Henry Howard, 12th Earl of Suffolk

British politician For other people named Henry Howard, see Henry Howard (disambiguation).

The Right HonourableThe Earl of SuffolkKG PC
Henry Howard, Painting by Joshua Reynolds, c. 1770s

Lord Privy Seal
In office 22 January 1771 – 12 June 1771
Preceded by	The Earl of Halifax
Succeeded by	The Duke of Grafton

Personal details
Born	(1739-05-16)16 May 1739
Died	7 March 1779(1779-03-07) (aged 39)

Henry Howard, 12th Earl of Suffolk, 5th Earl of Berkshire, KG, PC (16 May 1739 – 7 March 1779), was a British politician, styled Viscount Andover from 1756 to 1757.

Educated at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, he succeeded his grandfather as Earl of Suffolk in 1757. He was awarded a MA degree from Oxford in 1759 and a DCL degree in 1761. He was High Steward of Malmesbury from 1763 to 1767, and Deputy Earl Marshal from 1763 to 1765. On 25 May 1764, he married Hon. Maria Constantia Hampden-Trevor, daughter of Robert Hampden-Trevor, 1st Viscount Hampden, who died on 7 February 1767 giving birth to their only child:

Maria Constantia Howard (7 February 1767 – 21 July 1775)

In 1771, he was appointed a Privy Counsellor (PC) and briefly served as Lord Privy Seal before becoming Secretary of State for the Northern Department under Lord North from 1771 to 1779. In this capacity, he secured the use of Hessian and Hanoverian mercenaries to help suppress the American Revolution. In the same capacity he helped to secure the survival of Sweden as an independent nation by counteracting Russia's plan to undo the Revolution of Gustavus III in 1772. He was made a Knight of the Garter (KG) in 1778.

On 14 August 1777, Suffolk married Lady Charlotte Finch, daughter of Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Aylesford, by whom he had two children:

George Howard, Viscount Andover (September 1778 – 27 December 1778)
Henry Howard, 13th Earl of Suffolk (8 August 1779 – 10 August 1779)

He died on 7 March 1779; his posthumous son Henry succeeded him for two days in August.

He is buried in Charlton Church, Wiltshire, together with his first wife.

References

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Howard, Henry, twelfth earl of Suffolk and fifth earl of Berkshire (1739–1779), politician, by Peter D. G. Thomas

Political offices
Preceded byThe Earl of Effingham	Deputy Earl Marshal 1763–1765	Succeeded byThe Earl of Scarbrough
Preceded byThe Earl of Halifax	Lord Privy Seal 1771	Succeeded byThe Duke of Grafton
Preceded byThe Earl of Halifax	Northern Secretary 1771–1779	Succeeded byThe Viscount Weymouth
Preceded byThe Earl of Rochford	Leader of the House of Lords 1775–1779	Succeeded byThe Viscount Weymouth
Peerage of England
Preceded byHenry Howard	Earl of Suffolk, Earl of Berkshire 1757–1779	Succeeded byHenry Howard

v t e Cabinet of Prime Minister Lord North (1770–1782)
Prime Minister Chancellor of the Exchequer	Lord North (1770–1782)
Lord Chancellor	Commission (1770–1771) The Earl Bathurst (1771–1778) Lord Thurlow (1778–1782)
Lord President of the Council	The Earl Gower (1770–1779) The Earl Bathurst (1779–1782)
Lord Privy Seal	The Earl of Halifax (1770–1771) The Earl Suffolk (1771) The Duke of Grafton (1771–1775) The Earl of Dartmouth (1775–1782)
Lord Steward	The Earl Talbot (1770–1782)
Lord Chamberlain	The Earl of Hertford (1770–1782)
Southern Secretary	The Viscount Weymouth (1770) The Earl of Rochford (1770–1775) The Viscount Weymouth (1775–1779) The Earl of Hillsborough (1779–1782)
Northern Secretary	The Earl of Rochford (1770) The Earl of Sandwich (1770–1771) The Earl of Halifax (1771) The Earl of Suffolk (1771–1779) The Viscount Weymouth (1779) The Viscount Stormont (1779–1782)
Colonial Secretary	The Earl of Hillsborough (1770–1772) The Earl of Dartmouth (1772–1775) The Lord George Germain (1775–1782)
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	Lord Strange (1770–1771) The Earl of Clarendon (1771–1782)
First Lord of the Admiralty	Sir Edward Hawke (1770–1771) The Earl of Sandwich (1778–1782)
Master-General of the Ordnance	Vacant (1770–1772) The Viscount Townshend (1772–1782)
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland	The Viscount Townshend (1770–1772) The Earl Harcourt (1772–1777) The Earl of Buckinghamshire (1777–1780) The Earl of Carlisle (1780–1782)

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