Joshua Howe

1716 - Aft 1801  (85 years)

• Name	Joshua Howe
  Birth	11 Oct 1716	Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
  Gender	Male
  Death	Aft 1801	Westmoreland, Cheshire, New Hampshire, USA
  Person ID	I18446	Master
  Last Modified	14 Jul 2012

  
  

  Father	Nehemiah Howe,   b. 1693, Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA d. 25 May 1747, Québec, Québec, Canada (Age 54 years)
  Mother	Margaret Willard,   b. 1696, Grafton, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA d. 25 Jan 1758, Westborough, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA (Age 62 years)
  Marriage	1715	Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
  Family ID	F1742	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 11 Oct 1716 - Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA Death - Aft 1801 - Westmoreland, Cheshire, New Hampshire, USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Joshua How/Original grantee at #2 (later Westmoreland,N.H.) EARLY HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND A committee chosen to survey the area of land where Westmoreland now lies, reported November 30, 1736, when the report was accepted, and the township of No. 2 was chartered. Nathaniel Harris, of Watertown, Mass., was appointed to call the first meeting of the proprietors of No. 2. Afterwards it was called Great Meadow, which name it retained until it was chartered by the NH Legislature, when it took the name it now bears. The grantees under the Massachusetts charter were: "Daniel How, Jethro Wheeler, Thomas Chamberlain, Moses Wheeler, Harriden Wheeler Jr., Jethro Wheeler, Abner How, Josiah Foster, Joshua How, Meshach Taylor, Benjamin Alldridge, Jonathan Hildrith,Joseph How, Daniel How Jr., Nathaniel Wooster, Jeremiah Hall" and possibly others. Prior to the white settlers, the only inhabitants of "No. 2" consisted of a few families of Abenaquis, or Abenakees Indians, a small sub-branch of the Five Nations. It is said the meaning of this name is the "Pines." Their wigwams were in the north part of the town, on land now owned by Robert E. Green, beside a small brook afterward known as the Wigwam Brook. They remained for a brief time only, and on terms of amity with the pioneer white settlers. The first settlement in the town was made in 1741. In the spring of that year, Daniel How, Jeremiah Phips, Jethro Wheeler and Nehemiah How with their families, started up the Connecticut in canoes from Northfield, Mass. Daniel How, however, had been previously, with a surveying part, and he it was probably, who had attracted the others thither by stories of the great fertility of the "Great meadows." [A second account lists the earliest settlers as Daniel How, Jethro Wheeler, Philip Alexander and THomas Crissen]. They settled upon the farm now owned by Frederick G. Parker, on road 8. He subsequently erected a small fort, the exact site of which is still pointed out as a little knoll on said farm. Peter Hayward settled near the Ashuelot river in 1764. Then John Cole and son John settled upon "Canoe Place," also known as "Canoe Meadow." Accessions were made to the little settlement from time to time; but the French war came on in 1744, which greatly retarded the growth. At this time the settlers of No. 2, Putney and Westminster united to build a stockaded fort upon the Great Meadow, in Putney, upon the site of the house formerly occupied by Colonel Thomas White, near the landing of the ferry. Leading to this ferry (the first one in town) was a road to the Howe settlement. This fort was named "Fort Hill." It was of oblong form, eighty by one hundred and twenty feet, built of yellow pine timber hewed six inches thick and laid up about ten feet high. Fifteen dwellings were erected within it, the wall of the fort forming the back wall of the houses. These were covered with a single roof, which slanted upward to the top of the wall of the fort. In the centre of the inclosure was a hollow square, on which all the houses fronted. On the northeast and southeast corners of the fort watchtowers were placed. A great gate opened on the south, toward the river, and a smaller one towards the west. The forst was generally garrisoned by ten or twelve men. A cannon was furnished by the Massachusetts government that survived the fort many years... Upon the completion of the fort several of the inhabitants of No. 2 joined the garrison (These were David How, Thomas Chamberlain, Isaac Chamberlain, Joshua Warner and son Daniel Warner, wife and son, Harrison Wheeler, Samuel Minot, Benjamin Aldrige and his son George, who afterward became a general). Hardly had the little township recovered from its effects when the second war came upon it. Still, it recovered so rapidly therefrom that in 1767 it was the third largest township in what is now Cheshire county, having a population of 391 souls. The "Great Meadows" was a favorite spot with the Indians in their journeyings up and down the Connecticut. The settlers were several times attacked by the Indians, and various mischief was done, though of no great magnitude. In one of their incursions the Indians killed William Phipps, the first husband of Jemima How, and in another carried Nehemiah How, the father of her second husband, a captive to Canada, where he died. But the story of these troubles are familiar to all--well-known subjects of general history (See Belknap's Hist. N.H., Vol. II, pages 240-42). [A second source tells this story: "William Phips, an inhabitant of Great Meadow, as he was hoeing corn near the southwest corner, was surprised and captured by two of these Indians and carried into the woods to the west. While ascending the steep hill-side, above a half mile from the fort, one of his captors returned for something left, leaving the prisoner in charge of his comrade. Watching his opportunity, Phips struck down his captor with his hoe, which he had retained, and, seizing the gun of the prostrate savage, shot the other as he was ascending the hill. Phips thereupon started for the fort, but before reaching it was seized by three others of the same party, killed and scalped. Phips, but a short time previous, had married Jemima Sartwell, daughter of the owner of Sartwell's Fort, a lady whose beauty, goodness and suffereings afterward come down ot us, through the mists of many years, as 'The Fair Captive.' .... and the second story: Nehemiah How, who was chopping wood about eighty rods from the fort, was taken by the Indians as they came. His capture was effected in full sight of the fort, but it would have endangered the lives of all in the garrison to attempt a rescue. As they were leading him away by the side of the river they perceived a canoe approaching containing two men. Firing, they killed one of them, Daniel Rugg, but the other, Robert Baker, made for the opposite shore and escaped. All three of these men belonged to the garrison. Proceeding father, they passed three other men, who, by skulking under the bank, reached the fort in safety. One of them was Caleb How, the prisoner's son. Arriving opposite to Number Four they compelled the captive to write his name on a piece of bark and there left it....How was taken to Quebec where he died... Soon after these occurrences the fort was evacuated and went to decay]. In 1750, when the area of Town No. 2 was determined to be under New Hampshire jurisdiction, the adult male citizens of the town signed a petition to the New Hampshire Governor et al. This document was signed by "Daniel How, William Moor, Jethro Wheeler, Joshua How, Thos Chamberlain, Benjamin Knights, Amos Davies, Silas Brown, Amos Davis Junr, Meshach Taylor, Jonas Davis, John Alexander, Samuel Davis, Daniel Shattuck Sr., Ebenezer Davis, Enoch Hall, Moses Wheeler, Simon Hall, Isaac Chamberlen [sic], Joshua Chamberlain, Hariden Wheeler Jr., Jedidiah Chamberlain, Jethro wheeler, Job Chamberlain, Simeon Knight, Aaron Davis, Martin Severance, Beniaman [sic Benjamin] Alldridge, John Brown, Jonathan Hildrith, Abner How, Joseph How, Josiah Foster, Daniel How Jr., Samuel Foster, Nathaniel Woods, Michal Gibson, Jeremiah Hall, John Sheilds [sic Shields], Isaac Stone, and Danil [sic Daniel] Sheilds. The charter was granted February 12, 1752, being given a new incorporation under the name of Westmoreland, in honor of Lord Westmoreland, an intimate friend of Governor Wentworth. The names of the grantees of Westmoreland (under the new charter) are as follows: Thomas Chamberlain, Benja. Aldridge, Daniel How, Jethro Wheeler, Daniel How Jr., Caleb How, Abner How, Josiah Willard, Oliver Willard, Samuel How, John Arms, Valentine Butler, Samson Willard, John Fowl, James Fowl, Nathaniel Woods, Jeremiah Hall, Timothy Harrington, Josiah Foster, Edward How, Samuel Minot, John Fowl Jr., Philip Alexander, Richard Ward, Nathaniel Harris, Cornelius White, Ebenezer Turner, Samuel Livermore, Samuel Williams, Moses Hastens, John Chandler, Simeon Alexander, Ebenezer Hubbard, Joseph Harrington, John Rugg, Thomas marshal, Ebenezer Hinsdale, Samuel Hunt, John Alexander, Enoch Hall, William Moor, Jethro Wheeler Jr., Fairbanks Moor Jr., Joseph Bellows, Herridon Wheeler, Isaac Chamberlain, Josiah Chamberlain, Joshua Chamberlain, Amos Davis, Jedediah Chamberlen [sic], Jonathan Cole, Mical [sic Michael] Gilson, Simeon Knights, John Brown, William How, Jonathan Cummings Jr., John Chamberlain, John Taylor, Daniel Pearce, His Excellency Benning Wentworth, Esq... This was signed by Samuel Wentworth of Boston; THeodore Atkinson, Richard Samuel Smith, John Downing, Samson Sheaffe, John Wentworth Jr., Esq., and Stephen Chace [sic] of New Castle... Of these grantees we have very limited knowledge. It is certain, however, that but a small portion of them were ever actual settlers. A number of names were placed in the list of grantees in reward for public and military services. Others were included through favoritism, and other reasons, no doubt. The grant was not satisfactory to the petitioners, inasmuch as it did not include as much territory as the old grant of No. 2 by some eight square miles. In 1752 a committee was chosen by the proprietors to lay out the house lots, consisting of Daniel How, Jethro Wheeler, Thomas Chamberlain, Benjamin Aldrich, Richard Ward, Caleb How, and Joseph Hutchins. The first meeting of the proprietors of the township of Westmoreland was held at the house of Thomas Chamberlain, March 31, 1752. Samuel Hunt was chosen moderator, Caleb How proprietor's clerk, and Joshua Warnen treasurer. These meetings were held by notifications posted in said town, in Northfield and in Winchester. On September 26, 1764 nine members of other churches signed thefirst church covenant, including: William Goddard pastor-elect member of ye first church at Newtown; Thomas Chamberlain, church at Newtown; Joshua Warner, church at Harvard; Amos Davis, church at Petersham; Samuel Minot, church at Chelmsford; Robert Thompson, church at Reading; Benjamin Pierce, church at Attleborough; Abner How, church at Amherst; Joseph Pierce, church at Wilmington." HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND NH [EXCERPTS ONLY] TAKEN FROM TWO SOURCES: 1. History of Cheshire and Sullivan Counties, New Hampshire Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1886, 1073 pgs. 2. Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885 by Hamilton Child, Syracuse, N.Y.: H. Child, 1885, 882 pgs.