Zoeth Howland ZOETH HOWLAND, son of Henry, was born probably in Duxbury about 1636. In the tenth month, 1656, he was married to his wife Abigail, as appears by the Friends' records at Newport, R. I. In 1657 he took the oath of "Fidelitie" at Duxbury, but because of his Quaker proclivities held the clergy of the established church in little esteem. Witness a deposition of one Samuel Hunt about this time: "About a fortnight before the date heerof, being att the house of Zoeth Howland, hee said hee would not goe to meeting to hear lyes, and that the diuill [devil] could teach as good a sermon as the minnisters; and that a 2cond time being att the house of the said Zoeth Howland, and his brother, John Hunt, and Tho Delano being with him, hee questioned with the said Zoeth Howland whether hee would not goe to the meeting, because the minnesters taught lyes, and that the diuill could teach as good a sermon as the minnesters, and hee said hee denied it not. Also, Tho Delano questioned him whether the minnesters taught lyes, and hee said yes, and lett him looke in the Scriptures and hee should find it soe." For this audacious utterance Zoeth was arraigned at the term of Court in March, 1657-58, "for speaking opprobriously of the minnesters of Gods Word," and was sentenced to sit in the stocks. He and his wife were also fined for not attending the ordained meetings. It is therefore not surprising that he departed from Plymouth, and made his home in Dartmouth, on a portion of his father's holdings, where he could breath a freer air. At his death his estate, as reported to the Court at Plymouth June 7, 1677, included a quarter share of land valued at fifteen pounds, a yoke of oxen, three cows, one mare, and miscellaneous farming and household utensils. There is no record of a will. Zoeth Howland was slain by the Indians at Puncatest, in Tiverton, R. I., near the ferry, on March 28, 1676. The ferry was subsequently kept by Zoeth's son Daniel, and known for many years as "Howland's Ferry." It is probable that Zoeth was going to or from the Friends' meeting at Newport when he met death. John Cook of Portsmouth, R. I., at a court-martial held on some Indians at Newport in August, 1676, testified that being at Puncatest in the middle of July he asked several Indians "Who killed Zoeth Howland?" and they said "there were six in the company and that Manasses was the Indian that fetched him out of the water." Zoeth and Abigail Howland had nine children, the births of the first eight being established by the Newport Friends' records. The sons were Nathaniel, Benjamin, Daniel, Henry and Nicholas, and the daughters Lydia, Mary, Sarah and Abigail. The mother applied to the Court for an order in her favor to assist in rearing her large family, and on July 3, 1678, was granted her husband's entire estate, "lands, goods and chattels." On Dec. 2, 1678, she married Richard Kirby, Jr.