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.

Footnotes: