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John Howcutt – from Scotland to Canada |
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The
ship “Silas Richards”, captained by Edward Rossiter, arrived from Liverpool at
New York on 25 May 1835. It carried over 350 passengers, the vast majority
travelling in the tight confines of steerage. Amongst the seven 1st class
cabin passengers were Alexander Jack, a gentleman aged 50; John Howcutt, a
gentleman aged 40 and Margaret Howcutt, aged 40, all three recorded as
travelling from Scotland to Canada. “Registers of Vessels Arriving at the
Port of New York from Foreign Parts, 1789-1919” adds that “Master Howcutt” also arrived
at New York on that voyage. In Volume 1 of his book “Four Years in Great
Britain, 1831-1835”, Calvin Colton describes the same vessel, on which he
took a 19-day journey from New York to Liverpool in 1831, in these terms: “A New-York and Liverpool packet, as all know who
have sailed in them, is a very commodious and perfect thing of the kind. No
expense is spared in their building, in the finishing of the cabins, in their
furniture or provisions. Every new ship put upon the line is in some sort and
particulars an improvement on every former one…………… The Silas Richards was a
ship of excellent proof, though not the most elegant on the line in her
workmanship and furniture of her cabins.” More gloomy thoughts may have entered
the passengers’ minds as they crossed the Atlantic in May 1835. Only about a
couple of months had elapsed since 2 March when the “Silas Richards” collided
with the “Sarah” – a British ship travelling from Liverpool to Charleston,
South Carolina. As a result, the “Sarah” sank with the loss of seven of the
17 people on board. [1]
There is no evidence of John’s parentage.
Only about 32 people with the Howcutt surname lived in England around 1800,
belonging to three groups, which were based at Birmingham, Bitteswell and
Brixworth. The families living at or who during the latter part of the 18th
century had migrated from Bitteswell were the most likely to be have been
able to afford to pay for veterinary training. The only christening so far
identified anywhere in England that may have been of him is “John, son of
Joseph and Mary Howcut”, whose baptism took place
at Bitteswell on 27 January 1793; no later reference has been found that
definitely relates to this child. The baptism date is a little early to match
the ages of John Howcutt that appear in North American records. Another
possibility is that John might have been born out of wedlock to an unmarried
Howcutt woman and encouraged to distance himself from his family; but no
evidence has emerged to support that hypothesis.
John did not remain in England for long
after he qualified, as by 1825-6 he was based several hundred miles north of
London at High Street, Portsoy, Banffshire, which
is located on the Moray Firth coast of the north east of Scotland. [4] The
parish of Fordyce, which included Portsoy and other
settlements in an area extending to 28 square miles, had a total population
of 3,364 at the time of the 1831 census. John’s business included arranging
horse stud services, as can be seen in an advertisement published in the
“Aberdeen Journal” of 26 March 1826, which advised those interested in the
introduction of their mares to the attentions of stallions such as “Young Warter” and “Young Achilles” to contact John Howcutt at Portsoy. John’s first known child is recorded as
follows in the Old Parochial Register for Fordyce, Banff: “1826 September 12. John Howcutt veterinary surgeon Inverness
had a child by Mary Watson baptised and named John. Witness Henry Watson
(shipmaster) & John Watson (Mercht. and
Shoemaker both in Portsoy).” Other entries on the same page named
mothers with a different surname to the relevant father but qualified this as
“his wife”, so the Howcutt entry probably records a birth out of wedlock.
Nothing more has been found about the history of the child. On 6 February 1828, John Howcutt, a
farmer of Diakies and Margaret Jack of the parish
of St Nicholas, Aberdeen, were married at Inverness. Margaret was a daughter
of the late Mr Hewt. Jack merchant in (Pattery?). The ceremony was performed by Rev. John Bryce,
minister of St Nicholas, Aberdeen. John does not seem to have stayed in New
York City for long after his arrival in America. In 1836, he purchased land
at the town of Lancaster, which is about 11 miles east of the centre of
Buffalo NY, from the Holland Land Company – the area being section 6, lot 8.
[5] It may be because of this purchase that on 16 January 1837, John Howcutt,
a British subject of Buffalo, Erie county made a deposition that he intended
always to reside in the United States and to become a citizen as soon as he
could become naturalised. The advantage of making this declaration was that
it authorised the person concerned to acquire, hold, sell, inherit and
bequeath land in the State of New York. [6]
Buffalo is at the north-west end of New
York State, close to the border with Canada. The 363 mile long Erie Canal had
been opened in 1825, connecting Albany on the Hudson River with Lake Erie at
Buffalo. This enormously boosted the importance of that locality in the
transportation of goods and people between the eastern part of the United
States, Canada and the West. In 1840, the population of Buffalo population
amounted to a little over 18,000. This was followed by extremely rapid
expansion – the number of its inhabitants soared to over 81,000 in 1860;
155,000 in 1880 and 352,000 in 1900. By 1842, John had found his way to
Toronto, where the census of Upper Canada of that year lists him as a
veterinary surgeon at King Street, St George’s sub-district. He was a tenant
of the premises and entitled to vote. He stated that the five members of the
household were all members of the Church of Scotland, one having been born in
England and the others in Scotland. There were two males in the 30/59 age
group (one married and one single) and three females in the 14/44 age group
(one married and two single). One member of the household was temporarily
absent and there was one female servant. In answer to a census question about
how many years each person has been in the Province when not natives, he gave
the answer “7”. As John had spent some of this time in the United States, it
seems he took the word “Province” to mean North America rather than just
Upper Canada. Francis Lewis’ “Toronto Directory and
Street Guide for 1843-4” includes John as running a veterinary surgery and
livery stables at Yonge Street, near Front Street. Brown’s “Toronto City
& Home District Directory, 1846-7” records him at “Brock, near Adelaide
Street”. John Howcutt was listed as Treasurer of “the Club” associated with
the Toronto Races in 1847. [8] On 15 May 1848, “Mr Howcutt” became a member
of Toronto Municipal Council, following the resignation of Mr Sliaw. [9] Unlike most 19th century
emigrants to America, John and Margaret Howcutt returned to England for a
visit. On 30 September 1851, the New York Daily Tribune reported the arrival
of the packet ship “Waterloo” from Liverpool, carrying passengers that
included “Mr Jack, Mr Howcut and lady, of Canada”. John Howcutt was a director of the
Western Assurance Company, which was established in 1851. An advertisement
placed in 1856 offered cover for fire and marine risks and described the
company as chartered by an Act of Parliament, with capital of £100,000 and
its main office at Toronto. [10] In 1861, the Canadian census recorded
John and Margaret at Trafalgar (now part of Oakville) in Hulton
county, Ontario. John was described as aged 62 and born in England; Margaret
as aged 58 and born in Scotland. John was presumably the “venerable Mr
Howcutt”, who pronounced the final benediction at the dedication service for
the newly built Lafayette Street Presbyterian Church at Buffalo on 15 October
1863. [11] Lovell’s Canadian Dominion Directory for
1871 lists John Howcutt at Marmora Street, Trenton. At that time, the port of
Trenton was a major timber rafting centre and the city accommodated about
2,000 inhabitants. The census taken in the same year described “John Howcut” as a gentleman aged 70, born in England. With him
were Margaret, aged 60 and born in Scotland and Alexander Jack, aged 70 who
had also been born in Scotland. All three were recorded as Presbyterians.
[12] “Directory of the County of Hastings
1879-1880” was published in 1879 and lists “Mrs Howcutt, widow” at North
Marmora, Trenton. 1881 census of Trenton, Hastings West
county includes “Margurite Howcotte”,
who had been born in Scotland and was described as a widow aged 75. The census
schedule gives her religion as Presbyterian. Margaret Howcutt died on 28 August 1882
at Trenton. Her age was given as 84 and her rank or profession as “Widow
Lady”. The cause of death was recorded as inability to retain food the result
of old age, a condition that had lasted for 20 days. [13] Her will was proved
in the same year at the Surrogate Court for Hastings county. [14] Archives of Ontario holds a collection
of papers assembled by Andrew Shurie of Trenton; amongst these are the
“papers of John Howcutt and his wife, 1859-1882”. [15] This source has not
yet been consulted. John had evidently not kept in close
contact with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, as his name was not
removed from its register until 1889. Notes [1] "Ship News" The Times (London). Monday, 9 March 1835,
col D, p.3. [2] Indications of the year of John
Howcutt’s birth are as follows:
[3] Register of Veterinary Surgeons, 1889.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has confirmed that he graduated from
Camden. [4] Pigot &
Co.’s New Commercial Directory for Scotland for 1825-6. [5] List of first land owners, town of
Lancaster, Erie County New York, compiled by Dr Harley E Scott http://wnyroots.tripod.com/index-lan-19.html
(accessed 22 August 2016). [6]
New York Alien Residents,
1825-1848, compiled by Kenneth Scott & Rosanne Conway (Baltimore, 1978). [7] Information and
picture kindly supplied by Timothy J Moran. [8] “The Spirit of the
Times”, 7 October 1848, page 390. [9] From “By-laws of the City of Toronto … 1834 to
1890 …” (The Municipal Council, Toronto, 1890). [10] The Daily News (Kingston, Canada), 18
August 1856, page 1, column 3. [11] Buffalo
Daily Courier, 16 October 1863, page 3. [12] 1871
census of Canada, FamilySearch film 0349182. [13] Hastings
county death registrations FamilySearch film 1853236. [14] Margaret Howcutt, Trenton, No. 752, 1882.
Archives of Ontario microfilm GSI, reel 1187. [15] Details of the
Andrew Shurie Collection can be seen at: http://www.archeion.ca/andrew-shurie-collection
(accessed 22 August 2016). |
