William Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Escrick (c. 1626–1694) was an English Parliamentarian soldier, nobleman, and plotter.

Life

Howard was the second son of

Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick (died 24 April 1675) was an English nobleman and Parliamentarian. Howard was the youngest son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk. He was knighted KB. In 1624 he was elected Member of Parliament for C ...

and Mary Butler. He matriculated at

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus"), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th century through to the early 19th century ...

, in 1646, and was then admitted to

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

. In 1653 he was a soldier in

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

's life-guards, and a "great preacher" of the anabaptists, but his views were republican, and he took part in the plots of 1655–6. Committed to the Fleet Prison in 1657, he successfully petitioned

Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who was the second and last Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and son of the first Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell. On his father's death ...

for release in 1658. In 1660

Sir Edward Hyde Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (18 February 16099 December 1674), was an English statesman, lawyer, diplomat and historian who served as chief advisor to Charles I of England, Charles I during the First English Civil War, and Lord Chancell ...

found him anxious to serve the king, likely to be useful among the sectaries, and surprisingly well acquainted with recent royalist negotiations. He was elected

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 of ...

for

Winchelsea Winchelsea () is a small town in the non-metropolitan county of East Sussex, within the historic county of Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately south west of Rye and north east of Hastings. Th ...

in the Convention Parliament.History of Parliament Online- Howard, William
/ref> In 1674 he was discovered in secret correspondence with

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

, spent several months in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

and was set free only upon making a full confession. Succeeding his brother

Thomas Howard, 2nd Baron Howard of Escrick Baron Howard of Escrick was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created on 12 April 1628 for Edward Howard. A member of the influential Howard family, he was the youngest son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, the son of Thomas Howa ...

as Lord Howard in 1678, he sat on the lords' committees which credited

Titus Oates Titus Oates (15 September 1649 – 12/13 July 1705) was an English priest who fabricated the " Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II. Early life Titus Oates was born at Oakham in Rutland. His father Samuel (1610� ...

's information, and furthered the trial of his kinsman,

William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, FRS (30 November 1614 – 29 December 1680) was the youngest son of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel, and his wife, the former Alethea Talbot. A Fellow of the Royal Society from 1665, he was a Royalist ...

. In 1681 he was again sent to the Tower on the false charge made by

Edward Fitzharris Edward Fitzharris (1648? – 1681) was an Anglo-Irish conspirator. His prosecution following the waning of public belief in the Popish Plot hoax became a struggle for jurisdiction involving the courts and the two Houses of Parliament. He was e ...

, of writing the ''True Englishman''.

Algernon Sidney Algernon Sidney or Sydney (15 January 1623 – 7 December 1683) was an English politician, republican political theorist and colonel. A member of the middle part of the Long Parliament and commissioner of the trial of King Charles I of England ...

's influence procured his release (February 1682). From then he was part of the "country party" (early Whig) opposition. He was arrested on the first rumours of the

Rye House plot The Rye House Plot of 1683 was a plan to assassinate King Charles II of England and his brother (and heir to the throne) James, Duke of York. The royal party went from Westminster to Newmarket to see horse races and were expected to make the ...

, and turned informer at the trial of

William Russell, Lord Russell William Russell, Lord Russell (29 September 163921 July 1683) was an English politician. He was a leading member of the Country Party, forerunners of the Whigs, who during the reign of King Charles II, laid the groundwork for opposition in t ...

(July 1683). He gave accounts of meetings at

John Hampden John Hampden (24 June 1643) was an English landowner and politician whose opposition to arbitrary taxes imposed by Charles I made him a national figure. An ally of Parliamentarian leader John Pym, and cousin to Oliver Cromwell, he was one of th ...

's and Russell's houses, which mainly led to Russell's conviction. His evidence similarly ruined Sidney, although

Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington (13 January 1652 – 2 January 1694) was a Member of Parliament, Privy Councillor, Protestant protagonist in the Revolution of 1688, Mayor of Chester and author. Life Booth was a son of George Booth, ...

, was fortunate in being tried by his fellow peers, who did not believe Howard's charges against him. He himself was pardoned, and died in obscurity at York in April 1694. By his wife Frances, daughter of Sir James Bridgman, and niece of

Sir Orlando Bridgman Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 1st Baronet, SL (30 January 1606 – 25 June 1674) was an English common law jurist, lawyer, and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1642. He supported the Royalist cause in the Civil War. Li ...

, he had six children, including

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...

, fourth baron, on whose death in 1715 the title became extinct. He was one of the most detested and despised men of his age:

John Evelyn John Evelyn (31 October 162027 February 1706) was an English writer, landowner, gardener, courtier and minor government official, who is now best known as a diarist. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society. John Evelyn's diary, or memo ...

called him "that monster of a man".

Notes

References

* * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, William 1626 births 1694 deaths 3

William Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Escrick William Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Escrick (c. 1626–1694) was an English Parliamentarian soldier, nobleman, and plotter. Life Howard was the second son of Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick and Mary Butler. He matriculated at Corpus ...

Members of the Green Ribbon Club People of the Rye House Plot Roundheads Inmates of Fleet Prison Prisoners in the Tower of London English MPs 1660 English politicians convicted of crimes