NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Biographical and Genealogical History of Morris County New Jersey. Illustrated. Vol. II., Lewis Publishing Company, New York and Chicago, 1899.

THE HOWELL FAMILY.
COMPILED BY GEORGE W. HOWELL.

It is believed that all of the Howell blood in America may claim their origin from Edward Howell, who, in 1640, headed a party which purchased a large tract of land from the Indians and settled Southampton on the south shore of Long Island. This was the first town settled by the English within the present bounds of the state of New York. In commemoration of the event, and in memory of the leader, the Howell arms are carved on the grand western staircase of the capitol at Albany. Researches in England have carried the line back to the early part of the sixteenth century.

William Howell purchased Westbury Manor, parish of Marsh Gibbon, Bucks county, England, in 1536; died November 30, 1557. (The old stone manor-house, somewhat modernized, is still standing, and is occupied by the worthy rector of the parish.)

Henry Howell, son of William, buried July 20, 1625.

Edward Howell, son of Henry, baptized July 22, 1584. He sold Westbury Manor for sixteen hundred pounds, June 8, 1639. Emigrated to Boston, where he was made Ffreeman (sic) March 14, 1640. He had a grant of five hundred acres at Lynn, Massachusetts, but soon organized and planted the Southampton colony, of which he was magistrate to the end of his life; also member of the colonial legislature at Hartford. He died in 1655. His children were:

• Henry, baptized December 20, 1618;

• Margaret, baptized November 24, 1622, wife of Rev. John Moore, of Southold, Long Island;

• John, baptized November 22, 1624;

• Edward, baptized September, 1626;

• Margery, baptized June 1, 1628;

• Richard, baptized 1629;

• Arthur, baptized 1632;

• Edmund.

The arms of the family, as shown on old documents and on tombstones in the old burying-ground at Southampton, are: Gules, three towers triple towered, argent; crest used by some branches. Out of a ducal crown or, a rose argent stalked and leaved vert, between two wings, indorsed of the last. Motto: Tenax propositi.

About the middle of the eighteenth century a considerable emigration seems to have occurred from Long Island to New Jersey. Descendants of the fifth generation from the pioneer Edward settled at Troy, Parsippany, Morristown, Chester and Flanders. (The present sketch refers chiefly to the family of Gideon, one of these emigrants.)

Gideon Howell, whose line is Edward, Richard, Richard, Edward, Gideon, settled first on the farm now owned by George B. Smith, Esq. , at Troy Hills. By the burning of his house he lost everything he had, even to the wearing apparel of his family. A subscription for his relief, still extant, shows the esteem in which he was held by his friends and neighbors. He then removed to the farm at Littleton, which remained in possession of his descendants for a century and a quarter.

Gideon was born at Southampton, January 26, 1728, married April 2, 1753, died at Littleton January 20, 1803. His wife, Sarah Gordon, was born March 25, 1732, died October 22, 1803. Their children were:

• Sarah, born February 15, 1754, married (1st) Jonathan Fairchild; (2d) John Ball, February 17, 1816; died April 20, 1833.

• Martha, born June 20, 1756, married (1st) Asher Fairchild, (2d) John Ball, January 16, 1787; died February 14, 1815.

• Ezekiel, born March 27, 1758, married February 16, 1786; died June 16, 1831; his wife, Susannah Hill, was born May 15, 1762; died November 27, 1851.

• Abigail died in infancy.

• Hannah, born June 20, 1763; married (1st) Lemuel Minton, (2d) Thomas Osborn; died March 20, 1829.

• Daniel, born November 29, 1765; died July 6, 1790.

• Abigail, born December 8, 1767; married Henry Badgley, February 4, 1786; died January 5, 1832.

• Gaius, born May 25, 1770.

• Elias P., born July 8, 1772; married (1st) Rebecca Tucker, May 14, 1803, (2d) Hannah Pruden, April 14, 1808; died October 31, 1829.

The children of Gideon all settled in Morris county, except Daniel and Gaius, who removed to Ohio. From Sarah descended the Fairchild, Garrigus and Headley families; from Martha and Abigail the Badgleys, Balls and Strongs; from Hannah, by her first marriage, the Crane, Minton, Hopkins, Mason, Macfarlane, DeForest and Pullman families of Chicago; and the one child by her second marriage, Mary, wife of Hiram Smith, was mother of the Smith family of Troy, her children being, —sons, Samuel B., Thomas O., John Condict, George W., Richard, Henry; and daughters, Eleanor (wife of Rev. Elihu Doty, missionary to China), Marcia S. (wife of William Kitchell, formerly state geologist of New Jersey), and Mary L.

Ezekiel Howell, third child and oldest son of Gideon, had children:

• Anna, born January 6, 1787, married John Ward, of Newark, November 4, 1809, and died January 8, 1840. She was mother of the late David J. and General William Ward, of Newark.

• Eunice, born June 15, 1789, died at Littleton, unmarried. May 28, 1857.

• Daniel died in infancy. Calvin, born October 7, 1792, married Charlotte, daughter of Captain Ezekiel Kitchell, of Whippany, August 30, 1821, and died October 8, 1868.

• Sarah Fairchild, born July 2, 1794, married Rev. John M. Carpenter, March 29, 1837, and died June 11, 1863.

• Hannah Minton, born October 1, 1800, married David Todd, son of Robert Todd, of Morris Plains, February 25, 1830, and died at Littleton, January 13, 1884.

• Edward, born February 27, 1804, married Mary, daughter of Major William Lee, of Littleton, April 21, 1831, and died May 20, 1878. His wife was born March 5, 1809, and died August 31, 1896.

Ezekiel Howell spent his life on the farm at Littleton. He was in the New Jersey militia and was present at the battle of Springfield.

Calvin Howell, son of Ezekiel and grandson of Gideon, in his early life followed the carpenter's trade, being engaged in the erection of buildings at Easton, Pennsylvania, and Ogdensburg, New York, and for several years had a contract for erecting government buildings on Tybee island, Savannah, Georgia. Later he was concerned with his father-in-law in the early experiments with the inclined plane on the Morris canal, at Rockaway. His home after his marriage was at Whippany.

He enjoyed in an eminent degree the respect and confidence of the community. His public life was marked by sound judgment and stanch integrity. He was a member of the Morris county board of chosen freeholders, a judge of the courts, and a member of the legislature in 1846 and 1847. While in the last mentioned office he was chairman of the committee having in charge the erection of the lunatic asylum at Trenton, where his practical knowledge and business capacity were of great value to the state.

Joseph Warren Howell, the oldest son of Calvin that reached maturity, studied medicine and was a practicing physician at Whippany. He married Augusta, daughter of Edwin Wilson; died in 1864, leaving one child, Mary, wife of Edward E. Baldwin, of Parsippany.

William H. Howell, second son of Calvin, was born at Whippany April 6, 1841, on the family homestead, where he died July 15, 1889. His wife, Susannah A., daughter of Captain Timothy Tuttle, of Whippany, survived him about six years He was a member of the house of assembly in 1873 and 1874, his sterling qualities giving him high rank in the legislative body. For a number of years he was a member of the board of freeholders of Morris county, and for two years was director of the board. In 1881 he was elected sheriff of Morris county by the largest majority ever given to a candidate for that office. He was an ardent Republican, was a member, and for several years chairman, of the Republican county committee. From young manhood he was a member of the Whippany Presbyterian church. He left children: Francis C. , Rodney H. and Joseph Warren.

Francis K. Howell, third son of Calvin, was born on the Whippany homestead and is a practicing lawyer in Newark.

Edward Howell, son of Ezekiel and grandson of Gideon, lived and died on the Littleton homestead. For many years he was assessor of Hanover township, also township school commissioner. In his early life he spent several winters in teaching in the district schools. For fifty years he was deacon, church clerk and trustee of the Morristown Baptist church. He served two terms (1855 and 1856J in the house of assembly. His children were:

• William Lee and Charles Edward, who died in infancy;

• George W., born December 21, 1835, and

• Susan, born December 24, 1841.

George W. Howell, son of Edward and grandson of Ezekiel, was born on the Littleton homestead, which he sold in 1885, since which time he has resided in Morristown. He entered the New Jersey State Normal School in 1856, the first year of its existence, as a pupil, and was for several years a teacher in that institution. Since leaving the teacher's profession he has been engaged in civil engineering, having been connected with the earlier surveys for the state, under Dr. George H. Cook, state geologist, with the location and construction of railroads in this and other states, bridge engineering, reservoir and water-supply designs and construction, drainage and sewerage. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers; Washington Association; Sons of the American Revolution; State Sanitary Association, and is director and secretary of the Morristown Memorial Hospital.

He was married December 31, 1862, to Rachel M., daughter of Robert B. and Rachel G. Cornish, who were formerly of Otsego county. New York, and who settled at Gillette, Passaic township, in 1855. Mrs. Howell was born August 22, 1840, and died while on a visit at Providence, Rhode Island, April 21, 1898. Their children are:

• Edward, born January 7, 1866;

• Charlotte K., born June 30, 1868;

• Suzy, born July 4, 1871;

• Mary Lee, born November 21, 1S72; and

• Rachel C, born August 14, 1879.

Edward Howell, son of George W., was graduated at Rutgers College, in 1889, in civil engineering, and has since been connected with his father in business. He was married November 25, 1890, to Nettie Lee, daughter of Theodore F. and Mary (Burnet) French, of Plainfield, New Jersey. Their children are Margaret Lee, Edward and Eleanor.

For four generations this branch of the family has been officially connected with the Morristown Baptist church.

Suzy Howell, daughter of George W., was married December 23, 1896, to Professor Herrick Piatt Young, of Providence, Rhode Island, and has one child, Howell Thomas.

Susan Howell, daughter of Edward and granddaughter of Ezekiel, was married December 29, 1864, to Theodore M., son of Stephen M. Peck, of East Orange. Their children are:

• Mary Louisa, born September 30, 1865;

• Martha B., born January 9, 1867, married E. Fred Knapp;

• Ellen D., born September 28, 1868, married Rev. George Bonsall;

• Anna H. died in infancy;

• Margaret F., born July 18, 1876.

Theodore M. Peck was born April 25, 1837, was engaged in the hardware business at Madison, New Jersey, and died at Mentone, California, December 15, 1897.

About the time that. Gideon Howell came to New Jersey, two brothers of another branch, Benjamin and Jeremiah (whose line is, Edward, Edward, Jonah, Samuel, of Mecox, Benjamin and Jeremiah), came, the one to Troy, the other to Parsippany.

Benjamin Howell, son of Samuel, of Mecox, was born on Long Island October 10, 1725, and died at Troy, December 26, 1798.

John Howell, only child of Benjamin, was born October 20, 1759; married Phebe, daughter of Ebenezer Farrand, and died October 5, 1834. Their children were:

• Benjamin, born June 29, 1786, died February 17, 1852;

• Samuel F., born October 18, 1788, died February 22, 1860;

• Sarah, born May 6, 1792;

• Chileon died in infancy;

• Elizabeth, born January 11, 1800, died September 18, 1815.

Benjamin Howell, son of John and grandson of the emigrant Benjamin, had children (besides some who died in infancy):

• Susan C, born November 17, 1812, died January 16, 1862;

• Phebe F., born October 11, 1816, married Louis B. Cobb, and died March 20, 1869;

• Monroe, born September 9, 1819, married Henrietta Clay Stevens, June 13, 1849, and died March 2, 1883;

• Benjamin F., born October 11, 1822, married Frances H. Willis;

• Lemuel C., born February 28, 1829, died April 10, 1862.

Monroe Howell was a life-long resident of Troy, where he was engaged in farming and general merchandising, was for years assessor of Hanover township; also held other township and county offices, and was, at the time of his death, surveyor-general of the eastern division of New Jersey.

Transcribed by Brianne Kelly-Bly

Copyright ©1999-2018 by Brianne Kelly-Bly, all rights reserved.