Notes:

Arthur and Henry Howland came to Plymouth several years after John. Theysettled at Marshfield in 1647, and Henry later moved to Duxbury where hewas a constable. Both Arthur and Henry were Quakers, which sectoriginated in 1647 in England. The Quakers would never pay tithes andnever yielded to any human law which traversed their conscience. Arthurparticulary did more - he resisted tyranny with all the moral energy ofenthusiam, bearing witness against blind obedience. Plymouth colonistswere very bitter toward the Quakers and stringent laws were madepunishing their refusal to contribute towards the support of the ministryof the colonial church, holding meetings in their faith and entertainingtheir traveling brethren. This led to the severest persecution andimprisonment, which made Plymouth a very undesirable place for the Quakerto reside. It is odd that the Pilgrims who left England and Holland insearch of religious freedom were so unsympathetic to other sects. Thisdifference in beliefs must have led to harsh family feelings between thebrothers, particularly between Arthur and John as Arthur was a broughtbefore the General Court many times, and John was a member of that Court.

Arthur's house at Marshfield was the headquarters of the persecutedFriends. He was arrested in 1657 and, refusing to pay bond, was sent toprison. While in prison, he wrote a letter to the General Court held inPlymouth, March 2 ,1658 which was found to be "full of factious,seditious, slanderous passages to be of dangerous consequences." He wasfined, refused to pay the fines and went back to prison. In one instance,John Howland, Jr. was called before the General Court because he hadwarned his Uncle Arthur and other Quakers that the constables were ontheir way to arrest them.

Henry married Mary NEWLAND in 1629 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts. Mary was born about 1609 in England; died on 16 Jun 1674 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Abigail married John YOUNG on 13 Dec 1648 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts. John (son of John YOUNG, Sir and Joan HERRINGTON) was born in 1623 in England; died on 21 Apr 1691 in Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Sarah DAVIS on 23 Oct 1679 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts. Sarah (daughter of Robert DAVIS and Anne KINGMAN) was born on 25 Oct 1656 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts; died in Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Lydia married John MURDOCK on 10 Dec 1686 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts. John was born in 1666 in Prob. Stirling, Central, Scotland; died in Mar 1756 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Henry married Sarah SNOW about 1692. Sarah was born on 16 Feb 1672; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Elizabeth SLEEPER on 24 Dec 1705. Elizabeth (daughter of Aaron SLEEPER and Elizabeth SHAW) was born in 1683 in Hampton, Rockingham, New Hampshire; died in Hampton, Rockingham, New Hampshire. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]