John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk

Lore & Background

John Howard was born about 1425, son of Sir Robert Howard and Margaret de Mowbray. He succeeded his father in 1436 and his grandfather in 1437. In his youth he served in the household of his cousin John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, and was drawn into conflicts with William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk. He was elected to Parliament in 1449 as Shire knight for Suffolk and held several local offices during the 1450s. He is said to have been with Lord Lisle in the expedition to Guyenne in 1452, which ended in defeat at Castillon on 17 July 1453.

A staunch adherent of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses, Howard was knighted by King Edward IV at the Battle of Towton on 29 March 1461. He became part of the royal household as one of the King's carvers, and his advancement continued: by 1467 he was a Knight of the Body, and in 1468 was appointed Treasurer of the Royal Household. He went into exile when Edward lost the throne in 1470. He was summoned to Parliament from 15 October 1470, whereby he is held to have become Lord Howard. On 24 April 1472 he was admitted to the Order of the Garter.

Howard supported Richard III's accession, and at his behest took the nine-year-old Richard of Shrewsbury from sanctuary to the Tower of London. He was created Duke of Norfolk on 28 June 1483, and also became Earl Marshal and Lord High Admiral. He was slain at the Battle of Bosworth Field on 22 August 1485, by the knight Sir John Savage in single combat according to the Ballad of Lady Bessy, though an alternative account says he was killed by a Lancastrian arrow after his face guard was torn off.

Reader's Guide

John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk, is significant as the first of the Howard line to hold the Dukedom of Norfolk, a title that would become one of the most prominent in English peerage. His close alliance with King Richard III and his death at the Battle of Bosworth Field mark him as a key figure in the final act of the Wars of the Roses. His career illustrates the rise of a loyal Yorkist servant under Edward IV, who then transferred his allegiance to Richard III, helping secure the throne and receiving high offices and the dukedom as reward. His death, alongside his king, ended the Yorkist cause and ushered in the Tudor dynasty. The circumstances of his death, with conflicting accounts of single combat or an arrow wound, reflect the chaos of the battle and the legendary narratives that grew around it. His legacy includes his son Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, who continued the family's prominence.

Did You Know?

• John Howard was a descendant of English royalty through both sides of his family, including from Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, second son of King John.
• He was described at one point during the 1450s as 'wode as a wilde bullok'.
• He bore the royal banner at the funeral of King Edward IV in April 1483.
• He was created Duke of Norfolk on 28 June 1483, the third creation of the title.