Howard, Thomas, 2nd Earl of Arundel and Surrey (1585 -1646)

Thomas Howard was the only son of Philip, Earl of Arundel, who was attainted in 1590, and died in 1595, and Elizabeth Dacre. He was educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge. During Elizabeth's reign he was known only by the courtesy title of Lord Maltravers, but was restored to his titles by James I, by Act of Parliament 18 April 1604, but not to all the estates. He married, in September 1606, Alathea, third daughter and eventual heir of Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1611 he was made a Knight of the Garter, in 1616 a member of the Privy Council, in 1621 Earl Marshal, and on the 6 June 1644, he was created Earl of Norfolk. He collected a very large library, many of the best items of which came with the library of Billibald Pirckheimer, bought while Arundel was Ambassador to The Holy Roman Empire. Pirckheimer's collection included many books from the library of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary. In 1667, the Arundel Library was given to the Royal Society by Henry Howard, 6th Earl of Norfolk, with the exception of the manuscripts of genealogical interest which were given to the College of Arms and which include the Shrewsbury MSS. In 1681 a catalogue of the library was published under the title Bibliotheca Norfolciana. The Arundel Manuscripts were transferred to the British Musuem in 1831, and a catalogue of the non scientific books which had been segregated in 1874 was published in 1910 under the title Catalogue of a collection of early printed books in the library of the Royal Society. The greater part of these books were sold at Sotheby's 4 May 1925, the Royal Society retaining only those of scientific interest.