Hows History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Hows is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It was a name given to a person employed "at the house"; in most cases, this was a religious house or convent. The surname Hows is derived from the Old English word hus, which means house. In some cases, the name Hows may be a form of the surname Howes. It is thought to have been an occupational name for a person employed "at the house"; in most cases, this was a religious house or convent. 1

Early Origins of the Hows family

The surname Hows was first found in Oxfordshire where Simon Hus was listed at Eynsham in 1226. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Geoffrey de la House, Huntingdonshire; William de la House, Huntingdonshire; and Richard de la Huse, Buckinghamshire. 3

In Somerset, the first record there was Jacob Huse, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of Edward III.) 4

In Cheshire, Walter del Hus was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1289 and in Kent, William atte House was found in the Feet of Fines for 1331. Much later, Nicholas Howse and Robert Howes were listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524. 2

"House is a very common name in the Bridgewater district [of Somerset]. Howse is the Wiltshire form of the name, and reference to its origin will be found under that county." 5

Early History of the Hows family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hows research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1603, 1607, 1610, 1611, 1631, 1632, 1644, 1650, 1659 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Hows History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hows Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Hows include House, Howse, Howes, Hoose, Hows, Houser, Hooser and others.

Early Notables of the Hows family

Distinguished members of the family include Edmund Howes (fl. 1607-1631), English chronicler who lived in London, and designated himself 'gentleman.' "Howes's first edition of Stow's 'Abridgement, or Summarie of the English Chronicle,' appeared in 1607. A dedication to Sir Henry Rowe, the lord mayor, a few notices of 'sundry memorable antiquities,' and a continuation of `maters forrein and domesticall' between 1603 and 1607, constitute Howes's contributions. In 1611 Howes issued another edition of the same work, with a further continuation...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hows Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hows migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Hows were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Hows Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Hows, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 6
Henry Hows, who settled in Georgia in 1733 with his daughter Anne
Robert Hows, who landed in Georgia in 1738 6
George Hows, who arrived in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1740 6
John Hows, who settled in Virginia in 1741
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hows migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hows Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Hows, aged 20, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Assaye" in 1874 7
Mr. Charles Hows, British settler travelling from London, UK with 1 child aboard the ship "Assaye" arriving in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1874 7

Historic Events for the Hows family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Gordon Hows (b. 1921), English Marine serving for the Royal Marine from Gillingham, Kent, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 8

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Frederick W Hows, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 9

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html