Howe Genealogies, Volume 1 presents a detailed genealogy of John Howe of Sudbury and Marlborough, Massachusetts. This volume is part of a comprehensive three-volume set compiled by Judge Daniel Wait Howe and published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in 1929.
Judge Howe, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, initiated this genealogical project with the intent of documenting the lineage of his family. Over time, the project expanded to encompass all known descendants of John Howe, as well as other branches of the Howe family. The work represents decades of meticulous research, beginning with the Howe Family Gathering in Harmony Grove, Framingham, Massachusetts, on August 1, 1871, where a substantial amount of genealogical material was collected. This gathering marked the beginning of what would become a significant genealogical effort.
Volume 1 specifically covers the genealogy of John Howe of Sudbury and Marlborough, Massachusetts. Subsequent volumes continue with the genealogies of other Howe family lines, including those of Abraham of Roxbury, James of Ipswich, Abraham of Marlborough, and Edward of Lynn, Massachusetts. This volume also provides foundational context for understanding the evolution of the Howe name and its variations.
The compilation is notable for its thoroughness and dedication to preserving the history of the Howe family, reflecting Judge Howe’s commitment to documenting his ancestry and contributing to the broader understanding of the Howe family’s heritage.
Howe Genealogies, volume 1
“On August 1, 1871, a meeting of the Howes in this country was held at Harmony Grove, Framingham, Mass. Everyone bearing the name of Howe was invited to be present and to bring any ancient records or relics pertaining to the family, which they might possess. A very large attendance was the result of this invitation, and it was at this meeting that the project was started of having a genealogy of the Howe Family published, and an effort was made to collect the material necessary for that purpose, but after about a year the work ceased, principally for the lack of funds.”
The above paragraph is quoted from an early preface to this work written by Judge Howe and probably represents his idea of the first movement toward a Howe genealogy. A large amount of genealogical material was obtained as a result of the Howe Family Gathering and was preserved by Willard Howe of South Framingham, Mass.
Mr. Willard Howe later placed these records at the service of Judge Howe, who declared them to be “really the beginning and foundation” of his work. From these statements of Judge Howe, it seems likely that the “Family Gathering” afforded the first impulse to produce a family genealogy.
Credit in abundant measure, however, must be given to Judge Howe, for his persistent pursuit of the undertaking through a period, probably of over forty years, keeping all the while, a well arranged and constantly growing, manuscript.
“In England the names How, Howe and Howes seem originally to have been synonymous. In Lower’s ‘Patronymica Britannica’ or ‘Dictionary of the Family Names of the United Kingdom,’ giving the origin and definition of family names, is the following: ‘How, Howe, Howes. In the South a small round hill; in the North, a hollow place or plain. The mediaeval form is At How, generally synonymous with hill. A-Sax Hou, a mountain,’ page 164.”
There is no evidence that those bearing the name Howes in the United States are related to those who have used the other spellings. They are mostly descendants of Thomas Howes of Yarmouth, Mass., and a genealogy of them was published in 1892. They are not included in this work. In the United States the spelling How was generally superseded by Howe about the time of the Revolution, although some descendants of James How still retain the old spelling.
“There is abundant evidence that those bearing the names of Howe, How, Hoo and Hooe were numerous in England from an early period. Some of them were eminent in the history of England. The Rev. John Howe, Cromwell’s chaplain, was one of the most noted ministers of his time, and was the author of several well known books. Three Howes, brothers, were prominent, not only in the history of England, but in the history of America. One of them, General George Augustus Howe, was killed at Ticonderoga in 1758. The General Court of Massachusetts made an appropriation for a monument to him, erected in Westminster Abbey. Another, General William Howe, commanded the British forces at the battle of Bunker Hill and in other memorable battles of the Revolution. Another, Admiral Richard Howe achieved high renown as a naval officer in the Revolutionary war and in other wars carried on by England. Biographical sketches of various other Howes are given in the Dictionary of National Biography (Edited by Sidney Lee.)”
“The attempt to connect early Puritan emigrants with the landed gentry and nobility of England, is often made, and usually with the help of professional genealogists in England. The latter, for a sufficient consideration are wont to bring forth results pleasing to their employers. The fact is that most of the early Puritan emigrants were not land owners in England nor connected with the nobility there. Only a few of those named in this genealogy are included in the last edition of Browning’s ‘Americans of Royal Descent.’ ”
Surnames:
Abbott, Achillese, Adams, Albee, Alberts, Alcock, Alden, Alderman, Aldrich, Alexander, Alger, Allard, Allen, Allman, Almy, Alvord, Ames, Amidown, Amsden, Anderson, Andrews, Andrus, Angier, Anthony, Archer, Arey, Armstrong, Arnold, Arthur, Ashley, Asire, Aspinwall, Atchison, Atkins, Atkinson, Atwood, Austin, Avery, Awalt, Ayres, Babbitt, Babcock, Bacon, Badger, Badwell, Bagley, Bailey, Baker, Balch, Balcom, Baldridge, Baldwin, Ball, Ballard, Ballou, Banan, Bancroft, Bangs, Banister, Banks, Barber, Bardwell, Barker, Barlow, Barnard, Barnes, Barnet, Barney, Barrett, Barri, Barron, Barrows, Bartlett, Barton, Bascom, Bass, Bassett, Bastoon, Batchelder, Bateman, Bates, Battles, Baxter, Bayard, Beaman, Bean, Beardsley, Beckwith, Bedell, Beede, Beers, Belcher, Belden, Belknap, Bell, Bellamy, Bellinger, Bellows, Bemis, Benedict, Benjamin, Bennett, Benson, Bent, Benton, Bentz, Berry, Best, Bickford, Bicknell, Biehn, Bigelow, Bill, Billings, Bingham, Binley, Binney, Birchard, Biscoe, Bixby, Black, Blackman, Blackstone, Blair, Blaisdell, Blake, Blanchard, Bland, Blanden, Blanding, Blanford, Blight, Bliss, Blodgett, Blois, Blood, Blunt, Bly, Boardman, Bodge, Bodwell, Boeckn, Bolander, Bolton, Bond, Bonner, Boomer, Booth, Borden, Bosworth, Botchford, Bourn, Bouton, Bovier, Bowen, Bowers, Bowker, Bowles, Bowman, Boyce, Boyd, Boyden, Boynton, Braby, Bradbury, Bradford, Bradley, Bragg, Brainerd, Branch, Breese, Brewer, Brewster, Brian, Bride, Bridgman, Briggs, Brigham, Brightman, Brimstead, Brintnall, Brinton, Brittan, Brogan, Brooks, Brown, Brownell, Browning, Brownlee, Brownwell, Bruce, Brumley, Bryant, Buchanan, Buckford, Buckland, Buckley, Buckminster, Buckmore, Budd, Buell, Buffum, Bugbee, Bulkley, Bull, Bullard, Bullen, Bullock, Bullwinkle, Bunker, Bunnell, Burbank, Burge, Burgess, Burke, Burley, Burnap, Burnham, Burns, Burnside, Burpee, Burr, Burrell, Burroughs, Burt, Burton, Burwell, Busby, Bush, Buss, Butler, Butman, Butterfield, Butts, Byam, Cabrera, Cady, Caine, Caldwell, Calloway, Campbell, Canedy, Canfield, Capen, Card, Carey, Carleton, Carlisle, Carlton, Carmichael, Carpenter, Carr, Carrier, Carroll, Carsley, Carter, Cartwright, Carver, Cary, Case, Cash, Cassavant, Castleton, Caswell, Cather, Catlin, Cavens, Cessna, Chadeus, Chadwick, Chamberlain, Chandler, Chapin, Chaplin, Chapman, Chappel, Chase, Chatterson, Cheever, Chellis, Cheney, Cheseborough, Childs, Chipman, Choate, Christensen, Christenson, Christian, Church, Churchill, Churney, Cilley, Clafflin, Clapp, Clark, Clayton, Cleaves, Clelland, Clement, Cleveland, Clifford, Clinton, Clisbee, Clough, Coburn, Coffin, Cogswell, Cohoe, Colburn, Colby, Colcord, Cole, Collins, Collum, Colwell, Comins, Comstock, Conant, Condy, Cone, Congdon, Conklin, Cook, Coolidge, Coon, Cooper, Copsey, Corbett, Corbin, Corcoran, Corey, Corless, Corning, Cornwall, Corse, Coryell, Cotter, Cottle, Cotton, Covel, Cowles, Cox, Coy, Cozen, Cragin, Cram, Crane, Cranston, Cratty, Craven, Cravens, Creamer, Crehore, Creighton, Crippen, Crittenden, Crocker, Crofoot, Cromwell, Cronk, Crosby, Crowell, Crumbie, Crummett, Cruse, Cullinan, Cummings, Cune, Cunningham, Curtis, Cushman, Cutler, Cutter, Cutting, Dakin, Dale, Dalrymple, Damon, Danforth, Daniels, Darling, Darrah, Davenport, Davidson, Davis, Dawes, Dawley, Day, Dayton, Deakle, Dean, Dearborn, Dearth, Death, DeBarba, DeCamp, Decoff, Decoster, Deering, Dejean, Deland, Delano, Delles, Delworth, DeMant, Deming, Demond, Dennett, Dennis, Dennison, Densmore, DePeyster, Derby, DesLauries, Desper, Detrick, Dew, Dewey, DeWolf, Dexter, Dick, Dickey, Dickinson, Dikeman, Dillaway, Dimock, Dixon, Doane, Dodd, Dodge, Dole, Dolloff, Doran, Doughty, Douglas, Dove, Dow, Dowell, Downing, Downs, Drakeford, Draper, Drew, Drugg, Drury, Dryden, DuBiu, Duckworth, Dudley, Duel, Duff, Dunbar, Duncan, Dunham, Dunlap, Dunn, Dunton, Dupignac, Durant, Durfee, Durgin, Durkee, Durkham, Durling, Duryea, Dustin, Dutton, Dwight, Eager, Eagner, Eames, Earle, Eastman, Eaton, Eddy, Edmunds, Edson, Edwards, Eells, Egan, Elder, Eldredge, Elithorp, Ellingwood, Elliott, Ellis, Elmer, Ely, Emens, Emerson, Emery, Emmons, Endicott, Engeltie, Eno, Ersley, Erwin, Essicks, Estabrook, Eubart, Evans, Eveleth, Everett, Evertson, Ewing, Faber, Fairbairn, Fairbanks, Fairman, Fales, Fallebrown, Farnham, Farnsworth, Farnum, Farrar, Farrington, Farrow, Farwell, Faulkes, Faxon, Fay, Fearing, Felch, Felt, Felton, Fenner, Fenno, Ferguson, Fernald, Fessenden, Field, Fifield, Files, Finley, Fisher, Fisk, Fitts, Flagg, Flanders, Fleming, Fletcher, Flint, Flower, Fobes, Fogg, Folkes, Follet, Folsom, Fonda, Forbes, Forbush, Ford, Forsyth, Fosdick, Fosgate, Foskett, Foss, Foster, Fowler, Fox, Frank, Franklin, Frazier, Freeman, Freemire, Freer, Freeto, French, Frink, Frisbie, Fritz, Frizell, Frizelle, Frost, Frye, Fuller, Fullerton, Fulton, Gage, Gains, Gale, Gallup, Gammon, Gardner, Garey, Garfield, Garman, Garnsey, Garreton, Gary, Gassett, Gates, Gay, Gaylord, Gear, Gee, Gelder, George, Getchell, Gibbs, Gibson, Gilbert, Gile, Gilkey, Gill, Gillis, Gilman, Gilmore, Glass, Glazier, Gleason, Glenne, Glidden, Glines, Glover, Glynn, Gobin, Goddard, Golden, Goldthread, Gonsalve, Goodale, Goodnow, Goodrich, Goodwin, Gookin, Gore, Gormley, Goss, Gott, Gould, Goulding, Gove, Gow, Graham, Granger, Grant, Graves, Gray, Green, Greenleaf, Greenough, Greenwood, Gregg, Gregory, Grice, Gridley, Griffith, Griggs, Griswold, Grout, Guild, Guilford, Guion, Gunn, Gurney, Gustin, Guthrie, Guy, Hackett, Hadley, Hagar, Hagerman, Hagin, Hains, Hale, Halfentine, Hall, Halliday, Hallock, Halsted, Hamill, Hamilton, Hamler, Hammell, Hammond, Hancock, Handy, Hanfield, Hanks, Hanly, Hannancrat, Hanners, Hansen, Hapgood, Harding, Hardy, Hare, Harkness, Harlan, Harlow, Harmon, Harper, Harriman, Harrington, Harris, Harrison, Hart, Harthan, Hartshorn, Harvey, Harwood, Haskell, Hastings, Hatch, Hatfield, Hathorn, Hatstat, Haven, Hawes, Hawkins, Haynes, Hayward, Hazeltine, Hazen, Heald, Healy, Heard, Heath, Hedges, Helfer, Hemenway, Hemphill, Henderson, Henry, Henshaw, Herns, Herrick, Hersey, Hess, Hewins, Hichens, Hickey, Hickman, Hicks, Higgins, Higley, Hildreth, Hildrup, Hill, Hilliard, Hillis, Hillyer, Hilton, Hinds, Hinkley, Hinsdale, Hitchcock, Hite, Hitchings, Hoadley, Hobart, Hobbs, Hobby, Hodgon, Hodges, Hogan, Holabird, Holbrook, Holcomb, Holden, Holder, Holland, Hollinshead, Hollister, Holloway, Holman, Holmes, Holt, Holton, Holyoke, Holzkamp, Hook, Hooker, Hooper, Hoover, Hopkins, Horr, Horsley, Horton, Hosmer, Hotchkiss, Houghton, Houston, Hovenden, Hovey, Howard, Howe, How, Hough, Howes, Howland, Howlett, Hoyt, Hubbard, Hudson, Huff, Huffsmith, Hulbert, Hull, Humphrey, Hunt, Huntington, Huntling, Hurd, Hurlburt, Hutchins, Hutchinson, Hyde, Ide, Ingalls, Ingersoll, Innesley, Iredell, Ivory, Jackson, Jacobs, Jacques, Jaffrey, James, Jane, Jaquith, Jarrett, Jeanette, Jefferson, Jeffords, Jefts, Jelbaugh, Jenderson, Jenks, Jenkins, Jenness, Jennings, Jennison, Jenson, Jewell, Jewett, Johnson, Joiner, Jones, Jordan, Joslin, Joyce, Judd, Judevine, Judson, June, Kabe, Kahil, Kalicut, Kammerer, Kammerlen, Kasson, Kathern, Keeler, Keiser, Keith, Kelley, Kellogg, Kelsey, Kelton, Kemp, Kempton, Kendall, Kendig, Kendrick, Kenerson, Kennedy, Kenney, Kenniston, Kennon, Kent, Kenyon, Kerley, Kester, Ketchum, Keyes, Kibbs, Kilburne, Kilby, Kilgore, Killam, Kimball, King, kingsbury, Kinsman, Kip, Kirkman, Kirkpatrick, Kjilin, Kline, Knafler, Knapp, Knight, Knowles, Knowlton, Kuhn, Lacey, Ladd, Lakin, Lamb, Lambert, Lamson, Landfear, Lane, Langdon, Lapham, Larkin, Larned, Larrabee, Lash, Lashier, Lathrop, Latimer, Laughlin, Lawrence, Lawton, Lay, Layman, Leach, Leadbetter, League, Learned, Leath, Leavitt, Lee, Leet, Legate, Legrosse, Leighton, Leitzinger, Leland, Lemmon, Lemon, Lenz, Leonard, Leverett, Lewis, Libby, Lilley, Lincoln, Linderman, Lindsey, Lister, Litchfield, Little, Littlefield, Livermore, Livingston, Locke, Lockhart, Lockwood, Long, Longley, Longnecker, Longwell, Loomis, Lord, Loring, Loveless, Lovell, Lovering, Lovett, Low, Lowell, Lowery, Lowry, Ludlow, Lufkin, Luke, Lund, Lusk, Luther, Luton, Lutz, Lybyer, Lyford, Lyman, Lynn, Lyon, Lyscomb, Mabee, Mable, McAllister, McAuley, McBride, McCallister, McCauley, McClanathan, McLees, McClellan, McClench, McCormick, McCrohan, McDonald, Mace, McElheney, McFadden, McFarland, McGlade, McGrath, McIntire, McKay, McKenzie, McLaughlin, McMillan, McNamara, McNear, McNurney, Macomber, McPherson, Maeser, Mahan, Mahar, Mahoney, Mahurin, Maidens, Mandell, Manly, Mann, Manning, Mansfield, Mansur, Manville, Marble, March, Marcy, Marsh, Marshall, Marston, Martin, Marvine, Maryatt, Mason, Massie, Masury, Matteson, Matthews, Mattison, Maxim, May, Mayer, Maynard, Mayo, Meachem, Mead, Meader, Meador, Means, Medbery, Meeker, Meeks, Mehaffey, Melendy, Mellen, Mellor, Meltzer, Merriam, Merrick, Merrifield, Merrill, Merritt, Merry, Messenger, Messler, Metcalf, Middleton, Mighles, Miles, Miller, Milliken, Mills, Milton, Miner, Minot, Minott, Mirick, Mitchell, Mixer, Moffat, Monroe, Montague, Moody, Mook, Moone, Moore, Moreness, Mores, Morey, Morgan, Mories, Morrill, Morris, Morrison, Morse, Morton, Moses, Moulton, Mount, Mowry, Mudgett, Muldoon, Mullen, Mulvaney, Munger, Murdock, Murphy, Murray, Murtland, Muzzey, Myers, Mylander, Nason, Neal, Needham, Negus, Nelson, Nesbett, Newell, Newhall, Newlon, Newman, Newton, Nichols, Nickerson, Niles, Nilkins, Nimick, Noble, Nolan, Norris, Northrup, Norton, Nourse, Noyes, Nurse, Nutt, Nutting, Nye, Oakes, Ober, Oliver, Olmstead, O’neal, Onthank, Orr, Osborne, Osburn, Osgood, Ostrander, Otis, Owen, Oyer, Oyler, Ozakelman, Packard, Paddock, Page, Paine, Palmer, Park, Parker, Parke, Parks, Parker, Parkhurst, Parlin, Parmalee, Parmeley, Parmenter, Parnell, Parsons, Partridge, Passand, Patch, Patterson, Paulsen, Paulus, Payson, Peabody, Peak, Pearse, Pearson, Peary, Pease, Peck, Peckham, Pederson, Peeso, Penniman, Pepper, Perham, Perkins, Perley, Perry, Peters, Petts, Pickens, Pickering, Pierce, Pierson, Pike, Pingree, Pingrey, Pinkham, Piper, Pirie, Pitt, Plantier, Platt, Platts, Plummer, Poland, Pollard, Pomeroy, Pond, Pope, Porter, Post, Potter, Potts, Pourpa, Powers, Pratt, Pray, Preece, Prentice, Prescott, Pressy, Preston, Price, Priest, Prime, Prince, Prior, Proctor, Proudfoot, Prouty, Pryor, Puffer, Pugh, Purcell, Putnam, Putney, Qua, Quarles, Quick, Quimby, Quinn, Ramey, Ramsdell, Ranch, Rand, Randall, Ranger, Rankin, Rann, Ransford, Ransom, Rathbone, Ray, Raymond, Raynor, Rea, Read, Redding, Redfield, Reese, Rehnberg, Reilly, Reynolds, Rhorer, Rice, Rich, Richards, Richardson, Richey, Richmond, Rideout, Rider, Riggs, Riley, Ripley, Ristan, Rittenhouse, Roakes, Roark, Robb, Robbins, Robert, Roberts, Robertson, Robinson, Rock, Rockwood, Rodman, Roe, Rogan, Rogers, Rolfe, Root, Roper, Roscoe, Rosenau, Rosenberger, Ross, Roxbrough, Rowe, Rowell, Rowley, Royce, Ruggles, Runyon, Ruscoe, Rush, Russell, Rutherford, Rutledge, Rutter, Ryer, Sabin, Sadler, Safford, Sage, Sagendorph, Sain, Salisbury, Salter, Saltmarsh, Sampson, Sanborn, Sanford, Sappington, Sargent, Saunders, Savage, Savery, Sawin, Sawtelle, Sawyer, Saxton, Schaeffer, Schaller, Scheetz, Schoop, Schull, Schutler, Scofield, Scott, Scovell, Scribner, Searles, Sears, Seaver, Sedgwick, Seegar, Seelye, Selden, Sessions, Sever, Shackford, Sharrard, Shattuck, Shavally, Shaw, Shea, Shedd, Sheehan, Sheffield, Sheldeon, Shelton, Shepstone, Sherman, Sherwin, Sherwood, Shipman, Shoemaker, Shorey, Short, Sowerman, Shropshire, Shumway, Wibley, Sills, Silsbury, Silsby, Simmons, Sisson, Skinner, Slack, Slate, Slater, Slayton, Sleeper, Sleppy, Sloan, Slocum, Small, Smart, Smith, Snow, Snowdan, Snyder, Southgate, Southworth, Spafford, Spaulding, Spear, Spelman, Spencer, Spofford, Spooner, Sprague, Spring, Sprout, Sprowl, Squire, Stacy, Stahl, Stamm, Stanhope, Stanley, Staples, Starbird, Starrett, Stearns, Stebbins, Steel, Stetson, Stevens, Stewart, Stickney, Stiles, Still, Stillman, Stilson, Stinmetz, Stockwell, Stoddard, Stone, Stonebreaker, Storrs, Story, Stoughton, Stowe, Stowell, Stratton, Streeter, Strom, Strong, Struthers, Stubbs, Sturges, Sturgill, Sturtevant, Sullivan, Sumner, Sutherland, Sutliff, Sutphen, Swann, Swasey, Sweeney, Sweet, Sweetser, Swift, Swindell, Swinerton, Swingle, Sydow, Sylvester, Tabow, Taft, Tainter, Talbot, Talcott, Tallman, Tallmadge, Tandy, Tarbell, Tate, Taylor, Teel, Temple, Tenney, Terry, Thatcher, Thayer, Thomas, Thompson, Thorndike, Thorne, Thorp, Throckmorton, Thurber, Thurlow, Thurston, Tiffany, Tilden, Tileston, Tillson, Tilton, Timson, Tipple, Tisdale, Titus, Todd, Tombs, Tomkins, Tomlin, Tooly, Torrance, Torrey, Totten, Tower, Towne, Townely, Townsend, Tozer, Tracy, Trail, Treat, Trembling, Trescott, Trim, Troivant, Trotter, Trow, Trowbridge, Truesdale, Tryon, Tuck, Tucker, Tudor, Tufts, Turner, Tute, Tuttle, Twitchell, Tyler, Tymons, Underwood, Upham, Upson, Vail, Valentine, VanAnker, VanArnam, VanBuren, Vanderbilt, VanRenssalaer, VanStavern, VanTilbury, Vaslet, Vaughn, Veith, Vernon, Veto, Vickery, Virgin, Vitty, Volkmann, VonScheele, Vosburgh, Wadsworth, Wager, Waite, Walcott, Walden, Wales, Walker, Walkley, Walkup, Walkyard, Wallace, Wallbridge, Walsh, Walton, Walworth, Wanzer, Ward, Warden, Ware, Warland, Warner, Warrell, Warren, Warthen, Washburn, Waterman, Waters, Wathen, Watkins, Watlington, Watson, Watts, Way, Webster, Weed, Weeks, Welch, Welcome, Weld, Weller, Wellington, Wellman, Wells, Welton, Wendell, Wesley, West, Westfall, Westgate, Westland, Weston, Wetherbee, Wetherell, Whalen, Wheaton, Wheeler, Wheelock, Whipple, Whit, Whitaker, Whitcomb, White, Whitehouse, Whiting, Whitman, Whitney, Whiton, Whitted, Whitmore, Whittier, Wick, Wickes, Widdifield, Wier, Wight, Wilbur, Wilcox, Wilder, Wildman, Wilkins, Wilkinson, Willard, Willett, Williams, Willington, Willis, Wilmarth, Wilmot, Wilson, Winch, Winchell, Winchester, Winn, Winslow, Winter, Winthrop, Wires, Wise, Wiseman, Withington, Witt, Wolverton, Wood, Woodbury, Woodcock, Woodman, Woodruff, Woods, Woodward, Woolcott, Wooley, Woolson, Works, Worsley, Worth, Wright, Wurtz, Wyman, Yardley, Yeomands, Young, and Zimdahl.
Source
Howe, Daniel Waite, Howe Genealogies: Genealogy of John Howe of Sudbury and Marlborough, Massachusetts, vol. 1 of 3, Boston, New England historic genealogical Society, 1929.
I have been searching for Sophia Howe’s parentage for many years – she married my great great grandfather, Henry Martin Woods.