This collection spans 240 years of American history and includes seven generations of the Howell and Taylor families. Subjects covered are: the Society of Friends; land ownership in the New Jersey colony; Mount Ephraim, New Jersey; fisheries in New Jersey; the Revolutionary War, General William Maxwell and the New Jersey 2nd Regiment; the Mexican War; pre-Civil War New Orleans; the Civil War and Jefferson Davis; Quaker Missionaries; the removal of the Pawnees to their new reservation in Indian Territory; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; farming in early 20th century southern California; Adam Clark Vroman; the Gila River Relocation Center; the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and refugees in post-World War II Europe and Belgrade; the Pasadena Playhouse; and life in late 20th century southern California including Altadena, San Dimas and Pasadena.

Ebenezer Howell was born at sea en route to Delaware from Wales in 1725. The Howells, who were Quakers, made their home in Gloucester County and Cumberland County, New Jersey. Ebenezer and his wife, Sarah Bond, had eleven children. Their twin sons Richard and Lewis, who were born in 1754, participated in the “Tea Burning at Greenwich” in Cumberland County, New Jersey, on December 22, 1774, and fought with the New Jersey 2nd Regiment in the Revolutionary War; Richard was a major and Lewis was the regiment’s surgeon. Lewis died after the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778. Richard Howell served as an aide to George Washington during the war and performed intelligence work at the request of Washington. Richard Howell served as the clerk of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1788-1793, and was governor of the state of New Jersey from 1793-1801. He and his wife Keziah Burr had nine children: Charles B. Howell (1780-c.1823); Mary Ann Howell (1782-1863); Sarah B. Howell Agnew (1783-1868); Beulah B. Howell Gläser (b.1785); Maria Howell (1793-after 1876); Richard Howell (1794-1847); Joseph B. Howell (1794-1874); William Burr Howell (1796-1863); and Franklin D. Howell (1797-c.1814). Ebenezer Howell (1725-1787) m. Sarah Sharpless Bond (c.1750)

1. Samuel Howell (b.1752)

2. Richard Howell (1754-1802) m. Keziah Burr (d.1835) (1779)

• a. Charles B. Howell (1780-c.1823) m. [unknown name]
• b. Mary Ann Howell (1782-1863)
• c. Sarah B. Howell (1783-1868) m. James Agnew
• d. Beulah B. Howell (b.1785) m. John Glaser
• e. Maria Howell (1793-after 1876)
• f. Richard Howell (1794-1847) m. Rebecca
• g. Joseph B. Howell (1794-1874) m. Mary K. Shivers Roberts (1834)
• h. William Burr Howell (1796-1863) m. Margaret Louise Kempe
• i. Franklin D. Howell (1797-c.1814)

3. Lewis Howell (1754-1778)

4. Azaiah Howell (b.1756)

5. Sarah Howell (b.1758)

6. Susannah Howell (b.1760)

7. Tamar Howell (b.1762)

8. Ebenezer Howell (b.1764)

9. George Howell (b.1766) m. [unknown name]

• a. George Howell, Jr. (died before 1865)
• b. Lewis Howell (died after 1865)
• c. Ebenezer Howell (died after 1865)
• d. Mary Howell
• e. Sally Howell (died 1868)
• f. Charles Howell (b. about 1780)

10. Ann Howell (b.1768)

11. Margaret Howell (b.1770)

1,770 items in 33 boxes.

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