He was baptised 24 October 1742 at Whitfield, Kent, a son of Richard Howis and Ann formerly Philpot.
He is mentioned in the will of his grandfather, William Philpot, dated 1753.
He married Mary Frisby 25 August 1771 at St George Hanover Square, London.
Edward moved to London and was in business as an oilman (sold oil for lamps) by 1788 for on 17 November 1788 Mr Frisbee, an oilman, in partnership with Mr Howis of Jermyn Street St James, died. Edward was able to join, as a junior partner, an established business, run by Robert Frisby who was married to Edward’s aunt, Eleanor formerly Howis.
He (eldest son of wife’s late brother Richard Howis) was extensively mentioned in the 1782 will of Robert Frisby, the husband of his aunt Eleanor. He inherited an extra 1/8th share of the business so that he and his aunt or Robert Frisby, nephew of Robert Frisby would operate the business as equal partners, and which was to be known as ‘Frisby and Howis’.
In a directory of 1797 at 20 Jermyn Street was Frisby and Howis, oilmen, and at 36 Carnaby Street and 20 Jermyn Street was Edward Howis and Co, oilmen. It seems that Edward Howis and Co were Edward Howis, Eleanor Frisby and Stephen Howis for at the Old Bailey 11 September 1793 John Thompson (aged 41, guilty and sentenced to death, but this was commuted to transportation to Australia for life, and he was one of 206 convicts on board the Ganges in August 1796) was tried for attempting to defraud Edward Howis, Eleanor Frisby and Stephen Howis on 16 April 1793 with a forged receipt for £16 made out to Edward Howis and Co.
He was mentioned in the 1800 will of his aunt Eleanor Frisby formerly Howis.
In 1808 (Post Office Annual Directory) Edward Howis and Co was at 36 Carnaby Street and E and E Frisby and Stephen Howis (i.e. Edward Howis, Edward Frisby Howis and Stephen Howis – Eleanor had died by 1800), Oilmen, were at 220 Piccadilly.
Edward Howis died 28 March 1817 at Forest Hill aged 75 and was buried at St Mary, Lewisham.
His will was dated 1 June 1807 and probate was granted 5th May 1817 and 16 July 1817 at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. He was a gentleman of Forest Hill, Kent [near Lewisham]. He mentioned his wife Mary, his daughter Eleanor wife of John Williams surveyor of Jermyn Street St James Westminster, his son Edward Frisby Howis and his wife Charlotte, his brother in law William Lambert and his wife Elizabeth [formerly Frisby, sister to Edward’s wife, Mary – William Lambert was also Edward Howis’s cousin!], William the son of his brother Samuel, his brother William, his sister Mary the wife of Stephen Castle of Whitfield yeoman, his nephews William and Stephen Castle sons of his sister Mary, his cousins Mr Henry Pascall of Dover and his wife Massey (Mercy?)*, Edward Howis of Grosvenor Square and Stephen Howis of Air Street Piccadilly oilman, Robert Frisby of Chalfont St Peter Bucks, and Thomas Fairchild his old servant. His executors were Mary his wife, Edward Frisby Howis and John Williams.
Mary died 19 November 1829 at Forest Hill aged 78 and was buried at St Mary’s Lewisham.
* There is a headstone at St Mary the Virgin Dover, which reads ”To the memory of William Pascall, boat builder, who died 17th January 1746 aged 38 years. Left issue 3 sons and 3 daughters. Also of Ann, his wife, who died 20 September 1770, aged 63 years. Also of Mary, their daughter the wife of James Atkins who died 12th May 1770 (sic) aged 35 years. Also of Ann Smith another of their daughters who died 30th July 1792, aged 54 years. To the memory also of Henry Pascall son of the above William and Ann Pascall. He was born 21st of April 1740 and died 23rd of April 1824. leaving issue one son. Also of Mercy the wife of Henry Pascall who died 30th of October 1807 and whose remains lie interred in Charlton Churchyard. The toils of life and pangs of death are o’er and care and pain and sickness are no more.” This was noted by Bax and Rice, 12 May 1892.
Edward and Mary’s children were:
i) Mary Howis (1772 – 1772), born 9 June 1772 and baptised 9 June 1772 at St James, Westminster.
She had died by March 1782 as Edward and Eleanor are stated as the only son and only daughter of Edward and Mary Howis in the will of Robert Frisby. She was very probably buried in 1772 at St James Westminster.
ii) Edward Frisby Howis (1774 – 1830), born 18 September 1774 and baptised 14 October 1774 at St James Westminster.
He was mentioned in the will of Robert Frisby of 1782, the husband of his great aunt Eleanor formerly Howis.
In the Freedom of the City of London Admission Papers, 3 December 1788, Edward Frisby Howis, son of Edward Howis of Jermyn Street was apprenticed to Joseph Taylor, citizen and vintner for seven years.
He was mentioned in the 1800 will of his great aunt Eleanor Frisby.
He married Charlotte Gunter (not Gutteridge) 15 December 1804 at St Mary Abbots, Kensington. She was a daughter of Mr Gunter who was Queen Victoria’s confectioner. This is the reason for the grinding of the flour for her wedding cake (see below) in the New Mill at Crowborough.
He and his wife Charlotte were both mentioned in the 1807 will of his father, Edward.
He took over his
father’s business in Piccadilly and also, in 1809, leased land at Crowborough Warren from Elizabeth Dowager Duchess of Chandos and Lord Henniker. He built five mill ponds and two large
water mills, the Old Mill which still stands, and the New Mill which ground the
flour for Queen Victoria’s wedding cake and was later used as a stone
quarry in the 1960s and is now a ruin.
Edward Frisby Howis
planted a great number of trees and transformed the area from heathland to the wooded landscape seen today and could be
considered as Crowborough’s first commercial
developer. He often used to ride
from Crowborough to London, taking as little as 3
hours or less.
On 27 April 1805, Edward
Evans, aged 23, was found guilty and sentenced to 6 months in prison for
stealing a ham from the shop of Edward Frisby Howis, Edward his father and Stephen Howis,
in Piccadilly.
He was mentioned in the
1809 will of William Lambert, his mother’s brother in law as well as his
father’s cousin.
He died in 1830 aged
58. His will was dated 6 June
1828. He was an oilman of
Piccadilly and a farmer of Crowborough and Withyham. He left
everything (there was almost no detail9) to his sole executrix, his wife Charlotte, who proved his will at the
Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) 3 March 1831.
In 1841 (Index) Charlotte
was aged 50 and was living in St James Westminster, probably with her three
daughters Ann (aged 25), Charlotte (20) and Emma (20).
On 1 August 1846 Charlotte
dissolved the mutual partnership she had with John George Masson in the
business of ‘Howis and Masson’, Italian
Warehousemen at 216 Piccadilly, though the firm continued to trade until 1886,
as grocers and wine merchants. The
shop sold products from Italy such as olive oil, pasta, pickles, fruits,
perfume, paints and pigments. The
company was fined in 1852 for selling less than a 2 gallon measure of wines and
spirits.
In 1851 (Index) in the
Lambeth district were living Charlotte Howis (65) and
Anne Frances Howis (42) and Emma Frisby
Howis (34).
Charlotte Howis’s will was very different to
Edward’s. It was dated 26
September 1855. She was formerly of
Piccadilly but then of Ashurst Lodge Tulse Hill(?), widow and relic of
Edward Frisby Howis
formerly of Piccadilly esquire. Her
trustees and executors were her daughters Anne Francis Howis
and Emma Frisby Howis and
John Gillam Booty gentleman, of Grays Inn. Her funeral was to be a simple one at
Norwood Cemetery. To her daughter
Anne Francis Howis she left the following property:
freehold - 3 and 4 Cross Court, Carnaby Street, 12 Carnaby Street, 83 and 84 Edgeware
Road; and leasehold – 215 and 216 Piccadilly and Boot public house in
Wells Street, Oxford Street. To
Emma Frisby Howis she left
the following property: freehold – 12 Berwick St St
James, 31 King Street Carnaby Street, 19, 20, 36, 41,and 42 Carnaby Street, 2 Cross
Street, 3 Tylers Court; and leasehold – 14 and
15 Jermyn Street and 9 and 10 Gloucester Place New Road. She also mentioned her daughter Mary Enderby, wife of William Enderby
and Enderby grandchildren Fanny, William, Charles,
Elizabeth Emily, Ellen Mary, Mary Charlotte, and Bertha Caroline. The last 5 were minors. There were also several Gunter relatives
amongst the legatees. Her codicil
was dated 9 December 1856 and contained small variations to the bequests. Her will and codicil were proved at the
PCC in London 6 March 1857.
Edward and Charlotte’s children were:
(a) Mary Howis (1806 – 1891), born 22 February 1806 and baptised 23 January 1807 at St James, Westminster. She married William Enderby at Withyham, East Sussex, 1 June 1830 (eldest daughter of E.F. Howis of Crowborough Lodge). In 1881 she was a widow aged 75, an owner of houses and land and born in London, Middx. and living at Prospect House, Beckington, Somerset. With her were two single daughters, Ellen Mary aged 37 and born at Shooters Hill, Kent and Mary Charlotte aged 35 and born in London, Middx. There were three servants, a cook, a housemaid and a kitchen maid. Mary’s death was registered in the Frome district in the March quarter 1891. She was aged 84. She was buried in the Frome district (probably at Beckington) in 1891. Mary and William’s children were:
(i)
Fanny Enderby, born 1832 at Withyham, Sussex and baptised 17 January 1832 at St.
Michael's Church, Withyham, Sussex.
(ii)
William Enderby,
born
1834 at Withyham, Sussex and baptised 1 September
1834 at St. Michael's Church, Withyham, Sussex.
(iii)
Charles Enderby,
born
1837 at Inverness, Scotland.
(iv)
Elizabeth Emily Enderby,
born
1839 at Withyham, Sussex.
(v)
Ellen Mary Enderby
(1843 – 1920), born
1843 at Greenwich, Kent. In 1881
she was living with her mother in Beckington. Her death was registered in the Frome
district in the June quarter 1920.
She was aged 77.
(vi)
Mary Charlotte Enderby,
born
1846 at London. In 1881 she was
living with her mother at Beckington. Her death may have been registered in
the Midhurst district in the December quarter 1928. She was aged 83.
(vii)
Bertha
Caroline Enderby, born about 1852 at Inverness. In 1881 she was with her aunts at Ashurst House, Trinity Road, Lambeth. She was single, aged 29 and lived on
‘house and funded property’ and was born in Inverness. She married Samuel Davey in the Croydon
district in the June quarter 1894 and she died 7 April 1937 and was of
‘The Trossachs’ 49 Oakdale Road,
Streatham. Her death was registered
in the Wandsworth district in the June quarter
1937. She was aged 85.
(b)
Edward Frisby Howis (1807 – 1808), buried 10 February 1808 at St Mary Abbots Kensington,
aged 2 months. He was of the parish
of Piccadilly.
(c) Anne Frances Howis (1808 – 1905), born 31 December 1808 and baptised 28 January 1809 at St James Westminster. In 1841 (Index) she was aged 25 and was living in St James Westminster. She and her sister Emma apparently formed a charitable trust in 1869, known as The Howis Trust to provide almshouse accommodation (Charity Commission Number 208786 - The Howis Trust, now removed and linked to the Harrison Trust at Shakespeare Road, Herne Hill, Lambeth SE24 0JZ. The scheme has recently been amended by the Charity Commission so that a major refurbishment can be completed, as at September 2009). In 1881 Annie F. Howis (head) was living at Ashurst House, Trinity Road, Lambeth (with her sister Emma), single and aged 72 and living on ‘house and funded property’ and born in Piccadilly. There were four servants; a cook, a domestic needlewoman, a housemaid and a footman. Her death was registered in the Lambeth district in the December quarter 1905. She was aged 96. Her will was proved 7 December 1905 at London. She was of Ashurst Lodge, Tulse Hill, spinster. She died 11 November 1905 and left £219,575. 0s. 8d.
(d) Edward Gunter Howis (1810 – 1844), born 1 September 1810 and baptised 22 September 1810 at St James Westminster.
He bought the Black Mill at Crowborough from Richard Pratt and his partner in January 1843.
He died in Belgium in 1844. His will was proved at the PCC 28 August 1844 and he was of Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope. The will is largely illegible.
(e) Ellen Gunter Howis (1812 – 1831), born 19 March 1812 and baptised 1 September 1813 at St James Westminster. She died 27 August 1831 and was buried at St Mary Lewisham, aged 19.
(f) Caroline Howis (1814 – 1846), born 11 February 1814 and baptised 23 March 1814 at St James Westminster. In 1841 (Index) she was aged 20 and living in St James, Westminster. She made an indenture with others dated 12 July 1844 but had died by 26 September 1855. A possible death registration is in the Kensington district in the March quarter 1846.
(g) Emma Frisby Howis (1817 – 1883), born 18 March 1817 and baptised 15 April 1817 at St James Westminster. In 1841 (Index) she was aged 20 and living in St James Westminster. In 1881 Emma F. Howis was living at Ashurst House, Trinity Road Lambeth (with her sister Annie), single and aged 64 and living on ‘house and funded property’ and born in Piccadilly. Her death was registered in the Lambeth district in the December quarter 1883. She was aged 66. Her will was proved 29 March 1884 by Anne Frances Howis. Emma died 10 December 1883 at Ashurst Lodge and left personal estate valued at £48,436 6s. 9d.
iii) Eleanor Howis (1776 – 1840), born 10 November 1776 and baptised 5 December 1776 at St James Westminster.
She was mentioned in the will of Robert Frisby of 1782.
She was mentioned in the 1800 will of her great aunt Eleanor Frisby formerly Howis.
She married John Williams,
11 January 1806 at St Mary Lewisham.
He was a surveyor and had died by 1818 (see below).
She was mentioned, as the
wife of John William, in her father, Edward’s will of 1807.
She was mentioned (wife of
(blank) Williams) in the 1809 will of William Lambert her uncle, her
mother’s brother in law as well as her father’s cousin.
John Peverly, aged 19, a son of Mrs Williams’s cook, was indicted for stealing on 26 August 1818 and was found guilty and imprisoned for six months. He took the following items from the house of Eleanor Williams, widow, of Jermyn Street: three cases of drawing instruments, value 20s.; one compass, value 10s.; one pair of pantaloons, value 10s.; one pair of breeches, value 7s.; one waistcoat, value 2s.; one pair of stockings, value 1s.; one pair of drawers. value 3s.; two decanter stands, value 15s.; two knee-buckles, value 3s., and one book, value 5s., the property of Eleanor Williams widow, two pair of pistols and one prayer-book, value 15s., the property of Edward Frisby Howis. She was away from her house 23 July – 26 August and missed the items on her return.
She died 1 April 1840 at Forest
Hill aged 63 years and was buried at St Mary Lewisham. Her will was proved at the PCC in London
16 April 1840. She was a widow of
Lewisham.
Posted February 2014