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John Howland

John Howland

Male Abt 1599 - 1673  (74 years)


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  • Name John Howland  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8] 
    Suffix Sr. of Fenstanton 
    Birth Abt 1599  Huntingdonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 5] 
    Gender Male 
    Special Mayflower 
    FSID LZK8-1X7 
    _DNA yDNA HAPLOGROUP: R-M269 (R-A9703) 
    Death 23 Feb 1673  Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 7, 8] 
    Burial 25 Feb 1673  Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  [7, 8] 
    Person ID I22370  footsteps | Bangs, Bunker, DonCampbell, Mayflower-JH
    Last Modified 30 Jul 2025 

    Father Henry Howland of Fenstanton,   b. 1564, Huntingdonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 17 May 1635, Huntingdonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 71 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Mother Anne Margaret Aires,   b. 1567, Huntingdonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 30 Jul 1629, Huntingdonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 62 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Marriage Abt 1589  Cambridgeshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F3278  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Elizabeth Tilley,   b. Bef 30 Aug 1607, Bedfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 21 Dec 1687, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age > 80 years) 
    Marriage Abt 1623  Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
    +1. Desire Howland,   b. Abt 1625, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 13 Oct 1683, Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 58 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
    Family ID F6999  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 30 Jul 2025 

  • Notes 


    • yDNA HAPLOGROUP: R-M269 (R-A9703)

      John Howland was born about 1599, probably in Fenstanton, Huntington. He came on the Mayflower in 1620 as a manservant of Governor John Carver. During the Mayflower's voyage, Howland fell overboard during a storm, and was almost lost at sea--but luckily for his millions of descendants living today (including Presidents George Bush and George W. Bush, and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt) he managed to grab hold of the topsail halyards, giving the crew enough time to rescue him with a boat-hook.

      It has been traditionally reported that John Howland was born about 1592, based on his reported age at death in the Plymouth Church Records. However, ages at death were often overstated, and that is clearly the case here. John Howland came as a servant for John Carver, which means he was under 25 years old at the time (i.e. he was born after 1595). William Bradford, in the falling-overboard incident, refers to Howland as a "lusty young man," a term that would not likely have applied to a 28-year old given that Bradford himself was only 30. Bradford did call 21-year old John Alden a "young man" though. Howland's wife Elizabeth was born in 1607: a 32-year old marrying a 17-year old is a relatively unlikely circumstance. Howland's last child was born in 1649: a 57-year old Howland would be an unlikely father. All these taken together demonstrate that Howland's age was likely overstated by at least 5 years. Since he signed the "Mayflower Compact", we can assume he was probably at least 18 to 21 years old in 1620.

      John Howland had several brothers who also came to New England, namely Henry Howland (an ancestor to both Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford) and Arthur Howland (an ancestor to Winston Churchill).

      13th signer of the Mayflower Compact - Signed on the Mayflower. John Howland as one of the 10 principal men set out in the shallop to explore a settlement site.

      Please keep "of Fenstanton" in the suffix
      It does not affect searching in any way and helps keep completely different families separated. By removing it you are the one causing all the problems to start up again

      Plymouth Colony Its History and People,1620-1691, by Eugene Abrey Stratton P311-312

      John Howland of the Mayflower, V.1 Came on Mayflower as servant to John Carver. On 1633 freeman list. Will dated 29 May 1672, inventory 3 Mar 1672/3, mentions wife Elizabeth; oldest son John Howland; sons Jabez and Joseph; youngest son Isaac; daughters Desire Gorham, Hope Chipman, Elizabeth Dickenson, Lydai Browne, Hannah Bosworth, and Ruth Cushman; and granddaughter Elizabeth Howland, daughter of his son John. "Signed Mayflower Compact; took an active part in the early explorations. A partner in the Trading Company of the Colony; Asst. or deputy almost continually. Prominent in the church, so that he "assisted in the imposition of hands" upon Rev. John Cotton, Jr. when he was ordained pastor 30 Jun 1669. He died "a profitable instrument of good; the last man that was left of those that came over in the ship called the May Flower that arrived at Plymouth." (Plym. Col. Rec. VII, 34)

      Mayflower
      See Mayflowerhistory.com for list of passengers and biographies of each passenger.

      Fell overboard from the Mayflower and managed to grab hold of a trailing rope, giving the crew just enough time to rescue him with a boat-hook.

  • Photos
    _Mayflower    		_Mayflower

  • Sources 
    1. [S277] Rhode Island, Births and Christenings, 1600-1914, "Rhode Island, Births and Christenings, 1600-1914", , FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:4GCL-C4W2 : 17 December 2019), John Howland in entry for Joseph Howland, 1692.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4GCL-C4W2

    2. [S278] Rhode Island, Town Births and Baptisms Index, 1639-1932, "Rhode Island, Town Births and Baptisms Index, 1639-1932", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:4GCR-BJN2 : Thu Jan 16 07:11:40 UTC 2025), Entry for Jabez Howland and John Howland.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4GCR-BJ2M

    3. [S288] Find a Grave Index, "Find a Grave Index", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:QVVQ-VCJL : Mon Mar 31 23:12:18 UTC 2025), Entry for John Howland.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVQ-VCJL

    4. [S290] Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:Q29G-P256 : Sun Mar 02 18:05:03 UTC 2025), Entry for John Hawes and Desire Gorham, 07 Oct 1661.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29G-P25K

    5. [S291] Massachusetts, State Vital Records, 1638-1927, "Massachusetts, State Vital Records, 1638-1927", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:FCM2-SXP : Thu May 23 01:41:11 UTC 2024), Entry for John Hawes and Desire Howland, 7 Oct 1661.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCM2-SXG

    6. [S292] Maine, Vital Records, 1670-1921, "Maine, Vital Records, 1670-1921", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:Q21S-7SZF : Sun Mar 10 09:11:21 UTC 2024), Entry for John Chipman and Thomas Chipman, 1646.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q21S-7SZ5

    7. [S294] Maine, Nathan Hale Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1980, "Maine, Nathan Hale Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1980", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:QVJ5-4JR2 : Thu Mar 07 14:27:31 UTC 2024), Entry for John Howland, 1672.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVJ5-4JR2

    8. [S55] BillionGraves Index, "BillionGraves Index", FamilySearch (https://www./ark:/61903/1:1:QGN3-M6H6 : Tue Feb 25 20:39:23 UTC 2025), Entry for John Howland.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGN3-M6H6


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