I have made some headway on the Howell family tree. I have been able to go back another generation for Grandma Bessie's maternal line, but I've also found something interesting for the Andrews line.
Capt. John Andrews married Ruth Barnes at Pool's Island, Newfoundland on December 28, 1829. When John passed away he left some money to his sister Ann Dowland and her daughter from Bere Regis, Dorset, England. I was curious to see if I could find out more about John if I researched the beloved sister he mentions in his Will. All other searches for John Andrews came up with nothing I could trust.
I started looking and found Mary Ann Dowland in Bere Regis, Dorset. She was a widow and living with her only daughter Eliza Ann. She was the head of household and listed as a Grocer in the 1851 England Census for Wareham, Bere Regis. The 1861 census lists her as a Grocer and a Post Mistress. Not bad for a woman in the 1860s. In her Will, she left all of her money and possessions to her only
daughter Eliza Ann, she never remarried. I then started to follow her daughter Eliza. Eliza Ann Dowland married Henry Charles Jenkins on November 27, 1866, in Bere Regis, Dorset. This marriage record told me that her father was a Captain (like her Uncle) and his name was William Walts Dowland. I used that information to find the marriage record of William Dowland and Mary Ann. They were married September 3, 1832, in Bere Regis and Mary Ann's maiden name is Haydon...not Andrews. I looked for her baptism record to see if it would help shed some light on her maiden name. I found a "Mary Ann Compton Haydon - Bastard Daughter of Mary Haydon". Yikes! Then I see the line above "John - Bastard son of Mary Haydon". These two baptisms were on the same day and they were private baptisms. I wasn't convinced, so I started looking for Mary Haydon their mother. Sure enough, I found a Mary Haydon on the 1841 English Census for Bere Regis, age 70. Two names down is Anne Dowland, age 30, and the next name is Frances Hawker. Frances shows up in the 1861 census as Fanny Hawker, Mary Ann's sister-in-law and her Post Office Assistant. I am now somewhat convinced that John, the bastard son of Mary Haydon is indeed "John Andrews" the brother of Mary "Ann" Dowland.
daughter Eliza Ann, she never remarried. I then started to follow her daughter Eliza. Eliza Ann Dowland married Henry Charles Jenkins on November 27, 1866, in Bere Regis, Dorset. This marriage record told me that her father was a Captain (like her Uncle) and his name was William Walts Dowland. I used that information to find the marriage record of William Dowland and Mary Ann. They were married September 3, 1832, in Bere Regis and Mary Ann's maiden name is Haydon...not Andrews. I looked for her baptism record to see if it would help shed some light on her maiden name. I found a "Mary Ann Compton Haydon - Bastard Daughter of Mary Haydon". Yikes! Then I see the line above "John - Bastard son of Mary Haydon". These two baptisms were on the same day and they were private baptisms. I wasn't convinced, so I started looking for Mary Haydon their mother. Sure enough, I found a Mary Haydon on the 1841 English Census for Bere Regis, age 70. Two names down is Anne Dowland, age 30, and the next name is Frances Hawker. Frances shows up in the 1861 census as Fanny Hawker, Mary Ann's sister-in-law and her Post Office Assistant. I am now somewhat convinced that John, the bastard son of Mary Haydon is indeed "John Andrews" the brother of Mary "Ann" Dowland.
I'm assuming that John Andrews knew who his father was and took his name, or maybe he just took a new name. I may never know, but he travelled to Newfoundland as a young man and started his family there. He remembered his "beloved sister" back in England and mentions her in his Will. I hope I can find out more about the Haydon family in Bere Regis. Maybe it will lead to more information on the Andrews family as well.
To see the transcription of the Will mentioned above-
Capt. John Andrews Will
You can see how I'm connected to John Andrews on the Howell Family page.
Image courtesy of pixabay.com
You can see how I'm connected to John Andrews on the Howell Family page.
Image courtesy of pixabay.com
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