Robert Howard (royalist)
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Howard was an English
landowner, member of parliament
, and Royalist
soldier. He was involved with a scandal when his mistress
Lady Purbeck was found guilty of adultery
and was twice summoned to explain her pregnancies to the Star Chamber
. During the English Civil War
, Howard was in charge of Bridgnorth Castle
when it surrendered to the Parliamentarians
in 1646.
by his second wife, Catherine
. He was uncle to the playwright Sir Robert Howard
and brother of Theophilus, the second earl of Suffolk
, Thomas, Earl of Berkshire
and of Edward, Lord Howard of Escrick
.
In 1626, on the death of Howard's elder brother, Sir Charles Howard of Clun
, Howard inherited Clun Castle
in Shropshire. He was the next heir under the Will
of his great-uncle, the Earl of Nottingham
.
with the estranged wife of Sir John Villiers, Viscount Purbeck
. She was Frances Villiers, the daughter of Sir Edward Coke
, and it was said she had been forced into the marriage with John who was the brother of George Villiers
, the Duke of Buckingham at the age of sixteen.
The result was a son born in October 1624 at Cripplegate
who was initially called Robert Wright, but who would go on to take the name of Villiers and was finally known as Robert Danvers
. Frances's brother in law the Duke of Buckingham had the pair brought before the Star Chamber
on charges of adultery
. Frances Villiers was found guilty. Howard was made a prisoner of the Fleet prison
and excommunicated
for refusing to answer questions at the trial. Frances, Lady Purbeck, was fined and sentenced to a term of imprisonment, and to do penance — but she fled abroad.
Eventually she returned to England and reputedly set up house with Howard, with the result that there were more children. In 1635 Howard was again summoned before the Star Chamber to answer for the resumed scandalous affair. He refused to answer as to the whereabouts of Frances and was kept for three months at the Fleet incommunicado and he had to surrender bonds as surety that he would not again contact Frances and that he would appear again at the Star Chamber within 24 hours of being summoned.
for Bishops Castle
in Shropshire
and was chosen again at many subsequent elections, including the two during 1640 for the Short
and Long
parliaments. During the second, the Star Chamber
made adverse findings with regard to Howard, but they were deemed unlawful and all of those involved were fined, with Howard receiving one thousand pounds in compensation.
) as Prince of Wales
on 4 November, both Robert and his brother William (1600–1672) were made Knights of the Bath
. Howard had to leave the House of Commons
in 1642 after killing the king's commissioner of array
, but he did attend the session of parliament held at Oxford
in 1641. Howard is said to have led a regiment of dragoon
s and was in charge of Bridgnorth Castle
when it was surrendered to the Parliamentarians in 1646. The three week siege left the castle tower leaning more than the Tower of Pisa
.
Howard was again fined. This time he had to pay 952 pounds to recover the lands that were sequestered
in punishment.
In 1648, Howard finally married. He took Catherine Nevill, a daughter of Sir Henry Nevill
, Baron Abergavenny
, and they had three children. Howard died on 22 April 1653 at the Hall in the Forest and was buried at Clun
, after which his wife remarried. A brass plaque in St George's church in Clun commemorated Robert Howard's life.
son Robert was recognised by his mother's husband as his son and heir. He in time might have become Robert Villiers, 2nd Viscount Purbeck, but after the first Lord Purbeck's death on 18 February 1657 Robert laid no claim to the title, which in 1678 was denied him by the House of Lords
on the grounds that he was illegitimate. Deprived of the name Villiers, Robert took the name of his wife and became known as Robert Danvers
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
landowner, member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, and Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
soldier. He was involved with a scandal when his mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
Lady Purbeck was found guilty of adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
and was twice summoned to explain her pregnancies to the Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
. During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Howard was in charge of Bridgnorth Castle
Bridgnorth Castle
Bridgnorth Castle is in the town of Bridgnorth, Shropshire beside the River Severn .The castle was founded in 1101 by Robert de Belleme, the son of the French Earl, Roger de Montgomery, who succeeded his father to become the Earl of Shrewsbury...
when it surrendered to the Parliamentarians
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
in 1646.
Biography
Robert Howard was the fifth son of Thomas Howard, first earl of SuffolkThomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk
Admiral Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, KG, PC was a son of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk by his second wife Margaret Audley, Duchess of Norfolk, the daughter and heiress of the 1st Baron Audley of Walden....
by his second wife, Catherine
Katherine Knyvet
Katherine Knyvet,Countess of Suffolk, was born around 1564 and was the oldest child of Sir Henry Knyvet and his wife Elizabeth Stumpe. Early in her life, she married Richard Rich who died sometime before 1581. She then married Sir Thomas Howard, who twenty years later was named the Earl of Suffolk...
. He was uncle to the playwright Sir Robert Howard
Robert Howard (playwright)
Sir Robert Howard was an English playwright and politician, born to Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire and his wife Elizabeth.-Life:...
and brother of Theophilus, the second earl of Suffolk
Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk
Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, KG was an English nobleman and politician.Born at the family estate of Saffron Walden, he was the son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, by his second wife Catherine Knyvet of Charlton, and succeeded his father in 1626.Sir Theophilus Howard was named in...
, Thomas, Earl of Berkshire
Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire
Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire was the second son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk and Catherine Knyvet....
and of Edward, Lord Howard of Escrick
Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick
Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick was a British 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 Calne and for Wallingford and chose to sit for Calne...
.
In 1626, on the death of Howard's elder brother, Sir Charles Howard of Clun
Clun
Clun is a small town in Shropshire, England. The town is located entirely in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The 2001 census recorded 642 people living in the town...
, Howard inherited Clun Castle
Clun Castle
Clun Castle is a ruined castle in the small town of Clun, Shropshire. Clun Castle was established by the Norman lord Robert de Say after the invasion and went on to become an important Marcher lord castle in the 12th century, with an extensive castle-guard system...
in Shropshire. He was the next heir under the Will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
of his great-uncle, the Earl of Nottingham
Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham
Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham , known as Howard of Effingham, was an English statesman and Lord High Admiral under Elizabeth I and James I...
.
Frances Villiers
Howard had a long affairInfidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
with the estranged wife of Sir John Villiers, Viscount Purbeck
Viscount Purbeck
Viscount Purbeck was a title in the Peerage of England that was created on 19 July 1619, along with the title Baron Stoke, for John Villiers, the brother of the 1st Duke of Buckingham and the 1st Earl of Anglesey...
. She was Frances Villiers, the daughter of Sir Edward Coke
Edward Coke
Sir Edward Coke SL PC was an English barrister, judge and politician considered to be the greatest jurist of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. Born into a middle class family, Coke was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge before leaving to study at the Inner Temple, where he was called to the...
, and it was said she had been forced into the marriage with John who was the brother of George Villiers
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
, the Duke of Buckingham at the age of sixteen.
The result was a son born in October 1624 at Cripplegate
Cripplegate
Cripplegate was a city gate in the London Wall and a name for the region of the City of London outside the gate. The area was almost entirely destroyed by bombing in World War II and today is the site of the Barbican Estate and Barbican Centre...
who was initially called Robert Wright, but who would go on to take the name of Villiers and was finally known as Robert Danvers
Robert Danvers
Robert Danvers also Wright, Howard and Villiers was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659 and 1660...
. Frances's brother in law the Duke of Buckingham had the pair brought before the Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
on charges of adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
. Frances Villiers was found guilty. Howard was made a prisoner of the Fleet prison
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
and excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
for refusing to answer questions at the trial. Frances, Lady Purbeck, was fined and sentenced to a term of imprisonment, and to do penance — but she fled abroad.
Eventually she returned to England and reputedly set up house with Howard, with the result that there were more children. In 1635 Howard was again summoned before the Star Chamber to answer for the resumed scandalous affair. He refused to answer as to the whereabouts of Frances and was kept for three months at the Fleet incommunicado and he had to surrender bonds as surety that he would not again contact Frances and that he would appear again at the Star Chamber within 24 hours of being summoned.
Parliamentarian
In 1623, Howard became a member of parliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bishops Castle
Bishop's Castle (UK Parliament constituency)
Bishop's Castle was a borough constituency in Shropshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It was founded in 1584 and was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
and was chosen again at many subsequent elections, including the two during 1640 for the Short
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
and Long
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
parliaments. During the second, the Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
made adverse findings with regard to Howard, but they were deemed unlawful and all of those involved were fined, with Howard receiving one thousand pounds in compensation.
Royalist
Howard's credentials as a royalist had been laid in 1616. At the investiture of Prince Charles (afterwards Charles ICharles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
) as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
on 4 November, both Robert and his brother William (1600–1672) were made Knights of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. Howard had to leave the House of Commons
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in 1642 after killing the king's commissioner of array
Commission of Array
A Commission of Array was a commission given by English royalty to officers or gentry in a given territory to muster and array the inhabitants and to see them in a condition for war, or to put soldiers of a country in a condition for military service...
, but he did attend the session of parliament held at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in 1641. Howard is said to have led a regiment of dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s and was in charge of Bridgnorth Castle
Bridgnorth Castle
Bridgnorth Castle is in the town of Bridgnorth, Shropshire beside the River Severn .The castle was founded in 1101 by Robert de Belleme, the son of the French Earl, Roger de Montgomery, who succeeded his father to become the Earl of Shrewsbury...
when it was surrendered to the Parliamentarians in 1646. The three week siege left the castle tower leaning more than the Tower of Pisa
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa...
.
Howard was again fined. This time he had to pay 952 pounds to recover the lands that were sequestered
Sequestration (law)
Sequestration is the act of removing, separating, or seizing anything from the possession of its owner under process of law for the benefit of creditors or the state.-Etymology:...
in punishment.
In 1648, Howard finally married. He took Catherine Nevill, a daughter of Sir Henry Nevill
Henry Nevill, 9th Baron Bergavenny
Sir Henry Nevill, de facto 9th Baron Bergavenny was an English Peer and MP.The son of Edward Nevill, 8th Baron Bergavenny, he succeeded to the Barony upon the death of his father in 1622....
, Baron Abergavenny
Baron Abergavenny
The title Baron Bergavenny was created several times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain, all but the first being baronies created by error....
, and they had three children. Howard died on 22 April 1653 at the Hall in the Forest and was buried at Clun
Clun
Clun is a small town in Shropshire, England. The town is located entirely in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The 2001 census recorded 642 people living in the town...
, after which his wife remarried. A brass plaque in St George's church in Clun commemorated Robert Howard's life.
Danvers
Howard's illegitimateLegitimacy (law)
At common law, legitimacy is the status of a child who is born to parents who are legally married to one another; and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. In canon and in civil law, the offspring of putative marriages have been considered legitimate children...
son Robert was recognised by his mother's husband as his son and heir. He in time might have become Robert Villiers, 2nd Viscount Purbeck, but after the first Lord Purbeck's death on 18 February 1657 Robert laid no claim to the title, which in 1678 was denied him by the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on the grounds that he was illegitimate. Deprived of the name Villiers, Robert took the name of his wife and became known as Robert Danvers
Robert Danvers
Robert Danvers also Wright, Howard and Villiers was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659 and 1660...
.