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Note: Seneca prepared for college at Cazenorra studied at Wesleyan University and after leaving here traveled in Europe. He joined the N.Y. East Conference and has been stationed at many of the important charges within its jurisdiction such as: Waterbury, Mount Vernon, Merriden, Seymour, Greenwich and New York City. He married Marianne, the daughter of Laban Clark, DD., one of the founders of Wesleyan University with whom he lived for five years until her death. He was married a second time to Julia H., daughter of Hon. ___ Reynolds of Greenwich, Conn. They have three children: 1) Francis A. Howland who has attended school at the Wyoming Seminary and at Cajerovia. Francis is married to Josephine Smith of Islip, Long Island and has two children. He is a merchant. 2) Laban C. Howland is a mechanic in New York City; and, 3) Agnes is at her home. On 11 April, 1882, The Rev. Seneca Howland made headlines in the New York Times under the caption: "A Preacher's Secularity" The New York Eastern Conference Locates Seneca Howland - A Traveling Preacher accused of being too Secular - Smartness that does not become a Christian. The question of secularity of the Rev. Seneca Howland of Greenwich, Conn.has occupied the greater part of of the Conference thus far. Brother Howland has been on the supernumerary list since1871, during which time he has been laboring with more or less regularity as a traveling preacher. For several years tthere have been reports in circulation concerning certain acts of Mr. Howland which, it is alleged, have injured or neutralized his influence as a Christian Minister. he is accused of doing petty thingsin business transactions which, whilethey posses no element of legal criminality, are considered unbecoming of a minister. "Driving sharp bargainsat a trade and selling poor goodsfor good prices may be sharp and profitable, butthe reputation that a traveling preacher derivesfrom such conduct is not advantageous to his Christian calling." said one of the members of the Conference to The Times reporter. In the absence of evidence to establish specific instances of immorality in Mr. Howland's case, the term secularity is used to cover his alleged offenses. In 1879 the accused brother was suspended for a year on account of his secularity and at the last Annual Conference a resolution was passed as him to request a location, or in otherwords to voluntarily retire from the Conference. Brother Howland declined to locate. The laws of the Methodist Episcopal Church provide that whenever a minister is request by the Conference to ask for a location and refuses to do so, the said minister may be located without his concent athe next Conference. The case of Mr. Howlandwas introduced last Thursday by the Rev. Dr. james M. Buckley, of the Christian Advocate,who offered a resolution that Mr. Howland be located on the grounds that he is so secular that as to be no longer useful in the work of a travelling preacher. There was considerable discussion on the subject on thursday and Friday, and it was renewed yesterday morning. The Rev. John A. Roache of Brooklyn opened yesterday's debate. He said that the Conference had proceeded irregularly in Brother Howland's case and he hoped that the accused would be acquitted. The sentiment of frienship, if nothing else, should prompt the members of the Conference to withhold judgement until after Brother Howland had been given a formal trial. The Rev. Mr. Hubbel, or New Haven, Presiding elder of the district in hich Mr. Howland belonged, said that hthere was no judicial trial possible in this case. He was of the opinion that Mr. Howland should have promply asked to be located, and not put the Conference to the trouble to expel him. The Rev. C.S. Williams was shocked at the .... that had been thrown out, which indicated a disposition to influence the Conference by facts not properly brought before it. The Rev. Nathaniel Mead said that the feeling in Mr. Howland's own district was against him. The Rev. J. K. Searles knew Brother Howland to be one of the best hearted men in the world, and pointed by sure friendship he had asked Mr. Howland to request to be located and prevent any unpleasant controversy. Mr. Searles closed by saying that no matter what Brother Howland had been doing, he was entitled to an investigation and a trial. The Rev. J. Henson said that he did not appear as n advocate of Brother Howland, but he was opposed to voting any man out of the Conference on ex parte testimony or on rumor. the Rev. J. S. Dickson of new York, wished that Mr. howland would take himself out of the way. If he would but locate himself somewhere he would relieve the Confeerence from its trouble and embarrassment. The Rev. Mr. Dickinson did not, however, feel free to vote to locate Mr. howland against his concent. As to the secularity of the accused brother, there has not been sufficinet proof presented to satisfy the speaker. He wanted Brother Howland but behind the bulwarks of the law and desired to have a resolution prepared declaring that Seneca howland was so secular that he was inefficient and unacceptable. When the matter was brought before the Conference in such a way intlligent action could be taken. The Rev. Dr. Buckley took the ground that no formal trial of Mr. Howland was necessary under its rules the Conference had ample power to locate a preacher without his concent. Seneca Howland was charged with being so secular that he was not to be a traveling preacher. If that charge was strue then Mr. howland ought not to be a supernumerary, for to put him on the supernumenary list would be to degrade the other supernumeraries who were honed preachers. Dr. Buckley wanted all of the people between new York and Waterbury to understand that shuch secularity as marked Senca Howland was not in indured byby this Conference. Brother Howlands peticular secularity by not include immorality, but it went right up to the line of immorality. About 12 o'clock the Conference took a recess undtil 2 o'clock. when business was resumed the Rev. John Rippere, of Glen Cove, spoke in opposition to the resolution. He said the language of thie resolution did not represent the actual sentiments of the members of the Conference. there was a great many who desired to locate Seneca Howland but they wanted to do it in a manyly way. He hoped that the resolution would b as modified as to expose clearly the real reasons why Brother howland was located. the Rev. Alexander McAluster, of Balwin's Long Island, could not vote for the resolution as Senneca Howland was no worse now than he was 25 to 30 years ago. The speaker did not think Brother Howland could do the church any more injury than he had done. The remark caused considerable merriment. the fonal appeal was made to the Conference not to send the accused brother adrift in his old age. If Mr. Howland was expelled the Conference would have no food for discussion at its next meeting. The Rev. A.V.R. Abbott of Durham, Conn said that Seneca Howland was so secular that he was unacceptable as a preacher in placeds where he was known. the Rev. C. S. Wing was not in favor of lacating Brother Howland without giving him a formal trial. The Rev Ephraim Watt, of Greenwpoint, Long Island, vehemently announced that he should vote for the location of Seneca Howland if it was the last thing he ever did. The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Adams, of Meriden, made a speech in favor of locating Brother Howland. He maintained that the interest of the Conference demanded the withdrawal of the accused. The latter, he said, had been a burden to the Church and to the Conference, and for one he should have been glad if Howland had been "gathered to his fathers" long ago. The Rev. Dr. Buckley moved that the Chair be requested to ask Brother Howland whether he was willing to locate. The motion was carried and the question was put. Mr. Howland replied that he desired a hearing before the Conference. He was at once invited to the rostrum and began his defense by saying that when he was young he had a sincere belief that God called him to the Christian ministry. For the past four years his case had been dragged before this Conference. If the Conference would allow him to make a full statement of his case, he had it in his power to disprove every charge that had been made against him. Bishop Simpson told him that he must confine himself to what had been said at the Conference. Mr. Howland said he was not consious of having been secular in his his heart that he had no undue love of the world. He loved God and that he loved the Church. The only secular work that he had engaged in during the past year was attending to the affairs of a religious newspaper. He had preached on week day, but did not know that that was secular. Mr, Howland said he knew where the dust came from that was being thrown on him and if he was allowed he could give the particulars. The speaker told of the work that he had done in the service of the Methodist Epicopal Church and claims to have personal and particular sacraficed. He loved the work of the Christian ministry and while he did not expect to make a living out of it, he did not feel it to be his duty to withdraw from his chosen calling. The reports that he had been circulated against him were not true and he could not submit to the sinful imputation by withdrawing from the Conference. If he believed that his leaving the Conference would please God, he would withdraw without hesitation. Mr. Howland alluded to various charges that had been made against his integrity while he was acting as agent for different insurance companies some years ago. He had been accused of retaining small amounts of money collected by him as premioums on policies He produced what purported to be copies of letters from parties interested denying that there was any truth in the charges. The yeas and nays were taken on the motion to adopt Dr, Buckley's resolution. Brother Howland was voted in the negative. The result of the vote as 130 yeas and 14 Nays. This was 14 more votes than the two-thirds necessary to adopt the resoultion. The announcement of the results was received by a ripple of satisfaction on the part of the assembage. Mr. Howland heard the result calmly and remained in his seat until the close of the session. Obit of Seneca Howland, from the Greenwich News, Friday, January 19, 1906 Rev. Seneca Howland, a former resident of this place and at two different times pastor of the Methodist Church here, died at Smyrna, NY, Jan. 12th, age 86 years and 23 days. He was stricken with paralysis Oct 3d, while conducting services at that place. The remains were interred in the family plot here on Monday. Mr. Howland leaves three children, Frank A., of Islip, L.I.; Laban C. of New York city; and Agnes, of New Jersey. In 1860, it is noted that Seneca Howland had a particularly large property value. In the 1860 census, it is noted that Mary O'Brian, age 27 was working as a servant on the farm. She was from Ireland. Also there were two farm hands, Jarves J. Hull, age 35 and Haugh Sullivan, age 16.
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