The 1870 United States Census
This was the first census of the United States that aimed to include the names of everyone living in the country at the time. It did not fully achieve that aim. The census was begun on 1 June 1870 and supposed to include all who were alive at that date. However, five months were allowed to complete the task, so there was plenty of time for mobile individuals to be recorded at two different places or not at all. The disruption caused by the Civil War added to the difficulties in ensuring that everyone was included, particularly in the Southern states. Many of the people to be counted could not read or write, increasing the chances that their names would be spelled in an unusual way, that some household members would not appear and that details such as the correct surname for each individual could be confused.
The lists below aim to include everyone living in the USA in 1870 whose surname was usually spelled "Howcott" or "Howcutt", whether or not they have been found in the index on www.ancestry.com
Howcotts found in the 1870 census index
| Christian name | Full name as recorded in census | Age | Race | Place | County & State | fHouseholder |
| Adeline | Hacket Adaline | 46 | B | Lees Mills | Washington NC | Miles Howcott |
| Aggy | Haket Aggy | 16 | B | Plymouth | Washington NC | Axie Howcott |
| Ann | Hacket | 25 | B | Plymouth | Washington NC | Ann Howcott |
| Axie | Haket Axy | 31 | B | Plymouth | Washington NC | Axie Howcott |
| Herbert | Haket Herbert | 9 | B | Plymouth | Washington NC | Axie Howcott |
| John | Howcutt John | 38 | W | Buffalo 10th ward | Erie NY | John Howcutt |
| John | Howcott John | 26 | W | Canton | Madison MS | Sarah Salmon |
| John | Haket John | 15 | B | Plymouth | Washington NC | Axie Howcott |
| John C | Hacket JC | 19 | B | Lees Mills | Washington NC | Miles Howcott |
| John | Howcutt John | 3 | W | Buffalo 10th ward | Erie NY | John Howcutt |
| Joseph | Howcutt Joseph | 30 | W | Baton Rouge 2nd ward | East Baton Rouge LA | S E Jones |
| Josephine | Howcutt Josephine | 28 | W | Buffalo 10th ward | Erie NY | John Howcutt |
| Josephine | Hacket Josephine | 13 | B | Plymouth | Washington NC | Aron Picot |
| Lydia | Howcott Lyda | 35 | B | Canton | Madison MS | Madison Grigory |
| Maud | Howcutt Maud | 2 m | W | Buffalo 10th ward | Erie NY | John Howcutt |
| May (*) | Hacket May | 50 | B | Plymouth | Washington NC | Aron Picot |
| Miles | Hacket M | 40 | B | Lees Mills | Washington NC | Miles Howcott |
| P [female] | Hacket P | 45 | B | Lees Mills | Washington NC | N Thompson |
| Polly | Haket Polly | 6 | B | Plymouth | Washington NC | Axie Howcott |
| Sarah | Howcott Sarah | 14 | B | Canton | Madison MS | John Hargan |
| W [male] | Haket W | 3 | B | Plymouth | Washington NC | Axie Howcott |
| William Henry | Hacket William | 15 | B | Lees Mills | Washington NC | Miles Howcott |
(*) the 1880 census for Plymouth includes Mary Howcott, aged 49, who as the mother of Josephine aged 20 (wife of James Smith). Therefore, it is possible that "May" was really "Mary".
Abbreviations B = Black W = White LA = Louisiana MS = Mississippi NC = North Carolina NY = New York m = months
Notes on particular households, arranged by householder's name
Axie Howcott was described a "servant of J B Beasley" when she married William, a servant of C Howcott, at Grace church, Plymouth in 1854.
John Howcutt was born in Scotland and moved to America with his parents in 1835. His father, also named John Howcutt, had been born in England and is recorded in the 1871 census of Canada. John and his family was not closely connected with any of the Howcotts in America, if at all.
Miles Howcott appears in a list of slaves held by Charles R Howcott of Chowan county, which was compiled after Charles died in 1845. Miles' marriage to Adeline Walker was registered as a "Freedman's marriage" on 11 August 1866, the couple having cohabited since 1849.
Madison Grigory was a lawyer and Lyda Howcott a domestic servant at his home.
John Hargan was a general retail merchant, whose household included Sarah Howcott as a domestic servant.
Aron Picot was a labourer whose household included May and Josephine "Hacket".
S E Jones was a boarding house keeper. Joseph Howcutt was evidently one of her lodgers. He was described as an agent for a pottery company, born in England. However, no record has been found of the birth of a Joseph Howcutt there around 1840 nor has any other record of this person been located either in England or America, so it is possible that the surname is an incorrect spelling for another name.
Sarah Salmon kept the boarding house where John Howcott was lodging.
N Thompson was a farmer, in whose household "P Hacket" was a domestic servant.
Howcotts who should appear but not found in the 1870 census index
Alice Howcott - aged 20 when she married Thomas Haughton at Plymouth on 27 July 1882
Charles H Howcott (1837-1876) was living at Plymouth in 1860. When he was buried there in 1876, it was from Jamesville, Martin county, NC. His wife Leah was alive in 1870, as were two of their children, Patti L and Percy M, who were living with their mother and recorded as 18 and 11 years old respectively in the 1880 census of Plymouth.
Elizabeth W Howcott (1818-1879) was living at Canton in 1860.
Elizabeth Howcott - aged 25 when she married Edward W Jones at residence of Mary Howcott at Plymouth on 26 May 1881. The marriage licence was granted on the same day and described her as daughter of William Howcott and Elizabeth Howcott (both then deceased, resident of Washington county NC).
Hariet Howcott - aged 27 when she married Benjamin H Lane at Plymouth on 22 July 1885.
Henry Howcott - aged 45 when he married Martha Ann Williams at Plymouth on 26 November 1874.
Henry Houcott - aged 18 in the 1880 census of Hamilton township, Martin county, North Carolina, when he was described as stepson of Jacob Heath (husband of Esther, who was aged 35).
John H Howcott - aged 22 when he married Harriet Spruill at Plymouth on 8 May 1873.
Lizzie Houcott - aged 18 in the 1880 census of Hamilton township, Martin county, North Carolina, when she was described as stepdaughter of Jacob Heath (husband of Esther, who was aged 35).
Sarah Hocutt - appears aged 80 in the 1880 census of Plymouth, when she was described as mother-in-law to Alex Fagan (aged 45), whose wife was Sarah (aged 41).
William Hill Howcott (1847-1927) was probably living at New Orleans in 1870.