THE HOWELL FAMILY OF ISLE OF WIGHT AND NANSEMOND COUNTIES, VIRGINIA- Generation One

by Jim Farmer/ jims-email@hotmail.com

GENERATION ONE

The early Howell families of Isle of Wight County and Nansemond County do not descend from the Howells of Henrico County or Lt. John Howell of Charles City County as was once proposed. They came directly from England to Southside Virginia.

Three Howell men arrived in the Southside Virginia between the years 1635-1641 and were most likely related. Assuming they were all young men when they arrived, they were born about 1615-1620. If they were typical for their community, they were early Puritans—but still members of the Church of England-- who came to Virginia to practice their lifestyle away from the current religious demands back home being driven by King Charles I. They came, no doubt like their neighbors, through the port city of Bristol from western England or possibly Wales.

A. OWEN HOWELL (born c1620; died bef. 1677) came to Southside Virginia before 7 July 1635. The owner of his headright, Lt. John Upton, most likely brought Owen to Virginia to be an indentured servant to help him settle 1650 acres of land at Pagan Creek in what was then called Warrosquoyacke County but soon became known as Isle of Wight County.[i]  Presumably he died before 1677 since his name is not found in the Isle of Wight petition in 1677. 

B. WALTER HOWELL (born c1620; died bef. 1677) came the same year as Owen, before 19 November 1635. He came under the auspices of Capt. Thomas Willoughby, another large landowner bringing settlers to neighboring Elizabeth City County.[ii] Presumably he died before 1677 since his name is not found in the Isle of Wight petition in 1677.

C. HOPKINS HOWELL (born c1620; died bef. 1677) came before 23 June 1641 to Southside Virginia. He came with a large group of 23 servants under the leadership of Ambrose Bennett who received 1150 acres at Cypress Creek in Isle of Wight County.[iii]  [iv]  Hopkins’ first acquisition of land was as a result of his service or indenturement to Bennett, for he either received or had exchanged 50 acres out of Bennett’s 1150 acre patent.[v]  Of the three Howell men, only Hopkins patented his own land later on. His 400 acres was located near Bennett’s, and according to the patent, at the head of New Towne Haven River near the beaver dams. 200 acres of the land had originally been patented on 23 Mary 1642 by Peter Johnson.

Virginia Land Patent for Hopkins Howell

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HOPKIN HOWELL, 400 acs. Nansemond Co., 12 Jan. 1653, [Patent Book No. 3] p. 226. Upon the head of New Towne haven Riv. 200 acs. part near the beavor dams & bordering land hereafter mentioned, running by John Thomas' land &c; and 100 acs. beg from the first mentioned, etc. 200 acs. granted unto Peter Johnson, 23 May 1642 & purchased of the assignees of sd. Johnson; & 200 acs. for trans, of 4 pers: Andrew Pearle, Neale Mattrum (or Mattonn), John Vonibly (?), Henry Laine.[vi] 

His patent and other early patents often got the location confused. In some patents, New Towne Haven River referred to modern day Pagan Creek in Isle of Wight County and sometimes it referred to Chuckatuck Creek in Nansemond County. (Cypress Creek is between these two creeks in Isle of Wight County.) Hopkins’ land was closer to Cypress Creek. Presumably he died before 1677 since his name is not found in the Isle of Wight petition in 1677.[vii] 

These are the children of Hopkin Howell according to later records:

C.1. John Howell

C.2. Hopkin Howell

C.3. Thomas Howell

C.4. William Howell

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[i] 1. Cavaliers and Pioneers, Volume I, Nell Marion Nugent, Virginia State Library, Richmond, 1992. pp 25, 69.

[ii] 2. Ibid. p 34.

[iii] 3. Ibid. p 125. Lit. “Watkin Howell”. See microfilm copy for correct spelling, end note <4>.

[iv] 4. Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants/Northern Neck Grants and Surveys, Online database, Library of Virginia Archives, Land Office Patents No. 1, 1623-1643 (v.1 & 2), p. 529 (Reel 1).

[v] 5. Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia, John Bennett Bodie, Chicago Law Printing Company, Chicago, 1938, p 516 (Will Book A, Deed of Ambrose Bennett, 1654), and p 582 (Will and Deed Book I, Deed of Hopkins Howell, 1679

[vi] 6. Cavaliers and Pioneers, Volume I, op. cit., pp 282, 492.

[vii] 7. Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia, John Bennett Bodie, Chicago Law Printing Company, Chicago, 1938, pp 162-163 (Petition to Pardon William West, dated 1677.)