Hi Malea.

I tried to sort out some of these Howlands many years ago. My main breakthrough was when Joyce Oates posted me (pre-home-internet) a copy of Isabel Cotter als Howlan's Bride will. She d.23 Feb.1696/7. This was under COTTER, not Howlan, on the LDS film of the MM index.

Her will mentioned her son-in-law Richard Christian (my ancestor) and his daughter Mally (Mary) Christian as well as her own son William Howlan and daughter-in-law Jony Howlan.

Richard Christian of "Balla-coary"/"Balla Coury", Andreas, and Margaret Howland of Bride married before the start of the Bride register or during the gap in the Andreas parish register [between 1686 and 1704], and their children's bapts are also missing, but they are mentioned in wills and contracts.

I have Isabel Cotter’s son William Howland & Jony Howland marrying in Bride on 16 Jan.1696/7. Jony died on 17 Dec.1714 [will]. Her will made no mention of her husband, and I thought he had probably died before her.

In Jony Howland's 1714 Bride will she mentions her sister-in-law Margaret Christian als Howland and her friend Mary Christian as well as her only child William Howland, who was her exec. Pledges were Richard Christian and John Christian.

I guessed that her only child was the William Howland bapt Bride 5 Feb.1697/8 (because a year after their marriage) and Jony might have been unwell after that because of dying relatively young. However there was another William Howland son of William bapt in 1702. Children were often named as execs when a parent died young, especially if the other parent had also died, but wills/decrees usually recorded a guardian or supervisor. As there was no mention of one in Jony's will I think the 1697/8 bapt is more likely because that William was of age in 1714.

I have her only child William Howland marrying Bahee Camaish in Bride 25 June 1726 with a "?", and Bahee d.1766 Bride will mentioning 4 children: Catharine, William, Elizabeth, Daniel, also with "?".
Frances has a will summary on MNB: 1745-2 A 50 HOWLAND William d 1 apr 1745;dau cath,esther,elizth,jony (posthumous);son danl,wm(loom);wife bahee als camish exex;inv
Also 1732-2 A 73 CaMISH Michael made trinity day 1732;d 8 dec;dau dority(croft exex),cath(bottinmoora jt between daus),bahee;son-i-law wm howland;gch cath + ester howland;wife dead.

I looked at several wills for Isabel Cotter's Howland husband who presumably died before 1697 (not mentioned in her will). I think William’s father could have also been William because of Isabel’s son Wm and only child grandson Wm. The one I thought most likely was William Howland 1685 Bride Arch will 0106205.

Joyce Oates has a summary of a 1686 Bride Arch will which I think is probably the same one that Brian has in his index as 1685: Archd will 1686 Bride of William Howland: son in law William xxxyhen[?] & dau Margaret Howland; son William Howland; servant Willm Christian; Mark or Matthew or Michael Howland; Michael Howland; cousin Daniel Christian; Capt Willm Christian; Willm Howland; wife & dau Margt exec.

In 1696/7 Isabel Cotter als Howlan named son William plus an unnamed daughter - but we know she was Margaret who married son-in-law Richard Christian - so this fits father William Howland who had daughter Margaret and son William, and a wife alive when he died.

Phew!

Sue