One of the early settlers in Amwell Township was Nicholas Sayn, who partnered with Johann Peter Sniter to purchase 1300 acres of the old Haddon Tract in 1748. The partners divided the property between them, and Nicholas settled down and raised a family and farmed his large property. But his son William did not wish to carry on the work, so Nicholas bequeathed his from to his nephew Honis.
The Howell Family Tree
A note on the Howell families: there were at least three separate Howell families who show up in early New Jersey records.
There is a Howell family that begins with David Howell (1657-1684) and wife Mary Herick. Their son Daniel Howell (c.1680-1732) and wife Mary Prout lived in Trenton and had nine children, none of whom seem to have established themselves in Hunterdon County, although I have not made certain of that. In any case, that family will not be included here.
Howell House, part one
Not long ago, Dennis Bertland inquired about an old house that might have been located on the William Rittenhouse tract that I recently wrote about (“The Rittenhouse Tavern.” Dennis’ inquiry can be found in the comments section.) It is located in a blank space on the Hammond Map between the Wickecheoke Creek and Shoppons Run. Who did that space belong to?