Elizabeth Howard, Countess of Effingham (died 12 October 1791), formerly Elizabeth Beckford, was the wife of Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham, and the mother of both

Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham Lieutenant colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham, Privy Council of Great Britain, PC (13 January 1746 – 19 November 1791), styled Lord Howard until 1763, was a British army officer, courtier and colonial administrato ...

, and Richard Howard, 4th Earl of Effingham. She was the daughter of Peter Beckford, the Speaker of

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

's House of Assembly, and his wife, the former Bathsuba Hering. Her brother was William Beckford, who was Lord Mayor of London on two occasions. She married the Earl on 14 February 1745. In addition to Thomas Howard and Richard Howard, their children included: *Lady Elizabeth Howard (d. 31 Oct 1815), who married Rt. Rev. Henry Reginald Courtenay and had children *Lady Anne Howard (d. 1787), who married Lt Col Christopher Carleton *Lady Maria Howard (1753-1836), who married

Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester (3 September 1724 – 10 November 1808), known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator. He twice served as Governor of the Province of Quebec, from 176 ...

, and had children The Earl died in 1763, and the Countess remarried on 21 May 1771, her second husband being Field Marshal

Sir George Howard Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Sir George Howard Order of the Bath, KB Privy Council of Great Britain, PC (17 June 1718 – 16 July 1796) was a British military officer and politician. After commanding the Buffs (Royal East Ken ...

, a relation of the earl. There were no children from this second marriage. From 1761 until her own death in 1791, she was a

Lady of the Bedchamber Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. A lady of the bedchamber would gi ...

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her ...

, queen of

George III of the United Kingdom George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great ...

. She died at the

Royal Hospital Chelsea The Royal Hospital Chelsea is an Old soldiers' home, Old Soldiers' retirement home and nursing home for some 300 veterans of the British Army. Founded as an almshouse — the ancient sense of the word "hospital" — by King Charles II of Eng ...

, where her second husband was governor. By coincidence, her daughter-in-law Catherine died within a few days of her, while travelling from her home in Jamaica by sea to New York. Elizabeth's elder son, Catherine's husband, who had inherited the earldom, died only a few weeks later.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Effingham, Elizabeth Howard, Countess of 1720s births 1791 deaths British countesses by marriage