Individual Details
John Howe
(Bef 1619 - 28 May 1687)
The Howe Genealogies states that it is not known how John How of Sudbury came over from England to America; what place in England he was from, or where he first settled in this country. All that is known of his marriage is that his wife's name was Mary. Also, what his trade or occupation was when he came to Sudbury is not known.
What can be gleaned from the records is that he is mentioned as "John How, glover" in Temple's History of Framingham, the only reference to his occupation prior to his coming to Sudbury. In Marlborough, he kept a tavern for many years, but it is probable that he did not rely altogether upon this means of support, as he owned a considerable quantity of land.
It is certain that he was in Sudbury as early as 1638 or 1639, and that he was one of the 47 who shared in the division of the Sudbury meadows about that time. He was admitted freeman "of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay in New England" 13 May 1640. In 1642 he was one of the selectmen of Sudbury, and in 1655 was appointed to "see to the restraining of youth on the Lord's day."
He was one of the signers to the petition to the General Court in 1656 for the grant of lands in Marlborough and was the first white settler there. He came to the place as early as 1657 or 58 and built a cabin a little east of the Indian planting field, about one-third of a mile northeasterly of Spring Hill Meeting House, The ground upon which the house stood was owned for several generations by his descendants. It subsequently passed out of their ownership, but came back to the possession of Ephraim Howe, a direct descendant of John. The old house itself has long since disappeared, but some of the chestnut cross beams used in it were afterwards used in another building. A piece of one of them, together with a glass window pane, a diamond shaped piece about six inches long and four inches wide, and a portion of the leaden frame enclosing it, was given to the writer of the Howe Genealogies by Ephraim Howe.
During King Phillips war, one of his sons, also named John, was slain in Sudbury by the Indians, and his son Col. Thomas Howe bore a conspicuous part in the subsequent wars. John How was one of the first selectmen of Marlborough and in all the civil and religious affairs of the town took a prominent part for many years, so that much of his history is so closely identified with that of Marlborough as to become part of it.
Some little has been preserved illustrating his individual life and character. He resided near the Indian Plantation, but by his kindness and justice succeeded in gaining their good will. A dispute arose between two Indians as to the ownership of a pumpkin in a case where the vine sprang up on the premises of one, but the fruit ripened upon the premises of the other. Now if our venerable ancestor had had access to the law books he would have found that the case gave rise to some very interesting and perplexing questions. But he settled the dispute somewhat after the manner in which Alexander the Great undid the Gordian knot - by cutting the pumpkin in two and giving to each of the disputants one half. "This struck the parties as the perfection of justice and fixed the impartiality of the Judge on an immutable basis."
What can be gleaned from the records is that he is mentioned as "John How, glover" in Temple's History of Framingham, the only reference to his occupation prior to his coming to Sudbury. In Marlborough, he kept a tavern for many years, but it is probable that he did not rely altogether upon this means of support, as he owned a considerable quantity of land.
It is certain that he was in Sudbury as early as 1638 or 1639, and that he was one of the 47 who shared in the division of the Sudbury meadows about that time. He was admitted freeman "of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay in New England" 13 May 1640. In 1642 he was one of the selectmen of Sudbury, and in 1655 was appointed to "see to the restraining of youth on the Lord's day."
He was one of the signers to the petition to the General Court in 1656 for the grant of lands in Marlborough and was the first white settler there. He came to the place as early as 1657 or 58 and built a cabin a little east of the Indian planting field, about one-third of a mile northeasterly of Spring Hill Meeting House, The ground upon which the house stood was owned for several generations by his descendants. It subsequently passed out of their ownership, but came back to the possession of Ephraim Howe, a direct descendant of John. The old house itself has long since disappeared, but some of the chestnut cross beams used in it were afterwards used in another building. A piece of one of them, together with a glass window pane, a diamond shaped piece about six inches long and four inches wide, and a portion of the leaden frame enclosing it, was given to the writer of the Howe Genealogies by Ephraim Howe.
During King Phillips war, one of his sons, also named John, was slain in Sudbury by the Indians, and his son Col. Thomas Howe bore a conspicuous part in the subsequent wars. John How was one of the first selectmen of Marlborough and in all the civil and religious affairs of the town took a prominent part for many years, so that much of his history is so closely identified with that of Marlborough as to become part of it.
Some little has been preserved illustrating his individual life and character. He resided near the Indian Plantation, but by his kindness and justice succeeded in gaining their good will. A dispute arose between two Indians as to the ownership of a pumpkin in a case where the vine sprang up on the premises of one, but the fruit ripened upon the premises of the other. Now if our venerable ancestor had had access to the law books he would have found that the case gave rise to some very interesting and perplexing questions. But he settled the dispute somewhat after the manner in which Alexander the Great undid the Gordian knot - by cutting the pumpkin in two and giving to each of the disputants one half. "This struck the parties as the perfection of justice and fixed the impartiality of the Judge on an immutable basis."
Events
| Birth | Bef 1619 | England, United Kingdom | |||
| Marriage | 1638 | Sudbury, Massachusetts Bay, British America - Mary |  | ||
| Will | Bef 28 May 1687 | Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, British America |  | ||
| Death | 28 May 1687 | Marlborough, Middlesex, Massachusetts, British America | | ||
| Alt name | John How |
Families
| Spouse | Mary (1619 - ) |
| Child | John Howe (1640 - 1676) |
| Child | Samuel Howe (1642 - 1713) |
| Child | Sarah Howe (1644 - 1707) |
| Child | Mary Howe (1646 - 1647) |
| Child | Isaac Howe (1648 - 1724) |
| Child | Josiah Howe (1650 - 1710) |
| Child | Mary Howe (1654 - 1684) |
| Child | Thomas Howe (1656 - 1733) |
| Child | Daniel Howe (1658 - 1661) |
| Child | Alexander Howe (1660 - 1661) |
| Child | Eleazer How (1662 - 1737) |
| Father | John Howe ( - ) |
Notes
Will
John Howe's will, proved 1689, mentions wife Mary, sons Samuel, Isaac, Josiah, Thomas and Eleazer and dau. Sarah Ward, Mary Wetherby and John Howe, Jr. a son of son John deceased. His property was inventoried at 511 lbs. He gave Thomas the horse he troops on."Endnotes
1. Nehemiah How, Narratives of captivities, A narrative of the captivity of Nehemiah How in 1745-1747 : reprinted from the original edition of 1748, with introduction and notes by Victor Hugo Paltsits (Cleveland: The Burrows brothers company, 1904), 18; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com : accessed 4 November 2009.
2. Joseph Joslin, Barnes Frisbie and Frederick Ruggles, A History of the Town of Poultney, Vermont: From Its Settlement to the Year 1875, with Family and Biographical Sketches and Incidents (1875; reprint, Poultney: Journal Publishing Office, n.d.), ; digital images, Google, Google Books ( : accessed 28 June 2012.
3. Nehemiah How, Narratives of captivities, A narrative of the captivity of Nehemiah How in 1745-1747 : reprinted from the original edition of 1748, with introduction and notes by Victor Hugo Paltsits (Cleveland: The Burrows brothers company, 1904), 18; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com : accessed 4 November 2009.