John Grubham Howe (1657–1722), commonly known as Jack Howe, was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
politician. Elected on numerous occasions as
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
, he made the transition from the
Whig to 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 ...
faction.
Early life
He was second son of
John Grobham Howe of
Langar Langar may refer to:
Community eating
*Langar (Sikhism)
* Langar (Sufism)
Places
Afghanistan
*Langar, Badakhshan, Afghanistan
* Langar, Bamyan, Afghanistan
* Langar, Faryab, Afghanistan
* Langar, Herat, Afghanistan
* Langar, Wardak, Afghanis ...
,
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The trad ...
, who was member of parliament for Gloucestershire. His mother was Annabella, third and youngest illegitimate daughter and coheiress of
Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland
Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland, 11th Baron Scrope of Bolton (1 August 1584 – 30 May 1630) was an English nobleman. He was Lord President of the King's Council in the North.
Family
He was the only child of Thomas Scrope, 10th Baron Scr ...
.
Early in life he figured as a young and amorous courtier. In 1679 he brought an accusation against
Frances Stewart, Duchess of Richmond
Frances Teresa Stewart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox (8 July 1647Encyclopædia Britannica – 15 October 1702) was a prominent member of the Court of the Restoration and famous for refusing to become a mistress of Charles II of England. For her ...
, which on investigation proved to be false, and he was forbidden to attend the court. At this period he wrote verses.
Member of Parliament
Following the
Glorious Revolution he sat for
Cirencester
Cirencester (, ; see below for more variations) is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, west of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. It is the home of ...
in the Convention parliament, January 1689 to February 1690, and in its two successors 1690–1695 and 1695–1698. The
county of Gloucester
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Glouce ...
returned him in 1698, and again in January 1701. At the subsequent election (December 1701) the Whigs concentrated efforts against him and ejected him from the seat. In
Queen Anne's first parliament (1702) Howe was returned for four constituencies (
Bodmin,
Gloucester city, Gloucester county, and
Newton in Lancashire); and chose his old seat for Gloucestershire. A petition by Sir John Guise, his opponent for the county, against his return was defeated by 219 votes to 98. After 1705 he ceased to sit in parliament.
At the beginning of
William III's reign Howe had urged severe measures against such politicians as
Carmarthen
Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...
and
Halifax, identified with the measures of
James II. He was then a strong Whig, and in 1689 was appointed vice-chamberlain to
Queen Mary. Early in March 1692 the queen dismissed him from that post, and he at the same time lost the minor position of Keeper of the Mall. In the following November he was summoned before the court of verge for wounding a servant of his in
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Sq ...
, and on pleading guilty was pardoned (December 1692). From this time he became a fierce Tory. He took an active part against
Gilbert Burnet for his 'Pastoral Letter,' and spoke vehemently against the prosecution of the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
and on behalf of
Sir John Fenwick. He served among those appointed by the House of Commons to bring in a bill on the forfeited estates in Ireland (December 1699), and thundered in parliament over the grants to King William's Dutch friends of some of the property. Howe's attack on the partition treaty, which he denounced by the title of the 'Felonious Treaty,' was so savage that William exclaimed that but for their disparity of station he would have demanded satisfaction. Howe denounced foreign settlers in England and standing armies. When the army was reduced (1699) he succeeded in obtaining half-pay for the disbanded officers.
With Queen Anne's accession Howe was once more a courtier, and in 1702 moved that a provision of £100,000 a year should be secured to her consort,
Prince George of Denmark. He was created a privy councillor on 21 April 1702, and
Vice-Admiral of Gloucestershire on 7 June. On the retirement of
Richard Jones, 1st Earl of Ranelagh
Richard Jones, 1st Earl of Ranelagh (8 February 1641 – 5 January 1712), known as The Viscount Ranelagh between 1669 and 1677, was an Irish peer, politician both in the Parliaments of England and Ireland.
Background
He was the eldest son of A ...
, the post of Paymaster-General was divided, and Howe was appointed paymaster of the guards and garrisons at home (4 January 1702 – 1714).
Later life
On 15 May 1708 he became joint clerk to the privy council of Great Britain. After Anne's death his places were taken from him, and his name was left out of the list of privy councillors. He then retired to
Stowell Park
Stowell Park Estate is a historic agricultural and sporting estate in the Cotswolds, Cotswold Hills, Gloucestershire, England. The estate includes the village of Yanworth. The main house is a Grade II* listed building and surrounded by e ...
in Gloucestershire, an estate which he had purchased, and died there in June 1722, being buried in the chancel of the church on 14 June.
Works, reputation and legacy
There are verses by him in the ''Collection of Poetry'' of
John Nichols and he is said to have written a ''Panegyric on King William''. An anecdote by
Sir Thomas Lyttelton in illustration of his speaking talents is in the ''
Gentleman's Magazine
''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term '' magazine'' (from the French ''magazine' ...
'',
[xix. 364-5.] and he is introduced into
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dubl ...
's ballad ''On the Game of Traffic''. A satirical speech of Monsieur Jaccou (i.e. Jack How), purporting to be 'made at the general quarter sessions for the county of G—r,' and ridiculing his vanity and French leanings, was printed.
Thomas Babington Macaulay
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, (; 25 October 1800 – 28 December 1859) was a British historian and Whig politician, who served as the Secretary at War between 1839 and 1841, and as the Paymaster-General between 1846 and 1 ...
speaks of him as tall, thin, and haggard in look.
Family
His wife was Mary, daughter and coheiress of Humphry Baskerville of
Poentryllos in
Herefordshire
Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthsh ...
, and widow of Sir Edward Morgan of
Llanternam,
Monmouthshire. His son and heir
John Howe was the first
Baron Chedworth.
References
*
Notes
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howe, John Grubham
1657 births
1722 deaths
Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Gloucester
Tory MPs (pre-1834)
English MPs 1689–1690
English MPs 1690–1695
English MPs 1695–1698
English MPs 1698–1700
English MPs 1701
English MPs 1702–1705