Hosea Howard was born October 30, 1799, in West Springfield, Massachusetts. He was appointed missionary to Burma in 1832, and sailed with his wife Theresa Patten Howard 1834 to Rangoon, Burma.

For three years they served at the mission station in Rangoon working with the Karens. Here Mrs. Howard soon started a school comprising twelve children. Rev. Howard was engaged in evangelistic work. Seven children were born to the Howards. The first Hosea died November 1848 and was buried at Moulmain.

They left for Moulmain in 1837, remaining there for thirteen years. Rev. Howard was a preacher and teacher at the Moulmain High School. The Howards left Burma for the United States in 1850, principally for health reasons. They arrived in New York on the 7th August 1850, after a perilous passage, the ship in which they first set sail having been wrecked and the passengers rescued with great difficulty. The passengers were taken to the island of Mauritius, where people around gave Mr. Howard and family a sum of money to help compensate for the loss of all of their personal effects.

In 1856, Rev. Howard published a pamphlet titled, "An Account of the Shipwreck of Hosea Howard and Family", detailing the trip from Burma and subsequent demise at sea.

The Howards retired from the Mission Society in 1856 and Rev. Howard died in 1868.