LEBBEUS HOWE

I am printing here the beginning of my Howe Research Journal. Although this is only the second draft, so the writing could use a great deal of improvement, I believe the facts are here.

Identity of Lebbeus Howe

The 1880 census lists two Lebbeus Howes; one in Fishkill, Dutchess County, with the right ages to be our ancestor and the other in Sharon, Connecticut. I have a Lebbeus Howe #248s-iC8, born 5 Oct 1781, a nephew of our Lebbeus. He is a son of Charles #248s-i, brother of our Lebbeus, #248.

John Howe⁵ (1719-1778) & Martha Thomas (1721-1797

Charles Howe⁶ (1741--) & Elizabeth Reynolds (1736--), of Greenwich

Charles⁷ Howe, Jr. (1777--1849)

Lebbeus⁷ Howe (1781--)

Lebbeus⁶ Howe (1755-1834)

Lebbeus⁷ Howe born 5 Oct 1781, would have been 18 at the time of the 1800 census. The census shows 1 male aged 16 to 25; a female under 9 and a female 16-25. This could very well be Lebbeus⁷ son of Charles⁶ with a wife and infant daughter.

I do not have a source listed for Lebbeus⁷, but it was probably Johnson, Ancestry of Margery Ruth Howe, as that was the source of much of my early information. His accuracy is doubtful, apparently due to carelessness, as will be shown below.

Where did Lebbeus⁶ live?

According to Johnson, Ancestry of Margery Ruth Howe, John Howe⁵ (1719-1778) and Martha Thomas (1721-1797) were born in Greenwich, Connecticut and died in Florida, Orange County, New York. Their children, except for Charles⁶ (248s) who was born in Greenwich, are stated by Johnson to have been born in Florida, Orange County. This includes Lebbeus⁶ (#248). Johnson further says that all the children of Charles⁶ (248s-i), including Lebbeus⁷ the nephew (#248s-iC8), were born in Florida, Orange County. I have no further information on any of the children of John⁵ and Martha to give us clues as to the true birthplace except for Charles⁶ and our Lebbeus⁶_.

Lebbeus⁶ Howe

Lebbeus⁶ appears in Frederickstown, Dutchess County, in the 1790 census when he would have been 35 years old. Thus he was born too early for the census returns to be of help in determining his place of birth.

Lebbeus⁶ is enumerated in Fishkill, Dutchess County, in all census returns from 1800 through his death there in 1834. He is buried in the Community Ground in Leetown, Dutchess County according to Poucher, Old Gravestones of Dutchess County. I have visited this cemetery which is totally overgrown with few headstones visible. Poucher does not give a place of birth, and the headstone does not appear to be extant.

According to his Revolutionary War pension file Lebbeus⁶ was married 17 October 1780 in Frederickstown (which was later known as Carmeltown), Frederickstown was near Red Mills in what was then a part of the South Precinct of Dutchess County, now Putnam County. Hence by the age of 25 he was residing on the eastern side of the Hudson River.

Charles⁶ Howe:

Johnson, Ancestors of Margery Ruth Howe, #2 (p.18), states in reference to Charles⁷ Howe, Jr.:

"In March 1797, he married Sarah Overbaugh in Florida, NY. Eleven children resulted from this union. . . . The first five children were born in Florida, the others were probably born in Schoharie, New York.

"Charles was a Baptist minister. He preached in Florida and in the Amsterdam, Montgomery area (Schoharie among others) for a number of years. Then, in 1832, he moved to Perinton, Monroe, New York where he preached in the Perinton, Pittsford, and Macedon churches, all in Monroe County.

"He died in Perinton on 20 April 1849 at the home of his son. His wife, Sarah, died there on 27 January 1855."

Johnson may have Florida, Orange County and Florida, Montgomery County, confused. The latter is in the Amsterdam area, between there and Schoharie. Thus Montgomery County seems more likely.

Returning to John⁵ Howe #496 (1719-1778) and Martha Thomas #497 (1721-1797), we find few other clues. Uncle Bill claims this John Howe was born in England in 1712 and emigrated to America in 1745. Johnson, Ancestors of Margery Ruth Howe, gives information entered on FTM. From Johnson:

"John How (8), the son of Comfort Finch (17) and John How (16), was born on 4 June 1719 in Greenwich, Connecticut.

"He married Martha Thomas (9), probably in Greenwich, CT around 1740. After the marriage the couple settled in Florida, Orange County, New York, and had ten children there. . . .

"John died in Florida on 10 March 1778. His wife died there on 19 June 1797."

The 8^th child was our Lebbeus⁶. The problem with all the children is that baptismal dates are given—no birth dates. This would be fine except that the church in which these baptisms allegedly took place is not stated and has not been found as of November 11, 2006. As of this date records of churches in and around Florida, Orange County, have been consulted. Montgomery County records have not been examined. Of further interest—their grandson Charles⁷ was a Baptist minister, and the Howes were said to be an old Baptist family. This would seem to preclude infant baptism, although in the early days some Baptist churches did baptize children.

The entry for John⁵ and Martha was also the earliest mention of Florida, Orange County. If they indeed moved to Orange County, then the birth of their children there would make sense. However no other evidence that this is the case has been found. Indeed, Johnson himself cites Daniel Waite Howe, Howe Genealogies, as his source for information concerning John⁵ Howe. The Howe Genalogies, #47 on p. 422, states:

"They lived in Florida, Montgomery Co., N.Y., where he died 10 March 1778. She died 10 June 1797." Thus Johnson has not correctly followed his own source in putting John Howe in Orange County.” (emphasis added)

Apperntly Johnson was unaware that there are two towns named Florida in New York State.

Monroe County, where Johnson says that Charles⁷, Jr., died, could add to the confusion. Rochester, New York, near Lake Ontario, is in Monroe County. However there is another Rochester, New York, in Orange County. Perinton and Pittsford are indeed in Monroe County. Macedon is in Wayne County, which is near Monroe. The first church there was Baptist, and was organized in 1800.[1]

French, Gazetteer of New York, p. 181, adds another Baptist component to the mystery. It says that Hawleytown, a hamlet south of Binghamton on the Pennsylvania border in Broome County, New York, was settled in 1787 by emigrants from New England. It then continues “The first religious services were conducted by Rev. Mr. Howe, (Bap.), in 1788.” Southern Broome County is closer to Florida in western Orange County than to Florida in Montgomery County. By the age of this Rev. Mr. Howe, he could not have been Charles⁷ Howe, Jr., #248s-iC8, (Charles Howe #2) stated above to be a Baptist minister, as he was born in 1777. Johnson gives no occupational information for Charles⁶ Howe (4), but he is the one whom Johnson says first crossed the Hudson to the western side. Of course this Rev. Mr. Howe could be another family altogether; French gives no Christian name for him. Nevertheless, he is Baptist, thus lending more credence to the belief that the Howes were Baptists from an early date.

Howe Caverns

Is this Howe related? He is in the right area—Schoharie County near Montgomery.

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[1] French, p. 692