Van Straubenzie (Ben) Howard

1891 Census of Canada about Van Strawbengie Howard
Name: Van Strawbengie Howard
Gender: Male, Marital Status: Single, Age: 4, Birth Year: abt 1887
Birthplace: United States
Relation to Head of House: Son
French Canadian: No, Father's Birth Place: US, Mother's Birth Place:US
Province: Quebec, District Number: 136, DISTRICT: Argenteuil,Subdistrict:Chatham

1901 living in Ottawa, Canada according to A.L. Howard's will. 1901Canada census, he was living with his brother George Howard in Chathamas a 14 year old the year his father died (they misspelled his name asVanStaulanger), born USA, English, Anglican, student.

The firm’s listing in the 1908 Motor Encyclopedia follows:
“Moore & Munger Co.-602 W. 52d St., New York City. Mfrs. wood andmetallic bodies, dashes and fenders, hoods.”

In 1908 the Moores were listed as directors of the recently organizedWalter Christie Automobile Company of New York City. Formed tomanufacture motors, engines, automobiles, carriages and trucks ofChristie’s design it was capitalized at $400,000. The incorporatorswere Van S. Howard, 308 West Fifty-eighth Street; C. Colgate Moore andF.W. Moore, 602 West Fifty-second Street; Morris Gest, 207 WestForty-second Street; Lewis P. Strang, 1942 Broadway; Samuel Bogart, 44Barclay St; and J.B. Lozier, all of New York. Christie proposed tomake a front-wheel-drive taxicab, but after four prototypes wereproduced, production was shifted to the manufacture of heavy-dutytwo-wheel tractors that were used to convert horse-drawn fireequipment into front-wheel drive fire apparatus. In 1911 Christieestablished the Front Drive Motor Co. in Hoboken, New Jersey toconcentrate on the manufacture of his popular two-wheel power plants.

Arrived aboard the La Provence on June 5, 1909
Batch Number: P00161-3, Page Ref. Number: 195, Page Line Number:0004
Last Name: Van S. Howard
Age at Arrival: 28y, Gender Code: M, Marital Status: S
Place of Residence: Paris, France
Standardized Place of Residence:
Ship Name: La Provence
Standardized Ship Name: La Provence
Ship Arrival Date: 5 Jun 1909
Ship Arrival Port: New York
Departure Port: Havre
Standardized Departure Port: Le Havre, Seine-Inferior, France
ID Number: 101613070274

1910 United States Federal Census about Van S Howard
Name: Van S Howard
Age in 1910: 24, Estimated Birth Year: 1886, Birthplace: Connecticut
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Connecticut, Mother's Birth Place: Connecticut
Home in 1910: West 25th St., Manhattan Ward 12, New York, New York
Marital Status: Single, Race: White, Gender: Male
Occupation: tester at automobile company

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 about Van S Howard
Name: Van S Howard, Arrival Date: 14 Aug 1912
Birth Year: July 4, 1884- Birth Location: Connecticut, New Haven
Age: 28, Gender: Male, residence 236 W. 70th St., NY, NY
Port of Departure: Hamburg-Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Cincinnati

1917 WWI US Draft Registration 29-2-31-A
Van Straubenzee Howard
Age 30, Address Plainfield, NJ, Date of birth July 4, 1886 New Haven,CT, natural born US citizen, race caucasian
Occupation: Automobie mechanic, American Motors in Plainfield, NJ
1 daughter 3 years old dependent on me, married, no militaryexperience
Tall, slender, light blue eyes, light brown hair, slightly bald

1917 WWI Candadian Expeditionary Force Registration
Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918 about VanStraubonsie Howard
Name: Van Straubonsie Howard
Residence: Plainfield, New Jersey, Nova Scotia
Birth Date: 4 Jul 1886
Birth Location: New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
Relative: George M Howard
Relationship: Brother
Regiment Number: 2265697

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 about Van S Howard
Name: Van S Howard
Arrival Date: 28 Sep 1929
Birth Year: abt 1886, Birth Location: United States of America
Birth Location Other: New Haven
Age: 43, Gender: Male, white, English
Port of Departure: Boulogne Sur Mer, France-Port of Arrival: New York,New York
Ship Name: Nieuw Amsterdam

1930 ship manifest SS Pennland from Southampton England to Halifax, NS
1886-1907 lived in Montreal, Canada, born CT, visiting brother GeorgeHoward on 99 Oakland Road, Halifax, NS, occupation tourist agent,address given Banker's Trust Co., Vendome Place, Paris, France,passport #887, Nice France March 2, 1930, in possession of $1000,admitted non-immigrant

England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005 about Van S Howard
Name: Van S Howard
Spouse Surname: Jeane H. Hergotte
Date of Registration: Sep 1935
Registration district: Croydon
Inferred County: Surrey
Volume Number: 2a
Page Number: 1916

England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005 about Van S Howard
Name: Van S Howard
Birth Date: abt 1887
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1949
Age at Death: 62
Registration district: Honiton, County Devon
Volume: 7a, Page: 454

The reason he was named Van Straubenzie:
THE SASKATCHEWAN REBELLION, 1885 273
...the rebels were under cover; and the latter were unquestionably thebetter marksmen. As to the commanders, it would perhaps be invidiousto compare a half-savage leader with a distinguished British general.Nevertheless, at Fish Creek, and later at Batoche, Dumont showed bothskill and daring in the disposition and hand-ling of his men. Severaldays were spent at Fish Creek, resting the men, sending the woundedback to Saskatoon for treatment, and making a reconnaissance towardBatoche. During the interval the steamer Northcote came up the river,with two companies of the Midland Battalion, under Lieut.-Col.Williams, and a Gatling gun under charge of Captain Howard, late U.S.Army. Lieut.-Col. Van Straubenzie also arrived by the same boat, andwas appointed brigadier of the infantry. On May 7th the columnstarted for Batoche. The Northcote had been made bullet proof as faras possible, and was to ascend the river and co-operate with thetroops in the attack on Batoche. She carried about thirty men of theI.S.C., under Major Smith, but through a series of misadventures theywere unable to take any effective part in the battle. The columnmarched to Gabriel Dumont's Crossing, about six miles from Batoche,and camped there for the night. On the following day the force wasmoved to a more advantageous position on the main trail leadingdirectly from Humboldt to Batoche. At daybreak on the 9th the camp wasastir and at six o'clock the troops were moving towards the rebelhead-quarters. As they approached the village the guns and Howard'sGatling were brought forward, while Boulton's Scouts advanced inskirmishing order, followed by the Grenadiers. They were met by a hotfire from concealed rifle-pits, and it became evident that the enemy'sposition was a very strong one. The rebels had taken full ad-vantageof the bush surrounding the village, and had protected their positionby an ingenious system of rifle-pits and intrenchments.

Canada Homestead:
HOWARD, Van Straubenzie
Section 25 Township 59 Range 11 Meridian 4
Film # 2940 in Accession # 1970.313 at Provincial Archives of Alberta
File # 2151351

Brother Nelson's obituary says "Benjamin Howard living in France" athis death in 1940.