On this page I describe our family's roots. I might include our family's records or anything I know about the origins of the family name.
William David Howitt Born 5th March 1948 in James Square, Newport-on-Tay in Fife Scotland. He was the son of William Ros-McRae Howitt and Elizabeth Jane Summers Deans. William Howitt was born on 1st January 1914 the son of James Howitt and Elizabeth Patterson. James Howitt was a native of Liverpool in Lancashire England and was born on the 12th of August 1883. Hisparents were James Howitt and Elizabeth Worrall. Little is known about his great- grandparents. These are extracts from The Family History of Howitt by ANCESTRY of DOVER LTD.
Population surveys for the purpose of taxation and assessment of military strength have been carried out for hundreds of years but in 1801, a system of decennial censuses was established to obtain accurate numbers of the population. Between 1801 and 183l these were often purely headcounts or gave only the name of the head of the household and were therefore of little genealogical use. However, from 1841 onwards the names of all individuals in every household were recorded. The 1841 census provided information of names, approximate ages anti whether or not an individual was born in the same county as, they were then living in.
In 1851 and from then onwards exact age and birthplace were requested as well as relationship to the head of the household, marital status and occupation. As the system developed, extra details of social and historical importance were required but to the genealogist the age and place of birth are of most importance as they lead us to the records of more than 12,000 parish churches throughout England and Wales.
Records of the census are subject to a 100-year confidentiality ruling and at present only those decennial censuses between 1841 and 1891 are available to the public in the census rooms of The Family Records Centre in Islington. Censuses of particular counties are often to be found in the relevant County Record Office.
The 1881 census returns of all counties of England and Wales have now been indexed by
surname.Using the section of title index the county of Lancashire, we find James and
Elizabeth Howitt residing at 67 Mann Street in Toxteth Park. James had been born somewhere
in Scotland about 1853/4. His wife Elizabeth was a native of Liverpool and was about 1 year-younger
than her Husband Living with the couple in 1881 was their son, William, then aged one.
Also in the household was Joseph Worrall, born in Liverpool about 1866/7. Se was described as
the brother of the head of the household. Presumably, he was actually the brother of Elizabeth Howitt,
Nee Worrall.
Based on the ages of their children it seemed possible that James and Elizabeth had been married shortly
before 1880. To locate their marriage certificate, the indexes of the General Registration for England and
Wales were examined.
General Registration of births, marriages and deaths began in England Wales on the 1st July 1837, the first
year of the reign of Queen Victoria. The system originally created some suspicion as to how the information
was to be used resulting in many omissions, but following introduction off fines for non-registration in the
1870s there is a good chance off finding references to all births, marriages and deaths. A searcher does not
have access to the original copies of the certified entries but to index volumes at The Family Records Centre
in Islington. The indexes are alphabetically arranged in quarterly volumes, giving names, registration districts
and a reference number for title ordering of certified copies. Such copies can then be purchased giving full
details of each event. Where one is unsure that an entry found is correct the Registrar Generals Department
will carry out checks for particular details, such as father James, for a fee. One must also remember to carry
out searches muter all possible orthographic variations which. Inevitably, occur in a society, which was, for
much of time in the 19th century only partially literate.
Searching back from the end of 1880. We found only one entry as far as the beginning of 1875. This was
the marriage of James Howitt in the West Derby District recorded in the June quarter of 1879. Although
there was no cross-reference to a bride called Worrall or Worrell, We are delighted to discover that it
related to the couple under investigation.
On 19th April 1879, James Howitt, a bachelor and mariner of St James Terrace, married Elizabeth Warral
a spinster of Cooper Street, in the Church of Holy Trinity in the parish of Walton-on-Hill in Lancashire.
The groom was the son of William Howitt, a brush maker, whilst the bride was the daughter of William Warral,
a chain maker, both bride and groom signed their names in the presence of W. Warral, presumably the brides
father and Louisa Phillips. The ceremony took place after the production of a licence.
Both bride and groom were "of full age".
The term. "of full age" appears frequently on marriage certificates and in parish registers in England and Wales.
It can be taken to mean that the individual was "over 21"
the age of consent. However it was often used by
those who were much older than that age and such imprecise information can frequent hinder genealogical research
Sometimes this statement was used by those who were under 21 and wished to avoid the need parental consent.
According to the information record the census of 1881, James Howitt was born in Scotland about 1853/4.
Unfortunately, this was before the beginning of centralised registration in that country.
Despite various attempts to organise a systematic keeping of parish registers by the Established (Presbyterian)
Church of Scotland very few records of baptisms marriages or burials survive before 1600 and indeed the vast
Majority of registers did not begin until the mid-18th century. Often burials were not noted but some records
show the use of the "Mortcloth" or burial shroud belonging to the parish and these Mortcloth registers can act
as a substitute for the missing burial registers.
Not all were followers of the Established Church and some records of baptism or marriage, which took place
Secretly due to the parties' dissent from the Kirk remain unrecorded.
Those Old Parochial Registers, which were kept, and witch survived the normal havoc of fire,
Pestilence, war or theft or indeed reformations of the church, have now been collected and deposited
with the Registrar General for Scotland at New Register House in Edinburgh. The records date up to
1855 and from these a county by county index of the baptisms and marriages has been compiled but
as with any finding aid the original records should also be examined in case of omission of dates or the
Possibility that further information may be noted:
The Old Parochial Registers for Scotland have been indexed. Using the computerised index to such
records, we were able to look for a baptism of James Howitt, son of William, about 1853/4. We found
two possible candidates. A James Howat, son of William Howat and Agnes Stitt, was born in the parish
of New Cumnock on 24th August1854. James Howit, son of William Howit and Mary Murray was born
in Glasgow on 14th 1851. Which was your forebear?
The two entries were examined in the parish records and we were delighted to discover that James Howitt,
Baptised in Glasgow, was the son of a brushmaker the full entry reads:
GLASGOW CO. LANARK 6441/39 FR6284
BAPTISMS 1851
1851 Sept. - HOWITT James son of William, brushmaker and Mary Murray born
14 Sept. 1851 wits. Robert Howit and Thomas Murray.
The full entry for the marriage of the parents was also found in the records of Glasgow parish and was extracted
follows:
GLASGOW CO. LANARK 644/42
MARRIAGES 1838
1838 June 24 HOWATT William, brushmaker in Glasgow and Mary Murray residing
there married 13 July 1838 by Dr. Duncan Macfarlan
One of the Ministers of Glasgow.
The 1881 census returns of Lanarkshire have been indexed by surname. We were delighted to find a reference
to William Howat, aged 65. The full entry for his household was extracted finding
Parish No: 6444 Enumeration district: 39 Schedule: 58
Residence: 23 Kirk Street, Barony.
NAME RELATIONS STATUS AGE RANK/ COUNTRY OF WHERE
HIP OCCUPATION BIRTH BORN
TO HEAD
William Howat Head Widower 65 Brush Maker Lanarkshire Glasgow
Mary Howat Daur Unmar 32 House Keeper Lanarkshire Glasgow
Jennet Howat Daur Unmar 25 Domestic Servant Lanarkshire Glasgow
William Howat had been born in Glasgow about 1815/16. His wife, Mary, had died by 1881. Living with
William were his two unmarried daughters, Mary and Jennet.
We now sought the death of William Howat or Howitt using the records of General Registration for Scotland.
Registration of births, marriages and deaths began in Scotland on the 1st January 1855, eighteen years after its English
counterpart. Having had time to observe the inadequacies of the south of the border, much detail was at first
required by the Scottish Registrar General, although this was to be reduced and refined in the following year.
Further changes were made up to 1861 but since that date the format of entries of births, marriages and has remained
Virtually the same.
In general for much of the period of civil registration, a birth certificate will give details of the child such as name, place
of birth and full names of both parents, including the maiden surname of the mother. Unlike registration of births in England, Scottish Law also required the date of the marriage of the parents to be recorded. This can save tired genealogist in much
time and effort, especially if this event took place outside of Scotland.
Marriages recorded names and ages of both parties and the date and place of the
Ceremony. The full names of both parents including mother?aiden name are recorded
Not just the names of fathers as in the English system. It was also required to state
Whether or not the parents were living at the time of the ceremony detail, which is of
enormous genealogical value.
Whilst an English certificate of death gives only few details of use to a searcher, its
Equivalent in Scotland is full of information. The name, date and place of death, name of
Spouse and age of the deceased are recorded but most importantly the full names of both
Parents and whether or not they were living is also noted. Thus, an elderly individuals
Death in 1855 could easily lead a searcher to an ancestor born over a century earlier!
Records of the Registrar general of Scotland are to be found at New Register House in
Edinburgh where one can examine the certificates for a small fee. Whereas in England
full details can only be found upon purchasing a certified copy, in Scotland it is permissible
to make full transcriptions of the information registered.
Searching on from the date of the 1881 census, in the required reference in the
Index for 1888. The death was extracted finding:
Death CALTON BURGH OF GLASGOW 6444/278
1888 April 2O W1LLIAM HOWITT brushmaker (journeyman) widower of Mary Morrow
20 East Rose Street, Glasgow age 72 son of Robert Howitt, sawyer
(Deceased) and Jane Howitt M.S. Baird ( deceased). Bronchitis 1
Month cert. By J. Gibson Leitch M.D.
Info. R. Howitt son.
William Howitt was indeed born about 1815/16. We now knew that he was the son of
Robert Howitt, a sawyer and Jane Howitt, whose maiden name was Baird.
Interestingly William?on, R. Howitt was the informant of the death. Who was he?
Returning to the old Parochial Registers Index for Scotland, we find that Robert Howatt,
Son of William Howatt and Mary Howatt was born in Glasgow on the 25th April l843.
Clearly he was the informant of his is father?eath in 1888. We also found birth entries
for Margaret Howatt in Glasgow on 15th July 1846, for Mary Howit on 9th September
1848 and for Janet Baird Howitt how was christened on 22nd March 1841.
Importantly, William Howat was baptised in Barony in Glasgow on 25th June 1815.
He was the son of Robert Howat and Janet Baird. The index does not contain the
Marriage of John Howatt or Howitt or any of the variant spellings, to Janet Baird
shortly before 1815. However, a Robert Howit was baptised in Glasgow on 21st June
1773. He was the son of John Howit and Margaret Forsyth. A number of other children
of this, couple were baptised in Glasgow between 1759 and 1770. John Howit married
Margaret Forsyth in Glasgow on 11th April 1756.
From the baptismal entry in 1851 for James Howitt, it should be noted that the two witnesses
were Robert Howit and Thomas Murray. Could they have been the grandfathers of the child?
baptised? If so, Robert Howit was alive at that date. We should now see whether he lasted
until the beginning of general Registration in Scotland, 1855. If so, we will confirm that he was
the son John Howit and Margaret Forsyth. His age will also be shown.
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