Desire HOWLAND

1768 - 1850  (81 years)

• Name	Desire HOWLAND  [1]
  	She never married. After the death of her parents she lived for a time in the old homestead, as provided in her father's will, but subsequently moved into New Bedford to reside at the home of her sister, Mrs. Sylvia Grinnell. Her death took place in a house at the corner of Spring and Eighth streets, where she passed her last days. Aunt Desire, as she is affectionately recalled by several of the elder generation, is described as a little woman, of a cheery and kindly disposition, and a favorite with all. A grand-niece, who reluctantly gave up a cherished ambition to attend dancing school, as contrary to the tenets of the Friends, tells with pleasure that she was rewarded by the Quaker Aunt Desire with the gift of some silver spoons and a bank book opening an account of ten dollars. "for being a good girl." In her will, executed three weeks before her death, Miss Howland remembered various relatives with bequests of furniture, silver spoons and other personal belongings, and cash, and also set aside one hundred dollars for the benefit of any relative in want. Her nephew, Edward W. Howland, was appointed executor. After a lapse of more than sixty-eight years, several of her legatees still survive. Miss Howland was a regular attendant at the Howland family gatherings held for a number of years at Round Hills, where she and her venerable brother-in-law, Uncle Grinnell (they pronounced it as if spelled "Grinnle"), were conspicuous figures. On one of these occasions she was invited by Edward W. Howland to sign the family register, in the following words: "Aunt Desire, I desire thee to write thy name." "Oh, Edward, thou art always making puns about my name," was laughing rejoinder. At the reunion of August, 1850, tributes were read to the memory of Captain Grinnell and Miss Howland, whose deaths had not long since taken place, less than three months apart. One of the memorialists (whose names unfortunately have not come down to us), wrote of Miss Howland as follows: "Our beloved Aunt Desire Howland was the sixth daughter of her parents, and her nephews and nieces love to recall to mind the days of their childhood when spending their vacations at the Round Hills how pleasantly she endured their childish freaks and gently reproved the naughty and refractory urchin; being the only unmarried child and long a resident here, her patience was well tested from the care she extended from the oldest to the youngest of the grandchildren, all of whom can testify to her kindness. Soon after the death her parents she became one of the family of her brother-in-law (our late beloved Uncle Grinnell), with whom she resided seventeen years, and survived him ten weeks. "Tho' the patrimony received from her parents was small, yet being judiciously economized she ever made a respectable appearance, and withheld not her mite from the widow and the orphan; she was independent of the pecuniary aid of others, and may the example she has set before us long live in our remembrance, of a wise and judicious distribution of her little property, parcelling it out in small sums where she thought it would be useful. When taken sick she was impressed with the belief she should not recover and having arranged her business satisfactorily, her mind appeared centered on the goodness, love and mercy of her Holy Redeemer." Another writer said in part: "She preferred a state of single blessedness to matrimonial bonds, rejecting several suitors for her hand upon the ground of contentedness with her present home. Her family attachments were strong and manifested to the last moments of life, and those of her connexions who with unwearied kindness ministered to her every want during her hours of suffering will not soon forget her grateful acknowledgment of their attentions, nor will they lose the sure reward bestowed by Him who has sanctioned family ties and has said by the mouth of his servant, the Psalmist, 'Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.'" It is believed that one of these tributes was from the pen of Hon. George Howland Jr., secretary of the Howland family reunions, by whom they were entered on the records. [1]
  Birth	19 Nov 1768	Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Death	28 Jun 1850	New Bedford, Bristol Co., Massachusetts   [1]
  Person ID	I92655	Main Tree
  Last Modified	14 Sep 2018

  
  

  Father	Gideon HOWLAND,   b. 29 Mar 1734, Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts d. 2 May 1823 (Age 89 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Sarah HICKS,   b. 15 Mar 1736   d. 16 Sep 1824 (Age 88 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Marriage	25 Mar 1753  [1, 2]
  Family ID	F38677	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 19 Nov 1768 - Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S10118] William M. Emery and William W. Crapo, The Howland Heirs being the Story of a Family and a fortune and the Inheritance of a Trust. [S5459] Franklyn Howland, "A Brief Genealogical and Biographical History of Arthur, Henry, and John Howland, and their Descendants, of the United States and Canada", (Franklyn Howard - New Bedford, Mass, - 1885).