Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk
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Theophilus Howard, KG (August 13, 1584, Walden, Essex – June 3, 1640) was an English nobleman and politician.
He was the son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, 1st Lord de Walden, by his second wife Catherine Knyvet of Charlton (North Wiltshire, near Malmesbury), and succeeded his father in 1626.
Sir Theophilus Howard was named in the Second Charter of Virginia made by King James I on May 23, 1609. The members if this extensive list were "incorporated by the name of The Tresorer and Companie of Adventurers and Planters of the Citty of London for the Firste Collonie in Virginia."
He died at Suffolk House, Charing Cross, London, and was buried on June 10 of that year in Walden.
[edit] Family.
Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, was the son of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk by Margaret Audley of Walden. He was the brother of Margaret Howard and a direct ancestor of Lionel Cranfield Sackville. He married, firstly, Marie Dacre, daughter of Thomas Dacre, 4th Baron Dacre of Gillesland and Elizabeth Leyburne, before 9 May 1577. He married, secondly, Katherine Knyvett, daughter of Sir Henry Knyvett, circa 1583.
He was created 1st Baron Howard de Walden in 1597. He gained the title of 1st Earl of Suffolk on July 21, 1603.
One of the sisters of Theophilus, Lady Catherine Howard, was married to William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, son of Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury by Lady Elizabeth Brooke, on the first of December, 1608. She died in 1672.
Another sister of the Earl Theophilus Howard of Suffolk, Lady Elizabeth Howard, who was baptized on 11 August 1586, was married, firstly - the settlement was made on 23 December 1605 -, to Sir William Knollys, who was created 1st Baron Knollys of Grey, co. Oxford, 1st Viscount Walingford, co. Berks, and 1st Earl of Banbury, co. Oxford. She and Sir William had two sons and a daughter. She was married, secondly, to Edward Vaux, 4th Lord Vaux of Harrowden, before 2 July 1632. She was known as a "professed Papist" and appears to have been an object of constant suspicion to the Parliament. She and Lord Edward had no issue. She died on 17 April 1658.
A third remarkable sister of the Lord Theophilus Howard of Walden was Frances Howard who married, firstly, Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, son of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Frances Walsingham, on 5 January 1605. She and Robert Devereux were divorced by 1613. She married, secondly, Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset, on 26 December 1613. She died on 23 August 1632 at age 42.
Lord Theophilus Howard had five brothers. Two of them are remarkable: Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick, who died on 24 April 1675. This part of the family ended on 29 April 1715 with the 4th Baron Howard of Escrick. The other remarkable brother of his was Sir Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire, who died on 16 July 1667. This part of the family still exists today, in which both Earldoms have been held together.
[edit] Marriage and children.
The 2nd Lord Howard of Walden married twice. By his first wife (m. 1605) Elizabeth Dunbar (he was delivered nine children:
- James Howard. (3rd Earl of Suffolk).
- Thomas Howard. (Hon).
- Catherine Howard. (Countess Newburgh). Married George Stewart, 9th Seigneur d'Aubigny and was mother of Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond.
- Elizabeth Howard. (Countess Northumberland). Married: Algernon Percy (10th Earl of Northumberland). on the 1st of October, 1642.
- Margaret Howard. (Countess Orrery).
- George Howard. (4th Earl of Suffolk).
- Henry Howard. (5th Earl of Suffolk).
- Anne Howard.
- Frances Howard.
His second marriage (1632) was to Elizabeth Home (b1599-d1633), the daughter of George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar by Elizabeth Gordon of Gight produced five further offspring:
- Robert Howard. (Sir).
- William Howard. (Sir).
- John Howard.
- Emily Howard.
- Gertrude Howard.
Because James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk, the eldest son of Lord Theophilus Howard, was born around 1619 or 1620, both of the marriages of Lord Theophilus Howard could be one that happened at the same time of the so-called second marriage, although the mothership of Lady Elizabeth to Sir William Howard, John Howard and their sisters, Emily and Gertrude Howard, is doubtful but not excludable.
