Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham, PC (13 January 1746 – 19 November 1791), styled Lord Howard until 1763, was a British nobleman and Army officer, the son of

Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham Lieutenant-General Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham (1714 – 19 November 1763), styled Lord Howard from 1731 to 1743, was a British nobleman and Army officer, the son of Francis Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham. Lord Howard was appointed a dep ...

, and his wife

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

. Lord Howard was commissioned an ensign and lieutenant in the 2nd Regiment of Foot Guards on 20 February 1762. He was promoted to captain in the 5th Regiment of Foot on 13 September 1765. He is best known for resigning his commission in protest against the war against the North American colonies. This widely reported act was commemorated by the North American colonists in the naming of a

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

in 1775, and later the frigate USS ''Effingham'' in 1777, as well as in the naming of

Effingham, New Hampshire Effingham is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 1,691, up from 1,465 at the 2010 census. Effingham includes the villages of Effingham Falls, Effingham (Lord's Hill), Center Effing ...

Effingham County, Georgia Effingham County ( ) is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 52,250. The seat is Springfield. Effingham County is included in the Savannah metropolitan area. In 2 ...

, and

Effingham County, Illinois Effingham County is located in the south central part of the U.S. state Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,668. Its county seat and largest city is Effingham. Some other cities in Effingham County, Illinois include Altam ...

. In 1770 at the age of 24, he fought as a volunteer in the Russian army during the

Russo-Turkish War The Russo-Turkish wars (or Ottoman–Russian wars) were a series of twelve wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. It was one of the longest series of military conflicts in European histo ...

and was present at the destruction of the Turkish fleet at Chesma Bay. In 1775 upon learning that his regiment would be imminently deployed to North America he wrote to the Secretary of State for War Lord Barrington to resign his commission. Giving his reasoning in his letter to Barrington, Howard stated; "As I cannot, without reproach from my conscience, consent to bear arms against my fellow subjects in America in what, to my weak discernment, is not a clear cause." In a speech to the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

explaining his resignation, Howard symbolically drew his officer's sword and threw it onto the floor of the chamber. During the events leading up to the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

, the Earl had taken up a position of neutrality. The Earl disliked both sides: the

British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

for its coercive policies and implementation of taxation, and the colonists for engaging in armed rebellion. Howard however believed that the conflict would have a negative impact on both

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

and

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Despite resigning his commission he professed devotion to the

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and to

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

and

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

, and claimed that he was willing to lose his life while protecting the realm from attack. In spite of his public resignation and denunciation of the government, Howard was permitted to return to the army at the time of the threatened

invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...

and was promoted to

in 1782. In 1785, a London newspaper reported that he was being considered for the role of minister to the United States, to reciprocate John Adams coming to Great Britain to serve as

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

. However, he did not go to America; George Hammond later served as the first envoy to America. He died at the age of 45, while serving as

Governor of Jamaica This is a list of viceroys in Jamaica from its initial occupation by Spain in 1509, to its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. For a list of viceroys after independence, see Governor-General of Jamaica. For context, see History of Jamai ...

, a month and five days after his wife, leaving no heir. His title passed to his brother Richard. File:Arundel Castle - motte and quadrangle, England (18 April 2006).jpg, Arundel Castle, the ancestral seat of the

Howard family The House of Howard is an English noble house founded by John Howard, who was created Duke of Norfolk (third creation) by King Richard III of England in 1483. However, John was also the eldest grandson (although maternal) of the 1st Duke of the ...

. File:A consistent character. (BM J,1.127).jpg, A portrait of Lord Howard in 1782; "A consistent character", the American war is being fought in the distance, the sun rises with the Latin phrase "Pro Patria non sibi", Howard points to the steps inscribed "Sincerity", "Plain-dealing", "Honesty", "Justice", "Country", "Religion", "Liberty".

References

External links

Earl of Effingham
{{DEFAULTSORT:Effingham, Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of 1746 births 1791 deaths 18th-century British Army personnel British expatriates in Jamaica Cheshire Regiment officers Earls in the Peerage of Great Britain

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain Treasurers of the Household Royal Northumberland Fusiliers officers Coldstream Guards officers Earls of Effingham Barons Howard of Effingham