Selected Biographies

Howell, Arthur James – Born: Mile End Old Town, London on 31.12.1901.[1]  Parents: Frederick Arthur Howell (Bricklayer) [see below for details] and Albina [née Newman].  Family Connections: Brother to Ernest Baden Howell [b1900].  Home: 396 Commercial Road, Mile End Old Town, London (1901), boarding with Alfred Ambrose (uncle) in Westgate Street, Long Melford (1911), French Furze Camp, Curragh, Ireland (1921), Watersmeet, Ham Island, Windsor, Berkshire (1939).  Occupation: Bulter to Reginald Moxon Armitage [Author and Composer known professionally as Noel Gay] (1939).  Married: Gladys Violet Green in 1931.  Service Record: Arthur was coscripted at the end of the First World War joining 2^nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, being stationed in Ireland in 1921.  Died: Holborn, London on 28.11.1952.

Howell, Ernest Baden – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 7.7.1900.[2]  Parents: Frederick Arthur Howell (Bricklayer) [see below for details] and Albina [née Newman].  Family Connections: Brother to Arthur James Howell [b1901].  Home: 420 Old Ford Road, Stratford-le-Bow, Essex (1901), boarding with Alfred Ambrose (uncle) in Westgate Street, Long Melford (1911 to 1921), Conway, 97 Langer Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk (1939) to [1992].  Occupation: Miller [1918], Cook (1939), Stoker for the Ministry of Public Building and Works [1965].[3]  Married: Doris L. Hammond in 1925.  Service Record: Ernest conscripted on 7.7.1918 as K58709 with the Royal Navy.  Following demobilization, he spent a brief period as a Merchant Seaman.[4]  In April 1921 he re-enlisted, joining the Royal Engineers as Spr.1858058, before returning to Royal Navy in 1923 as Fireman L.14138, receiving his discharge in 1931.[5]  In 1965 Ernest was awarded the Imperial Service Medal upon his retirement after 25 years of service as a Civil Service employee.  Died: Felixstowe, Suffolk on 4.3.1992.[6]

Howell, Frederick Arthur – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 6.3.1877.[7]  Parents: Hammond Howell aka Smith of Snape, Suffolk (Stockman) and Mary Ann [née Cattermole].  Family Connections: Father to Ernest Baden Howell [b1900] and Arthur James Howell [b1901]; also, brother-in-law of Joseph Newman [b1881].  Home: Gromford, Snape, Suffolk (1891), 10 Chisenhall Road, Bethnal Green, London [1900], 420 Old Ford Road, Stratford-le-Bow, Essex (1901), Military Barracks, Gibraltar (1911), Hutment Camp, Great Lines, Chatham, Kent (1921), 54 Downing Road, Dagenham, Essex [1927 to 1930], 40 Stockdale Gardens, Dagenham (1939).[8]  Occupation: Errand Boy (1891), Bricklayer (1901), Soldier (1901 to 1921), Bricklayer (1939).  Married: Albina Newman [d1935] in 1900 and Isabel Jane Newman in 1937.  Service Record: Shortly after his marriage in 1900 Frederick abandoned his pregnant wife and child, leaving them destitute and forcing them to apply for, and become chargeable to the Common Fund of the parish of St Matthew, Bethnal Green.[9]  He enlisted in 1901 as Spr.9198 with 32^nd Company, Royal Engineers and was stationed in Gibraltar by 1911. He was posted to France on 5.11.1914 as Spr.1851188 joining 15^th (Field) Company as part of 8^th Division seeing action on the Somme in 1916 and during the Third Battles of Ypres the following year.  At some point on the Western Front was awarded the Military Medal for bravery while under fire.  Died: Dagenham, Essex on 23.4.1949.

Howell, Job – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk in 1818.  Parents: William Howell and Susan [née Grice].  Family Connections: Brother to William Howell [b1815] and nephew of Thomas Howell [b1788].  Home: Wigan End, Sudbury (1841 to 1851), Market Hill, Sudbury (1861), Bull Inn, 33/34 Church Street, Sudbury (1871 to 1891).  Occupation: Labourer (1841), General Dealer (1851), Dealer in China and Glass (1861), Licenced Hawker and Hardwaresman (1871 to 1881), Master Grocer (1891).  Married: Maria Boggis (1819-1848) in 1839, Maria Spearman (1827-1851) in 1848, Eliza Nash (1811-1888) (widow) in 1851 and Mary Maxim in 1889.  Criminal Record: In 1834 Job was convicted of stealing a quantity of peaches and nectarines from a garden in Long Melford and sentenced to fourteen days hard labour in Bury St Edmunds gaol.[10]  In 1843 he was arrested and brought before the Sudbury Quarter Sessions accused of receiving stolen goods, namely unmanufactured silk, the property of Joseph Foote and Joseph James Foote Silk Manufacturers of Sudbury.  He was found not guilty.[11]  Died: Sudbury, Suffolk on 20.8.1893.[12]

Howell, Thomas – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk in 1788.  Parents: Thomas John HOWELL and Ann [née Halls]. Family Connections: Uncle of William Howell [b1815] and Job Howell [b1818].  Home: Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire (1851).  Occupation: Labourer [1813], Agricultural Labourer (1851).  Service Record: Previously a member of the East Suffolk Militia, Thomas enlisted on 23.12.1813 for seven years as a private with 43^rd Regiment of Foot.  At the time of Howell’s enlistment, the Regiment had just returned to England having suffered major losses during the Peninsular Campaign.  In 1814 his unit sailed for America as part of an expeditionary force to take the city of New Orleans and ultimately the Louisiana Territory.  The campaign ended in failure at the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815.  The Regiment returned to England and Private Howell received his discharge at Canterbury in November 1818.[13]

Howell, William – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk in 1815.[14]  Parents: William Howell and Susan [née Grice].  Family Connections:  Brother to Job Howell [b1818] and nephew of Thomas Howell [b1788].  Married: Elizabeth Henry in Australia.  Criminal Record: Convicted of house breaking, William was tried in 1832 and sentenced to death at the Quarter Sessions in Bury St Edmunds, his punishment however, was reduced to transportation to Australia for life.[15]  Died: Bright, Victoria, Australia on 8.9.1904.[16]

Notes – [1] 1939 Register.  [2] 1939 Register.  [3] Supplement to the London Gazette 29.10.1965.  [4] Britain, Merchant Seamen, 1918-1941 [TNA – BT 350/474085].  [5] Royal Navy Registers of Seaman’s Services [TNA – ADM 188/808 and ADM 188/1016] and British Royal Navy & Royal Marines Service and Pension Records, 1704-1939 [TNA – ADM 363/447/82].  [6] National Probate Calendar.  [7] 1939 Register which also records his surname as Smith.  [8] Some addresses taken from the Electoral Roll.  [9] Selected Poor Law Removal and Settlement Records, 1698-1930 [London Metropolitan Archive ref: BEBG/272/010].  [10] The Bury and Norwich Post 20.8.1834.  [11] England & Wales, Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 [TNA – HO 27/71/225], and The Suffolk Chronicle 11.3.1843 and The Essex Standard 24.3.1843.  [12] National Probate Calendar.  [13] Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900 [TNA – WO 25/386].  [14] Baptised on 8.3.1815 at Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford.  [15] Criminal Registers, 1791-1892 [TNA – HO 27/44/288] & Convict Prison Hulks: Registers and Letter Books [HO 9/9].  [16] I am grateful to the research of John Davies regarding William Howell’s criminal record and Australian descendants.