Ancestry of Jennie Howland

Jennie Howland was born in Lapeer County, Michigan, on August 31, 1858. Was she a “Mayflower” Howland? In 1870 Jennie was living with her parents, Victor and Ann Howland, in Lapeer. Additional research revealed that Victor Howland was the son of John Richmond Howland. As a Richmond family researcher, the interest in Jennie Howland’s ancestry just doubled – was she a Mayflower descendant and a Richmond descendant? What would the Richmond Family book reveal?

Additional research was needed to find John Richmond Howland’s ancestors. Through the magic of the Internet, it was discovered that John Richmond Howland’s parents were Hoziel & Wealthy (Warren) Howland and that (H)oziel Howland’s parents were William Howland and Mary Richmond. Mary (Richmond) was in the Richmond Family book (#447). Her lineage back to John Richmond (the Immigrant) was (Seth, Joseph, Joseph, John, John).

The book stated the following about Mary (Richmond) Howland:

Mary Richmond was born in Gloucester, R.I. (or Taunton, Mass.) in 1750. She married in 1769/70, William Howland. They lived for some time in Gloucester, R.I., then removed to Ballston, N.Y. They receipted, September 24, 1791, to David Richmond, executor of will of Seth Richmond, both of Gloucester, R.I. Nothing is known of them later. It is tradition that they had three children, Richmond, John and Oziel, and that they died in infancy. Wrong! Oziel didn’t die, he just moved to Lapeer County, Michigan! [Oziel Howland also lived in Connecticut, New York and/or Pennsylvania before moving to Michigan]

So it was back to the Howlands. Turns out that Jennie Howland’s immigrant ancestor was Arthur Howland, brother of the Mayflower passenger John Howland. Close, but no cigar. However, Arthur Howland, Jr., son of the immigrant Arthur Howland, married Elizabeth Prence, daughter of Governor Thomas and Mary (Collier) Prence, to the dismay of the Governor. Before their marriage, Arthur Howland, Jr., appeared in court (with Governor Prence as the judge!) and was ordered to cease and desist his courtship of Elizabeth Prence against the wishes of her parents. It was a religious thing – the Howlands were Quakers. The Howlands were among those who were fined for “frequently absenting themselves from public worship of God.”

Governor Prence, who came to America in 1621 in the ship “Fortune,” was first married to Patience Brewster, daughter of Mayflower passenger William Brewster.

Elizabeth (Prence) Howland’s sister, Jane Prence, married Mark Snow, son of Mayflower passenger Constance Hopkins and grandson of Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins.

Jennie Howland of Lapeer County, Michigan, married Charles A.Allen on January 1, 1880, and died in Peach Orchard, Arkansas, on April 26, 1927. Charles Allen was the great uncle of Marion George Allen. M.George’s mother, Addie (Powers) Allen, was my great aunt (sister of Ralph Powers, my grandfather).