My great grandfather Andrew Howden was in Richmond,Illinois, a small village near Chicago, by 1860. He married a widow, Catherine Welch, and they added three children to their family including my grandfather, Francis/Frank. They had a tavern/restaurant in Richmond.
New York passenger lists include an Andrew Howden arriving on 12/14/1852 from Liverpool.
I believe he had a brother, Frank, who lived in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Griffith's finds Howden families primarily in County Cavan, Ireland and further that the surname Howden to be rare and confined to Cavan and Fermanagh in the parish of Kinawley.
I have searched using Family Search, Ancestry.com, MyHeritage and other sites but have gotten no further then Richmond.
Many thanks for any asssitance, Mike Howden
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, the home of Irish Fest
