The Islands: Howe Island

Howe Island:
Frontenac County

Not all information on the islands is listed on their main page.
Be sure to check out each islands section on the resource pages
(See sidebar links)

LOCATION

Howe Island is located in Lake Ontario, east of Wolfe Island.
It is south of about midway between Kingston and Gananoque.

"Howe Island (12 sq mi/31 sq km), SE Ont., Canada, one of the Thousand Isls., in the St. Lawrence, near its outlet from L. Ontario, 8 mi/13 km E of Kingston; 8 mi/13 km long, 3 mi/5 km wide. Separated from mainland by narrow Bateau Channel."
From The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. 2000.

EARLY HISTORY

Howe Island was once called Ka-ou-enesegoan along with
Amherst Island by the local Indians. After this, in 1685,
LaSalle gave a deed to Jacques Cauchois. The deed was lost
and a dispute over ownership erupted.

Cauchois daughter, Marie Madeline, inherited the land at
his death. She became the second wife to Martin
Curotte. The land later went to Curotts sons of his
first marriage. In 1753 the Currotte brothers
arrived from France but did not settle the land due to
"marauding Iroqouis". Sir John Johnson made his first
petition for the island in 1791. He claimed that the
Currottes had not fulfilled their obligations etc.
He made a second petition in 1799. However the Currotte
has sold their interests to Grant and Langan.
However eventually the land did fall into the hands of
Johnson. Older residents of the island may remember it
being called St. John's.
In 1828 Grants son and Langans daughters petitions for
the whole island but were denied.
However, in 1833 a warrent was issued passing a grant in their name.
This was also the first year the island was surveyed.

It was in fact in 1792 that Howe Island got is name.
Lieutenant Govenor Simcoe in his proclamtion of July 16
Stated: Grand Island is to be called Wolfe, and the
island known by the name of Isle Cauchois is to be called
Howe Island. Howe Island was supposedly named
after George Augustus, Lord Howe.

In Lovell's Gazetteer of 1871 Howe Island was described as
a post village on the St. Lawrence, with a sulfur
spring that was largely visited by tourists. Also
mentioned was the steam ferry to Kingston 3 times a week
with a fare of 25 cents and the island having a
population of 100.

By 1895 the island also had a church and a store.
The Islands two post offices were called Howe Island Post
Office (near the ferry landing) and D'Arcy Post Office
(South shore).

Info from St. Philomena's Church Centenary booklet and
County of a 1000 Lakes

EARLY SETTLERS

Some of the first settlers on the island were voyageurs
of Lower Canada who would stop on the island to rest.
Many left Montreal and settled with their familes.
They brought to the island the names; BESEAU, CADUE,
LACHANCE, BEAUBIEN, GARRAH, WHITE,
MARSHALL, GOODFRIEND AND GAGNEAU.
It was Joseph Gagneau
who donated the land for the present church.
The church is in fact named after his daughter, Philomen.

It was the 1845 Irish famine that brought shiploads of
settlers to Canada, some of which settled on the island.
The following Howe Island names came from Ireland;
COX, KANE, WELSH, LEAVIS, NORRIS, PRIOR, MELVILLE,
PICKETT, PATTERSON, DRISCOLL, QUINN, MARTIN AND MAHONEY.

It is said that the first settler was William CASEY in
1810. During the war of 1812 he was a guard posted on
the island. He later became the first Reeve when Howe
Island became a seperate township from Pittsburgh in 1871.

The settlers cleared land and built log houses and schools.
Mickey Melville was one of the pioneer school teachers.
Limestone and pine were used to make stone and rail fences
surrounding the farms. Stone was later crushed
for road building. The building of the church
was accomplished by all in donation of material
and labor.

Info from St. Philomena's Church Centenary booklet

NEW! Names from 1860 Howe Island tenants map.

CENSUS-Population

See: Island Censuses

From Stats Canada:
Population 2001: 496
Population 1996: 481
Population 1991: 419

Contact Stats Canada for more information on statistics.

CEMETERIES

St. Philomena's R.C. Cemetery is on Lot 15, Conc South Range
MR 000020 31 C/8 West

SEE: CEMETERY ONLINE

I received this email:"I'd like to add a name for your cemetery surname list. At Christ Church, there is the name Rescorla. My grandfather and cousin. They are under the big evergreen trees out back. My grandmother planted the trees. Hard to find, but there. " Daphne [email protected]

CHURCHES

There is one church still standing on Howe Island;
St. Philomena's.

NEW Churches Main page!!

OLD HOUSES

Howe Island still has some of its older houses,
many of which were built by some of the first
settlers, and others later on.

See the ISLAND PHOTOS Page.

I need help to identify who lived in some of these homes.
Also looking for more pics, especially old ones,
and info on these older houses.

SCHOOLS

Howe Island had 3 main schools, S.S.#1, S.S.#2 and S.S.#3.

New Schools Main page!

VITAL RECORDS

Island Vital Records Index
Has links to all Island vital records on this page and offsite.

NOTE:

When visiting the LDS center the other day,
I came across a film for St. Johns Church
in Gananoque, Leeds Co., Ontario.
When looking through this I found most of
the people were islanders!
So if you're looking for baptism,
confirmation, marriage etc, Check out this film.

LAND RECORDS

Land records for Howe Island are available in the Kathleen Ryan Hall
Archives rooms at Queens University in Kingston.

NEW! Names from 1860 Howe Island tenants map.

HOWE ISLAND PHOTOS

See the ISLAND PHOTOS Page.

See many page of Howe Island people and also on Howe Island life!

ONLINE RESOURCES

Excerpts from Letters written by Ilena Driscoll
These are really fascinating! She was interested in
the Islands past and the letters contain questions and
answers about people and places.

Online Atlas Project
NOTE: You can search for info on your surname
using the search function on the atlas pages.
Or look at the Howe Island map itself.
Note: Howe Island is in Frontenac County
Township of Howe Island
Atlas date is 1878

NEW: Post Office Info
Click on A button at left to see info on Post
masters and their terms in office.

Also see the Island Links Page

RESEARCHERS

Island Researchers

Island Forum

RECOMMENDED READING

-County of a Thousand Lakes: The History of the
County of Frontenac 1673-1973-Chapter 14 The Island
Communtities.
Much on Howe Island.

-Small, Fern & Collins, Ken, St. Philomena's Roman Catholic Cemetery
Sept. 1975, ISBN 1-55034-008-5, Available through KGS

-ST. Philomena's Church, Centenary 1858-1958 booklet.
I think available through Queens Special Collections.

SOME OF THE BOOKS AVAILABLE
AT QUEENS UNIVERSITY!!
Includes books etc for:
Wolfe Island
Howe Island
Garden Island
(I don't have these books, just letting you know they exist!!)

NOTE:Check out these links for resources you can
buy at a good cost...
Kingston Genealogical Society
or the Ontario Genealogical Society
and Russ Wallers Books

Which I highly recommend.
See Russ's new book 19th century Howe Island Families.

The Islands: Howe Island

Howe Island: Frontenac County

Also see the Island Links Page

Howe Island:
Frontenac County