d.30 Oct 1676 Marshfield, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States
m. Abt. 1591
Facts and Events
A brother of 1620 Mayflower passenger John Howland, q.v., Arthur Howland arrived in Plymouth much later. The first mention of him in New England records is in Lechford's Notebook, p. 297-99, where he is described in 1640 as a Duxbury Planter. It was son Arthur who married Elizabeth Prence and acquired a somewhat reluctant father-in-law, Gov. Thomas Prence. Arthur Sr. is mentioned in Plymouth records as a Quaker. See also George E. McCracken, The will of Arthur Howland, Senior, of Marshfield.
Plymouth Colony: Its History and People 1620-1691, Part 4: Appendices, Appendix J: The 1643 Able to Bear Arms (ATBA) List 1643 Marshfield.
Part 4: Appendices, Appendix I: The 1627-1634 Arrivals
More About Arthur Howland: Burial: October 30, 1675, Marshfield
Arthur's brother came over on the Mayflower. (John Howland)
Arthur Howland was the eldest of his father's ten children and spent the first half of his life in Fen Stanton, the village of his birth. Like his father, he was a yeoman. He took to wife on Margaret Reed Walker of the same village, a widow with a year-old-son. They became the parent of three girls and a boy. Ultimately Arthur was drawn to follow his brother John to the Plymouth Colony. The date of Arthur Howland's arrival in American cannot be accurately ascertained. The book PASSENGERS TO AMERICA lists an Arthur Howland as coming American in 1638 on the ship "Lyon". But the date apparently is in error as the ship was wrecked in late 1632. WINTHROP'S JOURNAL, referring to the "Lyon", stated: "She arrived September 16, 1632 with 123 passengers, 50 of them children, after an ocean voyage of eight weeks." Howland could have been among them. The "Lyon" later was lost off the coast of Virginia where she went after stopping in Massachusetts and before returning to Plymouth Colony, was lost but her master William Peirce and his crew were saved. A letter from Captain Peirce written December 25, 1632 said in part: "Dear friends, you may know that your beaver and the books of your accounts are swallowed up in the sea. Your letters remain with me and shall be delivered if God bring me home. But what should I more say; we have lost our outward estates, yet a happy loss if our souls may gain." Several other references note the arrival of Arthur and his brother Henry in Plymouth as 1623 or 1624. Thus, the dates are indeterminate but not the fact of their arrival during the early years of the colony. As an increasing number of immigrants began arriving, the Pilgrim colony found it necessary to establish other settlements to accommodate them. The first was Duxbury, about nine miles to the north of Plymouth (Standish and Alden among others went there about 1632), followed by Marshfield that was another five miles north of Duxbury. Other settlements followed: Scituate was further north still and other were established on the Cape itself, including Barnstable, Sandwich and Yarmouth. Only one was located inland and at some distance from Plymouth -- Taunton, which was situated in western Massachusetts on Narragansett Bay. Henry Howland settled in Duxbury; Arthur and Margaret Howland moved to Marshfield with their family where they lived out their years. In addition to dealing with the challenges of a new land, Arthur and his brother Henry were to face adversity of an unexpected sort. Both had become members of the religious Society of Friends and the meetings of the small group were held in Arthur's house in Marshfield. The Mayflower Pilgrims, who sought religious freedom for themselves, were not tolerant of this other belief in their midst. The Quakers would not pay tithes to the Pilgrim's puritan church, nor would they yield to any law contrary to their conscience. Arthur, particularly, adamantly resisted the tyranny of the established church. As a result, the majority colonists were bitter toward the Quakers and adopted stringent laws punishing their refusal to make contributions and for holding meetings of another faith. As with many other New England colonies, heavy fines were assess for "concealing or entertain Quakers or other blasphemous heretics." Arthur was arrested for his actions in 1657 and, refusing to pay bond, was sent to prison. While in prison he sent a letter to the General Court held in 1658 that the Court found to be "full of fractious, seditious, slanderous passages of dangerous consequences." He was fined, refused to pay and was sent back to prison. One member of the Court was his brother John, a situation not conductive to familial harmony. The difficulties persisted off and on for the remainder of his life. Despite the significant travails which had assaulted them over the years, both Arthur and Margaret Howland lived to be quite old. Each was about 87 when the end came on the very same -- both died October 30, 1675. (Taken from: A Family History, by Donovan Faust)
(The Howland Line). The original Howlands in America were Arthur, Henry and John. The last named was a passenger on the "Mayflower." The others appeared in Plymouth in the early days of the settlement. All figure prominently in the early history of Plymouth Colony. John Howland, founder of the branch of the family herein under consideration, was the thirteenth signer of the "Mayflower Compact." His descendants are found throughout New England. They have been active in Rhode Island life and affairs for over two hundred years. The late Benjamin Baker Howland, of Newport, descended lineally in the sixth American generation from John Howland.
(I) John Howland, immigrant ancestor and progenitor, was a native of England, where he was born in 1592, the son of Humphrey and Annie Howland. With his brothers, Arthur and Henry Howland, he was in Scrooby, a center of Puritan thought and activity; in 1608 they went to Amsterdam, remained a year, then removed to Leyden, where they remained until migrating to New England. At the time of his coming to New England he was twenty-eight years old and, according to Prince, was a member of Governor Carver's family. While the "Mayflower" was yet in Cape Cod harbor, ten of "her principal" men were "sante out," in a boat manned by eight sailors, to select a place for landing. Among them was John Howland. A storm drove them into Plymouth harbor, and Plymouth was selected as the place of settlement.
The first mention of John Howland on the records is on a list of freemen, and as third an the Governor's Council of seven. He was assessor in 1633; in 1636 he served on a jury, and in 1666 was selectman. He represented Plymouth in the Massachusetts General Court in 1652-56-58-61-63-66-67-70. On June 2, 1670, his name appears for the last time as a candidate for public office. At this time he was nearly eighty years old, and refused to serve any longer. He served often on committees to lay out and appraise land, to run highways, settle disputes, etc. He was a zealous worker for the good of the colony, not only temporarily but spiritually.
He is recorded as a "godly man and an ancient professor in the ways of Christ." Governor Bradford notes that he was "a profitable member both in Church and Commonwealth." He was one of the men "appointed by the Church to join in the imposition of hands" at the ordination of John Cotton, Jr., in 1667. John Howland was for many years manager of the colonists' interests in a. trading post on the Kennebec river in Maine. He lived at what was called Rocky Nook, and died February 23, 1672-73. He married Elizabeth Tilley, daughter of John Tilley, of the "Mayflower," who after the death of her father became a member of the household. She died December 21, 1687, at the home of her daughter, Lydia Brown, at Swansea, Mass.
(II) Jabez Howland, son of John and Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland, was born in Plymouth, Mass., in 1628, and resided in that town during the early portion of his life, filling various civil offices. He served as a lieutenant under Captain Benjamin Church, in King Philip's War, and proved his bravery under a test made by Church, for that purpose. He was a blacksmith and: cooper by trade, and followed the occupation with great success in Bristol, where he settled after King Philip's War. His residence was on Hope street, where he kept a hotel. He was first town clerk of Bristol, and also served as an assessor, selectman and deputy to the General Assembly. Jabez Howland was active in the founding of the First Congregational Church of Bristol, and was one of the prominent and esteemed citizens of the town. His will, made July 14, 1708, was proved April 21, 1712, and disposed of an estate valued at six hundred pounds. He married Bethiah Thatcher, daughter of Anthony Thatcher.
(III) Joseph Howland, son of Jabez and Bethiah (Thatcher) Howland, was barn at Bristol, R. I., on December 14, 1692, and died there October 16, 1737. He was baptized November 8, 1695, at the First Congregational Church. He settled in Swansea, Mass., and perhaps later in life removed to Newport. He married Bathsheba Cary, daughter of David and Elizabeth Cary; she was born October 14, 1693, and died October 16, 1775.
(IV) Joseph (2) Howland, son of Joseph (1) and Bathsheba (Cary) Howland, was born in Swansea, Mass., December 6, 1717. He died in Newport, R I., which was his home during the greater part of his life, in March, 1775. In 1776 his widow, Susan, removed to Providence, when the British occupied Newport. She died there, February 12, 1779. He married, in 1746, Susan Baker, daughter of Jeremiah Baker, of Middletown, R. I.
(V) Henry Howland, son of Joseph (2) and Susan (Baker) Howland, was born in Newport, R. I., about 1751. He was a lifelong resident of Newport, where he died July 9, 1843, aged ninety-two years. Henry Howland married Susan Baker. They were the parents of Benjamin Baker Howland, of further mention.
(VI) Benjamin Baker Howland, son of Henry and Susan (Baker) Howland, was born at Newport, December 11, 1787. At an early age he was thrown upon his own resources, and having a taste for drawing and painting, began the study of portraiture under Robert Feke. He later abandoned this work for a business career, however, and established himself in the commission business. His first venture was a failure, but by dint of hard work and indomitable perseverance, he eventually succeeded in paying off all his indebtedness and establishing his business on a sound financial footing.
In September, 1825, he succeeded Charles Gyles as town clerk of Newport, and soon afterwards was made probate clerk. To these offices he was annually reelected until advancing years made it necessary for him to retire to private life. In his inaugural address, Mayor Cranston spoke as follows of Mr. Howland: "Our venerable and highly esteemed City Clerk, Benjamin B. Howland, has declined this year to be a candidate for office again. Mr. Howland was elected Town Clerk in September, 1825. Since that time he has annually been reelected without opposition. In all municipal and probate matters he is, if I may use the expression, an encyclopaedia of knowledge. During the last forty years he has discharged all the varied duties of his office in the most efficient, faithful and satisfactory manner, and now retires from the office of City Clerk without an enemy, with the kind feelings of all who have ever transacted business with him, and with the thanks of the whole community."
Both branches of the City Council passed complimentary resolutions, and at the earnest solicitations of many friends, Mr. Howland filled the office of probate clerk until 1875, when his resignation was accepted. At the request of the City Council, he sat for the portrait which now adorns the mayor's office, and on November 2, 1875, the Council voted to present him with a testimonial. A gold medal was decided on, and it was struck at the Philadelphia Mint. The medal, which was presented at the inauguration of the city government by Dr. David King, bears on the face the arms of the city of Newport, and on the other side this inscription: "The City of Newport to Benjamin B. Howland; a testimonial of faithful public service in Newport during a period of fifty years."
For many years Mr. Howland was a deacon in the First Baptist Church of Newport. He was also active in financial circles and was secretary of the Newport Savings Bank from the time of its incorporation, 1819, until his death. In early life he was a member, first of the Old Guards, and then of the Artillery Company, and he was both the keeper of the cabinet of the Southern Department of the Rhode Island Historical Society, and recording secretary and librarian of the Newport Historical Society from the time of its organization; He was deeply interested in historical research and well versed in the history of Rhode Island. He spoke frequently before the Historical Society in Newport, and treated, among other subjects, "The Streets of Newport," "The Schools of Newport," and "King Philip of Pokanoket." Benjamin Baker Howland married Phebe C. Greene, daughter of Fones Greene. Among their children was Susan Baker Howland, who became the wife of Robert Sherman, of Newport. (See Sherman). Mr. Howland died in Newport, October 20, 1877.
From Rhode Island Gen Web, 6/7/2001.