Thanks, Frances. That information fills in a few more gaps and verifies some things I had guessed.

John Howland "perished at sea" in 1773, intestate. Cath Vondy died in 1780, so I guess the children came to the agreeement on the land after her death. As I understand it (via Nigel Crowe), William Howland (eldest son of John) got the house and land on the west side and the five other children of John H and Cath Vondy got the land on the east side as five narrow plots.

The house and land on the west side apparently were left by William to his eldest daughter Mary, who married Daniel Gawne (reference is made to this in "Thomas Tear's account of family history" in MNB). William inherited his sister Margaret's plot on the east side and passed/sold it to his youngest daughter, Isabella. She married Daniel Kneen (my GGG-GF).

Malea.