Henry HOWLAND

Henry married Margaret ? on 26 Apr 1600 in Ely, Cambridge, Eng., (st. Mary). Margaret was born in 1567 in Fen Stanton, Huntingdonshire, England; died on 30 Jul 1629 in Fenny, Stanton, Hunts, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
The youngest (at least the last mentioned in the will of Humphrey) of the Howlands who have been heretofore referred to as arriving at Plymouth probably before 1625, was without doubt Henry. It is on record that he was a brother of Arthur, and they all doubtless held the same family relationship to each other.....

Search has been made in vain for his name on records of departures from England and arrivals in this country. The first mention made of him in New England is that in the allotment of cattle to the different families in Plymouth in 1624, he appears as the owner of the "black cow." On the first page of Vol. 1 of the curt records of new Plymouth, is found in a list of freemen, under date of 1633, the name of "Henery Howland." On the 25th of March of the ame year he is taxed "s.9 for the publike vse,......rated in corne at vi s p bushell." His thrift is shown in the fact that on the 27th of March, 1634, he is on the tax list for 18s.

He appears in Duxbury among its earliest settlers, some of the first inhabitants of Plymouth locating themselves there across the harbor, on the north side of the bay. here he is referred to as living "by the bay side, near Love Brewster's" and the record reads that he was "one of the substantial landholders and freemen."

The old records of Plymouth colony say that "Att a Courte held ye 5 of Jan., An 1635." Henry Howland was chosen "cunstable for Duxberry.".....

In 1640 he purchases five acres of upland and one acre of marsh meadow in Duxbury, the price which he paid being "Twelve bushells of Indian Corne." For several years he was surveyor of highways in the town. In 1643 he was on a list of freemen of Duxbury, and of men able to bear arms. He served on the "Grand Inquest" (grand jury) in 1636, '38, '39, '40, '49, '51, '52, '53, '56.

He was evidently placed on the next grand jury, for his name appears in 1657, June 3d, on a list of tose who refused "to serve on the Grand Enquest". The apparent reason for this is that he had joined the Friends' sect, which was just beginning to spread in America, and the duties were such that he could not conscientiously perform them...

At the court of October, 1657, Henry "was summonsed to appear at the next March Court to answare for intertaining Quakers meetings in his house." he appeared at the court referred to, and was fined 10s....

Toward the latter part of his life he became a large possessor of real estate. In 1652 he was associated with others in a large tract of land in Dartmouth. On the 2d of April, 1659, together with twenty-six others, he bought of Wamsutta and Pattapanum what was then called Assonet and is now Freetown. They gave 20 coats, 2 rugs, 2 iron pots, 2 kettles and one little kettle, 8 pairs shoes, 6 pairs stockings, 1 dozen hats, 2 dozen hatchets, and 2 yards broadcloth. At the division, in 1660, of "yeffreeman's land att Taunton River," which was this purchase, he received for his share the sixth lot. This was afterwards inherited by his son Samuel. He was one of the grantees of Bridgewater, but probably never lived there. In 1664 he bought a large tract of land in Mettapoisett (Swanzey).

Henry married Mary about 1628. Mary was born in England; died on 16 Jun 1674 in Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Arthur married Margaret REED in 1626 in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts. Margaret was born in England; died in Marshfield, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts; was buried on 22 Jun 1683. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: 03 Mar 1672, Inventory taken.
• Will: 29 May 1672

Notes:

Excerpt from Mayflower Increasing: In the Plymouth ChR 1:147, Rev. John Cotton said of him, " he was a good old disciple & had bin sometime a magistrate here, a plaine-hearted christian". Nathaniel Morton wrote, "The 23 February 1672 Mr John Howland Senr of the Towne of Plymouth Deceased hee was a Godly man and an ancient professor in the wayes of Christ hee lived untill hee attained above eighty yearaes in the world he was one of the first Comers into this land and proved a usefull Instrument of Good in his place & was the last man that was left of those that Came over in the ship Called the May Flower that lived in Pkymouth he was with honor intered at the Towne of Plymouth on the 25 February 1672."

Name:
American history legend from the voyage of the Mayflower and founding of Plymouth Rock in 1620. American children discover John Howland when they learn of the Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock, and the first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims' leader Governor William Bradford wrote a first hand account of the Pilgrim history from 1620 to 1647. This account was first published in 1952, and is considered one of the best first hand accounts of any kind on American history. In Bradford's account of the voyage over on the Mayflower, he tells of how John Howland washed overboard in violent storm. Howland was 29 years of age at the time. Howland was able to grab some ropes from the sails and gradually pull himself back on board the ship. This event and Bradford's account of it made John Howland a legend. Howland's name and account has been published in hundreds of publications and in school history books. As myths can grow, the story had changed that he had died and was the first pilgrim to die, thus the oldest burial in the Plymouth cemetery, Burial Hill. In fact, he survived, married and had a number of children with Elizabeth Tilley Howland, and lived to 80 plus, according to his grave stone. His grave stone also states from Plymouth records that he was the last male to die from the original pilgrims of the Mayflower. (bio by: Bruce)


Inscription:
Here ended the Pilgrimage of JOHN HOWLAND who died February 23, 1672/3 aged above 80 years. He married Elizabeth daughter of JOHN TILLEY who came with him in the Mayflower Dec. 1620. From them are descended a numerous posterity. "Here was a godly man and an ancient professor in the ways of Christ. Hee was one of the first comers into this land and was the last man that was left of those that came over in the Shipp called the Mayflower that lived in Plymouth."

John married Elizabeth TILLEY on 25 Mar 1623 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (daughter of John TILLEY and Joan HURST) was born in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England; was christened on 30 Aug 1607 in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England; died on 22 Dec 1687 in Swansea, Bristol Co., Massachusetts; was buried in Brown Lot, Little Neck Cemetery, Riverside, Rhode Island. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]