Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk
Encyclopedia
Admiral Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, KG
, PC
(24 August 1561 – 28 May 1626) 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
.
and other Audley properties. While imprisoned in the Tower
before his execution in 1572, his father urged him to marry his stepsister Mary Dacre, the daughter of Thomas Dacre, 4th Baron Dacre
and Elizabeth Leybourne, the Duke's third wife. He did so; but Mary died, childless, on April 1578 at Walden.
In or before 1583, Howard remarried to Katherine Knyvet
, widow of Richard, son of Robert Rich, 2nd Baron Rich. A noted beauty, she was also the eldest daughter and heiress of her father, Sir Henry Knyvet of Charlton.
. On 25 July 1588, the Golden Lion was one of the three ships that counter-attacked the Spanish galleass
es protecting the Saint Anne. He was knighted the next day aboard Ark Royal
by his kinsman, Admiral Lord Howard of Effingham
.
In 1591, he was sent with a squadron to the Azores
which was to waylay the Spanish treasure fleets from America. However, one fleet reached Spain before his arrival, and the second would not arrive in the islands until September. Forced by the long delay to land his sick and repair his ships, he was barely able to reballast and get to sea off Flores in time when his scouts reported an arriving fleet. To his horror, this proved to be, not the treasure fleet, but a powerful Spanish force dispatched from Ferrol to destroy his squadron. All of Howard's fleet escaped, by the barest of margins, except Revenge
, commanded by the squadron's vice-admiral, Sir Richard Grenville
. Revenge, some distance from the remainder of the fleet, attempted to break through the Castilian Squadron and was forced to surrender after a long fight, in which Revenge was virtually destroyed and Grenville mortally wounded.
In 1596, Howard served as vice-admiral of the expedition against Cadiz
, which defeated a Spanish fleet and captured the town. Favored by Queen Elizabeth
, he was installed as a Knight of the Garter in April 1597, and in June sailed with the unsuccessful expedition to the Azores, which he had partly funded.
by writ of summons. While he recovered from his illness, he was unable to attend Parliament until January 1598. On 2 February 1598, he was admitted an honorary member of Gray's Inn
. In 1599, he commanded the fleet in The Downs
, and was appointed Constable of the Tower of London on 13 February 1601 after the revolt of the Earl of Essex
, and was one of the commission who tried Essex and Southampton
. Still active in privateering ventures, he never obtained significant profit from them. At this time, he was also sworn High Steward of Cambridge University, and would hold the post until 1614. (He received an MA
from Cambridge in 1605.)
A friend of Sir Robert Cecil
, he became acting Lord Chamberlain
at the close of 1602, and entertained the Queen at the Charterhouse
, towards the end of her life in January 1603. Under James I
, Howard immediately entered the King's favour, being appointed Lord Chamberlain on 6 April 1603 and a Privy Counsellor
on 7 April. Later that year, on 21 July 1603, he was created Earl of Suffolk
. He was also appointed a commissioner for creating Knights of the Bath, and from 1604 to 1618 a commissioner for the Earl Marshal
cy. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
in 1605, having several years earlier been made Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire
.
Suffolk accepted a gift from the Spanish ambassador negotiating the peace treaty of 1604, but his countess proved a more valuable informant and Catholic sympathizer. Avaricious, she accepted an annual pension of £1000 from the Spanish. While Suffolk was less pro-Spanish and pro-Catholic than his wife, she was felt to dominate her husband in matters of politics, a circumstance which would later bring him to grief.
By 1605, Cecil, now Earl of Salisbury, Suffolk, the Earl of Northampton
, and the Earl of Worcester
were James' principal privy counsellors. Suffolk and Salisbury were both privy to the communications made by Lord Monteagle
revealing the existence of the Gunpowder Plot
, and Suffolk examined the cellar, spotting the brushwood concealing the gunpowder. Later that evening, the Keeper of the Palace, Sir Thomas Knyvet
(Suffolk's brother-in-law) made further search, revealing the gunpowder, and the plot collapsed. Suffolk was one of those commissioned to investigated and try the plotters.
Numbered by James as one of his "trinity of knaves" (with Salisbury and Northampton), he was nonetheless thought loyal and reliable to the King. By 1607, work was completed on Charlton Park, Wiltshire
, a house which is still home to his descendants. In December 1608, Salisbury's eldest son and heir, William
married Suffolk's third daughter, Catharine. Salisbury, who died in 1612, praised Suffolk's friendship in his will; and upon his death, Suffolk was appointed one of the Lords of the Treasury. Though he disliked Sir Robert Carr
, the royal favorite, Suffolk supported his daughter Frances' desire to divorce her husband, the Earl of Essex
to marry him. She did so in December 1613, shortly after his creation as Earl of Somerset.
On 8 July 1614, Suffolk was appointed Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, replacing his kinsman Northampton, and on 11 July 1614 was made Lord High Treasurer
. His new son-in-law, Somerset, replaced him as Lord Chamberlain, and Suffolk and his family now dominated the court.
In 1615, however, Suffolk's fall began. James had become deeply infatuated with Sir George Villiers
, and Suffolk's daughter Frances, now Countess of Somerset, was implicated in the poisoning of Sir Thomas Overbury
. Suffolk was accused by James of complicity with Somerset in trying to suppress investigation of the crime, but successfully weathered the storm. However, Suffolk then made the mistake of attempting to undermine the rising power of Villiers by grooming another handsome young man to succeed him in James' favor. Completely unsuccessful, this only provoked a counterattack by Villiers, now (1618) Marquess of Buckingham, upon Suffolk's conduct as Lord High Treasurer.
Suffolk's finances were always in a perilous state. His early privateering and naval ventures nearly bankrupted him, despite some financial help from Queen Elizabeth. Under James, the situation was somewhat eased by his preferment at court, which gave him board and lodging and valuable emoluents, and the regrant of some of the sequestered estates of his father. Some of this he invested in land in East Anglia
, and he further benefited from a series of customs farms and bequests from relatives. He had been forced to sell his London residence, the Charterhouse, in 1611, but this was replaced in 1614 when he inherited the Earl of Northampton's house at Charing Cross
. Suffolk added to his own troubles by extravagant building programs. Audley End House
, built from 1603 to 1616, was the largest private house in England. He also added an expensive new wing to Charing Cross, and his wife built Charlton Park
on the Knyvett estates she had inherited. Suffolk's children were also well provided for. He spent considerable sums to keep up their profile at court, and provided generous marriage portions to improve their matches. While this strategy was successful, it generated crushing debts for him, owing £40,000 in bonds and mortgages by 1618. His appointment as Lord High Treasurer in 1614 provided the opportunity for ameliorate his financial position through graft and deals with customs farmers, although it did not completely relieve his debts. It was also to prove the instrument of his downfall.
which destroyed her famous beauty, and Suffolk himself pleaded ill health in an attempt to avoid trial. These efforts failed: in October 1619, he, his wife, and their crony Sir John Bingley, Remembrancer
of the Exchequer were prosecuted on a variety of counts of corruption in the Court of Star Chamber
. Sir Francis Bacon
, the prosecutor, compared Lady Suffolk to an exchange woman keeping shop while her apprentice, Bingley, cried "Whad'ye lack?" outside. On 13 November 1619, they were found guilty on all counts. A fine of £30,000 was imposed, and they were sentenced to imprisonment at the King's pleasure.
After ten days, Suffolk and his wife were released, and appealed to Buckingham to intercede for them. Although Suffolk further irritated James by legal maneuvers to avoid seizure of his property, Buckingham was willing to be magnanimous to his rival now that his power had been destroyed. Buckingham obtained for Suffolk an audience with the King, and the fine was subsequently remitted except for £7000. In 1623, Suffolk's youngest son Edward
married Buckingham's niece, Mary Boteler. While Suffolk never again rose to high office, he was active in the Lords, and served twice as a commissioner of ecclesiastical causes. He died at Charing Cross on 28 May 1626 and was buried on 4 June at Saffron Walden.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, PC
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
(24 August 1561 – 28 May 1626) was a son of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.Norfolk was the son of the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. He was taught as a child by John Foxe, the Protestant martyrologist, who remained a lifelong recipient of Norfolk's patronage...
by his second wife Margaret Audley, Duchess of Norfolk, the daughter and heiress of the 1st Baron Audley of Walden
Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden
Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden, KG, PC, KS , Lord Chancellor of England, born in Earls Colne, Essex, the son of Geoffrey Audley, is believed to have studied at Buckingham College, Cambridge...
.
Early life and marriage
After the death of his mother on 10 January 1564, the infant Thomas inherited Saffron WaldenSaffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
and other Audley properties. While imprisoned in the Tower
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
before his execution in 1572, his father urged him to marry his stepsister Mary Dacre, the daughter of Thomas Dacre, 4th Baron Dacre
Thomas Dacre, 4th Baron Dacre
Thomas Dacre, 4th Baron Dacre of Gilsland, also Baron Greystock and de jure Baron Boteler was an English Member of Parliament and after his father's death a peer and major landowner in the counties of Cumberland, Yorkshire and Northumberland.-Early life:Born about 1527, Dacre was the eldest of...
and Elizabeth Leybourne, the Duke's third wife. He did so; but Mary died, childless, on April 1578 at Walden.
In or before 1583, Howard remarried to Katherine Knyvet
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...
, widow of Richard, son of Robert Rich, 2nd Baron Rich. A noted beauty, she was also the eldest daughter and heiress of her father, Sir Henry Knyvet of Charlton.
Issue
- Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of SuffolkTheophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of SuffolkTheophilus 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...
(13 August 1582 – 3 June 1640) married: Elizabeth Hume had issue - Elizabeth Howard (c. 1583 - 17 April 1658) married: (1) William Knollys, 1st Earl of BanburyWilliam Knollys, 1st Earl of BanburySir William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury, KG, PC was an English nobleman at the court of Queen Elizabeth I and King James...
had issue (2) Edward Vaux, 4th Baron Vaux of HarrowdenEdward Vaux, 4th Baron Vaux of HarrowdenEdward Vaux, 4th Baron Vaux of Harrowden was an English peer. He was the son of George Vaux and his wife Elizabeth Vaux , and the grandson and heir of William Vaux, 3rd Baron Vaux of Harrowden...
(some say that Elizabeth's and William's children were illegitimate) - Sir Robert HowardRobert Howard (royalist)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...
(1584–1653) married: Catherine Nevill - Gertrude Howard (born c. 1585)
- Sir William Howard (1586 – bef. 1672)
- Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of BerkshireThomas Howard, 1st Earl of BerkshireThomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire was the second son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk and Catherine Knyvet....
(8 October 1587 – 16 July 1669) married: Elizabeth Cecil had issue - Catherine Howard (c.1588–1673) married: William Cecil, 2nd Earl of SalisburyWilliam Cecil, 2nd Earl of SalisburyWilliam Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, KG , known as Viscount Cranborne from 1605 to 1612, was an English peer and politician.-Early years, 1591-1612:...
had issue - Emily Howard (born 1589)
- Frances HowardFrances Carr, Countess of SomersetFrances Carr, Countess of Somerset was an English noblewoman who was the central figure in a famous scandal and murder during the reign of King James I...
(31 May 1590–1632) married: (1) Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 3rd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads...
(2) Robert Carr, 1st Earl of SomersetRobert Carr, 1st Earl of SomersetRobert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, , was a politician, and favourite of King James I of England.-Background:Robert Kerr was born in Wrington, Somerset, England the younger son of Sir Thomas Kerr of Ferniehurst, Scotland by his second wife, Janet, sister of Walter Scott of Buccleuch...
had issue - Sir Charles Howard (1591–1622), married Mary Fitzjohn and had issue
- Henry Howard (1592–1616), married Elizabeth Bassett and had issue
- John Howard (1593–1595)
- Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of EscrickEdward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of EscrickEdward 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...
(d. 24 April 1675) - Margaret Howard (c.1599 - 1608)
Naval exploits
In December 1584, he was restored in blood as Lord Thomas Howard. Lord Thomas commanded the Golden Lion in the attack on the Spanish ArmadaSpanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
. On 25 July 1588, the Golden Lion was one of the three ships that counter-attacked the Spanish galleass
Galleass
The galleass developed from large merchant galleys.Converted for military use they were higher and larger than regular galleys. They had up to 32 oars, each worked by up to 5 men. They usually had three masts and a forecastle and aftcastle. Much effort was made in Venice to make these galleasses...
es protecting the Saint Anne. He was knighted the next day aboard Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (1587)
Ark RoyalThe HMS prefix was not used until the middle of the eighteenth century, but is sometimes applied retrospectively was an English galleon, originally ordered for Sir Walter Raleigh and later purchased by the crown for service in the Royal Navy...
by his kinsman, Admiral Lord Howard of Effingham
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...
.
In 1591, he was sent with a squadron to the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
which was to waylay the Spanish treasure fleets from America. However, one fleet reached Spain before his arrival, and the second would not arrive in the islands until September. Forced by the long delay to land his sick and repair his ships, he was barely able to reballast and get to sea off Flores in time when his scouts reported an arriving fleet. To his horror, this proved to be, not the treasure fleet, but a powerful Spanish force dispatched from Ferrol to destroy his squadron. All of Howard's fleet escaped, by the barest of margins, except Revenge
HMS Revenge (1577)
Revenge was an English race-built galleon of 46 guns, built in 1577 and captured by the Spanish in 1591, sinking soon afterwards. She was the first of thirteen English and Royal Navy ships to bear the name.Since she was built and served prior to the English Restoration of 1660, she did not carry...
, commanded by the squadron's vice-admiral, Sir Richard Grenville
Richard Grenville
Sir Richard Grenville was an English sailor, sea captain and explorer. He took part in the early English attempts to settle the New World, and also participated in the fight against the Spanish Armada...
. Revenge, some distance from the remainder of the fleet, attempted to break through the Castilian Squadron and was forced to surrender after a long fight, in which Revenge was virtually destroyed and Grenville mortally wounded.
In 1596, Howard served as vice-admiral of the expedition against Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, which defeated a Spanish fleet and captured the town. Favored by Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, he was installed as a Knight of the Garter in April 1597, and in June sailed with the unsuccessful expedition to the Azores, which he had partly funded.
Political career
He was seriously ill in the autumn of 1597, and was created Baron Howard de WaldenBaron Howard de Walden
Baron Howard de Walden is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by writ of summons, by Queen Elizabeth I for Admiral Lord Thomas Howard, a younger son of the 4th Duke of Norfolk, in 1597. The title was reportedly granted for the Admiral's role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588...
by writ of summons. While he recovered from his illness, he was unable to attend Parliament until January 1598. On 2 February 1598, he was admitted an honorary member of Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. In 1599, he commanded the fleet in The Downs
The Downs
The Downs are a roadstead or area of sea in the southern North Sea near the English Channel off the east Kent coast, between the North and the South Foreland in southern England. In 1639 the Battle of the Downs took place here, when the Dutch navy destroyed a Spanish fleet which had sought refuge...
, and was appointed Constable of the Tower of London on 13 February 1601 after the revolt of the Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
, and was one of the commission who tried Essex and Southampton
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley , 3rd Earl of Southampton , was the second son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, and his wife Mary Browne, Countess of Southampton, daughter of the 1st Viscount Montagu...
. Still active in privateering ventures, he never obtained significant profit from them. At this time, he was also sworn High Steward of Cambridge University, and would hold the post until 1614. (He received an MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
from Cambridge in 1605.)
A friend of Sir Robert Cecil
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, KG, PC was an English administrator and politician.-Life:He was the son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and Mildred Cooke...
, he became acting Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
at the close of 1602, and entertained the Queen at the Charterhouse
London Charterhouse
The London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, towards the end of her life in January 1603. Under James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, Howard immediately entered the King's favour, being appointed Lord Chamberlain on 6 April 1603 and a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
on 7 April. Later that year, on 21 July 1603, he was created Earl of Suffolk
Earl of Suffolk
Earl of Suffolk is a title that has been created four times in the Peerage of England. The first creation, in tandem with the creation of the title of Earl of Norfolk, came before 1069 in favour of Ralph the Staller; but the title was forfeited by his heir, Ralph de Guader, in 1074...
. He was also appointed a commissioner for creating Knights of the Bath, and from 1604 to 1618 a commissioner for the Earl Marshal
Earl Marshal
Earl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England...
cy. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk. Since 1642, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Suffolk.-Lord Lieutenants of Suffolk:*Sir Anthony Wingfield 1551–1552 jointly with*? 1551–?...
in 1605, having several years earlier been made Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire
Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire. The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representative in the counties of the United Kingdom. The Lord Lieutenant is supported by a Vice Lord Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenants which he or...
.
Suffolk accepted a gift from the Spanish ambassador negotiating the peace treaty of 1604, but his countess proved a more valuable informant and Catholic sympathizer. Avaricious, she accepted an annual pension of £1000 from the Spanish. While Suffolk was less pro-Spanish and pro-Catholic than his wife, she was felt to dominate her husband in matters of politics, a circumstance which would later bring him to grief.
By 1605, Cecil, now Earl of Salisbury, Suffolk, the Earl of Northampton
Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton
Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton was a significant English aristocrat and courtier. He was suspect as a crypto-Catholic throughout his life, and went through periods of royal disfavour, in which his reputation suffered greatly. He was distinguished for learning, artistic culture and his...
, and the Earl of Worcester
Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester
Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, KG, Earl Marshal was an English aristocrat. He was an important advisor to King James I, serving as Lord Privy Seal....
were James' principal privy counsellors. Suffolk and Salisbury were both privy to the communications made by Lord Monteagle
William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle
William Parker, 13th Baron Morley, 4th Baron Monteagle was an English peer, Lord of Morley, Hingham, Hockering, &c., in Norfolk, the eldest son of Edward Parker, 12th Baron Morley , and of Elizabeth Stanley, daughter and heiress of William Stanley, 3rd Baron Monteagle .When quite a youth he...
revealing the existence of the Gunpowder Plot
Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby.The plan was to blow up the House of...
, and Suffolk examined the cellar, spotting the brushwood concealing the gunpowder. Later that evening, the Keeper of the Palace, Sir Thomas Knyvet
Thomas Knyvet, 1st Baron Knyvet
Thomas James Knyvet, 1st Baron Knyvet was the second son of Sir Henry Knyvet of Charlton, Wiltshire and Anne Pickering, daughter of Sir Christopher Pickering of Killington, Westmoreland. His half-sister Catherine Knyvet was married to Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk...
(Suffolk's brother-in-law) made further search, revealing the gunpowder, and the plot collapsed. Suffolk was one of those commissioned to investigated and try the plotters.
Numbered by James as one of his "trinity of knaves" (with Salisbury and Northampton), he was nonetheless thought loyal and reliable to the King. By 1607, work was completed on Charlton Park, Wiltshire
Charlton Park, Wiltshire
Charlton Park is an estate in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England. It has been owned by the Earls of Suffolk since the Reformation. It was formerly the land on which Malmesbury Abbey was built. The house was finished in 1607, having been built for Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk and his wife...
, a house which is still home to his descendants. In December 1608, Salisbury's eldest son and heir, William
William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury
William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, KG , known as Viscount Cranborne from 1605 to 1612, was an English peer and politician.-Early years, 1591-1612:...
married Suffolk's third daughter, Catharine. Salisbury, who died in 1612, praised Suffolk's friendship in his will; and upon his death, Suffolk was appointed one of the Lords of the Treasury. Though he disliked Sir Robert Carr
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset
Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, , was a politician, and favourite of King James I of England.-Background:Robert Kerr was born in Wrington, Somerset, England the younger son of Sir Thomas Kerr of Ferniehurst, Scotland by his second wife, Janet, sister of Walter Scott of Buccleuch...
, the royal favorite, Suffolk supported his daughter Frances' desire to divorce her husband, the Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads...
to marry him. She did so in December 1613, shortly after his creation as Earl of Somerset.
On 8 July 1614, Suffolk was appointed Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, replacing his kinsman Northampton, and on 11 July 1614 was made Lord High Treasurer
Lord High Treasurer
The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Act of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third highest ranked Great Officer of State, below the Lord High Chancellor and above the Lord President...
. His new son-in-law, Somerset, replaced him as Lord Chamberlain, and Suffolk and his family now dominated the court.
In 1615, however, Suffolk's fall began. James had become deeply infatuated with Sir 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...
, and Suffolk's daughter Frances, now Countess of Somerset, was implicated in the poisoning of Sir Thomas Overbury
Thomas Overbury
Sir Thomas Overbury was an English poet and essayist, and the victim of one of the most sensational crimes in English history...
. Suffolk was accused by James of complicity with Somerset in trying to suppress investigation of the crime, but successfully weathered the storm. However, Suffolk then made the mistake of attempting to undermine the rising power of Villiers by grooming another handsome young man to succeed him in James' favor. Completely unsuccessful, this only provoked a counterattack by Villiers, now (1618) Marquess of Buckingham, upon Suffolk's conduct as Lord High Treasurer.
Suffolk's finances were always in a perilous state. His early privateering and naval ventures nearly bankrupted him, despite some financial help from Queen Elizabeth. Under James, the situation was somewhat eased by his preferment at court, which gave him board and lodging and valuable emoluents, and the regrant of some of the sequestered estates of his father. Some of this he invested in land in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, and he further benefited from a series of customs farms and bequests from relatives. He had been forced to sell his London residence, the Charterhouse, in 1611, but this was replaced in 1614 when he inherited the Earl of Northampton's house at Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
. Suffolk added to his own troubles by extravagant building programs. Audley End House
Audley End House
Audley End House is largely an early 17th-century country house just outside Saffron Walden, Essex, south of Cambridge, England. It was once a palace in all but name and renowned as one of the finest Jacobean houses in England. Audley End is now only one-third of its original size, but is still...
, built from 1603 to 1616, was the largest private house in England. He also added an expensive new wing to Charing Cross, and his wife built Charlton Park
Charlton Park
Charlton Park , based at Broad Walk in Kidbrooke, are one of south east London's most prominent rugby union clubs. Founded in 1893, the club plays in red and white hoops....
on the Knyvett estates she had inherited. Suffolk's children were also well provided for. He spent considerable sums to keep up their profile at court, and provided generous marriage portions to improve their matches. While this strategy was successful, it generated crushing debts for him, owing £40,000 in bonds and mortgages by 1618. His appointment as Lord High Treasurer in 1614 provided the opportunity for ameliorate his financial position through graft and deals with customs farmers, although it did not completely relieve his debts. It was also to prove the instrument of his downfall.
Arrest and fall
Through the agency of Buckingham, James was made aware of Suffolk's misconduct in the Treasury, particularly allegations that Lady Suffolk harassed creditors of the crown, and extorted bribes from them before they could obtain payment. Suffolk was suspended from the Treasurership in July 1618. Early in 1619, his wife suffered an attack of smallpoxSmallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
which destroyed her famous beauty, and Suffolk himself pleaded ill health in an attempt to avoid trial. These efforts failed: in October 1619, he, his wife, and their crony Sir John Bingley, Remembrancer
Remembrancer
The Remembrancer was originally one of certain subordinate officers of the English Exchequer. The office itself is of great antiquity, the holder having been termed remembrancer, memorator, rememorator, registrar, keeper of the register, despatcher of business...
of the Exchequer were prosecuted on a variety of counts of corruption in the Court of 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...
. Sir Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
, the prosecutor, compared Lady Suffolk to an exchange woman keeping shop while her apprentice, Bingley, cried "Whad'ye lack?" outside. On 13 November 1619, they were found guilty on all counts. A fine of £30,000 was imposed, and they were sentenced to imprisonment at the King's pleasure.
After ten days, Suffolk and his wife were released, and appealed to Buckingham to intercede for them. Although Suffolk further irritated James by legal maneuvers to avoid seizure of his property, Buckingham was willing to be magnanimous to his rival now that his power had been destroyed. Buckingham obtained for Suffolk an audience with the King, and the fine was subsequently remitted except for £7000. In 1623, Suffolk's youngest son Edward
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...
married Buckingham's niece, Mary Boteler. While Suffolk never again rose to high office, he was active in the Lords, and served twice as a commissioner of ecclesiastical causes. He died at Charing Cross on 28 May 1626 and was buried on 4 June at Saffron Walden.