Howell Research Center presents the family bible record of Pleasant Austin Howell of Virginia

The Family Bible Record
of
Pleasant Austin Howell

I am tracing the ancestry of Oliver Howell and Teadye Snow Leftwich. I came across the Bible that belonged to Oliver's grandparents, Pleasant Austin Howell and Selina Updike of Bedford, Virginia. Inside is a full family record which I am sharing here.

Following is the ancestry of Oliver Howell to Pleasant Austin Howell:

	Generation 1:	William Howell and Frankey Wood
	Generation 2:	Pleasant Austin Howell and Selina Updike
	Generation 3:	John West Howell and Emma Wood
	Generation 4:	Oliver (NMN) Howell and Teadye Snow Leftwich

I believe Pleasant Austin is the son of William Howell and Frankey Wood. This is the same William Howell referenced on the picture of the old tree in another area of the Howell Research Center. This line stayed in Bedford, Virginia until Oliver and Teadye moved to South Norfolk (which later became Chesapeake), Virginia in the late 1940s.

One inconsistency I have noted on this record is that the name of their daughter-in-law, Selina, is spelled Selinia. It is spelled Selina everywhere else I have seen it recorded or documented. The date of death listed on this family record does not have a name. Because Selina died prior to Pleasant and the entry date of death matches the penmanship of all other entries, I believe Pleasant Austin Howell penned this document.

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NOTE: Below is a transcription of all three pages of the bible's family record. To the right of each transcription is a thumbnail graphic of the handwritten page reflecting the original writing of the data shown here. If you wish to view the original record, click on the graphic to right of the accompanying transcription. You are advised that the original records, though graphically reduced, are still heavy. Below each graphic you are given the weight of the picture as well as its loadtime at 28.8 kbps.

The top of each page has printed in brown ink "FAMILY RECORD". Beside that is handwritten "Births." The text of the first page reads:

Frances West Howell daughter
of Pleasant & Selinia Howell
was born 6^th June 1843 ---
James Austin Howell Son
of Pleasant & Selinia Howell
was born 11^th July 1845 ---
John West Howell Son of
Pleasant & Selinia Howell
was born 29^th February 1848
William Updike Howell
Son of Pleasant & Selinia Howell
was born 11^th December 1850
Rebecca Mary Howell daughter
Of Pleasant & Selinia Howell
was born 13^th December 1852
Alexander Willoughby Howell
was Born November 30^th, 1854
Milly Anthony Howell
Was Born November 20^th 1856

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On the left-hand side inside the family record, the text reads:

Thomas Anthony Howell
Was Born April 20^th 1859*
Lucy Selicia Howell
was Born January 29^th, 1863

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*It appears that it was 1857 and then a mark makes the 7 into a 9. The year 1859 would have to be correct unless Thomas was only carried for five months. That would have been very unlikely then.

The back of the family record reads:

Pleasant Austin Howell
Was Born September 28^th 1808
Selinia Updike was born*
The 30^th day of August 1819
Pleasant, A. Howell and
Selinia Updike was Married
January 18^th 1842
Died the 27August 1873
P & S Howell

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*Here it looks like the second "i" in Selinia was added in after the name was written.

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Submitted by Glenda Swindle Batte [08Mar02]