[1] In 1833, he issued the exsiccata Muscologia Nottinghamiensis; or, a collection of mosses found chiefly in the neighbourhood of Nottingham: arranged in fasciculi, with descriptions and occasional remarks with William Valentine as co-editor.

In 1842 Godfrey and his wife lost their youngest son, baby Charles, whose death was recorded in the letter of the eldest child, John Henry to his cousin Alfred, still in England at the time.

Howitt continued to work and by 1845 he had extensive lands which covered a number of streets, a large garden, fields near Yea and a farm in Caulfield.

Alfred became a significant figure in the developing colony through his contributions to literature, administration and exploration, whilst Edward applied himself to landscape design.

[1] In Victoria, Ferdinand von Mueller named the monotypic genus Howittia, an Australian blue-flowered mallow he had found in 1855 after Godfrey, "in acknowledgement of his devotion to botany".