Henry Howard, 18th Earl of Suffolk

Henry Charles Howard, 18th Earl of Suffolk, 11th Earl of Berkshire, styled Viscount Andover between 1851 and 1876, was a British peer and Liberal Party politician from the Howard family. A sporting enthusiast, he was a member of the Jockey Club and sportswriter.

Early life and education

Suffolk was the eldest son of Charles Howard, 17th Earl of Suffolk, and Isabella Catherine, daughter of Lord Henry Thomas Howard-Molyneux-Howard.
He was educated at Harrow.

Political career

At the 1859 general election, Howard was elected unopposed as the Member of Parliament for the Borough of Malmesbury in Wiltshire, a seat his father held 1832–41. He was re-elected in 1865 in a two-way contest, but was defeated at the 1868 general election. In 1876, he succeeded his father in the united earldoms of Suffolk and Berkshire and entered the House of Lords. He was also a member of Wiltshire County Council from 1889.

Marriage and issue

Lord Suffolk married Mary Eleanor Lauderdale, daughter of the Hon. Henry Amelius Coventry, in 1868. They had seven children:

Lady Mary Muriel Sophie Howard, married her first cousin Henry Robert Beauclerk Coventry and had issue.
Unnamed daughter, died shortly after birth
Lady Eleanor Mabel Howard, married Maj. Hon. Lionel Byng, son of George Byng, 2nd Earl of Strafford, in 1902 and had issue; married Henry Atkinson in 1922
Lady Agnes Isabel Howard, married Maj. Arthur Poynter in 1917
Henry Molyneux Paget Howard, 19th Earl of Suffolk, killed in action in the First World War
Lady Katherine Millicent Howard
Hon. James Knyvett Estcourt Howard, married Nancy Lubbock and had issue

He died in March 1898, aged 64, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son, Henry. The Countess of Suffolk died in October 1928, aged 81. Among his descendants are the actor and comedian Humphrey Ker.