Matthew Howard, Clare to McHenry Co., Illinois

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smcarberry
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Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:31 pm
Location: USA

Matthew Howard, Clare to McHenry Co., Illinois

Post by smcarberry » Sat Aug 30, 2008 5:33 pm

History of McHenry Couny (Munsell Pub. Co., Chicago, 1922)
p. 653
“James S. Howard, one of the oldest native sons of Greenwood Township, and a prominent farmer of
this county, was born on the farm he still occupies, October 14, 1844. He is the son of Matthew and Catherine (Short) Howard, natives of County Clare and County Tyrone, respectively. In 1835, Matthew Howard left Ireland and landed at Quebec, Canada, where he spent three years, and, then, in 1838, came to McHenry County, Ill., and took up a claim in Greenwood Township. In 1840, he bought 280 acres, and later forty acres more, from the government. Subsequently he bought other land from private individuals until he owned 640 acres. He and his wife had the following children: Johanna,
who is the widow of P.J. Nolan, resides in Hartland Township; James S., Margaret, who died in infancy, and Thomas P., who died at the age of sixty-seven years. The mother of these children died when she was thirty-four years old, and at that time James S. was only five years of age, and he was taken by an aunt, Mary Howard, who reared him, and he lived with her until she was married. His father married (second) Mary Griffin, and they had two children, John J. and Edward L. Matthew Howard died April 11, 1888.
James S. Howard has spend all of his life on the homestead, and here he carries on general farming. This farm contains 320 acres of land, and is located on sections 17 and 18. In politics Mr. Howard is a Democrat. He belongs to the Catholic church. Belonging as he does to one of the old pioneer families of McHenry County, and having lived here all his life, he naturally interested in whatever promises to prove of permanent benefit to his community and its people.”

U.S. census [errors not corrected]
1860 IL McHenry Co. Greenwood
HOWARD
Mathew 45 Ire farmer $14,000 real estate value
Mary 45 Ire
Joanah 16 “
James 14 “
Thomas 12 “
John 2 “
Edward 10/12 Ire.
Thos. MOLONEY 27 Ire farm laborer
3 houses from:
HOWARD
Thomas 40 Ire farmer $2000 real estate value
Mary 40 “
John 16 IL
Charles 3 “
Mary 2 “
Jane 1 “


posted by Sharon Carberry USA
not related, just an avid reader of local history books

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