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A Genealogical Account of Howard, Earl of Suffolk.

HE furname of this noble bert lord Rich, had iffue, feven fons

Tmily derives offer the title and four daughters.

of Howard, duke of Norfolk; and the Suffolk family is defcended from Thomas Howard, the fecond duke of Norfolk; who, by marriage to a fecond venter, Margaret, daughter and fole heiress of Thomas, lord Audley of Walden, had iffue, Thomas lord Howard, firft earl of Suffolk, and heir to his mother's great eftate. This Thomas lord Howard, was restored in blood in the 27th of Elizabeth, and in three years after was knighted for his good conduct by Charles Howard, lord high admiral of England, on the memorable engagement of the Spanish Armada: in the thirty-fourth year of Elizabeth, he had the command of a fquadron, and was highly honoured by his royal mistress, for his feveral eminent fervices, who created him first knight of the Garter; and in 1603, being one of thofe nobles who waited on king James the First, was fworn of the privycouncil, and advanced to the dignity of earl of Suffolk.

This Thomas, now earl of Suffolk, was highly inftrumental in detecting the Gunpowder plot, and was feveral times one of the commiffioners for executing the office of earl marshal of England.

The faid Thomas, earl of Suffolk, having married Elizabeth, daughter and co heir to Sir Henry Knevit of Charlton, in the county of Wilts, widow of Richard, eldest son of RoJanuary, 1763.

Theophilus, the eldeft, was, in his father's life-time, fummoned to the Houfe of Peers, in the first year of James I. by the title of lord Howard of Walden, and was made governor of the ifle of Jerfey and CafleCornet, inftalled knight of the Garter, and appointed lord-warden, chancellor, and admiral of the cinqueports, conftable of Dover-castle, captain of the honourable band of Penfioners, and one of the lords of the privy-council. This earl Theophilus married Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of George lord Hume of Berwick, earl of Dunbar, by whom he had four fons. Thomas, brother to the faid earl Theophilus, and fecond fon of Thomas, firft earl of Suffolk, was created earl of Berkfhire; and from this fecond fon Thomas, is defcended the present earl of Suffolk and Berkshire.

Theophilus's eldest fon James, in the year 1625, was made knight of the Bath by king Charles at his coronation, lord-lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, afterwards lord-lieutenant and cuftos rotulorum of the county of Suffolk; and dying without male iffue, was fucceeded by George, his third brother; which George alfo died without iffue-male, andwas fucceeded by Henry,his eldeft brother. This Henry, in king Charles the Second's reign, was commifiary-general of the mufters. By his first wife, Mary Stewart, daughter D

and

and heir of the lord Cafle-Stewart, of the kingdom of Ireland, he had Henry his heir, created in his father's life-time earl of Bindon, and baron of Chesterfield, in the fifth year of queen Anne; which Henry, earl of Suffolk and Bindon, was appointed commiffary-general of the mufters in 1702; and four years afterwards deputy earl marshal of England. This nobleman held a court of chivalry the year enfuing, of which our Gazette gives the following account, viz.

"Westminster, April 26, 1707. "This day the right hon. Henry earl of Bindon, &c. deputy to his Grace Thomas duke of Norfolk, earl marshal, and hereditary marshal of England, &c. held his court of Chivalry in the Painted-chamber, according to the antient customs, and the law of arms, being accompanied by divers noblemen and gentlemen of quality, and attended by feveral doctors of the civil law, the kings and officers of arms, proctors and officers of the court."

The earl was, in the following year, worn of the privy-council, and alfo to king George the Firft, on his acceffion, who conftituted him lordlieutenant and cuftos rotulorum of the county of Effex, and firft commiffioner of trade and plantations. By his firft wife, Penelope, daughter to Henry earl of Thomond, he had four fons, and was fucceeded in title and estate by Charles-William, his eldeft, who was in 1718 conftituted lord-lieutenant and cuftos rotulorum of the county of Effex; and having no iffue, the title devolved to his uncle Edward, f.cond son of Henry, fifth earl of Suffolk, who died unmarried, and left the honour and eftate to his

youngest brother Charles, who was one of the grooms of the Bed-chamber to king George the First. He having no male-iffue furviving, the title and dignity devolved to the right hon. Henry Bowes Howard, defcended in a right line from Thomas, fecond fon of Thomas first earl of Suffolk. This Thomas, inheriting his brother's eftate of Charlton in Wiltshire, and being mafter of the horfe to Charles. prince of Wales, was, in the nineteenth year of James the Firft, 1621, created lord Howard of Charlton, and viscount Andover. He was inftalled knight of the Garter in 1625, and was created earl of Berkshire in the first year of Charles I.

The preamble to his patent fets forth, "That he the faid Thomas, had illuftrated his antient and noble extraction by his innate virtue, the fweetnefs of his difpofition, and the fidelity with which he had ferved both the king and his father from his youth; and, therefore, it feemed equitable to his majefty, fince himfelf was come to the crown, to make fome addition to his honours, whereby pofterity might observe his regard for him, and efteem for his virtues.

In 1640, his lordship was one of the commiffioners who were appointed to treat with the Scots at Rippon, for redrefs of grievances. In two years after, he was one of the lords at York who figned his majefty's declaration, witneffing the king's abhorrence of making war upon his parliament. Soon after the rebellion broke out, this earl of Berkhire was taken prifoner in Oxfordshire, and committed to the Tower, for no other reafon than wishing well to the king, as the

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earl of Clarendon teftifies. On his release from the Tower, where he lay fome time, he waited on his majefty at Oxford, and was foon after made governor to prince Charles, (afterwards king Charles the Second) whom he attended in to the ifles of Jersey and of Scilly; but when the prince determined to go to France, the earl of Berkshire and the council begged his highnefs's pardon, "That they could not farther wait on him, as they conceived their commiffion was ended, and could not be anfwerable for confequences in another kingdom, nor expect any attention to their councils for the future, fince the prefent was rejected."

The earl then took leave of the prince at Jersey, and came to England, where he lived retired till the restoration; having been deprived of being high-steward of the city of Oxford, which was given to Whitlock. On the death of his father, Thomas, first earl of Suffolk, he enjoyed that title with the annexed dignity of Berkshire, and feemed of fuch importance in the learned world, that without any application, the University fet him up competitor for their chancellorship againft the great duke of Buckingham, who, with all his follicitations, carried it only by five votes, 108 voices against 103. Whereupon he returned his compliment of thanks to the University, for their intended favour, affuring them, that as he had imbibed his first learning among them; fo he would live and die the true fervant of the Univerfity. His lordship married Elizabeth, one of the daughters and co-heirs to William earl of Exeter, and by her had iffue nine fons; Sir Charles

Howard, made knight of the Bath at the coronation of king Charles the Firft, and viscount Andover; Thomas, who fucceeded his brother Charles; Henry, who died without iffue; William, ancestor to the prefent earl of Berkshire; Edward, who died without iffue; Sir Robert Howard, knight of the Bath, auditor of the Exchequer, who dying without iffue-male furviving, the eftates both in Norfolk and Surrey defcended to the prefent earl of Suffolk and Berkshire; Philip, who married Mary, daughter to Jennings, Efq; and had iffue; James, and Algernon he had four daughters, Elizabeth, married to the celebrated John Dryden, Esq; poet laureat; Diana, who died unmarried; Frances, married to Conyers Darcy, fon and heir to Conyers, lord Darcy of Hornby caftle, anceftor to the prefent earl of Holdernefe; Mary, who died unmarried. Thomas, fecond fon of Thomas, first earl of Berkshire, in confideration of his loyalty to king Charles the Firft and Second, was granted the farm of the revenue of portfines, for forty-eight years, at the yearly referved rent of 22761. He lived to the advanced age of ninety, and was fucceeded by his eldest fon Charles, who was fummoned to parliament in the reign of Charles I. and II. by the title of lord Howard of Charlton, in his father's life-time; but dying without iflue-male furviving, the eftates and title devolved to Thomas Howard, his next brother.

This Thomas, earl of Berkshire, was introduced into the Houfe of Peers in 1679; but his lordship dying alfo without ifiue in 1706, the eftates and title defcended to D 2 Henry,

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