Howard, Charles, 1st Earl of Nottingham (1536 -1624)

Charles Howard was the eldest son of William, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham, and his second wife, Margaret, second daughter of Sir Thomas Gamage, Knight, of Coity in Glamorganshire. He was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1564, and took his M.A. at Cambridge University in 1571. Member of Parliament for Surrey 1563 1567 and 1572 1573, he succeeded his father in 1573. He was in favour at the court of Queen Elizabeth, and served the country both at land and at sea. In 1574 he was installed a Knight of the Garter and made Lord Chamberlain of the Household, a post he resigned on being made Lord Admiral in 1585, and three years later was Lieutenant General of the Queen's whole Fleet at Sea at the time of the Great Armada. He was made Earl of Nottingham 22 October 1597 in reward for his victory in the joint action with the Earl of Essex at Cadiz, where a Spanish fleet was destroyed. At the coronation of James I he was Lord Great Steward of Great Britain for that occasion, but was required by James I to surrender his patent for the office of Lord Admiral so that it might be granted to the Marquess of Buckingham. He married twice, firstly, in July 1563, Katherine, eldest daughter of Henry Carey, Lord Hunsdon, and secondly, in September 1603, Margaret Stewart, daughter of James Stewart, Earl of Moray, by both of whom he had children. He presented sixteen manuscripts and thirty six printed books to the Bodleian Library in Oxford, where they are listed in the Benefactors Register p. 86 87. The manuscripts also appear in the Summary Catalogue of Manuscripts i 88.