The Children of George Washington Howell

Sallie Bessie Howell was born on July 16, 1882. She was married to William L. Westinedge on November 2, 1904. Her children were Harry Von Westinedge (married to Ruth Lee Davidson in 1950). She died in 1948.

Julia Marlow Howell was born on November 17, 1890. She married George Arrington Howerton on June 27, 1916. Their children were Margaret Arrington (1917-?), Mildred Turnley (1919-1985), Mary Katherine (1922-?) and George Arrington Jr. (1924-?). She died on May 20, 1975.

Georgia Ella Howell was born on August 30, 1878. Georgia married George Washington Skinner on June 3, 1900. Their children were Dorothy Georgia Skinner, George Washington, Virginia Pricilla, and Carr Garland. She died in 1932.

Fannie Bugg Howell was born on March 13, 1888. She never married, but was engaged twice (she kept the rings both times!). She died on March 18, 1974 and is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suffolk, VA.

Ruth Estelle Howell was born on September 18, 1880. Like Fannie, she never married and had no children. Ruth worked for many years at Lakeview Hospital as a nurse and later in medical records. She died on September 4, 1959.

John Alfred Howell was born on January 31, 1885. He married Hazel Kirk Simpson Howell on December 24, 1915. Their children were John A. Howell Jr., James Simpson, and Frances Ruth. He was the owner and operator the Home Laundry in Suffolk, Virginia. John A Howell Sr. died in March 14, 1965.

The Children of Michael Howell

Martha Howell was born in 1835, and it is unknown if her mother was Nancey Howell or if Elizabeth brought her into the Howell family from a previous marriage. Martha married Joseph G. Holland (1831-1912) and mothered one son, William Joseph Moor Holland. Martha died in 1910.



Thomas Alfred Howell was born on August 24, 1838 in Gates County, North Carolina. In 1865 he married Mary Susan Cross and they had four children: Sara Elizabeth, Josephus, Mary Roberta, and William Thomas. Thomas died on September 3, 1877 in Nansemond County, Virginia.



William Henry Harrison Howell, usually known as Billy, was born on July 31, 1840 in Gates County, North Carolina. In 1866 he married Wortley Ann Henderson, who was a semi-invalid. They had 6 children, Charles M. (1867-?), Alexina J. (1859-?), Benjamin T. (1871-), Ada M. (1874-), Mary O. (1876-?), and Harvey F. (1879-). Billy and Wortley lived most of their life on North Street in Suffolk, Virginia. W.H.H Howell enlisted in the confederate army with his brothers and served the entire length of the war. He “was once wounded and twice tested northern hospitality as a prisoner of war”.

W.H.H Howell was appointed as the first postmaster of the first post office established in Whaleyville, Virginia (July 1884). His wife, Wortley, succeeded him in September of 1884. On May 28, 1887, Billy was elected Sheriff of Nansemond County (Republican ticket) and he served until July 1, 1891.

He worked at E.L Folk and Co. for many years in Suffolk, Virginia.

Billy served as the superintendent of the Great Fork Baptist Church Sunday school (Whaleyville, Virginia). After moving to Suffolk, Virginia, he assumed the same position at First Baptist Church, until his death on March 15, 1914.



James Jesse Howell was born on March 12, 1842, in Gates County, North Carolina. James enlisted in the confederate army (with his brothers) and subsequently died of war wounds.



Jordan Wright Howell was born on July 11, 1845 in Gates County, North Carolina. He married Emma M. Ellanor on January 31, 1877. Their children were Paul Thomas, Daniel C., Robert and Frances Edgar. Jordan Wright Howell died on December 14, 1914.



George Washington Howell was born on March 28, 1847 in Gates County, North Carolina. On January 24, 1877, he married Louella Watts Turnley. Their children were Georgia Ella, Ruth Estelle, Sallie Bessie, John Alfred, Fannie Bugg, and Julia Marlow. Prior to his death (of Tuberculosis) in 1891, George Washington operated a general store in Carrsville, Virginia.









His obituary follows:

“About 11:35 o’clock Wednesday morning our people received the sad intelligence of the death of Mr. George Howell. While his death was expected at any moment, yet it was with regret that we received the sad news. He was about 42 years of age, and was, up the time of serious illness, a merchant when he was forced to give up his business and seek some place of retirement. He has been a resident here only a few months but has by his genial manner made a host of friends. He was brother to J.R and I.E Howell, and Mrs. J.W.Magee of this place. Mr. Howell was a victim of consumption, and has borne his suffering with Christian fortitude. He was member of lodge No. 51K. of P. which order will bury him Thursday at one o’clock at Beaverdam church. In his demise Franklin has lost a good citizen his wife a kind husband and children a devoted father. His church has lost a consistent member. Having lived an honorable and Godly life, and performed the duties incumbent upon him, we feel sure that he was won his crown and gone to his reward. “Let us hope that he has gone to that fair land upon whose strand no wind of winter moans”



Mary Odie Howell was born on March 10, 1849 in Gates County, North Carolina. On April 18, 1867, she married Miles Rountree. They had four children: Eula M., Charles I., Eugenia Wortley, and Mary Lillian Estelle. Mary died in Suffolk, Virginia in 1932.



John Riddick Howell was born on May 11, 1851. On May 27, 1880, he married Mary Eliza Sumner. Their children were Ethal Murray, Carroll Sumner, Allie May, Marshal Edward and Marion Lucretia. John Riddick died on March 11, 1942.








Eugenia Caroline (1853-1916).


Isaac Edgar Howell was born on October 29, 1855 and married Pattie Rawls on January 6, 1881. Their children were: Clarence, Norman, Raymond and Lillie. Isaac died on February 25, 1930.

John Michael (Mikel) Howell (1805-1880)

John Michael (Mikel) Howell, born on August 4, 1805, is believed to have been born in Nansemond County, Virginia. At a young age, Michael moved to Gates County, North Carolina and on December 24, 1827, married Nancey Powell. It is possible that Martha (born 1835, died 1910) was Nancey’s child. After Nancey’s death, Michael married Elizabeth Crawford Speight on August 30, 1837, in Gates County, North Carolina.

Elizabeth Crawford Howell

Michael and Elizabeth had 9 children (10 + Martha): Thomas Alfred (1835-1877), William Henry Harrison (1840-1914), James Jessie (1842-186?), Jordan Wright (1845-1914), George Washington (1847-1891), Mary Odie (1849-1942), John Riddick (1851-1942), Eugenia Caroline (1853-1916), Isaac Edward (1855-1930). According to Granddaddy’s notes:

“There were many Howell’s in Nansemond County prior to our Michael’s birth, one of which was a Michael. He may have been our great grandpappy. I don’t know if either Michael or Elizabeth had any brothers or sisters. Odds are, they both did”.

Michael’s mother was possibly named Cherry, and he also may have had a brother, Abram. His notes continued,

“There were Crawford’s in Gates County, North Carolina in 1849, or at least they owned land there. At that time Michael Howell purchased 161 acres for 100 dollars from Odah Crawford. Michael and Elizabeth bought and lost land in Gates County and moved to Nansemond County sometime between the 1850 and 1860 census. They are on the 1850 census in North Carolina and 1860 census in Virginia.”

The Virginia census also states that Michael was a farmer by profession.

Michael died on April 2, 1880. He and Elizabeth’s graves are located at 7925 Whaleyville Blvd (.1 mile north of Freeman Mill Rd) Suffolk, Virginia. (GPS: 36 degrees 34.32’ N, 76 degrees 43.81’)

Michael Howell (Sr.)

Very little is known about Michael Howell Sr. Grandpa thought that he was Michael Howell’s father. Michael was a fifer in the 8th Virginia regiment (Continental Line) during the Revolutionary War. He was enlisted under Captain Abel Westfall’s company. He became a Captain of Nansemond County militia around 1789.

Surnames

As with any family history, there is a plethora of surnames that impede an ideal tree-like organization. That being said, I have decided to start with one surname, Howell, and once I have finished that surname I will move on to another one (Turnley, Skinner, Jensen etc.).

My main goal with this blog is to allow its readers (my family members) to read what I have compiled from grandaddy's work and add anything they might know. So if you see anything that is inconsistent with your own memories, then please let me know (i.e comment on the post). Also if you see any spelling errors or date errors please correct them.

Ultimately, I plan on turning this information into a bound book, so I would like that to be as error free as possible.

My second goal is to get all of gramma and grandpa's pictures scanned and online so that everyone has access and the pictures are safe. This will also allow me to identify people in older pictures that I may never have met.

So here is our family history, according to grandaddy's notes. Enjoy.

The Howell Family Crest

The name Howell is of Welsh origin and means “alert” or “sprightly” and is believed to have originated in the tenth century with the king of Wales, ‘Howel the Good’. While this name is quite popular in the United States, it is highly concentrated in southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina.

The first documented Howell in the United States was Owen Howell in 1635 who lived in Warrasquinoke, Virginia. Other early Howells include Henry Howell of Henrico (Richmond area), Virginia (1641) and Walkin Howell of Isle of Wight County, Virginia (1641).

John Howell came to Virginia in 1637 from England and resided in Henrico, Virginia. He had two sons, John and William. John moved to Edgecombe County, North Carolina. While I am not sure if John Sr. is of relation to our portion of the family tree, it is quite possible (given his name and geographical origin).

The family motto, to accompany our crest, is “virtus in arduo”, which translates to virtue in difficulty.