Biography of Thomas Howard 8th Duke of Norfolk 1683-1732

On 11th December 1683 Thomas Howard 8th Duke of Norfolk was born to [his father] Thomas Howard [aged 26] and Mary Elizabeth Savile [aged 20]. He was raised as a Catholic at the court in exile in France (where his mother was governess to the prince of Wales). His Catholicism was used as a lever by his childless uncle, Henry Howard 7th Duke of Norfolk [aged 28], to secure support for his divorce bill which, he argued, would enable him to remarry and provide instead a protestant heir to his dukedom. Norfolk's untimely death meant that he was succeeded by his Catholic nephew after all.

Before 9th November 1689 [his father] Thomas Howard [aged 32] and [his mother] Mary Elizabeth Savile [aged 26] were married. He the son of [his grandfather] Henry Howard 6th Duke of Norfolk and [his grandmother] Anne Somerset Countess Norfolk.

On 9th November 1689, possibly 5th December 1690 [his father] Thomas Howard [aged 32] drowned whilst travelling from England to France. He was due to be attainted by process of outlawry, but since he died before his outlawry was formally pronounced, his brother, [his uncle] Henry Howard 7th Duke of Norfolk [aged 34], argued that the attainder was erroneous and secured a writ of error to reverse it.

On 2nd April 1701 [his uncle] Henry Howard 7th Duke of Norfolk [aged 46] died of apoplexy. He was buried in the Fitzalan Chapel, Arundel Castle [Map]. His nephew Thomas [aged 17] succeeded 8th Duke Norfolk, 19th or 26th Earl Arundel, 9th Earl Surrey, 6th Earl Norfolk, 3rd Earl Norwich, 19th Baron Mowbray, 20th Baron Segrave, 17th Baron Furnivall, 21st Baron Strange Blackmere, 18th Baron Talbot, 16th Baron Maltravers, 16th Baron Arundel, 3rd Baron Howard of Castle Rising.

Around 1706 Thomas Howard 8th Duke of Norfolk [aged 22] was in secret negotiations for a marriage to Elizabeth [aged 17], daughter of Thomas Bruce [aged 50], 2nd earl of Ailesbury. When her brother, Charles [aged 23], the future 3rd earl, discovered the intrigue he was horrified. He insisted that he would never give his consent to her marrying a Catholic, though he seems to have been just as worried about the 'worldly concerns' of Catholics who were 'in a very precarious way', as about their religious beliefs, citing the bill to limit their rights of inheritance which was then before Parliament. Instead, Norfolk began his pursuit of [his future wife] Maria [aged 13], then only thirteen, daughter of [his future father-in-law] Nicholas Shireburn 1st Baronet [aged 47].

On 26th May 1709 Thomas Howard 8th Duke of Norfolk [aged 25] and Maria Shireburn Duchess Norfolk [aged 16] were married. She by marriage Duchess Norfolk. She bringing a large dowry of £30,000. She eventually left him after he changed his allegiance to George I rejecting the Jacobites.

On 14th December 1717 [his father-in-law] Nicholas Shireburn 1st Baronet [aged 59] died. Monument in Church of All Hallows, Great Mitton [Map]. Baronet Shireburn extinct. His daughter [his wife] Maria Shireburn Duchess Norfolk [aged 25] inherited Stonyhurst.

Nicholas Shireburn 1st Baronet: On 29th July 1658 he was born to Richard Shireburn and Isabel Ingleby. On 4th February 1685 Nicholas Shireburn 1st Baronet was created 1st Baronet Shireburn. Around 1706 Thomas Howard 8th Duke of Norfolk was in secret negotiations for a marriage to Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Bruce, 2nd earl of Ailesbury. When her brother, Charles, the future 3rd earl, discovered the intrigue he was horrified. He insisted that he would never give his consent to her marrying a Catholic, though he seems to have been just as worried about the 'worldly concerns' of Catholics who were 'in a very precarious way', as about their religious beliefs, citing the bill to limit their rights of inheritance which was then before Parliament. Instead, Norfolk began his pursuit of Maria, then only thirteen, daughter of Nicholas Shireburn 1st Baronet.

Maria Shireburn Duchess Norfolk: On 22nd November 1692 she was born to Nicholas Shireburn 1st Baronet. On 26th May 1709 Thomas Howard 8th Duke of Norfolk and she were married. She by marriage Duchess Norfolk. She bringing a large dowry of £30,000. She eventually left him after he changed his allegiance to George I rejecting the Jacobites. On 26th September 1754 Maria Shireburn Duchess Norfolk died. Her aunt Elizabeth Shireburn inherited Stonyhurst by which it became into the ownership of the Weld family.

In 1720 Thomas Howard 8th Duke of Norfolk [aged 36] secured an act of Parliament regarding the fee simple of Arundel Buildings and his estates in Norfolk and Suffolk. Another act of Parliament in 1724 allowed him to develop lands in the Westminster parish of St Clements Danes.

On 29th October 1722 Thomas Howard 8th Duke of Norfolk [aged 38] was arrested under suspicion of involvement in a Jacobite Atterbury plot, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London [Map]. He was released in May 1723 with Charles Howard 3rd Earl Carlisle [aged 53] acting as surety for his bail.

On 26th November 1727 [his brother] Edward Howard 9th Duke of Norfolk [aged 41] and [his sister-in-law] Mary Blount Duchess Norfolk [aged 16] were married. The difference in their ages was 24 years. They were sixth cousins.

On 10th December 1732 [his mother] Mary Elizabeth Savile [aged 69] died.

On 23rd December 1732 Thomas Howard 8th Duke of Norfolk [aged 49] died without issue. His brother Edward [aged 46] succeeded 9th Duke Norfolk, 20th or 27th Earl Arundel, 10th Earl Surrey, 7th Earl Norfolk, 4th Earl Norwich, 20th Baron Mowbray, 21st Baron Segrave, 18th Baron Furnivall, 22nd Baron Strange Blackmere, 19th Baron Talbot, 17th Baron Maltravers, 17th Baron Arundel, 4th Baron Howard of Castle Rising and Earl Marshal. Mary Blount Duchess Norfolk [aged 21] by marriage Duchess Norfolk.

On 26th September 1754 [his former wife] Maria Shireburn Duchess Norfolk [aged 61] died. Her aunt Elizabeth Shireburn inherited Stonyhurst by which it became into the ownership of the Weld family.