Thoughts on the Maiden Name of Elizabeth (abt 1766 – bet 1850-1860),
Wife of John Bubar (abt 1756 – abt 1829)
son of Joseph Bubar and Martha Grover
Compiled by Leslie G. Poole,
4th Great-Granddaughter of
John and Elizabeth Bubar
Revised and Updated 10 September 2017
Too Many Assumptions
Most family researchers say that Elizabeth, wife of John Bubar, is the daughter of Joseph Howland and Elizabeth Mitchell. I believe she is not.
My Thoughts on why Elizabeth, wife of John Bubar, is not the daughter of Joseph Howland and Elizabeth Mitchell
I do not believe John Bubar’s wife, Elizabeth, is a Howland. I believe that Elizabeth has been assumed a Howland, as there are land petitions and grants that state that John Bubar is the brother-in-law to brothers Ichabod and Jeremiah Howland. That is correct; however, John, I believe, is the brother-in-law of Ichabod and Jeremiah Howland because John’s sisters Martha and Mary “Polly” married the Howland brothers, not that John married a Howland.
Relationships
Jeremiah Howland, son of Joseph Howland* and Elizabeth Mitchell** married Mary “Polly” Bubar, sister to John Bubar and daughter to Joseph Bubar and Martha Grover
Ichabod Howland, son of Joseph Howland* and Elizabeth Mitchell** married Martha Bubar, sister to John Bubar and daughter to Joseph Bubar and Martha Grover
Elizabeth (Betty) Howland, (abt 1752 – abt1825), daughter of Joseph Howland* and Elizabeth Mitchell** married Bethuel Wood
John Bubar, brother to Mary and Martha and son of Joseph Bubar and Martha Grover married an Elizabeth but her maiden name is not known.
*Joseph Howland’s ancestry is well documented on The Mayflower Society website and in Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vols 1 and 2; page 153 takes you to Joseph Howland, son of Isaac Howland and Sarah Thomas. I believe Joseph Howland and Elizabeth Mitchess are the parents of Elizabeth Wood nee Howland.
**Joseph Howland may have had a 2nd wife.
Note: I do not have good sources for these marriages but The New Brunswick Genealogy Society website has a surname listing for Bubar and Howland. They look like they could be interesting and perhaps provide some valuable information but I’m not a member, so can’t access the info – too expensive for me to join at the moment.
Reasons for My Belief
The most compelling reasons that Elizabeth, wife of John Bubar, is not a Howland:
The Mayflower Quarterly, May 1979, pgs 70-80, has a section on the family of Joseph Howland. It notes that Joseph is in Burton Co, NB in 1783 with his son Ichabod and Joseph’s sons-in-law Bethuel Wood, Moses Estey and Elihu Cogswell.
Other Sources:
MCI/Howland, 12 pages; file contains copy of Joseph Howland of North Yarmouth, ME and Burton, NB abt 1717-1796 by Roberta H. Johnson, et al in The Mayflower Quarterly
http://person.ancestry.com/tree/29617937/person/12571631904/gallery for Joseph Howland; once at this site, click on his children Susannah or Ichabod to get to other pages in the Quarterly
Source: ancestryc.om; on Bailey Family Tree (LiChoy)
Note: I think one might be able to purchase the issue from the Mayflower Society but since I can read it on-line and do not believe I have a connection, I have made no attempt to see if a copy is in their bookstore; easier to just go into these above and read the Howland section.
In 1783, John Bubar is in New Town with a ‘woman’ and no children (his 1st was born about the following year). At the same time, Bethuel Wood is in the Township of Burton with a ‘woman’ and 4 children. Since John and Elizabeth’s first known child was born about 1784, it is likely that John and Elizabeth had married around 1782-83, well after Elizabeth Howland and Bethuel Wood started their family (first born about 1778). John Bubar could not have married Betuel Wood’s wife, Elizabeth Howland, due to the dates.
Source: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Canada
Sunbury County Documents, St. Johns River (30 Jun-10 Jul 1783) (Major G. Studholm Report, along with Observations on the Report of the Committee of Enquiry)
Gage Town
14. Benjamin Booby [sic] (Bubar) has a wife and one child, came into Gagetown last fall, built a log house and cleared about 5 acres of land. Has no title but possession and was one that went in arms against Fort Cumberlan
Note: Brother of John Bubar #6 under New Town
Township of Burton
6. Bethuel Wood has a wife and 4 children. Been on about 7 years. Has a good log house and barn and about 20 acres of cleared land. No claim but possession.
6. Bethuel Wood, an active rebel.
7. Moses Esty has a wife and four children, been on about 7 years, has a log house and about 14 acres of cleared land.
7. Moses Esty favors the rebels and has not above half the cleared land reported.
30. Iccabod [sic] Howland has a wife and one child, a house and about six acres of land cleared. Been in possession four years.
33. Joseph Howland has a wife and two children, a house and barn framed with materials for building it and between 20 and 30 acres of land cleared. Settled on the township before it was granted and has been in possession about 20 years. Is a loyal subject and turned out for the defense of the block house on an alarm.
34. Elihu Conwell [sic] (actually Cogswell) has a wife and one child, has a house partly built and about 4 or 5 acres of cleared land. Was a minute man at Cornwallis and has been in a privateer in a cruise against his majesty’s enemies. His character good as a subject.
Township of New Town
5. Jeremiah Howland has a wife and 4 children; been on the river about 16 years, but in the place he now possesses about one year and a half. Has a log house and about 4 acres of cleared land.
6. John Booby [sic] (Bubar) has a wife, log house and about 4 acres of cleared land. Been on the river about 16 years, but on where he now possesses about one year.
6. John Booby [sic], a Rebel.http://archives.gnb.ca/exhibits/forthavoc/html/Sunbury-docs.aspx?culture=en-CA
John had been on the St. John River for 16 years as noted in the 1783 Studholm Report above but had been on his current land for about 1 year and apparently he didn’t appear to have title to it, as the following year on 14 Jul 1784, 13, 750 acres was assigned to disbanded officers and men of the Maryland Loyalists. John had to remove elsewhere.
The following land petitions and grants were found on the NB Provincial Archives website; deeds aren’t on this website but I enter them here for a time-line and continuity:
In 1785, John and his brothers Christopher and William and 3 others petitioned for land under William Buber [sic] on the South Branch of the Oromocto River in Sunbury Cty, NB; petition denied.
In 1790, John and his brother-in-law Ichabod Howland petitioned for land on the same river, when he was ordered off John Henley’s land, which John had improved; denied again.
In the early 1800s, John was up the St. John River in an area to be known later as the Parish of Wicklow in Carleton Cty.
In 1816, John and James Wright petitioned for 200 acres that had been allotted to them in Feb 1807 on the west side of the river in the Parish of Wakefield. They had made many improvements on the lots but had been unable to take over their grants due to required payment of fees; these Lots were likely 3 and 4, about 2 miles below the Beechwood hyrdro-electric generating station.
In 1820, John, Oliver Bradley and 4 others petitioned for Lots 4 and 5 at Chester; Bradley said he had paid John Bube [sic] 40£ for improvements made to the Lots.
In 1825, John Bubar petitioned for 300 acres, Lot A, on which he had resided for 14 years and he had cleared and cultivated 20 acres; this lot being 1 mile above Oliver Bradley’s grant and 3 miles below Lots 3 and 4, land John and James Wright had petitioned for in 1816. John and James did not receive a grant for Lots 3 and 4, but in 1818, Lot 3 was granted to Paul M. Bedell of Woodstock and Lot 4 was granted to Walter D. Bedell of Woodstock.
In 1825, John Bubar bought both Lots, 200 acres each, from the Bedell’s for 75£ each. Note: This was the year of the Great Miramichi Fire.
In 1826, John mortgaged both lots for 60£ to William J. Bedell of Fredericton, agreeing to repay the loan within the year.
On 1 May 1827, a grant was issued to John Bubar for Lot A, 300 acres, in Kent, York Co.
On 20 August 1827, John and wife Elizabeth sold Lot A to Robert Rankin of St. John for 200£ and repaid his 60£ loan to William J. Bedell.
On 4 Mar 1829, John and Elizabeth sold Lots 3 and 4, 200 acres each, to Charles McMullin of the Parish of Wakefield for 150£. Charles might have been a brother of Christianna McMullin who married Stephen Bubar, John’s nephew and large land holder in the area.
N.B. Provincial Records, Registry Office Records, Release of Dower (microfilm F5622, York Cty, NB, Records, Vol 18), pg 129:
18 Sep 1830 shows Elizabeth Bubar, relict of John Bubar, late of Parish of Kent, deceased, sold land on the west side of the St. John River in the Parish of Kent bounded on the south by James Wright and on the north by Alexander McDougal, known as Lot A. This is interesting because John and Elizabeth’s daughter Susannah b 15 Jan 1804 married Alexander McDougal on 20 Mar 1818 when she was 14 years; Alexander was 31 years and they had 16 known children.
Notes, Periphery Information and Little Stories:
Description: Summerfield, NB is located 2.55 km W of Upper Wicklow: Wicklow Parish, Carleton County: PO 1877-1912: In 1866 Summerfield was a farming community with about 25 resident families: In 1898 Summerfield had 1 post office, 1 church and a population of 150: Formerly known as Bubar or Bubar Town as John Bubar settled here in 1807.
Map 81, shows John Bubar had Lot 31 (90A) in Wicklow. His lot is 3 lots down under the ‘O’ in Wicklow and just under the name Summerfield; no date is shown on map. One can zoom in on map to see the names of those owning lots.
Documents: RS108-MaddoxBart-1858-page1/4; RS108 Land Petitions: Original Series: See petition of Bartholomew Maddox, 1858. Bartholomew Maddox and Thomas Green of Bubar Settlement [Summerfield] petitioning to receive a lot of land specifically set aside for the purposes of building a school, which is currently in the possession of an Ebenezer Smith, 1858. Copies of the actual letters are on this site for reading and notes Summerfield was once known as Bubar Settlement after John Bubar.
Source: http://archives.gnb.ca/Exhibits/Communities/Details.aspx?culture=en-CA&community=3932
Elizabeth, ae 84y, wife of John Bubar, is on the 1850 Letter H, Range 2, Aroostook Co, ME Census living with her son Charles, ae 56y, and his family; with them is Elizabeth’s other son, David, ae 62y.
Elizabeth is not with son Charles Bubar in the 1860 Census, nor can she be found, so it is assumed that she died between 1850 and 1860.
Charles Bubar and brother David were big men and they were also early settlers on the Eaton Grant.
Aware that there is a story “The Aroostook Giant” based on John and Elizabeth Bubar’s son David; other stories about David, as well? He and his brother Charles were mail carriers and David was a huge man and quite slow in his thinking. The story is in the Yankee magazine and a copy can be purchased from them. I have the information for ordering and I also wrote a story about David Bubar; I can provide both, if of interest.
The Gleanings notes that Charles Bubar was the first mail carrier from Fort Fairfield to Houlton around 1850 but another source says it was his brother David who carried the first mail. However, both were mail carriers.
“………..But there were others who eschewing labor, wandered around and in some way lived. Of these David and Charles Bubar were the kingfish of the clan.
When the settlers came to make homes in the Northland they were there ahead of them. Probably they had followed the pine timber hewers and stayed on after these were chased across the border in the Aroostook War.
They had a hovel on a flat beside the river and fished and gathered fiddleheads. In the Winter they set snares for rabbits – their enterprise went no further. They were men of immense stature – and mighty appetites. Children of Nature, they knew not the value of money – barter was their medium.
It was said that Dave would chop a dozen trees for a plug of tobacco, or if a mighty spruce stood on the river’s bank he would fall it just to hear the splash. Taking advantage of the hospitality of the pioneers they all but ate new comers out of house and home.
One settler let Dave sleep on the floor before the open fire where a quarter of beef hung from the crane cooking slowly. In the morning David still slept – but the leg of an ox was but a bone. Doubtless the story is exaggerated somewhat. Some thought Dave a fool.
One of the first clergymen in the new country was also a farmer. His knowledge of woodcraft was infantile. One day he was trying to make himself a mallet of a gnarly block of elm. He had cut the wood to length and was trying to bore a hole for the handle. Holding the block between his feet, he turned the wide handled augar. But his knees were in the way.
Dave Bubar came along and stood watching him. “Oh, Mister Good Man! If ye put that in the hog’s trough it’ll lay still!” The Cleric, seeing the sense of the argument, cried, “The Lord be praised! We can learn even from fools!”
“Sartin! Sartin!” responded Dave – “that’s why we go to hear you preach.” Dave’s statement may have been biased, but the Parson’s is as true as Gospel. Source: Portland Sunday Telegram, 4 Jul 1948, Section D, Pg 5, Maine Musings by Milton T. Lufkin, last column.