Elinor (Darnell) Howard (abt. 1648 - 1711)

Born about 1648 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland [uncertain]

Wife of John Maccubbin Sr — married about 1665 (to 1686) in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

Descendants

Died Jul 1711 at about age 63 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Sam Bowden [send private message], Ann Spiess [send private message], and Fred Remus [send private message]

Biography

1646 Birth and Parents

Marshall shows Eleanor as born about 1646 in England. ^[1]

"Prologue of the Howards of Eastern Kentucky" by Jesse Buckwalter and Robert Whittaker says she was daughter of Philip and Mary (Talbot) Darnell, but no birth record or marriage record for Eleanor has been found. She was likely born in Maryland around 1648. This date is based on information about her daughter, Sarah Reynolds who had a child born in 1688, and if both mother and daughter were at least 17 at the age of each birth.

"Her date of birth in 1632 is problematic if she is the mother of John Maccubbin's 4 children Sarah, Zachariah, William and Moses born between 1671 and 1681 as she would have been 38+ when her first child was born and 48+ when Moses was born. I've seen a date as late as 1649 which would still give her a chance to have married John Howard first, if their marriage ended in divorce. My notes tell me that there was an incident of some the Catholic Carrolls sons leaving the church and being disowned. Could this have happened in Elinor's case? Recall she married John Maccubbin at a Quaker Meeting and (as a Catholic myself) I know mixed religion marriages were not tolerated until the 1960's. ^[2]

1659 Arrival in Maryland

Elinor immigrated to Maryland in 1659. ^[3]

1665 First Marriage to John Maccubbin and Family

On 21 September 1665 in Anne Arundel County he married Eleanor, born about 1646 in England and died before 4 August 1711, when her will was probated in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. ^[1]

Loeser believes Eleanor is John's only wife, but does not know her surname. ^[4]

The wording of his will seems to indicate she was the mother of all five sons mentioned in the will.

John b. abt. 1666

Samuel b. abt. 1670

William b. abt. 1672

Zachariah b. abt. 1674

Moses b. abt 1676

Elinor was married first to John Maccubbin in Anne Arundel County around 1665. She is thought to be the mother of all his children, but

Child: Sarah Maccubbin

Child: Moses Maccubbin

Child: Elizabeth Maccubbin

Child: William Maccubbin

Child: Zachariah Maccubin

Second Marriage to John Howard

After the death of John Maccubbin, she married John Howard as his second wife.

"I show she was born in Anne Arundel Co MD. She was married to John Howard. When she married him is a good question. Some say she married him before 1667 the date of birth for John Howard Jr. The elder John did not die until 1696 making this a problem for her other marriage to John Maccubbin in 1669 at the Quaker Meeting House. John Maccubbin died in 1686, so she could have married John Howard then and not have been the mother of John Howard Jr. ^[2]

Warfield notes that after Mackubin's death, his widow, Elinor, married John Howard. They had no issue. ^[5]

Welsh reports that Elinor (last name unknown) married second John Howard, left a will dated September 21, 1685, proven July 31, 1688. ^[3]

After the death of his first wife, John Howard, son of Matthew and Anne Howards, courted and wedded sometime after 1686 Elinor, the second wife and widow of John Maccubin, who besides bringing a dowry brought him sevewral step-children among whom was Sarah, whose grandchildsren later married into the Howard family. ^[6]

1705 Abstract of Will

I Elianor Howard of Ann Arundel County being in good health and in perfect understanding. . .

• my daughter, Sarah Reynolds whom I hereby appoint my executrix
• having heretofore according to the utmost of my capacity given such part of my worldly substance amongst my children as could in reason be spared from my own support and considering the low destitute condition my four grandchildren Orlando, Sophia, Charles and William Griffith are left in by their father give unto them equally to be divided all the residue os such personal estate as I shall dye possessed of . . .if any of them dye before they are of age to dispose of their shares, the same to go among the surviver.
• I give to Wm. Macubbin and his heirs forever all that tract of land whereon he now liveth called by the name of Howard Thicket, he having in consideration of this devise released to his other brother his right to some lands bequeathed to him by his father.
• This I declare to be my last will this 10th day of November 1705.
• Signed Elioner Howard with her mark “E” in the presence of Charles Carroll, Mary Carroll, James Carroll, Charles Carroll Junr., Charles Carroll Esquire and Charles Carroll Junr. gent. evidences.
• Probated 4 AUG 1711^[7]

Research Notes

Was Elinor an Abraham?

Loeser notes that Edward SKIDMORE patented Hamilton near John MACCUBBIN and claimed Eleanor ABRAHAM as one of his headrights in 1662, having transported (among others named) "Elinour ABRAHAM" in 1659. ^[4]

Was Eleanor born a Carroll?

Warfield believed that John Mackubin's wife Elinor was "of the Carroll family." ^[5] Mrs. Elinor Maccubin, widow of John, was, as I believe, of the family of Dr. Charles Carroll, and James Carroll, of "All Hallows" Parish; both of whom were witnesses to her will, in 1711. Her daugher, ?Sarah Maccubin, became the wife of William Griffith, and the mother of Orlando and Captailn Charels Griffith, of Anne Arundel. ^[8] However, no evidence has been found to confirm this.

Some researchers have given Eleanor the last name of Carroll. This seems to be based upon the fact that all of the witnesses of her will were named Carroll. There is a simple explanation for this. Eleanor likely went to Annapolis to have her will written for her by Charles Carroll, a well-known elite, because she couldn't read or write. All of Charles Carroll's family were there and were asked to be witnesses of the document. There is no evidence that anyone with the last name Carroll lived in the area of South River when Eleanor was married about 1666. Her name has been left as Carroll to explain this misunderstanding.

"I have gathered much confusing information about Elinor. First I have her father as alternately Charles Carroll and Anthony Carroll. The dates for Anthony are better as the date of birth for Charles who married Mary Darnell is 1660, some 28 years after the birth of Elinor. ^[2]

What is Anar, MD

Place Name Notes: I have seen the place names "Anar, MD" and "Anar City, MD" in various genealogies. This appears to be the unfortunate result of someone deciding to invent their own abbreviations - in this case, "Anar cty" for Anne Arundel County.

The place of her marriage to John Maccubbin is given as Quaker Fall Meeting. I have seen online sources stating this Meeting was/is located in Annapolis. I haven't, however, seen any verification for the existence of this meeting. This does not mean it did not/does not exist, but better sources are needed to verify it.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Mike Marshall. Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. Profile for John MacCubbin, Sr. Accessed 22 January 2022 jhd
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Mary Reynolds Waldering. From a Genforum message board post, 28 Aug 2002
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Luther W. Welsh. Ancestral Colonial Families, 1928, p 168-171, gives data on other children.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Rudolf Loeser, John Maccubbin of Anne Arundel County and His Children, Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin, 40 (Spring 1999), 159+). Cited by Fredric Z. Saunders. John Maccubbin + Eleanor unconfirmed Carroll Note to Michael Marshall and Fonda Carroll, March 7, 2006. Mike Marshall. Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. Profile for John MacCubbin Accessed 21 January 2022 jhd
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Warfield, 69
6. ↑ Newman, 255
7. ↑ Prerogative Court Wills Liber 13 folio 325
8. ↑ Warfield, 178

Bibliography of Frequently Cited Sources

• Harry Wright Newman. Anne Arundel Gentry Maryland Pioneer Series, 1933
• J. D. Warfield Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland Baltimore: Regional Publishing Company, 1973