Richard Howell
(1754-1803)
Major in the 2nd New Jersey Brigade of the Continental army (1776-1779)
New Jersey Governor (1793-1801)
This website was created for the sole purpose of publishing the best information available to date, on Richard Bond Howell and his family. As a soldier and later Governor, Richard played a pivotal role during the American Revolution and the birth of a new nation. His significant roles, contributions and sacrifices during this amazing period in American History are noteworthy. He was an intelligence officer intrusted by General Washington to gather vital British troop movement information and report directly to General Washington. Richard Howell served as Brigade Major in General Maxwell’s NJ Brigade at various skirmishes throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey and the battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth Courthouse. He was a statesman and was elected as one of two delegates from Gloucester county New Jersey to ratify the United States Constitution. He wrote patriotic songs, one of which was sung for General Washington at a reception in Trenton New Jersey as Washington made his way from Mount Vernon Virginia to New York City for his inauguration as the first president of the United States. As governor and Commander in Chief of New Jersey, Richard Howell lead the “Jersey Blues” in the Whiskey Rebellion. He was a truly fascinating character on life’s stage at the birth of a new nation. He is one of America’s, often overlooked, unsung heros.
As part of our goal on this website, we will explore Richard’s ancestry and descendants, many of which are distinguished in their own right. My brother and I are Richard’s 5th Great Grandsons and we have been researching this family for over ten years. If you have any information that may be helpful in uncovering some of the mystery’s around Richard, his life or his family, please send me a note on the “Contact Us” link. We have accumulated a vast library of information on Richard Howell and his family and it will take us some time to get all that data organized and presented on this website, so come back often and see what new information has been added.
New Jersey State House circa 1806
Early Life and Family
Born: October 25, 1754 in Newark, New Castle, Delaware, USA
Son of Ebenezer Howell and Sarah S. (Bond) Howell
Brother of Lewis B. Howell
Husband of Keziah (Burr) Howell — married 1779 in New Jersey
Children:
- Charles B. Howell, b. 1780, d. 1823
- Mary Ann Howell, b. 1782, d. 1863
- Sarah B. (Howell) Agnew, b. 1783, d. 1863
- Beulah B. (Howell) Glaser, b. 1785, d.
- Maria B. Howell, b. 1790, d. 1876
- Richard L. Howell, b. 1794, d. 1841
- Joseph B. Howell, b. 1794, d. 1874
- William B. Howell, b. 1796, d. 1863
- Franklin B. Howell, b. 1798, d. 1815
Died April 28, 1802 in Trenton, NJ
