Descendants of William HOWETT of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire
William Howett or Howet was a milnwright at Eastwood, a village on the Erewash River between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. He probably worked on the Langley Mill, a watermill at the crossing between Eastwood and Heanor, now a separate village.
We have a copy of his will, from 1664. By then he was a moderately prosperous farmer. The will doesn’t mention the mill, but does mention a number of mill fields.
William seems to have arrived in Eastwood from somewhere else. Eastwood was quite a small village at the time.
The names mentioned in the will are all common east of Eastwood, particularly around Cropwell Bishop, and there are some very similar names in the Hawett family of Bottesford, Leicestershire. But nothing conclusive.
Nor would it surprise me if he came from Nottingham, which presumably would gather all the surnames in the county. There was a sawyer called William Howett who was accused in 1483 of “disorderly gatherings, receiving and welcoming the servants of various men who in their houses, using the goods of their masters, play at dice, cards, and other illegal games prohibited by the statute issued on that matter, to the serious detriment of their masters and contrary to the king's peace.”
Also a John Howet was Mayor of Nottingham in 1511/12. Robet Howett was Sheriff of Nottingham in1678.
Also see:- Howitt Family Website, http://www.btinternet.com/~howitt.family/
Send email to: rhysh@webone.com.au
Or go to my family history summary page.
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