Richard Howell

Richard Howell (October 25, 1754 – April 28, 1802) was the third governor of New Jersey from 1794 to 1801.

For other people named Richard Howell, see Richard Howell (disambiguation).

Richard Howell
3rd Governor of New Jersey
In office
June 3, 1793 – October 31, 1801
Preceded byThomas Henderson
(acting)
Succeeded byJoseph Bloomfield
Personal details
Born(1754-10-25)October 25, 1754
Newark, Colony of Delaware, British America
DiedApril 28, 1802(1802-04-28) (aged 47)
Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.
SpouseKeziah Burr Howell

Early life and military career

Howell was born in Newark in the Colony of Delaware. He was a lawyer and soldier of the early United States Army. He served as captain and later major of the 2nd New Jersey Regiment from 1775 to 1779. Richard was a twin, his twin brother was Lewis Howell. Lewis was a physician for the 2nd New Jersey Regiment and died during the Revolutionary War.

Politics
Letter from Major Richard Howell to Israel Shreve, 1778

At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, Howell was admitted as an original member of The Society of the Cincinnati in the state of New Jersey.[1][2][3]

Richard was offered the role of judge advocate of the army, but turned down the appointment to practice law. He was clerk of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1778 to June 3, 1793. He succeeded Thomas Henderson as Governor and served until 1801. Replaced as Governor by Joseph Bloomfield, Howell died the following year. He was the grandfather of Varina Howell, the second wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

Death

Howell died in Trenton, New Jersey on April 28, 1802, and was buried in that city's Friends Burying Ground.[4] Howell Township in Monmouth County is named in his honor.[5][6]

References
  1. "Richard Howell | The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Jersey". njcincinnati.org. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  2. Metcalf, Bryce (1938). Original Members and Other Officers Eligible to the Society of the Cincinnati, 1783-1938: With the Institution, Rules of Admission, and Lists of the Officers of the General and State Societies Strasburg, VA: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc., p. 169.
  3. "Officers Represented in the Society of the Cincinnati". The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  4. New Jersey Governor Richard Howell Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, National Governors Association. Accessed August 20, 2007.
  5. Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 2, 2015.
  6. Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 162. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed September 2, 2015.
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