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.
Hugh Howell was born in Wales, as so many Howells were. He emigrated to American in the late 17th century and first appears in Hunterdon County records in 1705, when he bordered land purchased near Lambertville by John Holcombe. He and his unknown wife had two sons, but only one, Sampson Howell, lived to adulthood. Following his father’s death in 1745, Sampson Howell moved to Sussex County. Therefore, even though I am a descendant of Hugh and Sampson, that family’s tree will not be included here.
The Hunterdon family I am concerned with began with Daniel Howell (c.1600-1739) and Hannah Lakin (c.1656-bef. 1739). Daniel Howell first appears in Burlington County in 1682. Hannah lived in Philadelphia. Much of the research on the NJ Howell families was done by Josiah Granville Leach for his book Genealogical and Biographical Memorials of the Reading, Howell, Yerkes, Watts, Latham and Elkins Families, published in 1881. It focused on the descendants of Daniel’s parents, Thomas Howell and wife Katharine. He had information on Daniel and Hannah’s children and grandchildren, but not their grandchildren. He also studied the Reading family, as the title explains.
This Howell tree has been updated (on April 23, 2021) since it was originally published here, and now includes some of the additional information and corrections provided by Art Johnson in 2019.
My guidelines are to list the names of children of daughters but not their grandchildren. Surnames of other families whose trees have been published here are highlighted in green.
First Generation:
(1) Daniel Howell (c.1660 – 1739) & Hannah Lakin (c.1656 – bef. 1739)
Second Generation:
| (2.1) Capt. Daniel Howell (c.1688 – bef. 1733) & Mary Else Reading (1688 – 1732)
| (2.2) Hannah Howell (c.1690 – ) & Job Howell (c.1685 – c.1745)
| (2.3) Benjamin Howell (c.1695 – 1774) & Catharine Papen (c.1700 – )
| (2.4) Joseph Howell (c.1698 – c.1774) & Gertrude Burroughs (c.1724 – 1805)
| (2.5) Catharine Lakin Howell (c.1699 – 1778) & Wm Rittenhouse (1696 – 1767)
Note: Only children Daniel, Joseph and Catharine settled in Hunterdon County. Hannah and Benjamin remained in Philadelphia.
Third Generation:
(1) Daniel Howell & Hannah Lakin
| (2.1) Capt. Daniel Howell & Mary Else Reading
| | (3.1) A. Howell ( – 1711) – questionable
| | (3.2) Elizabeth Howell (c.1714 – bef. 1745) & Lucas Ryerson (1704 – 1764)
| | (3.3) Daniel Howell (1716 – 1790) & Julia Anne Holcombe (c.1720 – 1786)
| | (3.4) John Howell (1721 – 1808) & Elizabeth Yerkes (1725 – 1793)
| | (3.5) Joseph Howell (c.1722 – after 1766) & Susannah
| | (3.6) Benjamin Howell (1725 – 1795) & Agnes Woolever (1734 – 1820)
| | (3.7) Mary Howell (1727 – )
| (2.4) Joseph Howell & Gertrude Burroughs
| | (3.1) Daniel Howell (c.1742 – 1779)
| | (3.2) Anna Howell (1743 – 1824) & Smalley
| | (3.3) Sydney Howell (c.1746 – ) & Pettit
| | (3.4) Rachel Howell (c.1748 – ) & Daniel Everitt (c.1735 – c.1807)
| | (3.5) Jemima Howell (c.1738 – ) & William Reeder (c.1735 – )
| | (3.6) Phebe Howell (c.1740 – ) & unknown Garner
| (2.5) Catharine Lakin Howell & William Rittenhouse
| | (3.1) Priscilla Rittenhouse (c.1719 – 1745) & Christopher Search (c.1710 – 1757)
| | (3.2) William Rittenhouse Jr. (c.1720 – 1799)
| | | | m. 1) Rebecca Harned (c.1728 – )
| | | | m. 2) Elizabeth (c.1760 – c.1822)
| | (3.3) Garret Rittenhouse (1721 – 1797)
| | (3.4) Abraham Rittenhouse (c.1723 – )
| | (3.5) Peter Rittenhouse (1724 – 1791)
| | | | m. 1) Hannah Hall (c.1724 – bef. 1764)
| | | | m. 2) Sarah Hall (1735 – 1811)
| | (3.6) Jacob Rittenhouse (1725 – )
| | (3.7) Isaac Rittenhouse (1726 – 1809) & Susannah Baker (1732 – 1824)
| | (3.8) Susannah Rittenhouse (c.1727 – )
| | (3.9) Moses Rittenhouse (c.1728 – 1774) & Mary F. (1724 – 1819)
| | (3.10) Hannah Rittenhouse (c.1729 – 1798) & A. H. Dalrymple (c.1735 – )
| | (3.11) Anne Rittenhouse (c.1730 – bef. 1756) & George Dansdill (c.1726 – bef. 1773)
| | (3.12) Henry Rittenhouse (1732 – )
| | (3.13) Lot Lott Rittenhouse (1737 – 1813)
| | | | m. 1) Hannah Higgins (c.1728 – c.1785)
| | | | m. 2) Caroline Schamp ( – after 1811)
Fourth Generation:
(1) Daniel Howell & Hannah Lakin
| (2.1) Capt. Daniel Howell & Mary Else Reading
| | (3.2) Elizabeth Howell & Lucas Ryerson
| | | (4.1) Mary Ryerson (1737 – ) & David Browne
| | | (4.2) Lucas Ryerson (1739 – 1808)
| | | | | m. 1) Sarah Coombs
| | | | | m. 2) Abigail Ellery
| | | (4.3) George Ryerson (1742 – 1842)
| | (3.3) Daniel Howell & Julia Anne Holcombe
| | | (4.1) John Howell (c.1740 – after 1804)
| | | (4.2) Daniel Howell (c.1740 – after 1791)
| | | (4.3) Reading Howell Esq. (c.1743 – 1827) & Catharine Yerkes (1755 – bef. 1821)
| | | (4.4) Hezekiah Howell (c.1745 – 1811)
| | | (4.5) Amos Howell (1754 – 1811) & Martha Jones (c.1753 – 1821)
| | (3.4) John Howell & Elizabeth Yerkes
| | | (4) Mary Howell (1750 – ) & Thomas Norton
| | | (4) Hannah Howell (1752 – 1820) & John Levering
| | | (4) Daniel Howell (1753 – 1830) & Elizabeth Yerkes (1758 – 1826)
| | | (4) Reading Howell (1758 – ) & Mary Buzby (1772 – 1858)
| | | (4) Sarah Howell (1759 – 1826) & Anthony Levering (1759 – 1826)
| | | (4) Elizabeth Howell (c.1760 – 1846) & Samuel Schuler (1758 – 1812)
| | (3.6) Benjamin Howell & Agnes Woolever
| | | (4.1) Jacob Howell (1757 – 1835)
| | | (4.2) Joseph Howell (1762 – 1821) & Sarah Sally Rittenhouse (c.1763 – 1836)
| (2.4) Joseph Howell & Gertrude Burroughs
| | (3.4) Rachel Howell & Daniel Everitt
| | | (4.1) Rachel Everitt (c.1765 – 1815) & Darius Everitt (c.1755 – 1822)
| | | (4.2) Sarah Everitt (c.1775 – ) & Cornelius Coolbaugh (c.1770 – )
| | | (4.3) Elizabeth Everitt (c.1775 – ) & John Kemple (c.1770 – )
| | | (4.4) Mary Everitt (c.1780 – ) & John Lake (c.1776 – 1854)
| | | (4.5) Daniel Everitt (c.1783 – bef. 1819) & Sarah L. Hartpence (1775 – 1836)
| | | (4.6) Moses Everitt (c.1785 – )
Fifth & Sixth Generation:
(1) Daniel Howell & Hannah Lakin
| (2.1) Capt. Daniel Howell & Mary Else Reading
| | (3.3) Daniel Howell & Julia Anne Holcombe
| | | (4.3) Reading Howell Esq. & Catharine Yerkes
| | | | (5.1) Clarissa Juliana Howell (c.1783 – 1874)
| | | | (5.2) Harriet Ann Howell (1786 – ) & Joseph Montgomery (c.1780 – )
| | | | (5.3) Henrietta Marie Howell (c.1786 – 1858) & John Wheeler (c.1780 – )
| | | | (5.4) Courtland Daniel Howell (c.1787 – )
| | | | (5.5) John Fisher Howell (1789 – )
| | | | (5.6) Dr. Edward Yerkes Howell (1790 – 1850)
| | | | (5.7) Catharine Augusta Howell (1800 – 1900) & Gen. Thomas Flouroy
| | | | (5.8) Rebecca Howell (1801 – 1881)
| | (3.6) Benjamin Howell & Agnes Woolever
| | | (4.2) Joseph Howell & Sarah Sally Rittenhouse
| | | | (5.1) Mary Howell (1785 – bef. 1844) & Mathias Case (1782 – 1825)
| | | | | (6.1) Elizabeth Eliza Case (1807 – 1875)
| | | | | | | m. 1) Isaac Scarborough (1799 – 1846)
| | | | | | | m. 2) Richard F. Rounsavel (1789 – 1865)
| | | | (5.2) Agnes Howell c.~1790 – ) & Samuel Hunt (c.1790 – after 1827)
| | | | (5.3) Benjamin Howell (1794 – 1886)
| | | | | | m. 1) Mary Polly Kelly (c. 1798 – bef. 1827)
| | | | | | m. 2) Elizabeth Mathews (1805 – 1887)
| | | | (5.4) Delilah Howell (c.1795 – bef. 1807)
| | | | (5.5) Clarissa Howell (c.1798 – bef. 1807)
After the fifth generation, there were no more members of the Daniel Howell-Mary Else Reading living in Hunterdon County bearing the Howell name.
Kay H. Larsen
September 30, 2018 @ 9:32 pm
Any idea of who in this family tree might be connected to one Richard Howell born 1791, died 1875, buried in Sandy Ridge Cemetery. Married Sarah Nevius and was the father of Susan C. Howell who married Joseph O. Sherman.
Marfy Goodspeed
October 1, 2018 @ 6:23 am
Kay, my database has his father as Arthur Howell (b.c.1758), son of Richard Howell (b.c. 1733), but I have not researched these people.
Michael Womelsdorf
October 23, 2018 @ 6:32 pm
Direct descendant of Richard Howell/Sarah Nevius; believe I have an Elias Howell born circa around 1758 (son of Richard Howell, abt 1733) and died about 1812 in New Brunswick. In the New Jersey Death Records (from FamilySearch) , Richard Howell’s parents were mentioned as Elias Howell and Grace. The only Grace Howell I have seen around that time period was buried at Trenton in 1822 (via FindAGrave), so more research is needed.
My ancestor is Ida Howell Kugler.
Kay H. Larsen
October 6, 2018 @ 2:51 pm
So you are saying the line would be (according to what you have which you have not personally researched) Richard Howell (b.c.1733) father of Arthur Howell (b.c.1758), father of Richard Howell (born 21 June 1791), father of Susan C. Howell (married Joseph O. Sherman). The marriage record of Susan and Joseph clearly states that her father was Richard Howell. And Susan, Joseph, Richard Howell, and Sarah Nevius Howell are all buried in close proximity at Sandy Ridge Cemetery. Thanks for your answer. If the line as I listed it is what you understand it to be, no need to reply.
Diane Steiner
October 13, 2018 @ 12:39 pm
I’ve thought for years that I was descended from William and Elsie Howell through their son Joseph and then through Jemima and William Reeder. It appears I’m descended from William Howell’s brother Joseph instead. Do you have any more information on Joseph, his 2 wives, and their families? All I know about Joseph is that his will shows he lived in Kingwood and was close enough to the William Rittenhouse to leave him as one of his executors. I spent so much time tracking down his brother William; now I want to know where Joseph lived in Kingwood.
Marfy Goodspeed
October 13, 2018 @ 1:00 pm
Diane, Joseph Howell of Kingwood was the son of Daniel Howell and Hannah Lakin, as shown on the Howell tree. I do not have William Howell as his brother. Daniel Howell, in his will of 1739, does not name a son William. As you will see on the tree, Joseph had children with his first wife, whose name I don’t know, but none with his second wife, Gertrude Gordon. I have Jemima Howell, wife of Wm Reeder, as his daughter. Joseph’s will clearly shows that he was living in Kingwood Township, not too far from Rosemont, since Rittenhouse and Daniel Howell, Jr. were named executors. From what I have found so far, Joseph Howell’s property was on the Delaware River, but I cannot get more specific without some intensive research. The daughters that Joseph named in his will seem to have moved away from Hunterdon, which is why I have so little information on them.
Diane Steiner
October 18, 2018 @ 10:04 am
So sorry! I wrote of William Howell rather than Captain Daniel Howell) as the brother of Joseph Howell. Sorry for the mixup! Too many Daniels and Williams in my tree!
I do have a lot of information about the descendants of Jemima Howell. She and William Reeder moved to West Virginia in 1787. I suspect Jemima died there, because William moved with his children from there to Montgomery County, Ohio , by 1810.
Arthur Johnson
September 24, 2019 @ 4:22 pm
Marfy:
Thank for all of your hard work and sharing the history of the Howell Families. I am a descendant of Daniel Howell and Mary Else Reading. They are my 6th Great Grandparents and I descend from their son John Howell who was married to Elizabeth Yerkes. I have traced their line and should be able to provide you with some missing information. My Howell Family Tree starts with Thomas Howell and Katharine Thomas. Please let me know if you’re interested and where I can send my Family Tree.
Mark Howell
January 21, 2020 @ 11:05 am
Great work Marfy! Do you have any further data about 2nd gen Benjamin Howell (1690-1774)? I appear to be a descendant of his, if it can be proven that he had a son Benjamin (1735-1799, m. Elizabetha Beest) that bought land and moved to Botetourt-Montgomery-Floyd county VA in 1774.
This ancestry progressed from VA to WV and back to NJ, where I was born and still live.
Marfy Goodspeed
January 21, 2020 @ 1:10 pm
I’m afraid I don’t have any information that would help you, probably because this family left Hunterdon County at an early date. For this tree I depended heavily on the Howell Genealogy by Josiah Granville Leach. Perhaps your Benjamin is in that book, which you read on Google books: https://books.google.com/books?id=tEtMAAAAMAAJ
Mark Howell
January 21, 2020 @ 4:29 pm
Thank You for the link!
Linda Lyons
March 23, 2020 @ 11:04 am
Looking for one of the witnesses, I found this index entry at the Hunterdon Historical Society:
“69-1761. Joseph Howell Witnesses: Aron Wood, Edward Prall, Joseph Ashton Signed: Joseph Howell, Susannah Howell. Record type: Container” I have not seen the original record but perhaps it was a will, maybe a deed. What this might tell us is that the first wife of Joseph Howell b. 1695 was named Susannah and she was alive in 1761. We know from his will that his second wife was Gertrude. This is a gap in your chart.
Marfy Goodspeed
March 23, 2020 @ 12:22 pm
Yes, there is a gap in my chart because I have no evidence of the name of Joseph’s first wife. The document you cite cannot be assumed to be a will without looking at it. And just because a Susanna Howell witnessed whatever the document was, doesn’t mean she was his wife. I need more convincing. But thanks for sharing that–it’s a lead worth following up.
Robert Wallach
August 8, 2020 @ 2:05 pm
I am looking for Eliza Howell who is related to the Douglases of Hunterdon County and/or the VanTuyles and VanBuskirks. Nancy Douglas Simms, daughter of William Douglas and Katherine Van Buskirk, married to Charles Simms, wrote a letter in 1810 in which she talks about a a sister (probably Phoebe) who died Jan 10, 1810. The sister had a son named Otto who was married. Otto was living with Nancy’s Brother VanTuyle. This sister and brother are most likely half-siblings, children of Nancy’s mother’s previous marriage to Otto VanTuyle. Nancy wants Eliza Howell to pay the legacies left by Betsy to Nancy’s nephews.
There is an Elizabeth Howell, daughter of Samuel Howell and Elizabeth Stretch, who married a George Douglas. However, I think she died before her father, and if they had a daughter, she would have been a Douglas.
Any thoughts?
Robert Wallach
September 19, 2020 @ 12:04 pm
Upon further research, Eliza Howell is a cousin of Elizabeth Douglas. Both are grand-daughters of Samuel Howell of Philadelphia, the former Quaker and hatter who became one of the richest men in early America. . He possessed a large landed and personal estate, the latter alone, as shown by the account of his executors, amounting to over $284,000. In today’s terms this sum indicates a wealth of $8.1 billion, excluding the value of massive land holdings.
Joyce Ann
February 18, 2021 @ 1:12 pm
Does any one know of a
Mae Viola Howell born in NYC in the
20 s. Left for California had one son there came back had a second son in NYC. ???
Joyce Ann
February 18, 2021 @ 1:16 pm
I am also looking for an Aunt Kitty and Aunt Elizabeth who passed in the 80s in nursing homes which might have had the last name of
Howell….
Anne McKinne Fraley
April 23, 2021 @ 8:35 am
Is there a place where you document Sampson Howell’s family and descendants (I fall among that ilk, through the younger Sampson, then Uzal Ogden)? I am trying to verify the parentage of his wife, Jane Vanderbilt, and that effort led me to this blog. Thanks.
Marfy Goodspeed
April 23, 2021 @ 11:35 am
Hello, Cousin. I too descend from Sampson and Jane (see https://goodspeedhistories.com/michigan-fever/)
As for Jane’s origins, it appears that no one knows for sure. There is some evidence she was born in Richmond Co., NY, but others claim she belonged to the Vanderbilt family of Somerset Co., NJ. In the Michigan Fever article, I stated that she was the daughter of Jacob Aertes Vanderbilt and Neiltje Tunison. She was the right age, but I have no proof of that, and have also not gone looking for it. One of these days, perhaps. Another doubtful source is History of Warren County, NJ, pp. 167, 170-172.
Anthony Howell
September 27, 2021 @ 5:49 am
Do you have an information on Chatfield Howell 1746-1807 specifically his parents..I and related to him…Thank you for any help.
Anthony Scott Howell
Anthony Howell
September 27, 2021 @ 5:55 am
I think Chatfield is his middle name maybe first name Isaac…I believe him to be related to Edward Howell
Marfy Goodspeed
September 27, 2021 @ 7:49 am
I’m afraid I do not. The Howell family that lived in present-day Hunterdon County is not the same as the one that lived in the vicinity of Mercer County, and I’m guessing you Chatfield may have been connected with them. Can you identify Chatfield’s spouse or his place of residence?
Anthony Howell
September 27, 2021 @ 11:05 am
Chatfield Howell born salem co NJ born 1 may 1746 died 20 Feb 1807 in Franklin IN. (his grave can be seen on “find a grave”
2 wives
Elizabeth Jones b.1746 d.1803
Elizabeth Jones b.1770 d. 1803
Either he married sisters or there is 2 Chatfield Howell’s
His line has tested DNA connecting to Edward…I just can’t find proof of connection. My theory is Chatfield is his middle name The name Isaac is my theory although I’m looking into any Howell with middle name starting with C………thanks
Anthony S Howell
Marfy Goodspeed
September 27, 2021 @ 3:16 pm
Salem NJ in the mid 18th century is out of my range. I recommend contacting the Salem NJ Historical Society. Here’s their website: https://www.salemcountyhistoricalsociety.com/
Anthony Howell
September 27, 2021 @ 11:09 am
Also he may have been married to Patience Raiford b. abt 1831
Anthony Howell
September 27, 2021 @ 6:40 pm
Thanks for reply…….As I keep looking.
All the best.