Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Grace The Duke of Norfolk
Earl Marshal
In office 23 December 1732 – 20 September 1777
Monarch	George II George III
Preceded by	The 8th Duke of Norfolk
Succeeded by	The 10th Duke of Norfolk
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 23 December 1732 – 20 September 1777 Hereditary Peerage
Preceded by	The 8th Duke of Norfolk
Succeeded by	The 10th Duke of Norfolk
Personal details
Born	5 June 1686
Died	20 September 1777 (1777-09-21) (aged 91)
Spouse	Mary Blount
Parents	Lord Thomas Howard (father) Mary Elizabeth Savile (mother)

Edward Howard (born June 5, 1686, died September 20, 1777) was an important English nobleman and politician. He held the special job of Earl Marshal for many years, from 1732 to 1777. This role meant he was in charge of organizing big state events like coronations and royal funerals. He was also a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the British Parliament.

Who Was Edward Howard?

Arms of the Howard family.

Edward was the third of five sons born to Lord Thomas Howard and Mary Elizabeth Savile. His family, the Howards, was very important in English history. His grandfather was the 6th Duke of Norfolk. Edward's older brother, Henry, was going to become a Catholic bishop but passed away before that happened. His younger brothers were Richard and Philip.

His Life and Career

Edward Howard (1743/4-1767), the Duke's beloved nephew, who died at age 23.

As a young man, Edward took part in the Jacobite Rising of 1715. This was a time when some people wanted to bring back the old royal family to the throne. Because of his brother's help, Edward avoided being punished for this.

In 1732, Edward became the 9th Duke of Norfolk after his older brother, Thomas, passed away without having any children. This made Edward the head of the Howard family.

Edward and his wife, Mary, were both Roman Catholics. They decided to rebuild their family home in London, called Norfolk House, making it very grand. They also started building a huge new house at Worksop, hoping it would be as impressive as Blenheim Palace.

Sadly, this big building project was stopped. Their nephew, also named Edward Howard, was expected to inherit the Duke's titles. He was a bright young man, but he died at age 23 from a fever after playing tennis while still recovering from measles. This was a huge loss for the Duke and Duchess, and the Duchess was especially heartbroken. After this, they realized their next heir would be a distant cousin they barely knew.

His Marriage

Arms of the Blount family.

On November 26, 1727, Edward married Mary Blount. Mary was one of three daughters of Edward Blount from Devon. She was a talented interior designer and embroiderer.

The famous explorer James Cook named Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean in honor of the Duchess of Norfolk in 1774. He didn't know at the time that she had already passed away. Edward and Mary did not have any children together.

Death and Succession

Edward Howard passed away on September 20, 1777, at the age of 91. Since he had no children, many of his important titles, like the Dukedom of Norfolk and the Earldoms of Norfolk, Arundel, and Surrey, went to his second cousin, Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk.

Some other titles, like the Earldom of Norwich, ended when Edward died. Other old family titles, such as Baron Mowbray and Baron Segrave, were passed down through the daughters of his younger brother, Philip.