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of the fourth session of the twelfth parliament of Great Britain, took the oaths and his seat in the House of Peers.

His Royal Highness, on June 28th, 1766, was appointed colonel of the 13th regiment of foot; and on the decease of his royal brother, Edward, Duke of York, had a grant from his Majesty of the custody of the lodge and walks in Cranburne-chase, in the forest of Windsor, &c. &c. On January 6th, 1768, he was constituted a major-general of his Majesty's forces, and colonel of the third regiment of foot guards. On March 30th, 1770, he was promoted to the rank of major-general, likewise to the command of the first regiment of foot guards; and in January, 1771, was appointed warden and keeper of the New Forest, &c. in the county of Southampton. Also, on May 25th, 1772, was advanced to the rank of general of his Majesty's forces; and afterwards to. the rank of senior field-marshal.

His Royal Highness was likewise ranger and keeper of Windsor Forest, ranger of Hampton-court Park, chancellor of the University of Dublin, and president of the London Infirmary.

His Royal Highness was married on September 6th, 1766, to Maria, daughter of Sir Edward Walpole, Knight of the Bath, and widow of James, Earl of Waldegrave. Their issue were,

First, Princess Sophia Matilda, born at Gloucester-house, May 29th, and baptised there, June 26th, 1773.

Second, Princess Carolina Augusta Maria, born at Gloucesterhouse, June 24th, 1774, died there, March 14th, 1775, and was buried in St. George's chapel, Windsor.

Third, Prince William Frederic, born at the Theodole-palace, in the city of Rome, January 15th, and baptised there, February 12th, 1776.

His Royal Highness died August 25th, 1805, and was succeeded by his only son, William Frederic, Duke of Gloucester.

His Royal Highness is a lieutenant-general in the army, and colonel of the third regiment of foot guards.

Arms, Crest, and Supporters. The same as the last, with the labels differenced.

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THE family of Howard, though it must yield to several others, in point of authentic proof of antiquity, yet considering that it arrived at the rank of an English Dukedom nearly three hundred and thirty years ago, and considering the number of its branches, which have enjoyed the peerage, and the many eminent men it has produced, especially in former days, is justly entitled to the epithet of ILLUSTRIOUS; and to that sort of distinction, which requires no aid from the colours of eloquence, or the arts of the genealogist. We look back on that enlightened genius, the Earl of Surry, and his ancestors, with veneration; we trace with historical interest the heroism and the feudal splendour of the Dukes of Norfolk, under the Tudors, and Plantagenets; and we learn a lesson of content for more humble stations in the remark, obtruded on us, that the most conspicuous for power and abilities, have been most unfortunate in their exit; and have paid the forfeit of imprisonment, proscription, or violent death for the elevation they attained, and the conspicuous actions, in which they were engaged. The lapse of ages, which has been attended by less exertion of body and mind, has brought with it less exposure either of the person or the fortune, if not more tranquillity of the bosom; and though to ardent spirits the less brilliant qualities of the later possessors of the titles of Norfolk, may not appear equally enviable, there are those, to whom their security, their luxuries, and their private gratifications, may seem not less worthy of possession. It can scarcely be expected that a race of heroes, or of poets, should continue unexhausted for centuries: nor can it be hoped that the enlightened refinement of manners, which could at once dissipate all the coarseness of an age of barbarism, should

continue to devolve its steady light through a series of generations, and shine with as decided a superiority in the court of George the Third, as in that of Henry the Eighth. There is indeed a time for all things; and perhaps there are many to whose candour the plain simplicity of one period, will appear as commendable and attractive as the illumined accomplishments of another. The contrast is hardly less striking; and some may argue, equally praise-worthy.

The origin of the family of Howard has been a matter of great dispute with genealogists. The readers of this Peerage may rest assured, that the present Editor will never yield to the artifices and fabulous assertions of those whose object it has been, either in the descent of this or any other family, to flatter individual vanity. He will state nothing which he does not believe to rest on good authority. He may be sometimes deceived; but he trusts that long and deep researches on such subjects, will enable him in general to detect errors. slight presumptions, and wilful deceptions. The descents contained in these Volumes therefore, may be perused with as much confidence as is in general due to historic evidence; and not with the suspicions justly attached to the generality of works bearing similar titles.

"There are those perhaps," says Dugdale, " who will expect that I should ascend much higher in manifesting the greatness of this honourable and large-spreading family of HOWARD, in regard I do not make any mention thereof above the time of King Edward I. some supposing, that their common ancestor in the Saxon time, took his original appellation from an eminent office, or command; others, afterwards, from the name of a place. And some have not stuck to derive him from the famous Hereward, the chief conductor of those forces, which so stoutly defended the Isle of Ely, for a time, against King William the Conqueror and his army. But to this last I cannot well assent, by reason that Ingulph, then Abbot of Crouland, who was his cotemporary, affirms, that Hereward left no other issue than an heir female, named Turfrida, wife to Hugh de Evermue, Lord of Deping, in the county of Lincoln.

a a

"I shall therefore, after much fruitless search to satisfy my.

F. 511. b. n 10.

Collins, on the idle authority of Harvey, Clarencieaux king of arms,

C

self, as well as others, on this point, begin with William Howard, a learned and reverend judge of the court of Common Pleas, for a great part of King Edward the First's, and beginning of King Edward the Second's reign; before whom there are memorials of fines, from XV. Joh. Bapt. 26 Edward I. until Crastin, S. Joh. Bapt. 2 Edward II." e

In

This WILLIAM HOWARD, who was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, from 1297 to 1308, had large possessions in Wigenhale, in the north-west parts of Norfolk; and in many other places of that neighbourhood; being one of the commissioners of sewers for the repairs of the banks and drains, in Middelton, Rungeton and Sechithe, in that part of Norfolk, in 22 Edward I. and having the year before been appointed one of the judges, with John de Butford, to go the northern circuit. 23 Edward I. he had summons" to attend with the rest of the judges of the courts of Westminster, and the King's learned council, to the parliament then held there; as also to those parliaments of 25, 28, and 32 Edward I. and 1 Edward II. On April 6th, 1305, he was appointed k to go the circuit in the counties of Gloucester, Northampton, Oxford, Berks, Bedford, Bucks, Essex, Hertford, Rutland, Cambridge, and Huntingdon. He is portrayed in glass in a judge's robes, in a window of the church of LongMelford, in Suffolk, with two other judges; and under them this inscription:

Pray for the good state of William Haward, Chef Justis of England, and for Richard Pycot, and John Haugh, Justis of the Law.'

Sir William married two wives, first, Alice, daughter of Sir Edward Fitton, Knight, and at length his heir, by whom he had issue two sons, m Sir John Howard of Wiggenhall, and William ;

temp 2 Elizabeth, supported as it seems by Glover and Philipot, has ridiculously deduced this family from Aubur, Earl of Passy, in Normandy, whose grandson, Roger Fitz Walerane, according to him, won the castle of Hawarden, in Flintshire, whence his son William, born in that 'castle, took the name of Howard, whose great great grandson, through a succession of knights, was, as they pretend, Sir Henry, father of the judge. A set of people, of whose existence there seems to be no other proof, than the unsupported dicta of these flattering heralds !

c Rec de T Mich 25 Ed I.

e

Dug Bar. v ii p 265.

Dugd Chron Series p 31.
i Claus de iisd ann in dorso.
Dug Orig Jurid p. 100
Baronage, MS No 20 in Offic Armor.

d In Scacc penes Thes. et Camerar. f Pat. 22 Ed. I. m. 24 in dorso.

Claus 23 Ed. I. in dorso m: 9. k Rymer's Fœdera, v. ii. p. 959.

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and, second, Alice, daughter of Sir Robert Ufford, Knight, but by her had no issue.

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Sir JOHN HOWAKD, his eldest son and heir, in 34 Edward I. being one of the gentlemen of the King's bedchamber," obtained the wardship of the lands and heir of John de Crokedale, a person of note in Norfolk: and, on the accession of King Edward II. to the crown, July 7th, 1307, had orders to attend his coronation at Westminster, the Sunday next after the feast of St. Valentine. In 4 Edward II. he was in the wars against the Scots; and in 11 Edward II. was governor of the castle of Norwich; also sheriff of the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, from the third to the sixteenth year of that King's reign, inclusive, which was then an office of great power and trust. In 15 Edward II. he was joined in commission with John de Vaus, to raise 2,000 foot soldiers in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, and to conduct them to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, thence to march against the Scots. Also on November 30th, the same year, was further commissioned, with Thomas Bardolf and John de Thorp, to raise forces, both horse and foot, in the said counties, and to march with them against the Scots.

S

In 17 Edward II. het was in that expedition into Gascoign; and in 19 Edward II. one of the commissioners for arraying men in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, pursuant to the statute of Winchester. Also, in 20 Edward II. one of the commissioners of array in the county of Norfolk, and had command to arm 500 men (foot soldiers and archers) with hactoons, bacinets, and gauntlets of iron, and to conduct them to the port of Orwell in Suffolk, thence to go over seas against the French.

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In 1328, he was commissioned, with Thomas Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, and others, y to punish certain riots in Norfolk and Suffolk; and died in 1331," possessed of the manors of East Winch, East Walton, Walton juxta Kirbroke, Wiggenhale, Wirmegey, Tyrinton, West Walcot, South Wotton, North Wotton, Great Walsingham, and the Honour of Clare. He had to wife Joan, sister of Richard de Cornwall, who, by fine in 2 Ed

Pat 34 Ed. I. m. 31.
Rot Scot. 4 Ed. II. m. 13.
Pat. 15 Ed II p.2. m 20.

Pat. 17 Ed. II. p. 2. m. 1.

Rymer, vol iii. p. 53.

Rot Fin 11 Ed II. m. 12.

s Rymer, tom iii. p. 906.

u Pat. 19 Ed. II. p. 1. m 4.

x Pat. 20 Ed. II. p. 2 m. 18.

y MS. b. 21. p. 83 in Bibl. Joh. Anstis, Reg. Gart. Armor.

z Esch. 5 Ed, III. n 81.

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