely to be correct. This has been noted on John's profile which, however, persists with an erroneous 1592 birth based on his supposed age at death. The later date fits much better with the details of his life. Instead of a 31-year-old marrying a 16-year-old he's now a much more plausible 20 or 21. In fact it was very common to marry at 21 in London after completing an apprenticeship.

"Another error I noticed was that St Dunstan's is described as being in East London. Its full name is St Dunstan-in-the-East which perhaps led to the confusion but it's in the east of the City of London NOT East London."

Can we please discuss/address the issue of John's purported date of birth/baptism?

Darlene, please see the profile of his father which more completely addresses these issues.

This John Howland and his brothers are proven sons of Henry and Margaret Howland of Fenstanton. We have no precise baptism dates or absolutely proven places of birth (but almost certainly Fenstaton). The references to the baptism dates and to Henry Howland of Ely are proven errors. Henry Howland of Fenstanton is not the same person as Henry Howland of Ely. He did not marry Alice Ayers, and Margaret's LNAB is not Ayers (which is combining multiple errors).

Henry and Margaret Howland had 6 known sons and one daughter. All six sons were made apprentices in London. The birth dates are all estimates based on dates of marriage, dates of apprenticeships, and presumed order of birth from wills. From this, John Howland's date of birth is estimated as 1598 based on him being the 4th son, being old enough to sign the Mayflower Compact; being an apprentice in 1620 to John Carver; and marrying about 1623. The 1598 date is used by the renowned Mayflower researcher Caleb Johnson; the 1592 date comes from a statement that he was above 80 years at his death which is certainly an exaggeration.

posted by Joe Cochoit
Thanks, Joe. With that in mind, can we change his estimated date of birth from 1592 to 1598?
I certainly think so. I went ahead and made the change with appropriate notes.
posted by Joe Cochoit
I came across this and thought it could be included in the profile. Very interesting. "Maine, Nathan Hale Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1980," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9FW-FC5Q?cc=2241461&wc=MFZ9-7P8%3A1019042601 : 24 October 2014), Houston, Judith-Hubbard, Sarah T > image 1030 of 1615; Maine State Library, Augusta.
posted by Faylene Bailey
Interesting that someone used a Maine gravestone form as a family group sheet. Thank you.
posted by Anne B
I know. This is also strange. A record for John (b. 1790 in Providence, Rhode Island) as well as son John Jr listed in an index in Rhode Island. I can't access the actual document. "Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2H2-XZ9 : 17 December 2019), John Howland, 1590. View the index at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZD-L7NJ-K
posted by Faylene Bailey
The first link goes to the same index, but not the specific page that the second link goes too, so they say the same thing. Since it's obviously a wrong place, I would assume that some record, probably his death record, was used to create that birth record that got included in the original volume.
posted by Anne B
It looks like the source came from the bible record of John Howland, the former president of Rhode Island Historical Society. It looks like John Howland supplied his family history to the Providence County clerk to record all birth, marriage death records together in Book 2, page 220, but he later supplied his mother's death on page 222. Also, he supplied all of his children's birth on pages 220 and 221. It looks like the clerk recorded them together on pages 220 - 222 in 1805. John Howland must have been wanted to preserve his family record in the vital records in Providence County, Rhode Island.

For birth records: https://archive.org/details/cu31924098822103/page/n283/mode/2up For marriage records: https://archive.org/details/cu31924098822103/page/n151/mode/2up For death records: https://archive.org/details/cu31924098822103/page/n323/mode/2up

posted by Anonymous Howland
Thank you for the links ..........
posted by Anne B
Sally Marr has made an interesting argument for 1599 as the approximate birth year. I am not going to quote for fear of copyright violation, but she argues that he must have been under 25 (born after 1595) to have come over on the Mayflower as an indentured servant. She also points out that ages at death are often overstated in old records. The complete article can be found here: https://spyhollywood.com/are-you-related-to-original-pilgrim-john-howland/
posted by Carol (Jennings) Thoma
Raymond, his place of birth is shown as "uncertain."
posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
The Howland family is not proven to be in Fen Stanton until the baptism of Simon Howland in 1604. (from the Bishop's Transcripts). Unfortunately both the parish register and the Bishop's Transcript for Fen Stanton are very fragmentary during this time period.

In any case, Henry Howland (father of John) is not believed to be a native of Fen Stanton and we simply don't know when he moved here. It is possible John Howland was not born/baptized at Fen Stanton.

This information comes from Caleb Johnson's article in the MAR 2016 "The Howland Quarterly" (pp. 10-20)

posted by Raymond Wing
Caleb Johnson wrote an article in the MAR 2016 "The Howland Quarterly" (pp. 10-20) documenting Henry Howland, father of John (and others) as well as his children.
posted by Raymond Wing