Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, (27 December 1847 – 11 February 1917), styled
Baron Maltravers until 1856 and
Earl of Arundel and Surrey between 1856 and 1860, was a British Unionist politician and philanthropist. He served as
Postmaster GeneralThe Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
between 1895 and 1900, but is best remembered for his philanthropical work, which concentrated on Roman Catholic causes and the city of
SheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
Background
Norfolk was the eldest son of
Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 14th Duke of NorfolkHenry Granville Fitzalan-Howard, 14th Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal, Chief Butler of England was the son of Henry Charles Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk and Lady Charlotte Sophia Leveson-Gower...
and Augusta Mary Minna Catherine, younger daughter of
Edmund Lyons, 1st Baron LyonsAdmiral Edmund Lyons, 1st Baron Lyons, GCB, KCH was a British naval commander and diplomat who led a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, culminating with the Crimean War and his appointment as Commander of the Black Sea Fleet...
.
Edmund Fitzalan-Howard, 1st Viscount Fitzalan of DerwentEdmund Bernard FitzAlan-Howard, 1st Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent KG, PC , known as Lord Edmund Talbot between 1876 and 1921, was a British Conservative politician and the last Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.-Background:...
, was his younger brother.
The Duke was educated at
The Oratory SchoolThe Oratory School is a Roman Catholic, independent school for boys in Woodcote, Berkshire. It is the last Catholic all-boys boarding school remaining in Great Britain. It has approximately 420 pupils...
Political career
Norfolk succeeded in the dukedom in 1860 on the death of his father. He also succeeded in the hereditary office of
Earl MarshalEarl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England...
held by the Dukes of Norfolk. In 1895 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed
Postmaster GeneralThe Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
by
Lord SalisburyRobert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
, a post he held until the government was reorganised in 1900. In July 1897 he was appointed the first
Lord Mayor of SheffieldThe Lord Mayor of Sheffield is a ceremonial post held by a member of Sheffield City Council. They are elected annually by the council. The post originated in 1843, with the appointment of William Jeffcock as the first Mayor of Sheffield...
, which he remained until November of the same year. In 1900, at age 53, he went to the
Second Boer WarThe Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
.
Apart from serving as Earl Marshal between 1860 and 1917, Norfolk was
Lord Lieutenant of SussexThis is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Sussex. From 1677 until 1974, all Lord Lieutenants were also Custos Rotulorum of Sussex.-Lord Lieutenants of Sussex to 1974:*Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel 1551–? jointly with...
between 1905 and 1917. He was made a
Knight of the GarterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
in 1886 and an honorary
FreemanFreedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the City of
SheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
in 1900.
Philanthropy
As is common with the
Dukes of NorfolkThe Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
(but exceptional within the British aristocracy), Norfolk was a Roman Catholic. In his dual role as Premier Duke and most prominent Roman Catholic in England, he undertook a programme of philanthropy which served in part to reintegrate Roman Catholics into civic life. He was born a generation after the
Catholic Relief Act 1829The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 24 March 1829, and received Royal Assent on 13 April. It was the culmination of the process of Catholic Emancipation throughout the nation...
but before the reconstitution of Roman Catholic dioceses in 1850. By the time he came of age as Duke in 1868, the process of
Catholic EmancipationCatholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
had made the establishment of Catholic institutions legal, but the reality of two hundred years of legislation in favour of the
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
left Roman Catholics with few structures of their own.
Norfolk's first major benefaction commemorated his coming of age as Duke. In his ancestral seat of
Arundel CastleArundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror...
(being also one of the
Earls of ArundelThe title Earl of Arundel is the oldest extant Earldom and perhaps the oldest extant title in the Peerage of England. It is currently held by the Duke of Norfolk, and is used by his heir apparent as a courtesy title. It was created in 1138 for the Norman baron Sir William d'Aubigny...
), he sponsored the construction of the Church of Our Lady and St
Philip NeriSaint Philip Romolo Neri , also known as Apostle of Rome, was an Italian priest, noted for founding a society of secular priests called the "Congregation of the Oratory".-Early life:...
between 1868 and 1873. This church was later chosen to serve as
Arundel CathedralThe Cathedral Church of Our Lady and St Philip Howard is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Arundel, West Sussex, England. Dedicated in 1873 as the Catholic parish church of Arundel, it was not designated a cathedral until the foundation of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton in 1965...
in 1965 and rededicated in 1971 to include Saint
Philip Howard, 20th Earl of ArundelSaint Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel was an English nobleman. He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970, as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales...
, an ancestor.
In 1877, he married his first wife, Lady Flora Hastings. He later wrote, 'Shortly after my most happy marriage, I wished to build a church as a thank-offering to God.' To commemorate this occasion, he undertook construction of a church in his titular ancestral seat in
NorwichNorwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
,
NorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. After commencing in 1882 with a gift of £200,000, construction would not be completed until 1910, nearly 23 years after Lady Flora's death in 1887. This church was also later chosen to serve as
St John the Baptist Cathedral, NorwichThe Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the city of Norwich, Norfolk, England.The Cathedral, located on Earlham Road, was constructed between 1882 and 1910 to designs by George Gilbert Scott, Jr...
when the
Roman Catholic Diocese of East AngliaThe Bishop of East Anglia is the Ordinary of the modern Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia in the Province of Westminster, England.At present the see is vacant...
was re-established in 1976.
The 15th Duke also donated funds for the building of the
University of SheffieldThe University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
and was its initial
ChancellorA chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
between 1905 and 1917. With Baron
Anatole von HügelAnatole von Hügel was the second son of the Austrian nobleman Charles von Hügel and his Scottish wife Elizabeth Farquharson. His elder brother was Friedrich von Hügel....
, he also co-founded St Edmund's House, Cambridge. He was also a significant contributor to the
Father DamienFather Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. , born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious order...
fund to fight
leprosyLeprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
. He also contributed funds to the construction of major Roman Catholic churches in Canada.
Family
Norfolk married as his first wife Lady Flora Paulyna Hetty Barbara, daughter of the Charles Abney-Hastings, 1st Baron Donington and Edith Rawdon-Hastings, 10th Countess of Loudoun, in 1877. They had one child:
- Philip Joseph Mary Fitzalan-Howard, Earl of Surrey, Earl of Arundel (7 September 1879 – 8 July 1902), died unmarried.
After Lady Flora's death in April 1887, aged 33, he married as his second wife his first cousin once removed the Hon. Gwendolen Constable-Maxwell, eldest daughter of the Marmaduke Constable-Maxwell, 11th Lord Herries of Terregles and the Hon. Angela Mary Charlotte, daughter of
Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 1st Baron Howard of GlossopEdward George Fitzalan-Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Glossop PC , styled Lord Edward Howard between 1842 and 1869, was a British Liberal politician...
, in 1907. She was 30 years his junior. They had four children:
- Lady (Mary) Rachel Fitzalan-Howard
Lady Rachel Pepys, DCVO was a Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent from 1943 – 1968.Born Mary Rachel Fitzalan-Howard, she was the eldest child of the 15th Duke of Norfolk and his wife, Gwendolen....
(1905–1992), married 1) (1939) Colin Keppel Davidson, 2) (1961) Anthony Hilton Pepys
- Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk
Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk, , styled Earl of Arundel and Surrey until 1917, was the eldest surviving son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, who died when Bernard was only 9 years old...
(1908–1975), married (1937) Hon. Lavinia Mary Strutt
- Lady Katherine Mary Fitzalan-Howard, (1912–2000), married (1940) (Joseph) Anthony Moore Phillips
- Lady Winefride Alice Fitzalan-Howard, (1914–2006), married (1943) John Edward Broke Freeman
In 1908 Gwendolen succeeded her father as Lady Herries of Terregles. The Duke of Norfolk died in February 1917, aged 69, and was succeeded in the dukedom by his only surviving son, Bernard. The Duchess of Norfolk died in August 1945, aged 68. She was succeeded in the Scottish lordship of parliament by her son, Bernard.