Charles Howard (1746–1815), 11th Duke of Norfolk by James Lonsdale

Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk (15 March 1746 – 16 December 1815), styled Earl of Surrey from 1777 to 1786, was a British nobleman, peer, and politician. He was the son of

Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal (1 December 172031 August 1786), was an English peer and politician. He was the son of Henry Charles Howard (d. 10 June 1720)Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 15 ...

and Catherine Brockholes. Howard was known for actively participating in the

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

party as part of the support for

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great B ...

. He also spent a considerable amount of his money rebuilding and refurbishing

Arundel Castle Arundel Castle is a restored and remodelled medieval castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England. It was established during the reign of Edward the Confessor and completed by Roger de Montgomery. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War a ...

after inheriting his title and lands.

Family

He married, firstly, Marion Coppinger (daughter of John Coppinger), on 1 August 1767, who died a year later giving birth. He married, secondly, Frances Scudamore (1750–1820), the only child of Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore and his wife Frances, formerly Duchess of Beaufort, on 6 April 1771 at London, England. Frances soon became insane after her marriage and was locked away until her death in 1820. Howard then lived with several mistresses. His longtime mistress, Mary Ann Gibbon (a cousin of

Edward Gibbon Edward Gibbon (; 8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English historian, writer, and member of parliament. His most important work, '' The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788, i ...

), was reputed to be his secret third wife and she had five children by him, including two sons who were

officers of arms An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions: * to control and initiate armorial matters; * to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state; * to conserve a ...

, Matthew Howard-Gibbon, and Edward Howard-Gibbon. An older illegitimate son by a previous mistress, Sir William Woods, later became

Garter King of Arms The Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland. ...

Politics and letters

Norfolk renounced his

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

to start his political life, but remained a staunch supporter of

Catholic Emancipation Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and later the combined United Kingdom in the late 18th century and early 19th century, that involved reducing and removing many of the restricti ...

, as well as opposing the war with the American colonies. He sat in Parliament from 1780 to 1784 and became a lord of the treasury in the Portland cabinet in 1783. He succeeded to the title of 11th Duke of Norfolk in 1786 upon the death of his father. Eventually, he was dismissed from the lord lieutenancy of the West Riding in 1798 for toasting “Our sovereign’s health—the majesty of the people” in terms displeasing to George III. He was noted for his convivial habits and his dislike of soap and water. Norfolk wrote ''Historical Anecdotes of some of the Howard Family'' (1769 and 1817). He was a good friend of Sir Bysshe Shelley, allowing him in 1786 to make out the patent for his baronetcy. Shelley was influenced by Norfolk and built the flamboyant Castle Goring, one side of which was a partial copy of Norfolk's residence of Arundel Castle. Norfolk died on 16 December 1815 at age 69, without issue from either of his two legal marriages. Upon his death, his lands and titles passed to his cousin, Bernard. He was noted for his enjoyment of the good things in life, especially food and drink, and for his aversion to washing. It was said that his servants would wait for him to fall asleep and then douse him with water. In his

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater ''Confessions of an English Opium-Eater'' (1821) is an autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey, about his laudanum addiction and its effect on his life. The ''Confessions'' was "the first major work De Quincey published and the one ...

Thomas De Quincey Thomas Penson De Quincey (; 15 August 17858 December 1859) was an English writer, essayist, and literary critic, best known for his '' Confessions of an English Opium-Eater'' (1821). Many scholars suggest that in publishing this work De Quinc ...

refers to him as saying: ‘Next Monday, wind and weather permitting, I purpose to be drunk’.

Family tree

Notes

References

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norfolk, Charles Howard, 11th Duke Of 1746 births 1815 deaths

311 311 may refer to: * 311 (number), a natural number * AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD * 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 311 (band), an American band ** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album ...

*29 306 9th Earl of Norfolk *19 Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk Earls Marshal Lord-Lieutenants of Sussex Lord-Lieutenants of the West Riding of Yorkshire Surrey, Charles Howard, Earl of Surrey, Charles Howard, Earl of Surrey, Charles Howard, Earl of Howard, Charles