From Co. Suffolk, England. Removed Ipswich 1633. Deposed 1658, aged 52. Church member 1630.37

Birth: about 1606 (deposed 25 November 1658 aged about fifty-two years174, Vol. 2, pg. 146; deposed in June 1665 aged about sixty years174, Vol. 3, pg. 259; deposed in March 1666 aged about sixty years.174, Vol. 3, pg. 312

One of the first settlers in Agawam (Ipswich) 1632/33. Deputy from Ipswich 1635 and Topsfield 1665 and often employed in running lines and locating towns and farms.176

Freeman 4 March 1633/3438, Vol. 1, pg. 368

Education: Signed will by mark. Inventory included “1 fowling piece, books, 1 brush” valued at ae2 16s. 4d. Apparently trained as a surveyor, for he was in great demand in layint out lands and determining boundaries between towns.38, Vol. 1, pgs. 253, 319; Vol. 3, pgs. 307, 347, 350, 396, 401, 404, 420; Vol. 4, pgs. 2-51, 64-5, 104, 308,174, Vol. 4, pg. 160; Vol. 6, pgs. 324, 338

Ipswich, Massachusetts Deputy in 1635. Ensign of Ipswich Company under Captain Daniel Dennison, 3rd Regiment, Colonel John Endicott 1636.

Thomas Howlett was twenty-five years old when he came to New England in 1630 aboard the ship “Hopewell” as part of Governor Winthrop’s Fleet. He was a carpenter by trade, with origins in South Elmham Parish of Suffolk County, East Anglia in England. He first settled in Boston, as did a majority of Winthrop colonists, and became a member of the First Church on August 27, 1630. In the spring of 1633 he married Alice French, daughter of Thomas and Susan (Riddlesdale) French, who apparently had emigrated to New England prior to her parents. She was a member of the First Church and was eventually dismissed on September 10, 1643 to the church in Ipswich as “Our sister Alice French ye wife of Thomas Howlet of Ipswich.”

Although Howlett later settled in Topsfield where he spent the latter years of his life, he was one of the nine originals of John Winthrop Jr’s 1633 party settling the Indian village Agawam, which the next year became the town of Ipswich. He was sworn a freeman at Ipswich on March 4, 1633.

In 1634 Ipswich granted Howlett, in partnership with John Manning and others, on the neck of land on which the town stood, two acres of meadow and two and a half acres of marsh between the town riger and the lands of William Sergient (probably Sargent) and John Newman. Added to this in 1635 was a house lot in the town, thirty acres of upland and ten of meadow at the head of Chebacco Creek and ten acres north of the town toward the Reedy marsh. In 1637 he purchased forty acres from John Perkins, Sr. His later acquired Topsfield holdings are described in his will.

Thomas Howlett’s highest political office came to him as a young man, when, in 1635, he represented Ipswich in the General Court. he served on the Essex County Jury of Trials in 1654, 1657, and 1665 and on the Grand Jury in 1650, 1659, 1666, and 1667 and served as Selectman of Topsfield in 1661.

In 1640 he was sergeant of the Ipswich military defense company and later became its ensign. In 1643 he, as Sergeant, and ten other militiamen were voted compensation by the town for their three days acting in defense of the Agawam Indians against their tribal enemies. In 1672 he became a Deacon of the Topsfield Church and his contribution of five pounds to the salary of Rev. Jeremiah Hubbard was the largest of those made.

There were eight children of Howlett’s marriage with Alice -- Sarah (1633/34-1700), John (1633/34-1674/75), alice (1636-1696), Thomas, Jr. (1637/34-1667), Mary (1641/42-1718), Nathaniel (1646-1658), William (1649/50-1718), and Samuel (1654/55-1719/20). On June 6, 1666, after the death of Alice he married Rebecca Smith, widow of Thomas Smith if Ipswich and Newbury, with his step-son, Thomas Smith, in 1671, choosing him as his guardian.

Thomas Howlett died in Topsfield, Essex County on September 24, 1677.176

On 1 april 1633 Thomas Howlett was fifth in a list of ten men permitted to remove to and inhabit Agawam [Ipswich]38, Vol. 1, pg. 103

On 29 March 1652 “Sergeant Howlett” was sued by Mr. Bradstreet concerning herds of cows.174, Vol. 1, pg. 41 He took the inventory of John Shatswell, brought to court 30 March 1647.174, Vol. 1, pg. 112 The children of “Ensign Howlett” saw a man in Mr. Saltonstall’s orchard at exercise time and spoke of it in court 31 November 1649.174, Vol. 1, pg. 179

On 29 May 1658 thomas Howlett, Frances Pabody, Richard Huten and Abraham Redington took the inventory of the estate of George buncker.174, Vol. 2, pg. 98 At March court 1662, ensign Howlet deposed regarding the house and land in controversy between Richard Bellingham and Nehemiah Jewett.174, Vol. 2, pg. 360 At June court 1662 Ensign Howlet told Abraham Redington that he would have to testify against him in the matter of a trespass because he knew that Mr. Bradstreet was granted a piece of land in the area under discussion.174, Vol. 2, pg. 407

In his will of 1 March 1643[/4], Robert Andrews commended his son John Andrews to the guardianship of Thomas howlett.174, Vol. 3, pg. 163

At court September 1666 Thomas Howlett Sr. and John Gage Sr. deposed that at the first planting of the town there was an order made by the town that there should be two rods left free on the river for the benefit of the inhabitants above high water mark, from the town to the neck and also above. Further, that lots were always so laid out thirty-two years since.174, Vol. 3, pg. 346

Was in Pequot War11, No. 74, pg. 120, 1920

Thomas Howlett was referred to as sergeant as early as 13 March 1638/9.38, Vol. 1, pg. 253 On 14 May 1645 “Thomas Howlet is confirmed ensign at Ipswich, according to their choice.”38, Vol. 2, pg. 100, Vol. 3, pg. 27

In his will, dated 4 November 1677 and proved 24 September 1678, “Thomas Howlit of Ipswich ... weak in body” bequeathed to “Rebeka my wife” one cow, two heifers, an annuity of ae5, and the goods she brought with her [at marriage]; to “my son Samull Howlit” fifty acres of land “which I formerly intended for my son John Howlet & also two twenty acre lots in the thick woods in Topsfield and also four acres of meadow”; to “my daughter Sarah Comings four acres of the Hasakey meadow”; to “my son Samull Howlet the rest of the Hasekey meadow”; “my son Samull Howlet” to pay 50s. yearly to the amount of ae5 “that I have given to my wife in specie”; to “my wife a kettle instead of a bedtick I promised”; to “my daughter Sarah Comings ae4” within four years if she be living, else to her heirs; to “Allis comins” at her marriage or at 18 years of age 20s.; to “my daughter Mary Perly I have given her ae23 which my will is should be made up ae50”; to “Mary Howlit my son John Howlit’s daughter” ae45 to be paid to her at the age of eighteen years or at her day of marriage; if she “live not to receive it, then my will it that there shall be ae10 paid to my son John Howlit’s wife”; “my son william Howlit my sole executor” and residue; “my loving friends Capt. John Applton, Major Samull Applton and John Whippl Senior” overseers; “my son Thomas Howlit’s wife” to enjoy the hundred acres of land “I possessed him of til his eldest daughter” reaches eighteen or marriage “& then she shall enjoy one quarter of it”l when “my son Thomas Howlit’s youngest daughter is of the age of eighteen years or at her day of marriage, she shall enjoy one quarter of the hundred acres given to her said father, & after their mother’s decease they shall enjoy the other fifty acres equally divided”; if “one of my son Thomas Howlit’s daughters die before she is possessed of her portion, it shall goe to her sister”l if they both die, then “my daughter-in-law my son Thomas Howlit’s wife shall enjoy all the hundred acres of land her life and at her decease shall pay out of it to my children, then living, ae100” to be equally divided.173, Vol. 3, pgs. 250-51

The inventory of the estate of “Deacon Thomas Howlett” was taken 10 September 1678 and totalled ae452 11s. 4d., of which ae300 was real estate; “the farm with housing, barn, orchard, upland and meadow with one parcel of marsh at Ipswich,” ae200; and “some other parcels of land,” ae100. The assets were offset by ae34 7s. 101/2d. in debts.173, Vol. 3, pgs. 251-52

On 28 September 1672 John Gage deposed that “he and his brother Howlet laid out 170 acres at will’s Hill to John Gold”.174, Vol. 5, pg. 85

In his will, dated 27 February 16578, John Robinson, wheelwright of Ipswich, bequeathed ae10 to alice, wife of Thomas Howlett, his chest and tools to Thomas Howlett, Jr., and the residue to Thomas Howlett, Sr.173, Vol. 1, pg. 267,174, Vol. 2, pg. 70

“Ensign Howlett” was included in a list of commoners of Topsfield who were assessed in 1664.174, Vol. 5, pg. 133 He was among those to share in the common lands in March 1673.174, Vol. 5, pg. 133 “Ensign Howelett” was assessed 4s. 10d. in the country rate for Topsfield, 18 November 1668 and 16s. 6d. in the town rate 27 January 1668[/9].174, Vol. 4, pgs. 106, 148