Thomas Howes ca 1680-1736 and Content Smith b. 1680

Thomas Howes was born about 1680 in the part of Yarmouth that later became Dennis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Mayo) Howes. He is my 6th great grandfather on my grandmother Millie Booth Rollins’ side of the family. My research on this family is a work in progress, primarily because of a fire that destroyed many Yarmouth records and a lack of early Chatham records.

Thomas Howes of Yarmouth married Content Smith on 11 December 1701 at Eastham on Cape Cod (Orleans-Eastham Vital Records, 1637-1853, p 342). They were married by Jonathan Sparrow, Esq, who is also one of my ancestors. Content was born Eastham on 8 June 1680, the daughter of Daniel and Mary (Young) Smith Orleans and Eastham Vital Records,1637-1853, page 328).

Soon after their marriage, Content and Thomas moved to Monomoit, later called Chatham, where on 8 April 1703 Thomas bought about 40 acres of land from William Griffith: his homestead lot of 26 acres in the Christopher Smith neighborhood, one-half of 20 acres on the Great Neck, and some meadow land. This land was located near “the Indian bounds or inlands” according to William Smith.

Chatham map showing William Griffith homestead sold to Thomas Howes homestead/right near Indian Boundary
(source: Cape Cod Genealogical Society)

Content and Thomas had seven children born Chatham but unrecorded, named in Thomas’ will, order uncertain:

1. Daniel, b. about 1702, m. Elizabeth Doane
2. Mary m. Zachariah Sears as 2nd wife 
3. Joseph b. about 1708, m. Priscilla Harding 
4. Thomas b. about 1712, m. first Rebecca Sears about 1730 who died of smallpox on 10 Dec 1765; he m. 2nd Hope (Sears) (Doane)
5. Thankful prob married Paul Ryder of Yarmouth
6. Hannah prob married Joseph Harding
7. Elizabeth m. Samuel Stewart, as his 2nd wife, about 1730

I descend from Thomas and his second wife Hope Sears. I wrote about that couple here.

Thomas and Content both received bequests in their father’s wills: Joseph Howes wrote his will on 17 January, 1694/5, leaving a bequest of land to his son Thomas Howes, who was to receive an equal share with his brother’s Amos and Nathaniel of all the land that was not given specifically to brother’s Samuel, Joseph and John. In his 11 May 1716 will, Daniel Smith of Eastham left a bequest of five pounds to his daughter Content Howes to be paid at the time of her mother’s death or remarriage. 

Thomas Howes served his community in a variety of ways. He was a Selectman, town treasurer, constable, fence viewer/surveyor, and served on a grand jury. 

In 1715 he was an Ensign in the Chatham military company, later advancing to Lieutenant and then Captain. Not certain if this Thomas Howes, but man of that name served in the Queen's War which lasted 1702-1713.

Thomas’ signature is preserved—in 1715 he signed a letter supporting Ebenezer Hawes in a lawsuit against Rev. Adams. 

Thomas Howes' signature

Some of Thomas’ additional land transactions:

Two years after purchasing his Chatham homestead and land, he purchased by deed dated 22 October 1705, from Philip Griffith, a lot of four acres adjoining the homestead, the other half of the 20 acre lot on the Great Neck and another lot of meadow. Forty acres more of less, bounded "beginning on ye south side at a stone next ye lands of ye sd Thomas Howes & on ye west side it is bounded by ye sd Howeses land & John Paddock's land, from sd stone to a red oak tree, thence to ye Corner of ye fence, thence to a red oak tree by ye Cart way, thence by a sett off Easterly to a pine tree marked, thence a little Southerly to a white oak tree by a swamp side & so through ye Swamp to another white oak tree & thence by ye swamp to ye Indian bounds, leaving ye highway to ye Jury way, thence by ye sd Jury way Westward to ye first mentioned stone. And also ye one half of a twenty acre lot on ye Stage Neck, ye other half of said lot is now in ye tenure & possesion of ye sd Thomas Howes. And also half an acre of meadow, lying in Grigeries Neck adjoining to David Melvels meadow & was formerly William Griffith Junrs meadow." 

He also purchased by deed dated 6 April 1713, from James Eldredge, the farm inherited by the latter from his father Nicholas, which adjoined a portion of the Howes farm. Sixteen acres, "bounded on ye Southwest by an old ditch & post & rail fence down to ye White Pond so called & then bounded Northwest by sd Pond down to ye land of John Eldredg which was set out to him as a part of his Father's farm to a Beach tree marked, thence Easterly to a markt red oak tree near ye head of a swamp & stone set in ye ground & thence upon ye same range straight over a fresh pond to ye other side thereof. And then bounded by sd Pond down to meet with ye other land of ye sd Thomas Howes: Then it is bounded Easterly by ye land of ye sd Thomas Howes up to ye land now in occupation of Lieut Seth Taylor which he bought of Lieut Eldredge (excepting only ye highway or road throu) And then by ye land of sd Taylor to ye first mentioned ditch & post & rails (only still allowing to Elizabeth, ye mother of ye sd James to gather cherrys & other fruit for her spending in ye summer time & ye sd James to take off ye timer & old bords of ye old House thereon.”

In 1713-14 the town of Chatham conducted a division of common land amongst the “proprietors” and the “privileged men.” Thomas Howes was well regarded as he appears on the list of privileged men, to receive one lot. He drew the 11th choice and selected lot 27 (William Smith cites The Proprietors Book for Chatham 1713).

In 1711 thirteen families left Chatham for a variety of reasons, leaving about 33 families including Thomas’. Some possible reasons for the outward migration is that here was not an established church and there were disagreements about the dispersal of common land. 

Thomas Howes will is dated 29 May 1736 and was proved 19 Oct 1738. Children mentioned: Daniel, Elizabeth Stewart wife of Hugh, Mary, Joseph, Thankful, Thomas, and Hannah. His wife Content survived him. Inventory sworn to 9 March 1741/2 and amounted to over 2,353 pounds, a considerable sum. The real estate was divided 4 Jan 1769: one-third to Capt. Daniel Howes, one-third to Joseph Howes, and one-third to the heirs and legal representatives of Thomas Howes, deceased. The settlement of the estate so long after his death seems to indicate that this was soon after his widow Content passed.

Thomas Howes died in 1736 at Chatham, some time between 29 May (when he wrote his will) and 19 October (when his will was probated). A gravestone for him does not survive. He was perhaps buried on his own property or at Chatham’s Old Burial Ground aka Old Queen Anne Cemetery.

Content died, likely at Chatham, sometime between 1738 and 1769, probably closer to the latter date when her late husband’s estate is finally divided. 

Note: Howes Genealogy by JC Howes is incorrect as giving Rebecca Howes as the wife of Thomas. 

Sources Not Mentioned Above:

Charles F. Swift, History of Old Yarmouth; comprising the present Towns of Yarmouth and Dennis from the Settlement to the Division in 1794: with the History of Both Towns to 1876, 1884 

William C. Smith, History of Chatham, Massachusetts, 1909

Nancy Thacher Reid, Dennis, Cape Cod from Firstcomers to Newcomers, 1639 – 1993, 1996

James W. Hawes, Library of Cape Cod History and Genealogy, ”Thomas 1 Howes of Yarmouth, Mass., and Some of His Descendants, Together with the Rev. John Mayo, Allied to Him by Marriage," Pamphlet No. 31, 1917

William C. Smith, Library of Cape Cod History and Genealogy, ”Early Chatham Settlers," Pamphlet No. 36, 1915

Robert A. Howes, Genealogy of the Howes Family in America, Descendants of Thomas Howes of Yarmouth, Mass., 1637-2004, Dennis Historical Society, 2006

George E. Bowman, editor, The Mayflower Descendant, “Abstracts of Barnstable County Probate Records,”  23:68 (1921) (Joseph Howes’ will)

Old Barnstable Deeds, book 4, page 87l book 5, page 49, book 6, page 513, M.L. Luce papers (three Chatham land purchases)

Ancestry, online database (subscription) “Massachusetts Wills and Probate Records 1635-1991” citing Massachusetts Probate Records (Barnstable County) 1686-1894 (Daniel Smith’s will)

Ancestry database “Massachusetts, US, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991,” citing Barnstable Co Probate Records vols 4-5, 1721-41, p 366-367 (Thomas Howes will)