Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Howard, Henry (1757-1842)
HOWARD, HENRY (1757–1842), author of the ‘Memorials of the Howard Family,’ born at Corby Castle, Cumberland, 2 July 1757, was eldest son of Philip Howard (1730–1810) of Corby Castle, who wrote the ‘Scriptural History of the Earth and of Mankind,’ London, 1797. His mother was Anne, daughter of Henry Witham of Cliff, Yorkshire. Howard was educated at the college of the English Benedictines at Douay, and for a short time in 1774 studied at the university of Paris. On 17 Dec. 1774 he entered the Theresian Academy at Vienna, and there became a friend of Monticucolli and Marsigli. He left Vienna in September 1777, but failing to obtain permission to serve in the English army, he travelled for a time with his father and mother. At Strasburg the governor, M. de la Salle, and General Wurmser showed him kindness, and during the two or three years that he passed in study there, living with his father and mother, he often visited Cardinal Rohan. General Wurmser tried to induce him to accept a commission in the Austrian service, but he refused, in the hope that he might yet obtain an English commission. In 1782, however, he went with Prince Christian of Hesse-Darmstadt to the camp before Prague. In 1784 a final attempt on the part of the Earl of Surrey to get him admitted into the German detachment of the Duke of York's forces failed, and in the year following he retired to Corby.
Howard spent the rest of his life as a country gentleman and antiquary. In politics he was a whig; he signed the petition in favour of parliamentary reform, and continually advocated the repeal of the penal laws against Roman catholics. When in 1795 it became possible, Howard was made captain in the 1st York militia, with which he served for a time in Ireland. In 1802 he raised the Edenside rangers, and in 1803 the Cumberland rangers, for which regiment he wrote a little work on the drill of light infantry (1805). In later life he was a friend and correspondent of Louis-Philippe. He was a F.S.A., and in 1832 high sheriff of Cumberland. He died at Corby Castle on 1 March 1842. His portrait, by James Oliver, R.A., was engraved by C. Turner, A.R.A.,in 1839.
Howard married first, 4 Nov. 1788, Maria, third daughter of Andrew, last lord Archer of Umberslade. She died in 1789, leaving one daughter; the monument by Nollekens erected to her memory in Wetheral Church, Cumberland, is the subject of two of Wordsworth's sonnets. Howard's second wife, whom he married 18 March 1793, was Catherine Mary (d. 1849), second daughter of Sir Richard Neave, bart., of Dagnam Park, Essex. She kept extensive journals, and printed privately at Carlisle from 1836 to 1838 'Reminiscences' for her children, 4 vols. 8vo. By her he left two sons and three daughters.
Howard's chief works were: 1. 'Remarks on the Erroneous Opinions entertained respecting the Catholic Religion,' Carlisle, 1825, 8vo; other later editions. 2. 'Indications of Memorials ... of Persons of the Howard Family,' 1834, fol., privately printed. He also contributed to 'Archæologia' in 1800 and 1803, and assisted Dr. Lingard, Miss Strickland, and others in historical work.
[Gillow's Bibl. Dict. iii. 427; Gent. Mag. 1842, i. 437; Martin's Cat. of Privately Printed Books, 1854, p. 449.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.161
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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