Howlett Wexford to Newfoundland

[lhow2000]

Looking for any information on any Howletts immigrating from Wexford to Newfoundland during 1700’s. Found this headstone in old RC cemetery in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland. They are my GGGG Grandparents and he apparently came to Newfoundland in 1764. Thank you

[Wexflyer]

That gravestone is in remarkably good condition I must say. So little weathering, very unusual.

The dates are somewhat early for baptismal registers.
Your only hope might be if there if you have some idea of his trade/profession - a background.

Any obituaries in local papers, or references while alive?

[lhow2000]

Thanks for the reply Wexflyer. Yes that stone is not very old by the looks of it. He was definitely a fisherman as that was pretty well the only reason young men were bought to Newfoundland for and there weren’t many other things to work at in Petty Harbour at the time and really now as well. Have been looking for obits and other info through local newspapers and such that are posted online but no luck yet. Cheers, Leonard

[oldohiohome]

Find the person who paid for the headstone and find out what (s)he knows

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"James was born about 1745. He passed away in 1815. He came to Newfoundland in. 1764 and settled at Petty Harbour. Because it was illegal to be Catholic in Newfoundland in 1779 he was married at the Anglican Cathedral in St. John’s. When the census was taken in 1794 James was living at Petty Harbour and stated that he had been living in Newfoundland for 30 years. The family was Catholic and James was engaged in the fishery. "

found at: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Howlett-826

No source given, but if they are right, then you at least know his religion.
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No specific help in any of the rest of this, but interesting background if you are just getting started:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/where-s-that-1.1103887

Howlett Quite numerous: South East, Limerick etc. Ir. Húiléid. Anglo-Normans who settled in Leinster, now mainly Wexford. A double diminutive of Hugh. SI.

https://www.johngrenham.com/findasurname.php?surname=Howlett

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percentages might favor SW Wexford
http://nlirishconnections.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/TRACING-THE-IRISH.pdf

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more background
"n fact, according to Mannion, over ninety per cent of Newfoundland's Irish came from an area within forty miles of Waterford City (1971:6) It is interesting to note that Virginia Dillon arrived independently at similar findings in her research on the "Southern Shore" of the Avalon Peninsula. After: surveying some of the existing graveyards along "the Shore," she concluded that "all these Irish origins are on the rivers served by New Ross in County Wexford and Waterford" (1968:54) "

found at: http://sites.rootsweb.com/~cannf/links_irish.htm

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You might have all that, but I'll post it just in case. And I learned something   .

[lhow2000]

Thanks oldohiohome I have most of that. From what I have been told the guy who put the stone there died few years back.

[oldohiohome]

In today's news. Does this help? It starts a year later than your family left, but you never know.

Irish emigration to Newfoundland collection, 1765-1835, now online
Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD was in Cork City Hall today to launch The Mannion Collection project. The project has resulted in a dedicated website – www.mannioncollection.ca – holding the digitised version of extensive records held by Dr John Mannion, retired Galway-born Professor of Geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and his wife and research partner, Maura, reflecting their lifetimes' work on Irish emigration to, and settlement in Newfoundland.

https://www.irishgenealogynews.com/2022/09/irish-emigration-to-newfoundland.html

[Wexflyer]

While we don't know the spatial distribution of Howletts in Wexford in the 1760s, we do in the 1820s/30s and 1840s/50s.
If we assume that the distribution did not change appreciably over over the intervening 60 to 90 years - which is probably a reasonable assumption - then we can say the following:

- The Howletts were very much concentrated in the baronies of Shelburne and Bantry, the baronies containing New Ross itself and to the south thereof (Shelburne), and to the east thereof (Bantry).

So, yes, James was almost certainly from the vicinity or hinterland of New Ross.

[lhow2000]

Thank you guys for all the info, really appreciated. Cheers