Joshua Howell (36)

Joshua Howell (7 June 1726–22 May 1797) was a merchant and public official and a member of the Young Junto, elected c. 1758. Born in Chester, Pennsylvania, he parlayed his father’s wealth and connections to build successful business ventures beginning with a dry goods store. Combining his financial success and Quaker sensibilities he chose to serve his community by serving on the Board of Managers of the Pennsylvania Hospital and as treasurer of the Corporation for the Relief and Employment of the Poor. Howell supported the Non-Importation Agreement of 1765, but his resistance to Great Britain never extended any further. Despite the imprisonment and deportation of fellow Friends, he sustained a fraught neutrality during the American Revolution. Eventually, Howell moved his family to an estate outside of Philadelphia. Following the war, he remained active in Quaker affairs but not in politics. His brother-in-law Francis Rawle was also a member of the Young Junto. (PI)