Henry Howlett (1770 - 1851)

Born 1770 in Suffolk, England

Husband of Ann (Diggens) Howlett — married 14 Feb 1801 in Wortham, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 14 May 1851 at about age 81 in Wortham, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Henry Howlett's life is known in unusual detail because he was among the parishioners of Wortham that Rev Richard Cobbold wrote about in what became A biography of a Victorian village, with further research published on him and his family in Parson and people in a Suffolk village: Richard Cobbold's Wortham, 1824-77. The latter of these publications is the source for all information presented here (specifically, pp 157-159), unless otherwise indicated.

Henry Howlett was baptised on 24th June 1770, the son of William Howlett and Martha Howlett nee Musk, who had married in 1766 [1]. He was gamekeeper to Admiral Wilson of Redgrave Hall, and later to his son George St Vincent Wilson. They valued him so highly that they allowed him to live on in his cottage - free of rent, taxes and rates - until he died. He had a red-and-white dog - half spaniel, half setter - that did his bidding, and his family looked after him in his old age.

He bore his painful rheumatic gout patiently, and was a devout practising Christian, attending church regularly until unable to walk far enough.

Marriage and family: On 1st August 1800, his and Ann Diggins' illegitimate daughter was born; she was baptised privately the following day as Martha Howlett, and only received into the congregation on 16th May 1802 once her parents had married.

He married Ann Diggins of Wortham on Valentine's Day 1801, in Wortham [2]; they were both sufficiently lettered to sign the register.

Their daughter Frances was deaf and dumb. Unusually for the time, she was never institutionalised, but cared for by her family. When her parents had both died, she was taken in by her neighbour, Susan Woods. However, Frances died only 18 months later, aged 48.

Henry died on 14th May 1851 at the age of 80.

Sources

• Baptism & parents: [3]
• Parents' marriage (30th September 1766) and mother's maiden name (Musk): [4]
• 1841 census: [5]