William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford
Encyclopedia
Blessed William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford (30 November 1614 – 29 December 1680) was the youngest son of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel
, and his wife, the former Alethea Talbot
. He was a supporter of the Royalist
cause before being implicated in the Popish Plot
and executed for treason. He is regarded as a Roman Catholic martyr.
in 1616. William's grandfather, Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel
had been imprisoned by Elizabeth I
in the Tower of London
for being Roman Catholic and had died there after 10 years imprisonment. However, he was undoubtably exposed to Roman Catholic influences.
In 1620, William was placed in the household of Samuel Harsnett
, Bishop of Norwich
for an education, then moving to St John's College, Cambridge at the age of eleven in 1624, but did not receive a degree. He was still regarded as part of the Church of England
in 1633, being listed as an Ecclesiastical Commissioner at that time.
, the Howard family secured the title for William, with them being created Baron and Baroness Stafford on 12 Sept 1640. Two months later, William was created Viscount Stafford.
The couple had 3 sons and 6 daughters, of which are known:
during this time, travelling between England and the Low Countries, plus visiting Rome, the Palatinate and Heidelberg; in the latter he was imprisoned for a year, allegedly for immorality. He was also imprisoned in 1656 in the Netherlands, for his father's debts. There were many quarrels over the Howard inheritance, especially between William and his elder brother's family, who had pursued a series of suit against his mother and him for additional money
He returned to England with the Restoration in 1660 and was restored to his estates. He was never really prominent in political affairs nor amongst Catholics, although he did promote the removal of the anti-Catholic penal laws with King Charles II
and James, Duke of York
. He was also a member of the Royal Society
from 1665, becoming a council member in 1672.
In 1678, he was implicated by Titus Oates
in the Popish Plot
fabricated by anti-Catholics and was sent to the Tower of London
on 31 October 1678, along with four other Catholic peers. They were due to be put on trial in early 1679, but Charles prorogued Parliament and it was delayed. Scepticism of the plot grew and it was thought the imprisoned peers may have been released, but anti-Catholic feelings grew again in 1680 and Stafford was put on trial in November for impeachment. Evidence against Stafford was from Oates, who said he had seen a document from the Pope
naming Stafford as a conspirator and from Stephen Dugdale
, who testified that Stafford had tried to get him to kill the King. A third witness, Edward Tuberville said he had also visited Stafford in Paris and had also been asked to kill Charles. Stafford was denied counsel and forced to conduct his own defense,. bringing forward witnesses to counter the evidence of his accusers. One such witness could have been Richard Gerard of Hilderstone
who had come to London to testify, but was instead imprisoned on the word of Stephen Dugdale
, and died in jail before the trial. The defence was not enough and Stafford was convicted by a majority of 55 to 31 and sentenced to the punishment of traitors, which was commuted to beheading. Stafford was executed on Tower Hill
on 29 Dec 1680.
Stafford was attainted and the family lost the title; the title of Baron Stafford
was returned to line in 1824 with the attainder being reversed but the title of Viscount
was extinct as there were no male heirs. Mary Stafford had her title returned with the accession of James II
and she was created Countess of Stafford on 5 Oct 1688, at the same time her son was created Earl of Stafford.
Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel
Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel KG, was a prominent English courtier during the reigns of King James I and King Charles I, but he made his name as a Grand Tourist and art collector rather than as a politician. When he died he possessed 700 paintings, along with large collections of sculpture,...
, and his wife, the former Alethea Talbot
Alethea Howard, Countess of Arundel
Alethea Howard, 13th Baroness Furnivall, Countess of Arundel , née Lady Alethea Talbot, was the wife of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel...
. He was a supporter of the Royalist
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
cause before being implicated in the Popish Plot
Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy concocted by Titus Oates that gripped England, Wales and Scotland in Anti-Catholic hysteria between 1678 and 1681. Oates alleged that there existed an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Charles II, accusations that led to the execution of at...
and executed for treason. He is regarded as a Roman Catholic martyr.
Early life
William grew up in a nominally Anglican household, his father having converted to the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in 1616. William's grandfather, Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel
Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel
Saint Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel was an English nobleman. He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970, as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales...
had been imprisoned by Elizabeth I
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...
in the Tower of London
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...
for being Roman Catholic and had died there after 10 years imprisonment. However, he was undoubtably exposed to Roman Catholic influences.
In 1620, William was placed in the household of Samuel Harsnett
Samuel Harsnett
Samuel Harsnett , born Samuel Halsnoth, was an English writer on religion and Archbishop of York from 1629.- Early life :...
, Bishop of Norwich
Bishop of Norwich
The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers most of the County of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The see is in the City of Norwich where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided...
for an education, then moving to St John's College, Cambridge at the age of eleven in 1624, but did not receive a degree. He was still regarded as part of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in 1633, being listed as an Ecclesiastical Commissioner at that time.
Marriage and children
He married Mary, sister of Henry Stafford, 5th Baron Stafford by a licence granted 11 Oct 1637. The Staffords were Catholics and the marriage was conducted by a Catholic priest, to the embarrassment of William's father. Following the forced surrender of the barony by Roger Stafford, 6th Baron StaffordRoger Stafford, 6th Baron Stafford
Roger Stafford, 6th Baron Stafford was the son of Richard Stafford, a younger son of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and Ursula Pole. He was forced to give up the Stafford barony in 1637 on the grounds of poverty....
, the Howard family secured the title for William, with them being created Baron and Baroness Stafford on 12 Sept 1640. Two months later, William was created Viscount Stafford.
The couple had 3 sons and 6 daughters, of which are known:
- Henry Stafford Howard, 1st Earl of Stafford, 2nd Viscount Stafford. Married Claude-Charlotte, daughter of Philibert, Count de Gramont and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir George Hamilton. died without issue and was succeeded by his nephew, son of John.
- John Stafford Howard. Married first Mary, daughter of Sir John Southcote of Merstham. Secondly Theresa, daughter of Robert StricklandRobert StricklandSir Robert Strickland of Sizergh English Member of Parliament for Westmorland. Supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War....
. - Francis Stafford Howard, who married Eleanor, daughter of Henry Stafford.
- Ursula Stafford Howard
- Delphina Stafford Howard
- Isabella Stafford Howard, who married John Paulet, 5th Marquess of WinchesterJohn Paulet, 5th Marquess of WinchesterJohn Paulet, 5th Marquess of Winchester , styled Lord John Paulet until 1621 and Lord St John from 1621 to 1628 was third but eldest surviving son of William Paulet and his successor as 5th Marquess of Winchester....
- Anastasia Stafford Howard, who married George Holman of Warkworth
Exile and Return
Stafford and family left England in Aug 1641, moving to Antwerp; his parents had also left England and were in the same area. He was allowed by Parliament to return to England with Mary in 1646 and 1647, however in 1649 his estates were sequestered and compounded for recusancy and royalism. At his trial in 1680, he claimed he performed duties for King 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...
during this time, travelling between England and the Low Countries, plus visiting Rome, the Palatinate and Heidelberg; in the latter he was imprisoned for a year, allegedly for immorality. He was also imprisoned in 1656 in the Netherlands, for his father's debts. There were many quarrels over the Howard inheritance, especially between William and his elder brother's family, who had pursued a series of suit against his mother and him for additional money
He returned to England with the Restoration in 1660 and was restored to his estates. He was never really prominent in political affairs nor amongst Catholics, although he did promote the removal of the anti-Catholic penal laws with King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and James, Duke of York
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
. He was also a member of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
from 1665, becoming a council member in 1672.
In 1678, he was implicated by Titus Oates
Titus Oates
Titus Oates was an English perjurer who fabricated the "Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II.-Early life:...
in the Popish Plot
Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy concocted by Titus Oates that gripped England, Wales and Scotland in Anti-Catholic hysteria between 1678 and 1681. Oates alleged that there existed an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Charles II, accusations that led to the execution of at...
fabricated by anti-Catholics and was sent to the Tower of London
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...
on 31 October 1678, along with four other Catholic peers. They were due to be put on trial in early 1679, but Charles prorogued Parliament and it was delayed. Scepticism of the plot grew and it was thought the imprisoned peers may have been released, but anti-Catholic feelings grew again in 1680 and Stafford was put on trial in November for impeachment. Evidence against Stafford was from Oates, who said he had seen a document from the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
naming Stafford as a conspirator and from Stephen Dugdale
Stephen Dugdale
Stephen Dugdale was an informer, and self-proclaimed discoverer of parts of the Popish Plot . He perjured himself on numerous occasions, giving false testimony.-Life:...
, who testified that Stafford had tried to get him to kill the King. A third witness, Edward Tuberville said he had also visited Stafford in Paris and had also been asked to kill Charles. Stafford was denied counsel and forced to conduct his own defense,. bringing forward witnesses to counter the evidence of his accusers. One such witness could have been Richard Gerard of Hilderstone
Richard Gerard of Hilderstone
Richard Gerard of Hilderstone, Staffordshire was a figure of the Popish Plot of the reign of Charles II of England...
who had come to London to testify, but was instead imprisoned on the word of Stephen Dugdale
Stephen Dugdale
Stephen Dugdale was an informer, and self-proclaimed discoverer of parts of the Popish Plot . He perjured himself on numerous occasions, giving false testimony.-Life:...
, and died in jail before the trial. The defence was not enough and Stafford was convicted by a majority of 55 to 31 and sentenced to the punishment of traitors, which was commuted to beheading. Stafford was executed on Tower Hill
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, just outside the limits of the City of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Formerly it was part of the Tower Liberty under the direct administrative control of Tower...
on 29 Dec 1680.
Stafford was attainted and the family lost the title; the title of Baron Stafford
Baron Stafford
The title Baron Stafford, referring to Stafford, has been created several times in the Peerage of England. In the 14th century, the barons of the 1st creation were made earls. Those of the fifth creation, in the century became first viscounts and then earls....
was returned to line in 1824 with the attainder being reversed but the title of Viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
was extinct as there were no male heirs. Mary Stafford had her title returned with the accession of James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
and she was created Countess of Stafford on 5 Oct 1688, at the same time her son was created Earl of Stafford.
External links
- Blessed William Howard High School Stafford U.K.
- Speech given from the scaffold by Blessed William Howard