Disproven Existence Notice - Matthew Howard-Arundell

Question

Several years ago some significant work was done sorting out the documented facts around Matthew Howard, immigrant to Maryland, and the legendary Matthew "Howard Arundell", descended from English Arundel nobility.  The Howard-Arundell profile was retained to document the various theories, all of them to date unproven or disproven, which attempted to tie Maryland Howards to English nobility.  

We have now created the status of Disproven Existence for appropriate profiles.  Is this the time to add Matthew "Howard-Arundell" to the list of Disproven Existence profiles?  

Is there new evidence that was not addressed when these profiles were worked on a couple of years ago?  There have been some comments on the profiles, but it seemed appropriate to move the topic here to engage a wider audience!

Comments

And the profile of both should be project protected so they are not merged away.

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Profile has been moved to Disproven Existence and project-protected (I also removed the portrait).

Answer 1

To clarify, this notice is not about Matthew Howard of Virginia. It is about his doppelganger, Matthew Howard-Arundell (link under Jacks's post).

Comments

I love it.  Can we arrange for "doppelganger" to have official status on WikiTree as a kind of profile?

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Visually he's a doppleganger  of https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Howard-1688

(Its also the portrait that wikipedia uses for the Earl)

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I removed the portrait, since it represented someone who really existed.

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Thank you!

Answer 2

I like this topic.  Matthew Howard Sr. is my direct ancestor (9th great grandfather) and has always been controversial and a mystery as to his origins.   As one who loves  historical, deeper genealogy I hope this mystery can be resolved some day, but that is a pretty tall order.

Comments

I would think that the potential for solving Matthew Howard's parentage is higher than zero, because Howard was a member of the gentry in Maryland and probably in England before hand.  And gentry did things that created records.  Of course, many of those records have disappeared, but still, you never know what may be out there.  I have some ancestors who were dirt poor in Maryland, and I would be surprised if those brick walls ever get solved!

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Jack, like you I also have indentured servants in Maryland. I know their roots  may never get resolved in my lifetime.   I hope you are right about Matthew  Howard Sr.  I believe I read somewhere that at one time professional genealogists were hired to help solve the parentage of Matthew Howard but it was unsuccessful.