Barnabas HOWLAND

Barnabas married Rebecca LAPHAM in 1724. Rebecca was born on 5 Aug 1707; died on 7 Sep 1736. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Barnabas married Penelope ? in 1750. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Judith married Joseph RUSSELL on 29 Jul 1744. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: 28 Mar 1770, Married 2nd, Mrs. Selvester Smith, dau. of Thomas and mary Allen

Benjamin married Anne BRIGGS on 7 Jan 1748. Anne was born on 27 Aug 1725; died on 15 May 1768. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elizabeth married William SMITH on 3 Sep 1749. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Silvia married Jonathan SMITH on 11 Mar 1748. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Gideon married Sarah HICKS on 25 Mar 1753. Sarah was born on 15 Mar 1736; died on 16 Sep 1824. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Lydia married Jacob TABER, Jr. on 1 May 1754. Jacob (son of Jacob TABER and Sarah WEST) was born on 21 May 1723 in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts; died on 16 Oct 1807 in Vassalborough, Maine. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Anne HOWLAND on 29 Nov 1786. Anne (daughter of Abraham HOWLAND and Ruth HICKS) was born on 08 Jun 1766. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Rebecca married Jethro RUSSELL on 4 Dec 1774. Jethro (son of Joshua RUSSELL and Lydia SPOONER) was born on 21 Mar 1753; died on 30 Mar 1807. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

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He was a master mariner, shipbuilder, and merchant. He built the ship Triton at Russell's mills, Dartmouth, and after removing to new Bedford entered into business with his brother-in-law, Captain Cornelius Grinnell. Besides their shipping they dealt in corn, flour, provisions, and particularly iron of various kinds. They built several ships, notably the Euphrates.

William married Abigail WILBOR on 3 Nov 1784. Abigail (daughter of Jonathan WILBOR and Huldah RICKETSON) was born on 10 Mar 1765 in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts; died on 28 Jul 1848. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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He early chose a seafaring life and was a successful whaleman, in which business he was master and owner of vessels. He removed to New Bedford and amassed a large property. Captain Howland was a skillful shipmaster, an excellent business man, an honored citizen, and a leading member of the Society of Friends. He had a farm on Clarks Point. During the Revolutionary War he was made a prisoner by the British, and his interesting adventures are narrated in an article written by one of his descendants appearing below. See pages 182-190 of "The Howland Heirs"

Cornelius married Rhoda WING on 5 Jan 1789. Rhoda (daughter of Edward WING and Edith TUCKER) was born on 4 Nov 1767; died on 11 Oct 1851. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Judith married Capt Jethro HATHAWAY on 22 Feb 1782. Jethro (son of John HATHAWAY and Deborah RUSSELL) died in prob. 1792. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

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When a boy of twelve he walked from his father's home at Round Hills to Boston to ship for a voyage at sea. For many years he engaged in the West Indies trade, and sailed from Boston and New Bedford in command of merchant vessels. He was managing owner of a number of sloops, some of which were commanded by his younger brother, Captain John H. Howland. Old ship's papers show that on Dec 31, 1795, his sloop, the Goodintent, sailded from New Bedford with the following cargo: "36 boxes spermiciti candles, 50 barrels flour, 3 barrels rye flour, 45 bushels potatoes, 50 turkeys, 13 barrels ship bread, 4 boxes tallow candles, 60 barrels whale oil, 4 earth closets, wine, and 607 lbs. cheese."

Captain John H. Howland was master of the Goodintent, and his accounting states that the net proceeds of the sale of the whale oil were eight hundred ninety-one pounds, eight shillings, seven pence. In 1799 Captain Joseph sent out his brother in command of sloop Franklin with a cargo of flour for Kingston, Jamaica, to be sold at two dollars a barrel, and giving him orders to return with a shipment of sugar. During the War of 1812, the Rainbow, of which Captain Joseph was master and part owner, was captured by a French privateer. He told his crew to go below, and took the wheel himself, but was forced to surrender. With all on board he was made a prisoner, being subsequently released. Captain Howland estimated his loss at about $3000. Nearly a century afterward, through the Court of French Spoliation Claims, his heirs were partially reimbursed by a payment slightly in excess of one-tenth of that amount. Some of them received shares of only eight dollars and twelve cents each.

Captain Howland lived for a number of years after the death of his father on the old Round Hills farm.

Joseph married Mehitable WILBUR in Jun 1785. Mehitable (daughter of Capt David WILBOR and Hannah BRIGGS) was born on 4 Aug 1766 in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts; died on 30 Apr 1823. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Peace KIRBY in 1827. Peace was born on 15 Jan 1791; died on 11 Aug 1859. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Edward WING. Edward (son of John WING and Elizabeth ROGERS) was born on 23 May 1772; died on 5 Mar 1857 in Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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To her lovely character and steady discharge of duty her children were in no small degree indebted for the success and honors at which they arrived. She was residing with hr aunt, Mrs. Judith Russell, when Captain Grinnell first saw her at the spinning wheel, and was charmed with her graceful figure and movements. Her children all bore the impress of her features.

Sylvia married Capt Cornelius GRINNELL in May 1785. Cornelius (son of Daniel GRINNELL and Grace PALMER) was born on 11 Feb 1758 in Little Compton, Rhode Island; died on 19 Apr 1850 in New Bedford, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Sarah married James ALLEN on 1 Jun 1785. James (son of Prince ALLEN and Deborah BUTLER) was born on 20 Oct 1757; died on 30 Nov 1820. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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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.

Gideon married Mehitable HOWLAND on 29 Nov 1798. Mehitable (daughter of Isaac HOWLAND, Jr. and Abigail SLOCUM) was born in 1778 in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts; died on 7 Jul 1809. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Captain Gilbert Howland was the last survivor of his father's children, and reached the greatest age of any of the brothers or sisters. he outlived his sister Desire nearly seven years. Forty-three years of his life, from 1784 to 1827, were spent on the water, in the merchant and coasting service, and he subsequenly settled on a farm in Darmouth, where he passed the remainder of his days.

Captain Howland wrote out an interesting account of his twenty-six voyages in the merchant trade, and a summary of his coasting trips, which is in the possession of his granddaughter Miss Sarah M. Howland of New Bedford. This valuable contribution to local history will be found below. "I began to go to sea before I was twelve years old," writes Captain Howland. "My wages were from three dollars to six dollars per month. My father had one half of my wages until I was twenty years old, I finding myself with the balance." Between 1784 and 1805 he made six voyages as boy and before the mast, five voyages as mate, and fifteen voyages as master. Captain Howland briefly and modestly recounts a number of exciting experiences, which included capture and subsequent release by four Spanish privateers, and the ultimate seizure of his vessel by a French privateer and confiscation by the French consul at Malaga. He was owner of many of the vessels he commanded. Two of his sons were masters of ships, and others of his descendants followed the sea.

Gilbert married Sarah HORTON on 19 Apr 1794. Sarah was born on 29 Jan 1773; died on 16 Apr 1818. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Rebecca WILBOR. Rebecca (daughter of Jonathan WILBOR and Huldah RICKETSON) was born on 16 Nov 1773 in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts; died on 27 Dec 1856. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

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He spent his early days on his father's farm, but disliking the life of a farmer, he ran away to sea at the age of fourteen, and before many years was in command of a vessel. He made many voyages to the West Indies in his brother Joseph's vessels, and by judicious management, about 1798, was able to commence business on his own account. In 1803 his name appears as a director of the Bedford bank, of which his father-in-law, Thomas Hazard, Jr., was the first president, and he was also one of the directors of the Bedford Marine Insurance Co. About this time he adopted the middle name of Hicks because there were so many John Howlands.

About 1810 Captain Howland removed to New York City, where he became a very prominent shipping merchant. he owned many vessels, three of them being named for his children, and of these the Mary Howland brought over the first English passenger locomotive engine used in this country, on the Mohawk & Hudson railroad. During the War of 1812 Mr. Howland subscribed for $50,000 of the war loan for the defense of the nation. For five years Joseph Grinnell, his nephew, was his business partner, and he subsequently admitted his son, William H., to partnership, the firm being known as John H. Howland & Son.

Mr. Howland had a fine summer home at Bloomingdale, on a high bluff overlooking the Hudson river, at what is now Eighty-Sixth Street and Riverside Drive; it comprised over ninety acres of lawn and gardens.

Many interesting letters written by Mr. Howland have been preserved by the family. In one of these, written in 1811 to his wife, who was at the home of her father in New Bedford, he says: "I have put on board the Lydia (the New York-New Bedford packet) in care of Joseph Grinnell, six water melons and six mush melons for thee. If thee has opportunity to send Father Howland two or three of the water melons I think they would be very acceptable to him."

Mr. Howland was above medium height, and had a light complexion and gray eyes. There is no portrait of him in existence. His daughter Mary strongly desired that he should have a portrait painted, but the other members of the family objected, as such a procedure was contrary to the practice of the Friends.

John married Sylvia HOWLAND on 20 Jun 1800. Sylvia (daughter of Isaac HOWLAND, Jr. and Abigail SLOCUM) died on 19 Jan 1802. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Sarah HAZARD. Sarah was born on 18 Sep 1781 in Cranston, Rhode Island; died on 29 Apr 1847 in New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Captain Pardon Howland was the first of the sons to pass away, and outlived but two of his sisters. Following the example of his elder brothers he went to sea, and became a captain in the merchant service. he was a member of the free Masons. Captain Howland was recalled by his eldest daughter, Mrs. Shearman, who was not quite fifteen years of age at the time of his death, as possessing a most lovable, gentle, and kindly disposition. Of rather a delicate physique he met death by his unselfish devotion to duty in the interests of others.

An account of Captain Howland's closing days has been furnished by his granddaughter, Mrs. Mary S. Kimber. "There occurred in 1820 and 1821," she writes, "a very cold winter of such unusual severity that the harbor of New Bedford was frozen over. Up to this period no land route was available, and the people of that vicinity depended entirely upon having their main food supplies brought to them by water. This being shut off, a famine impended, if it did not actually exist. In this emergency the appearance of a schooner in the mouth of the bay was welcomed as a God-send. This schooner had succeeded in ploughing her way through the great ice blocks to the entrance of the harbor, where she stuck fast.

"One of the first to reach the welcome vessel's side was Captain Pardon Howland, then a man in the prime of life. He was not a large or very strong man, but impelled by the prospect of securing food not only for his own wife and little ones, but for his fellow-townsmen he put forth all his strength. In helping to host a barrel of flour and get over the side of the schooner he strained his side. The much needed relief was secured - the wives and babies were fed, but in the end it proved to have been at the cost of one gallant rescuer's life, for from the result of that over-exertion Captain Pardon Howland never recovered. He died in a few days thereafter, leaving a widow with a house full of little ones to mourn his loss."

The intensity of the cold of that disastrous winter is chronicled by the New Bedford Weekly Mercury of Jan. 26, 1821, in these words: "Our bay (excepting a small rip south of Naushon Island), is entirely frozen over as far as Woods Hold, a distance of sixteen miles."

Pardon married Hepsa HATHAWAY on 1 Sep 1802. Hepsa was born on 13 Apr 1777; died on 31 Aug 1856. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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William H. Allen died in New Bedford May 29, 1883, aged ninety-seven years, thee months, twenty-one days - the oldest of the descendants of Gideon Howland. He learned the trade of a tailor with his father, and the two were associated in business together. Subsequently William was in business with his brother Gideon, and on their dissolution of partnership William built the three-story brick block on North Water street, New Bedford, just south of the old National Bank of Commerce building and carried on business there as a draper and clothier dealer. Water street at that time was the leading business street of the city. Mr. Allen later was engaged in whaling and also dealt in dry goods. He was a member of the Legislature and collector of the port of New Bedford.

William married Ruth PARKER on 1 Jan 1807. Ruth was born on 24 May 1788; died on 26 Feb 1837. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Caroline HAYWARD. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

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He went whaling and also sailed as captain in the merchant service, running to the Orient and to South and Central America. His two sons accompanied him on a number of his voyages. Captain Howland's death was due to smallpox, several members of the crew also being stricken with the disease, and were cured all but himself.

Pardon married Lydia Church PARKER on 15 Jun 1827. Lydia was born on 15 Aug 1802; died on 30 Oct 1874 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York; was buried in Congregational Church Cemetery, New Bedford, Bristol Co., Massachustts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Hepsa married Capt David Sands SHEARMAN on 23 Jun 1826. David (son of Capt David SHEARMAN and Anna TUCKER) was born on 26 Jul 1802 in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts; died on 9 Feb 1852 in Washington, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Eliza married Frederic HOWLAND on 7 Jul 1831. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

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As a youth he went to sea in the merchant service and in a short time became an officer. Later he engaged in whaling and made several successful voyages as master of vessels. After his retirement from the sea he fitted out whaling vessels until the depredations of the Alabama in the Civil War. Subsequently he received a considerable sum from the Alabama awards. Captain Howland served in the New Bedford common council in 1871 and 1872.

Benjamin married Mary Ann RUSSELL on 1 Sep 1831. Mary (daughter of Reuben RUSSELL and Anna TUCKER) was born on 10 May 1812; died on 20 Dec 1863. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Benjamin married Mary Allen MARBLE on 24 Nov 1864. Mary was born on 22 Mar 1836. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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He was a master of whaling vessels and subsequently settled on a plantation in Hawaii. For a number of years he was purveyor to the hospital in Honolulu.

Henry married Mary S. HOWLAND on 2 May 1836. Mary was born on 7 Jul 1809; died on 24 Jun 1845. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Deborah MELVILLE. Deborah was born in 1837; died on 29 Oct 1853 in Honolulu. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Rebecca WRIGHT. Rebecca died on 13 Apr 1896. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married Capt John A. DELANO on 12 Jul 1836. John was born in 1809 in New Bedford, Bristol Co., Massachusetts; died on 20 Dec 1893 in New Bedford, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Henry W. MCCOUGHTRY. Henry was born in 1807; died on 12 Dec 1861 in On voyage from Honolulu to San Francisco. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]