Elizabeth (Todd) Howard (abt. 1642 - aft. 1690)

Wife of Cornelius Howard Sr. — married 1662 in Province of Maryland

Descendants

Died after 1690 after about age 48 in Anne Arundel, Province of Maryland

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Biography

Elizabeth (Todd) Howard was a Maryland colonist.

Origin

No birth record or proof of last name at birth for Elizabeth Howard has been found. By the most exacting standards, Elizabeth's parentage is unknown, and many of the most credible genealogies simply show Elizabeth as unknown. Sharon Doliante,^[1] however, shows Elizabeth with a possible maiden name of Todd, without an explanation.

Elizabeth currently appears most likely to be the daughter of Thomas Todd of Anne Arundel County. Thomas Todd's son Lancelot's plantation was adjacent to the plantation of Elizabeth's husband Cornelius Howard. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography cautions there were three or four different men named Thomas Todd in Virginia at the same time.^[2]

• Thomas Todd of Anne Arundel County
  • b. 1622, Wexford]], County Middlesex, England,
  • married Elizabeth Unknown
  • father of Thomas and Lancelot.
  • This Thomas Todd settled on the Severn River--Annapolis--in 1651, having come from Virginia. On 7/12/1658 and 6/14/1661 he was commissioned Justice of Anne Arundel Couty, Md. Their son Thomas Todd married Sarah and had a Lancelot and a Richard, and died 1677. ^[3]
  • Most Likely parent of Elizabeth, wife of Cornelius Howard
  • Son Lancelot lived next to Cornelius Howard in Anne Arundel County

Lancelot, b. 1646 has two recognized siblings, Thomas, b. 1641 and John. Could he also be the brother of Elizabeth Todd, born about 1642, who married Cornelius Howard, planter on property adjoining Lancelot's?

She is less likely to be the daughter of Thomas Todd of Baltimore County, who left wills and other documents which clearly exclude a daughter Elizabeth. To add confusion, both unrelated Thomas Todds, he of Anne Arundel County and he of Baltimore County, were known to Cornelius Howard, who had dealings with both, including accepting responsibility for family members upon Thomas' death.

• Thomas Todd of Baltimore Countyl
  • b. 1619, Denton]], Durham, England,
  • m. Anna Gorsuch, daughter of Rev. John Gorsuch, D. D. and father of Ann, Thomas, Isabella, Frances, Johanna and William Todd.
  • Anna Gorsuch had a sister Elizabeth Gorsuch, but this Elizabeth married Howell Powell. This Elizabeth died in 1680 in Baltimore, Maryland, aged 38-39 ^[4],
  • Anna Gorsuch also had a sister Frances, who married John Sisson. Sisson called Cornelius Howard "brother" and asked him to take care of his wife Frances and their children.
  • Settled in Baltimore County, Maryland
  • When this Captain Thomas Todd died, Cornelius Howard was asked to be guardian of his son John.

Some genealogies suggest she is Elizabeth Gorsuch, daughter of Rev. John Gorsuch, D. D. It now appears that Elizabeth Gorsuch, b. May 13, 1641, Herdfordshire, England was the wife of Howell Powell and not Cornelius Howard. Howell Powell was born in England and immigrated to Virginia and then to Baltimore County, Maryland.

To add confusion, a sister of Elizabeth Gorsuch married into the family of Thomas Todd of Baltimore County, and another married Captain John Sisson, whose name also appears in the narratives. ^[5]

Elizabeth's husband Cornelius apparently knew and had legal interactions with both Thomas Todd of Baltimore and Thomas Todd of Annapolis.

Thomas Todd of Annapolis is more likely to be her father because:

• Lancelot, son of Thomas Todd of Annapolis, occupied adjoining property to Cornelius
• While Baltimore County adjoins Anne Arundel County, the Todds of Anne Arundel are more proximate
• Will documents identifying the children of Thomas Todd of Baltimore County are better defined, making it more difficult to add a daughter who is not mentioned. Will documents identifying the children of Thomas Todd of Anne Arundel County are absent, leaving room for a missing daughter.

1662 Marriage to Cornelius Howard

We know that Cornelius Howard married an Elizabeth. The Elizabeth who married Cornelius Howard, like the Elizabeth who married Howell Powell, lived long lives with their husbands. It is therefore unlikely that they were the same Elizabeth. One or the other, but not both, may have been Elizabeth Gorsuch. ^[6]

1663 Will of Capt. John Sisson

In the 1663 will of Capt. John Sisson, husband of Frances Gorsuch, Cornelius Howard, the named executor of Sisson's will, is called "brother." Cornelius Howard is asked to look after Sisson's wife and children. Howard is bequeathed an indentured servant, Richard Warfield; ^[7] In what way is Cornelius Howard John Sisson's brother? Cornelius possibly had a first marriage to John Sisson's sister. There is proof of when he married Elizabeth.

1671 Cornelius Howard Guardian to John Todd

In 1671 Cornelius Howard was named guardian to John Todd, son of Captain Thomas Todd. ^[7] Todd was married to Anne Gorsuch, sister to Frances.

1680 Wife Elizabeth Named in Will of Cornelius Howard

• to wife Elizabeth Howard : Exertrs, home and plantation during her life time,
• to son Joseph: Howard's Hope", on the south side of Severn River and Howard's Hardship" when he become 18.
• To son Cornelius: Howard's Hill" and an additional tract of Hockly creek, when he becomes 18.
• to daughter Sarah; 250 acres at Tuckaneo on Choptank River.
• to daughter Mary: 200 acres a part of Howard's and Poters.
• to daughter Elizabeth, personalty.
• Overseers: John Hammond and my brother Samuel Howard,
• Testators: John Howard and others.

1690 Elizabeth was named in will of Lancelot Todd

The 1690 will of Lancelot Todd names Cornelius Howard's wife Elizabeth as daughter Mary Todd's "Aunt Elizabeth Howard." ^[7]. Newman observes that this does not by itself "prove conclusively that she was of Todd patrimony, ^[7] but in conjunction with the other facts, it seems to clearly be part of a pattern.

Children

Issue of Cornelius and Elizabeth (?Todd) Howard^[1]

1. Joseph Howard, Named in will. ^[1] Named by Newman: underage at time of 1680 will, therefore born between 1662 and 1680. b. 1676, married thrice. incl Margery Keith and Hannah Dorsey
2. Capt. Cornelius Howard, Jr, Named in will. ^[1] Named by Newman: Underage at time of 1680 will, therefore born between 1662 and 1680.b. say 1678, Currently b. 1665, d. Feb 23 1717, m. Mary Katherine Hammond (1670-Dec 24 1714)
3. Sarah Howard, b. say 1680. Named in will. ^[1] Named by Newman: Underage and unmarried at time of 1680 will, therefore born between 1662 and 1680. ^[8]
4. Mary Howard, Named in will. ^[1] Named by Newman: Underage and unmarried at time of 1680 will, therefore born between 1662 and 1680.b. say 1682, spinster. Not in WikiTree
5. Elizabeth Howard, Named in will. ^[1]Named by Newman: Underage and unmarried at time of 1680 will, therefore born between 1662 and 1680.b. say 1684 married thrice -- Andrew Norwood, Andrew Wellsley, and Charles Kilbourne.^[9] Currently b. 1664, m Andrew Norwood b. 1634-1701. Possible age mixup.

Also linked in WikiTree as children, but not named in will and the relationship doubtful. Four appear in lists of children of a hypothetical first marriage to Anne Dorsey.

1. Joshua, b. 1665, d. Sept 4, 1708, m. Joanna O'Carroll b 1667
2. Benjamin, b. 1669, no spouse, no children on WikiTree
3. Charles b. 1671, no spouse, no children on WikiTree
4. David b. 1673 - 1701 no spouse no children or David b. 1680 d 1701, no spouse, no children.

The following do not appear either in lists of a hypothetical first marriage or in the 1680 will:

1. Edmund Howard, b. 1650-1713, m. Margaret Dent
2. Francis, b. 1667, no spouse, no child
3. Hannah b 1675, no spouse, no child.

A number of genealogies present another daughter Lois, who married Adam Shipley. Adam Shipley bought the land Howard and Porters Range from Cornelius and had a wife named Lois. However, there is no indication that Lois was Cornelius' daughter, or even was named Howard.

Research Notes

There is much debate about Elizabeth. Cornelius may have married Elizabeth Sisson, instead, a niece of Anna Gorsuch's husband, Mr. Todd - described as the aunt of Mary Todd, who was the daughter of Launcelot Todd. Elizabeth may have been a Todd. There has also been speculation that Elizabeth Hammond was his wife. "Captain John Sisson, dying in 1662,named Cornelius Howard as his brother-in-law and made him the executor of his estate. Evidence is therefore quite strong that he married the sister of Captain Sisson, but it is not conclusive"^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Sharon Doliante, Maryland and Virginia Colonials: Genealogies of Some Colonial Families. Volume I. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishihng Co, Inc, 1991, p. 359.
2. ↑ Pleasants, J. Hall, "The Gorsuch and Loverlace [sic Families (Continued): Anna Gorsuch and the Todd Family of Virginia and Maryland."] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 24, No. 4 (Oct., 1916), pp. 425-440, Virginia Historical Society, JSTOR.org accessed April 19, 2015
3. ↑ Maryland Archives Vol. III pp 348 and 424, and Md Historical Magazine Vol. IX p. 298.
4. ↑ Find a Grave?
5. ↑ Research and Analysis of Jack Day and Seely Foley, February 2016.
6. ↑ Observation of Jack Day, Feb 10, 2016
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} Harry Wright Newman, "Captain Cornelius Howard, Gent. and His Descendants," pp. 261-263, Anne Arundel Gentry: A Genealogical History of Twenty-Two Pioneers of Anne Arundel County, MD., And Their Descendants. Maryland Pioneer Series, Lord Baltimore Press, Baltimore, MD, 1933.
8. ↑ Jesse Buckwalter and Robert Whittaker. Prologue of the Howards of Eastern Kentucky Copyright 2017, 345 pages.
9. ↑ J. D. Warfield, Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, 1973, p. 71.
10. ↑ The Howard Family pp 237-308. Newman, Henry Wright, Anne Arundel Gentry: A Genealogical History of Twenty-Two Pioneers of Anne Arundel County, Md., and Their Descendants, v. 2. Maryland Pioneer Series, 1933, no. 241 of 300 copies. The Lord Baltimore Press, Baltimore. copyright missing. (21 December 2019)

See also:

• http://sherrysharp.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I55262&tree=Roots