{"id":98824,"date":"2024-05-02T09:04:19","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T13:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=98824"},"modified":"2024-05-02T09:31:55","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T13:31:55","slug":"worlds-richest-woman-dies-genealogist-finds-true-heirs-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/worlds-richest-woman-dies-genealogist-finds-true-heirs-part-2.html","title":{"rendered":"World\u2019s Richest Woman Dies \u2013 Genealogist Finds True Heirs (part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry continues her story about how a genealogist was needed to determine the heirs of the world\u2019s richest woman when she died. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today I will continue with the story on the Howland heirs.<\/p>\n

To recap: Henrietta Howland Robinson Green (1834-1916) \u2013 aka the \u201cWitch of Wall Street,\u201d the richest woman in the world, died in 1916. She was the daughter of wealthy whaling and oil merchant Edward Mott Robinson and Abby Slocum Howland Robinson.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Henrietta \u201cHettie\u201d or \u201cHetty\u201d Howland Robinson Green. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Hettie\u2019s father died in 1865, she inherited $1 million in cash and about $5 million in properties.<\/p>\n

Also in 1865, Hettie\u2019s aunt Sylvia Ann Howland<\/a> died, leaving her $1 million from the Howland family estate. However, the inheritance from Sylvia was only for Hettie\u2019s lifetime \u2013 upon her death it was to be dispersed among the living heirs of Gideon Howland Jr. of Dartmouth, Massachusetts \u2013 the father of Aunt Sylvia and Hettie\u2019s mother, Abby Slocum Howland Robinson. Read more in Part 1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

William Morrell Emery, a historian, genealogist, newspaper editor, and author, was hired by the trustees to research the ancestral lines to disburse Sylvia\u2019s inheritance. It was a complicated business, and he later published a book entitled \u201cThe Howland Heirs; Being the Story of a Family and a Fortune and the Inheritance of a Trust Established for Mrs. Hetty H. R. Green<\/a>\u201d in 1919.<\/p>\n

As one can imagine, the buzz on the huge windfall hit the press. I found several newsclips in my searches in GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>. Not all Howlands made the cut on Emery\u2019s list of heirs.<\/p>\n

Two Residents of Toledo, Ohio, Claim to Be Hettie Green Heirs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two Toledo, Ohio, residents, Arthur A. Brown and his sister Mrs. Alfred Nauts (born Florence M. Brown), the children of Lorin Alonzo Brown and Elizabeth Delaney Howland, claimed they were heirs through their ancestor Rev. Ezra Howland<\/a>, who married Betsey Howard and migrated to Ohio. However, the Browns were not entitled to any inheritance.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Blade (Toledo, Ohio), 27 July 1916, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like many claimants the Brown\u2019s believed they were descended from Mayflower<\/em> passenger John Howland.<\/p>\n

Howland Heirs Descended from Henry Howland, Not Pilgrim John Howland<\/strong><\/p>\n

Emery noted in his book that various newspapers had stated that Mrs. Green was descended from John Howland of the Mayflower<\/em>, but it was not so. Rather, she was descended from Henry Howland, the brother of Pilgrim John Howland, who came to Plymouth Colony later.<\/p>\n

Henry Howland was a Quaker and many of his descendants followed him into the faith, including Gideon Howland Sr.\u2019s father Barnabus Howland \u2013 who married first Rebecca Lapham and second Penelope Tripp.<\/p>\n

Barnabus resided at Round Hills Farm, Dartmouth, Massachusetts, the seat of the Howland family. His father Benjamin Howland, grandson of Henry Howland, was the progenitor of all the \u201cRound Hills Howlands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Round Hills Farm, Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Credit: Digital Commonwealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Barnabus was imprisoned for a year for refusing to go to war. His records can be found in the Society of Friends, Dartmouth Monthly Meeting.<\/p>\n

Recluse Is Found as Howland Heir<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some of the heirs on Emery\u2019s list had to be tracked down by the trustees, like this fellow Alson W. Russell, son of Charles W. Russell and Emily Scarr. He descends from Gideon Sr.\u2019s daughter Rebecca Howland, who married Jethro Russell, son of Joshua and Lydia (Spooner) Russell.<\/p>\n

According to a report in the Nonpartisan Leader<\/em>, Alson was working as a foreman for some of the Bernardy-Veil company’s farms in Fargo, North Dakota. The newspaper article reported that Alson \u201cis taking quietly and as a matter of fact the knowledge that he is one of Hetty Green\u2019s heirs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The article included this photo of Alson.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Nonpartisan Leader (Fargo, North Dakota), 15 February 1917. Credit: Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Salt Lake Telegram<\/em> gave more details.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Salt Lake Telegram (Salt Lake City, Utah), 2 February 1917, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reports:<\/p>\n

Sought as one of the 438 heirs to the $1,500,000 estate bequeathed in trust by Sylvia Ann Howland, an aunt of the late Hetty Green, Alson W. Russell, a recluse, who has been living here for several years, was found today by agents of the administrator after a week\u2019s investigation. Russell, who is 58 years old, has lived in North Dakota since 1897 and has been employed most of the time as a farm supervisor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Other Howland Heirs<\/strong><\/p>\n

A branch of Howlands living in California on Emery\u2019s list descend from Capton Pardon Howland (1777-1821), son of Gideon Sr. and Sarah (Hicks) Howland, who married Hepzibah \u201cHepsey\u201d Hathaway (1777-1856), a direct descendant of Mayflower<\/em> passengers Francis and John Cooke, and Richard Warren.<\/p>\n

\"Illustrations:<\/a>
Illustrations: miniature portraits painted by Solomon Polack of Hepzibah Hathaway Howland and Captain Pardon Howland. Credit: James D. Julia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A photo in the Oakland Tribune<\/em> shows two sisters who were Howland heirs: (upper right) Mrs. C. S. Warner, born Paretta Church Howland, who married Charles Sherman Warner; and (lower left) Mrs. I. M. Green, born Isabella Gifford Howland, who married Isaac Michael Green.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California), 4 July 1916, page 6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mrs. Warner and Mrs. Green were born to Mary C. Slauson and Benjamin Franklin Howland, son of Lydia Church Parker and Captain Pardon Howland Jr., son of Captain Pardon Howland Sr.<\/p>\n

Other children born to Benjamin Franklin Howland are:<\/p>\n