David Howell (abt. 1775 - 1818)

Born about 1775 in New Jersey

Husband of Keziah (Pierson) Howell — married 11 Feb 1800 in Chester Township, Morris, New Jersey, United States

Descendants

Died May 1818 at about age 43 in Jefferson Township, Morris, New Jersey, United States

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Biography

A descendant of David Howell Y-DNA genetically tested. Family Tree DNA Kit # 75586. Haplogroup Estimated R-M269. Ungrouped on Howell Project.

Morris Co. Marriage Records, Liber A, p. 92 (1795-1823):
Married by Lemuel Fordham, Minister of the Gospel, Chester, Morris Co., NJ. Rev. Fordham was pastor of the Chester Presbyterian Church from 1786 to 1815.
Marriage recorded 6 May 1801.

Upon death in May, 1818 had 18 acres of land in Jefferson Twp.
Personal property inventoried on 22 May 1818 valued at $54.00. ^[1] His widow, Kesiah Howell, took possession of his estate.

Tax Records, Jefferson Township, Morris County

• 1806, June Tax List, Page: 04, 25 acres, 4 cattle [1]
• 1807, June Tax List, Page: 09 [2][3]
• 1808, Sept., 27 acres
• 1809, 27 acres, 3 cattle
• 1810, August Tax List, Page: 06, 27 acres (9-1/2)(17-1/2), 3 cattle [4][5]
• 1811, September Tax List, Page 05, 27 acres, 3 cattle [6]
• 1812, October Tax List, Page: 05 26 acres (9-1/2)(16-1/2), 3 cattle [7][8]
• 1813, July Tax List, Page 04, 26 acres, 1 cattle [9]
• 1814, Sept, 25 acres
• 1815, 25 acres
• 1816, August Tax List, Page 11, 18 acres [10][11]
• 1817, 18 acres
• 1818, June Tax List, Page 16, [12] [13]

History of David and Keziah (Pierson) Howell.

http:/www.davidhowell-nj.us/genealogy/historiesDavid_Howell.php

Both David and Keziah were from Morris County, New Jersey. He from Chester[1] township and she from Roxbury township.[2] After they married, David, Keziah and their family lived on land that came to her from her grandfather Joseph Pierson's estate in the Upper Berkshire Valley, Jefferson township, Morris County, New Jersey.[3] These 25 acres bordered the Union Turnpike to the west and the Rockaway River to the east, not too far north of where the Berkshire Valley Road crosses the Union Turnpike in the village of Berkshire Valley.[4] [5].

More detail on the Howell Homestead in Jefferson Township can be found here.

David appears as a subscriber in the 1808 publication of "The Christian Remembrancer,"[6] subtitled "or Short Reflections Upon the Faith, Life, and Conduct, of A Real Christian." A popular book at that time and there were over 2000 subscribers, mostly in New Jersey, primarily from Essex, Union, Morris, Hunterdon, and Sussex Counties. The subscribers are all listed at the end of the book under the town in which they resided.

It is not known how David made his living, although farming his own land is a distinct possibility. There is also the possibility of mining, common in the area. His estate inventory at the time of his death in 1818 included a number of items which suggest he may have been a blacksmith and that might be expected in this area, especially for him as his property was literally on an important roadway. It should be noted here, that his eldest son Joseph, was a blacksmith when living in upstate New York.

David died in 1818, probably in May. It is not known how or why or even where David died but, because there was no known will, it is thought it may have been sudden and unexpected, perhaps an accident or illness. His estate inventory was made May 28, 1818.[7].

It is also not known where David is buried. The Berkshire Valley Church Cemetery would not have been established until about the time the church itself was built in 1820, which of course was after his death in 1818. Daughter Clarinda and her husband Charles Milburn are buried here and they appear to be some of the older marked graves in this cemetery (picture here) even though some suggest a few unrecorded tombstone inscriptions go back as far as 1812.[8] Although the place and conditions under which David Howell died in 1818 are not known but, assuming he died locally and not in some far away place it would be likely he was buried somewhere in the area, now unmarked and unknown, perhaps on his own property. This was common, especially in rural areas, in those times.

David Howell's will [9] was presented May 22, 1818 and proven May 28, 1818. Keziah acted as administrator.

After David died in 1818, Keziah and the children apparently remained on the land until about 1828 when they sold the last of the property and most of the family moved away, at least Clarinda and her family (13 children) staying. Children Joseph, David and Abram were living in New York state and it was thought that Keziah lived with them at various times. She died at home while living with her son David William Howell on Sacket Road in Bergen, Genesee County, New York.

References:

• [1] Chester Township was originally formed in 1799 from Roxbury Township.
• [2] As listed on their marriage record.
• [3] Jefferson Township was formed in 1804 from Roxbury and from Pequannock Townships.
• [4] Abstracts from Petitions of Morris County Estates filed at Morristown, NJ 1785-1907.
• [5] 24 SEP 1829 Morris Co., Deed Vault - Morristown, NJ - Deed Book A3-536.
• [6] Written by Ambrose Serle and published by John Austin Crane in 1808 with many printings, both in England and the United States. "Nowhere does the conviction of the vital importance of Calvinism as of the essence of the gospel appear more strongly than in Serle's books.".
• [7] Inventory - Book D, fol 307 - NJ#1724N.
• [8] Berkshire Valley Presbyterian Church cemetery : tombstone inscriptions 9 Dec. 1812 to 24 Sept. 1878 and records of burials and tombstone inscriptions 25 Sept. 1878 to 31 Aug. 1971 / compiled by Hector H. Brown. [Jefferson, NJ] - Morris County Library.
• [9] Inventory - Book D, fol 307 - NJ#1724N.

Sources

1. ↑ Recorded May 28th, 1818 in Morris County Deed Book D, Folio 307

• Genealogy of Early Settlers of Trenton and Ewing' Genealogy of Early Settlers of Trenton and Ewing, "Old Hunderdon County" New Jersey, Cooley, W S Sharp Printing Co, Trenton, NJ, 1883 Page 132
• New Jersey, Marriage Records, 1670-1965 Ancestry.com. New Jersey, Marriage Records, 1670-1965. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Original data: Marriage Records. New Jersey Marriages. New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey. Detail: Film Number: 001314453
• New Jersey, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890 Ancestry.com. New Jersey, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1643-1890 [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. Original data: Jackson, Ronald V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. New Jersey Census, 1643-1890. 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.
• U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 Ancestry.com. U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Census Publishing. State Census Records. West Jordan, Utah: Census Publishing, 2003-2009. Detail: Document: Record Group: Legislature; Series: Petitions and Other Papers relating to Bridges, Canals, Dams, Ferries and Roads, 1765-1835 [New Jersey State Archives]; Call Number: Box 1, # 120; Page Number: 3; Family Number: 24
• New Jersey, Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817 Ancestry.com. New Jersey, Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data: New Jersey State Archives. New Jersey, Published Archives Series, First Series. Trenton, New Jersey: John L Murphy Publishing Company. Detail: Timothy Howell, 21 Sep 1804
• New Jersey, Wills and Probate Records, 1739-1991 Ancestry.com. New Jersey, Wills and Probate Records, 1739-1991. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Original data: New Jersey County, District and Probate Courts. Detail: Timothy Howell, 21 Sep 1804
• State of New Jersey Death Certificate State of New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton, NJ. [14] Detail: Clarinda Howell Millburn, 25 Sep 1881, Ironia, Morris, New Jersey
• The Christian Remembrancer, The Online Books Page [15]