Family and Education

bap. 21 Feb. 1651, 3rd but o. surv. s. of Sir Robert Howard by 1st w. m. 31 Aug. 1683 (with £5,500), Lady Diana Newport, da. of Francis Newport, 1st Earl of Bradford, 3s. (2 d.v.p.) 1da. suc. fa. 1698.1

Offices Held

Teller of the Exchequer 1689-d.2

Commr. for assessment, Surr. 1689-90; j.p. Norf. by 1690-d., Surr. by 1701-d.; dep. lt. Norf. and Surr. by 1701-d.

Biography

Howard’s father as auditor of the Exchequer secured for him the reversion of a valuable office in 1674 and a pension of £50 p.a. When Howard married it was agreed that as long as his father remained a widower he and his wife should live with him at Ashtead on an allowance of £500 p.a. He was returned in 1685 for Castle Rising, the borough which his father had represented in the Exclusion Parliaments, on the interest of the 5th Duke of Norfolk, the head of the family. He was not active in James II’s Parliament, in which he was appointed only to the committee on the bill for the relief of insolvent debtors. An opponent of the Court, he acted as teller in favour of hearing the Buckinghamshire election case at the bar of the House. When Sir William Clifton asked if complaints about a standing army included the Beefeaters, retorted that at least they were established by Act of Parliament.3

Howard’s reversion had still not fallen in at the Revolution, but one of the tellers was incapable of office under the Test Act. An order was obtained for the admission of Howard in his place, his sureties including Sir Robert Clayton, who had a controlling interest at Bletchingley. He was elected to the borough for the Convention, in which he probably became a moderately active Member, though there is some possibility of confusion with his cousin, the Hon. Philip Howard. He may have served on 17 committees, including the committee of elections and privileges in the first session, and those to inquire into the authors and advisers of grievances, and the delay in relieving Londonderry. He supported the disabling clause in the bill to restore corporations, and was named to the committee on the bill to discharge the 6th Duke of Norfolk of certain payments as trustee under his father’s will. A court Whig under William III, he died on 4 Apr. 17OI and was buried at Ashtead. His only surviving son died at the age of 14 in the following year.4

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: J. S. Crossette / Paula Watson

Notes

• 1. H. J. Oliver, Sir Robert Howard, 7-8, 250; F. E. Paget, Recs. of Ashtead Estate, 69.
• 2. Cal. Treas. Bks. viii. 2146, 2151.
• 3. Cal. Treas. Bks. iv. 633; Grey, x. 191; HMC Lords, iii. 387; Oliver, 250-1; CJ, ix. 717; Lowther debates, f. 26.
• 4. Cal. Treas. Bks. viii. 2146, 2151; Paget, 69-70.