Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk
| The Duke of Norfolk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Mordaunt |
| Noble family | House of Howard |
| Father | Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk |
| Mother | Anne Somerset |
| Born | 11 January 1655 |
| Died | 2 April 1701 (aged 46) |
Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk, KG PC Earl Marshal (11 January 1655 – 2 April 1701) was a politician and soldier. He was the son of Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk and Lady Anne Somerset, daughter of Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester and Elizabeth Dormer. He was summoned to the House of Lords in his own right as Baron Mowbray in 1678.
He married Mary Mordaunt, the only daughter and heiress of the 2nd Earl of Peterborough. They divorced in 1700 and he died without children. He was succeeded by his nephew, Thomas Howard, 8th Duke of Norfolk.
He was rarely on good terms with his father, particularly after 1677 when his father married Jane Bickerton, his mistress of many years, causing a violent family quarrel.[1]
Like almost all the Howards he was a devout Roman Catholic; but during the anti-Catholic hysteria engendered by the Popish Plot he publicly conformed to the Church of England.[2] There is little doubt that this was simply a device to save the family estates, which seems to have succeeded; although his father was charged with recusancy in 1680, the charge did not proceed. While the senior Howard line survived unscathed, their cousin William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, was executed for his supposed part in the Plot in December 1680.[3] Henry as Baron Mowbray sat as one of the peers who tried him. It is a sign of his moral courage and independent judgment, given the anti-Catholic feeling in the country, that he voted Not Guilty; this was more notable since according to John Evelyn, of all Stafford's extended family in the House of Lords, (eight of them in all), he was the only one to do so, Stafford being a man "not beloved by his family".[4]
On 20 June 1685, he was appointed Colonel of the Suffolk Regiment, which at the time was called the Duke of Norfolk’s Regiment of Foot. He was created a Knight of the Garter in the same year. As a man "all-powerful in his Dukedom"[5] he used his influence in the 1685 General Election to return members entirely loyal to the Crown. By 1688, however, he was on bad terms with James II, openly disapproving of his aggressive policy of Catholic championship. When asked to question his constituents on whether they favoured repeal of the Test Act, he replied bluntly that he knew that all those in favour of repeal would fit comfortably in one coach.[6] When asked to replace the magistrates in his area with more compliant ones he simply refused and prudently went to France,[7] but returned in time to welcome the Glorious Revolution.
The first HMS Norfolk was named after him.
He served as a Privy Councillor under William III and Mary II in 1689. At first, he refused to take the oath necessary to sit in the House of Lords, since although he had publicly conformed to the Anglican rite, it was no secret that he remained a Roman Catholic at heart; but after a few months he subscribed to the oath.
His private surgeon was Thomas Greenhill.
A written account of the death of the 7th Duke of Norfolk, who died in London on Wednesday (O.S.) the 2d of April 1701 by his secretary Francis Negus.
| “ | Aprill ye 3rd 1701
Sir, My Lord Duke died suddendly yesterday about eleven of the clock. His body was opened this night and all parts well, but destroyed with coagulated blood. Sir, Your afflicted humble servant. ffr. Negus For Mr Edward L'Estrange at Mileham Norfolke |
” | |
| — Norfolk lieutenancy journal, 1676-1701, transcribed and edited by Basil Cozens-Hardy, Norfolk Record Society, 1961. | |||
Ancestry
References
- ↑ Kenyon, J.P. The Popish Plot Phoenix Press Reissue 2000 p. 35
- ↑ Kenyon p.35
- ↑ Kenyon p.232
- ↑ Evelyn Diary 7 December 1680
- ↑ Kenyon, J.P. The Stuart Constitution 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press p.447
- ↑ Kenyon, J.P. Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland 1641-1702 Longman Greens London 1958 p.173
- ↑ Kenyon Stuart Constitution p.464
See also
- Dukes of Norfolk family tree
-
"Howard, Henry (1655-1701)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. - List of deserters from James II to William of Orange
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Duke of Norfolk |
Earl Marshal 1684–1701 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Norfolk |
| Military offices | ||
| New regiment | Colonel of The Duke of Norfolk's Regiment of Foot 1685–1686 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Lichfield |
| New regiment | Colonel of The Duke of Norfolk's Regiment of Foot 1688–1689 |
Succeeded by Sir Henry Bellasis |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Duke of Cumberland |
Lord Lieutenant of Surrey 1682–1701 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Berkeley |
| Constable of Windsor Castle 1682–1701 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Northumberland | |
| Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire 1682–1701 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Abingdon | |
| Preceded by The Earl Craven |
Custos Rotulorum of Berkshire 1689–1701 | |
| Preceded by The Earl of Yarmouth |
Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk 1683–1701 |
Succeeded by The Viscount Townshend |
| Preceded by The Lord Cramond |
Custos Rotulorum of Norfolk 1689–1701 | |
| Preceded by The Earl of Berkeley |
Custos Rotulorum of Surrey 1689 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Berkeley |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by Henry Howard |
Duke of Norfolk 1684–1701 |
Succeeded by Thomas Howard |
| Baron Mowbray (writ of acceleration) 1677–1701 | ||