William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford
Portrait by Anthony van Dyck.
Born	30 November 1614 Stafford
Died	29 December 1680(1680-12-29) (aged 66) Tower Hill, London, England
Noble family	Howard
Spouse(s)	Mary Stafford
Father	Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel
Mother	Alethea Talbot

William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford (born November 30, 1614 – died December 29, 1680) was a noble from England. He was the youngest son of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel and Alethea Talbot. William Howard was a Royalist supporter, meaning he supported the King during the English Civil War. He was also a member of the Royal Society, a group for scientists and thinkers.

Sadly, he was later wrongly accused in a famous event called the "Popish Plot". This plot was a made-up story about Catholics trying to harm the King. Because of these false accusations, William Howard was found guilty of treason and executed. Years later, in 1929, he was recognized by the Catholic Church as a Catholic martyr and given the title "Blessed".

Blessed William Howard
William Viscount Stafford, "He knelt down before the block". Illustration for Memoirs of Missionary Priests by Bishop Challoner (Jack, 1878).
Martyr
Born	30 November 1614 Stafford, England
Died	29 December 1680 (aged 66) Tower Hill, London, England
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	15 December 1929 by Pope Pius XI
Feast	29 December
Attributes	martyr's palm, rapier

Early Life and Education

William grew up in a family that officially followed the Church of England. However, many members of the Howard family, including William, secretly remained loyal to the Roman Catholic faith. This was a difficult time for Catholics in England.

His grandfather, Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel, was even put in the Tower of London for being Catholic. William started his education at a young age. He attended St John's College, Cambridge, when he was only 11 years old.

Family and Titles

In 1637, William married Mary Stafford. Her family was Catholic, and their wedding was performed by a Catholic priest. This was unusual at the time and caused some embarrassment for William's father.

Mary's family had an important title, Baron Stafford. After her brother passed away, William and Mary were given the titles Baron and Baroness Stafford in 1640. A few months later, William also became Viscount Stafford. They had three sons and six daughters.

Some of their children included:

• Henry Stafford Howard, who later became the 1st Earl of Stafford.
• John Stafford Howard, whose son William later became the 2nd Earl of Stafford.
• Delphina Stafford Howard, who became a nun. She later shared a letter from her father where he wrote about being innocent.
• Anastasia Stafford Howard, who married George Holman. Their daughter Anne married her cousin, William, the 2nd Earl of Stafford.

Life in Exile and Return

In 1641, William and his family left England and moved to Antwerp. This was during a time of great political unrest in England, leading to the English Civil War. His parents also lived in the same area.

He was allowed to return to England for a short time in the 1640s. However, his properties were later taken away because he was a Catholic and a supporter of the King. During the 1650s, he claimed to have done many things for King Charles II, traveling between England and other countries. He was even imprisoned in the Netherlands for his father's debts.

William had a reputation for arguing with people, even his own family. This became a problem later in his life. When he was on trial, it was noted that many of his relatives, who were judges, did not vote for him to be innocent. This showed he was "not beloved by his family."

After King Charles II returned to power in 1660, William came back to England. He got his properties back. He was not very involved in politics, but he did try to help remove laws that were unfair to Catholics. He also tried to help the King and James, Duke of York, talk to their political opponents.

The Popish Plot

In 1678, William Howard was accused of being part of the "Popish Plot". This was a made-up story created by a man named Titus Oates. Oates claimed there was a plan by Catholics to kill King Charles II and put his Catholic brother, James, on the throne.

William Howard was sent to the Tower of London in October 1678, along with four other Catholic nobles. At first, the King had some doubts about William's loyalty. He even offered William a royal pardon if he would confess. However, the King later changed his mind and believed William was innocent.

His Trial

William's trial began on November 30, 1680. The main people who spoke against him were Titus Oates, Stephen Dugdale, and Edward Turberville.

• Titus Oates said he saw a document from the Pope that named William as a plotter.
• Stephen Dugdale claimed William tried to get him to kill the King.
• Edward Turberville said William tried to bribe him in Paris to kill King Charles II.

William was not allowed to have a lawyer to help him. He had to defend himself. He tried to show that the witnesses' stories did not match up, but it was difficult without legal help. Even though the judge tried to be fair, William was found guilty. Many people, including his own family members who were judges, voted against him.

His Execution

William Howard was found guilty by a vote of 55 to 31. He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered, which was a terrible punishment for traitors. However, the King changed this to beheading. King Charles II later said he signed the death warrant "with tears in his eyes." He felt that William's accusers were responsible for his death.

William Howard was executed on Tower Hill on December 29, 1680. Before he died, he wrote a letter to his daughter Delphina. In it, he strongly stated his innocence, saying, "Your poor old father hath this comfort, that he is totally innocent." Many people believed his words and began to doubt the Popish Plot.

After His Death

After William's death, his family lost his titles because of a legal process called "attainder." This meant his honors were taken away. Years later, in 1824, the title of Baron Stafford was given back to the Howard family. However, the title of Viscount could not be restored because there were no male heirs.

Legacy

William Howard was recognized as "Blessed" by Pope Pius XI on December 15, 1929. This means he is honored as a martyr in the Catholic Church.

There is a beautiful stained glass window of William Howard in a church in Harpenden, England. Also, a school in Stafford, England, called Blessed William Howard Catholic School, is named in his honor.

Ancestry