Howard MacNutt (1858 - 1926)

Born 13 Jul 1858 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Husband of Mary Jane (Stokes) MacNutt — married 24 Sep 1890 in Manhattan, New York County, New York, United States

Died 26 Dec 1926 at age 68 in Miami, Dade, Florida, United States

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Biography

Howard MacNutt was born on 13 July 1858 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents were Ira MacNutt and Caroline Baker.

The 1860 U.S. Census shows 11-month-old Howard MacNutt (mistranscribed as "Maxwell") living in Philadelphia's 22nd Ward with his parents and one sister (Emma, age 7).^[1] Another sister, Mary (age 4), is enumerated in the household next door. His father, Ira, is listed as a Carpenter.

The 1870 U.S. Census shows Howard MacNutt living with his parents and four siblings (Emma, age 16; Louisa, age 12; Winfield, age 7; Bertha, age 1) in Philadelphia, 23rd Ward.^[2] Sadly, his younger brother, Winfield, died in June that same year.

The 1880 U.S. Census shows Howard MacNutt working as a Bookkeeper and living with his parents and two sisters (Mary L, age 23; Bertha, age 21) at 4731 Penn Street, Philadelphia.^[3] Another sibling, Mary Louise "Lula" MacNutt, would die in 1887.

It is unclear exactly when he moved to New York. However, he is enumerated in the 1890 New York City Police Census, age 31, living in the 21st Assembly District.^[4] On September 24 of the same year, he married Mary Jane Stokes Sutton.^[5][6] They had no children.

By 1900^[7], Howard was working as an executive secretary for Hoffman House Corporation. He and his wife, Mary, are enumerated at 731 St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan along with two servants: Minnie Kahn (waitress, age 23, from Germany) and Annie Caldwell (cook, age 34, from Ireland).

According to Some Early Baha'is of the West, the MacNutts lived on St. Nicholas Avenue for several years before moving to "a much larger house" at 935 Parkway Avenue, Brooklyn.^[8] Both the 1905 New York Census and the 1910 U.S. Census list them at this address. In the former^[9], their household includes a servant named Kate Morgan, age 35. In the latter^[10], the staff has grown to two: Bridget Keaney, 59, cook, from Ireland; Charles Toby, 30, gardener, from New York. Also in the household is a friend named Amy Wall, age 29, from England.

The 1920 U.S. Census^[11] marks their last year living full-time in Brooklyn. Howard, age 60, is listed as "Retired". Along with his wife (Mary, age 65), there is one servant: Margaret Sprague, age 51. Not long after this information was recorded, Howard and Mary sold the house and moved to Miami, Florida. The 1925 New York Census shows them as "roomers" in the home of Felicia Decaicedo, 102 Bay 31st Street, Brooklyn.^[12]

In his younger years, Howard MacNutt was a cricket player^[13] Newspapers throughout the 1880s list him on the roster of the Oxford Cricket Club in Philadelphia.^[14][15][16] During the 1890s, he played for both Boston^[17] and the Staten Island Cricket Club^[18], and captained the All New York team during 1895.^[19] In 1897, he was featured in a full-page article on the history of cricket in Philadelphia.^[20]

Howard MacNutt became a member of the Baha'i Faith in 1898 and is notable for his contributions to its establishment in North America. He served on the New York City Baha'i Board of Counsel (a precursor to a Local Spiritual Assembly) for many years.^[21] He is also credited with celebrating the first Nineteen-Day Feast in New York City in 1905 and helping to translate the first English translation of the Kitab-i-Iqan.^[22] Howard and his wife, Mary, travelled to the Middle East in 1905 and 1909^[23][24] and hosted Abdu'l-Baha in their Parkway Drive home (a portion of it can be seen in this 1912 silent film). After retirement, the MacNutts continued to travel around America and teach the Baha'i Faith.

The Promulgation of Universal Peace (1922) was edited and compiled by Howard MacNutt.

He passed away on 26 December 1926 from injuries sustained in an accident. A family funeral service for both of them was held at the home of James McMaster (husband of Howard's sister, Bertha) at 1329 Arrott Street, Philadelphia.^[25] According to The Miami News, Howard and Mary MacNutt were buried on a hill at Green Acre Baha'i School in Eliot, Maine.^[26]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXRW-MVF : 13 December 2017), Howard Maxwell in entry for Ira Maxwell, 1860.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZRR-FG7 : 15 June 2019), Howard McNutt in entry for Ira McNutt, 1870.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWJ5-WM7 : 21 August 2017), Howard Macnutt in entry for Ira Macnutt, 1880; citing enumeration district ED 473, sheet 182A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d), roll 1182; FHL microfilm 1,255,182.
4. ↑ "New York, New York City, Police Census, 1890," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24W-7T78 : 10 October 2017), Howard Macnutt, New York, New York, United States; citing Vol. 740, p. , line 23, Department of Records and Information Services. Municipal Archives, New York City; FHL microfilm 1,309,856.
5. ↑ "New York Marriages, 1686-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F638-CYW : 10 February 2018), Howard Macnutt and Mary J. Sutton, 24 Sep 1890; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 1,452,067.
6. ↑ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24HN-D4J : 10 February 2018), Howard Macnutt and Mary J. Sutton, 24 Sep 1890; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,452,067.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSK4-5WH : accessed 22 August 2019), Howard Macnutt, Borough of Manhattan, Election District 24 New York City Ward 23, New York County, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 630, sheet 2A, family 16, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,109.
8. ↑ Whitehead: Page 35
9. ↑ "New York State Census, 1905," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKSL-3M2 : 19 July 2018), Howard Macnutt, Brooklyn, A.D. 18, E.D. 11, Kings, New York; citing p. 19, line 31, various county clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 1,930,274.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5CR-92S : accessed 23 August 2019), Howard Macnutt, Brooklyn Ward 24, Kings, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 661, sheet 22B, family 548, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 975; FHL microfilm 1,374,988.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJRJ-DXL : accessed 23 August 2019), Howard Mcnutt, Brooklyn Assembly District 18, Kings, New York, United States; citing ED 1102, sheet 20B, line 72, family 447, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1172; FHL microfilm 1,821,172.
12. ↑ "New York State Census, 1925," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9BT-XKK : 8 November 2014), Howard Mac Nutt, Brooklyn, A.D. 16, E.D. 30, Kings, New York, United States; records extracted by Ancestry and images digitized by FamilySearch; citing p. 8, line 47, New York State Archives, Albany.
13. ↑ "United States of American - Players - Howard MacNutt". ESPNCricInfo.com. 2018. Accessed 26 Aug 2019. http://www.espncricinfo.com/usa/content/player/25765.html
14. ↑ "Wielders of the Willow", The Philadelphia Inquirer, 24 Sep 1882. p.1. Accessed on 26 Aug 2019. Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19958328/later_bahai_howard_macnutt_of_oxford/
15. ↑ "Cricket.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, 8 Sep 1883. p.2. Accessed on 26 Aug 2019. Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19958600/later_bahai_howard_macnutt_in_cricket/
16. ↑ "Philadelphia's Team", The Philadelphia Inquirer, 18 Sep 1886. p.2. Accessed on 26 Aug 2019. Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19959451/profiledrawing_of_later_bahai_howard/
17. ↑ "MacNutt Will Play For Boston", The Times (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 23 May 1891. p.6. Accessed on 26 Aug 2019. Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19959506/later_bahai_howard_macnutt_in_cricket/
18. ↑ "Lord Hawke's Victory", The Buffalo Enquirer, 30 Aug 1895. p.3. Accessed on 26 Aug 2019. Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19959782/later_bahai_howard_macnutt_of_staten/
19. ↑ "Changes In The All New York Team", The New York Tribune, 30 Aug 1895. p.3. Accessed on 26 Aug 2019. Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19959872/later_bahai_howard_macnutt_capt_of_all/
20. ↑ "Philadelphia Cricketers As They Appear In Old England, The Fatherland Of This Scientific Sport", The Philadelphia Inquirer, 7 Feb 1897. p.23. Accessed on 26 Aug 2019. Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19960196/later_bahai_howard_macnutt_on_cricket/
21. ↑ Stockman, Robert. “Macnutt, Howard.” Reprinted in Baha'i Library Online, 1995. https://bahai-library.com/stockman_macnutt.
22. ↑ Whitehead: Page 36
23. ↑ "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVJG-B5BZ : 16 March 2018), Howard Mac Nutt, 1904; citing Passport Application, New York, United States, source certificate #95560, Passport Applications, 1795-1905., Roll 665, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
24. ↑ "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVR2-LQ67 : 16 March 2018), Howard Macnutt, 1909; citing Passport Application, Washington D.C., United States, source certificate #66468, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, 76, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
25. ↑ Death notice - "MacNutt, Howard". The Philadelphia Inquirer, 29 Dec 1926. p.13. Accessed 13 May 2018 by smkolins. Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20053720/obits_of_bahais_howard_and_mary_macnutt/
26. ↑ "MacNutt Bodies Will Go North", The Miami News, 28 Dec 1926. Accessed on 11 Jun 2018 by smkolins. Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19802291/obit_of_bahais_howard_and_mrs_macnutt/

See also:

• Whitehead, O.Z. Some Early Baha'is of the West (George Ronald, Oxford : 1976)

• Howard MacNutt on Bahaipedia - a much longer and more detailed life history

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to "smkolins" at Bahaipedia, whose research and insight has contributed to this article.