Notes / Stories of My Ancestors
Elizabeth Ward (1643-1710) (John Jr, John)
Note: There were probably other children of John and Elizabeth (John How and Elizabeth Ward) whose birth are not recorded. The family tradition is that the Indians attacked the house of Peter Joslin, July 18, 1692, while he was at work in a distant field. Mrs Joslin was baking bread and her sister Elizabeth, who was visiting her, was singing while she was spinning flax. When the Indians came to the door, they were met by Mrs. Joslin, who with an oven shovel tried to prevent their entrance, when one of them threw his tomahawk, which struck her in the head killing her instantly. The Indians then rushed in and murdered three of the children, taking captive another child, which they afterwards killed, and also Elizabeth, whom it is said they spared because she was a beautiful singer and whom they compelled frequently to sing for them. They carried her to Canada, where she remained for about three years, when she was redeemed and returned to her home. When she was captured her intended, Thomas Keyes, considering her lost to him forever, resolvtd never to marry; but on her return wisely repented of his folly. It is said that Elizabeth never fully recovered from the fright of her capture (History of Leominster Mass) (Recorded in ‘Howe Genealogies,’ by Daniel Wait Howe, p7)
David How (1674-1759) (Samuel, John)
His father gave him one hundred and thirty acres of land of the "Ne w Grant Land" 4 June 1702. Here he built the now famous tavern in Sud bury, first known as the "Howe Tavern," and afterwards, from its sign -board, as the "Red Horse Tavern."
Squire Lyman Howe, great grandson of David, "the property then wen t by inheritance to a female relative, who sold the property in 189 7 to Mr. Edward R. Lemon,.
The place has been known as "The Wayside Inn" for many years, and i t has had visitors fro all over the country. It has been purchases a nd is now owned by Henry Ford of Detroit, Mich., who has laid out a g reat amount of money in improvements and in the restoration of Old-ti me buildings.
It is thurs described by Longfellow:
"As ancient is this hostelry
As any in the land may be,
Built in the old Colonial day,
When men lived in a grander way,
With ampler hospitality;
A kind of old Hobgoblin Hall,
New somewhat fallen to decay,
With weather stains upon the wall,
And stairways worn, and crazy doors,
And creaking and uneven floors,
And chimney huge, and tiled and tall.
A region of slumber and of dreams,
Remote among the wooded hills;
For there no noisy railway speeds,
Its torch-race scattering smoke and gleeds;
Stop under the great oaks, that throw
Tangles of light and shade below,
On roofs and doors and window-sills.
Across the road the barns display
Their lines of stalls, their mows of hay,
Through the wide doors the breezes blow,
The wattled cocks strut to and fro,
And, half effaced by rain and shine,
The Red Horse Prances on the sign."
The landlord himself (Squire Lyman Howe) is thus portrayed:
" But first the landlord will I trace;
Grave in his aspect and attire;
A man of ancient pedigree,
A justice of the Peace was he,
Known in all Sudbury as "The Squire."
Proud was he of his name and race,
Of old Sir William and Sir Hugh,
And in the parler, full in view,
His coat of arms, well framed and glazed,
Upon the Wall in colors blazed;
He beareth gules upon his shield,
A chevron argent in the field,
With three wolfs' heads, for the crest
A wyvern parts-per-pale addressed
Upon a helmet barred; below
The Scrolls reads, By the name of How.
And over this, no longer bright,
Through glimmering with a latent light,
Was hung the sword his grandsire bore
In the rebellious days of yore,
Down there at Concord in the fight."
Among the ancient heirlooms kept there was an old sword, mentioned i n the poem, worn by Colonel Ezekiel Howe, (son of David), in the batt le of Concord.
(Recorded in ‘Howe Genealogies,’ by Daniel Wait Howe, p17)
Nehemiah Howe (1693-1747) (Samuel, John)
...In the spring and early summer of 1739, he bought three full township rights in the new town called Great Meadows, N.H. the records of those deeds are found at Springfield, Mass. In 1739 or 1740 he became one of the early settlers of that town. The year 1744 broght an Indian war, with all its attending horrors, the settlers were obliged to seek safety and shelter in the forts. On the 11th of Oct 1745, as he was cutting wood a few rods from the fort, he was surprised by a band of Indians and taken captive before help could reach him. He was taken to Canada, where he was kept a prisoner in Quebec for a year and a half, when he died of prison fever 25 May 1747, just as he was about to be redeemed. His death was a severe blow to his family, and to the community where he was known, as one of his contemporaries wrote of him, "he was greatly beloved by all who knew him." ... (Recorded in ‘Howe Genealogies,’ by Daniel Wait Howe, p21)
Caleb Howe (1723-1755) (Nehemiah, Samuel, John)
Born in Farmingham, Mass 3 Dec 1723; married Mrs Jemima Phipps, widow of William Phipps, who was killed by the Indians at Great Meadow, 5 July 1745, and daughter of Josiah Sawtelle. He lived for a time in Northfield, Mass., and afterwards in Vernon, Vt. He was in Capt. Phineas Stevens Company 1746-49, and was a sergeant at No. 4, and wrote to Capt Stevens an account of the attack on that place 20 June 1749. He was mortally wounded 27 June 1755, when Fort Bridgman was taken, and died the next morning at Hinsdale, where his gravestone is still to be seen. His wife and her seven children, the oldest of whom was 11 years and the youngest only six months, were captured by the Indians. The two eldest were daughters by her first husband, William Phipps, the others were her children by Caleb. She and her children were taken to Canada, but she and three of her children were redeemed and brought home before 1760 by Col. Schuyler, She afterwards returned to Canada and obtained her second daughter, Submit Phipps. She is known as the ‘Fair Captive’ in the stories of Indian wars.(Recorded in ‘Howe Genealogies,’ by Daniel Wait Howe, p45)