Sir Francis Howard and Jane Monson

Sir Francis Howard was born 21 Oct 1585 in Croydon, Surrey,England. He died on July 7, 1651, and lies buried in the church of Great Bookham in Surrey, under a monument erected to his memory. He was the son of Sir William Howard of Lingfielde in Surrey, and his wife Francis Gouldwell. He married Jane Monson, daughter of Sir William Monson, of Kinnersley in Surrey(knighted at Cadiz who was Admiral of the Narrow Seas in 1604), by his wife Dorothy Wallop. He was knighted at Chatham, on July 4, 1604. Sir Francis and Jane Howard lived at Eastwick House in Great Bookham.

Their childeren were:
1.Charles (1615-1672)
2.William, (1616-0)
3.Henry, (1624-)
4.Thomas, (1621-)
5.Edward, (1627-)
6.Lodowick, ( 1632-)
7.John,( 1636- 1661)m. Mary Clarke
8.Mary (1618-)
9.Frances (1630-)

A genealogical history of the dormant, abeyant, forfeited, and extinct ...‎ - Page 286
by Sir Bernard Burke -1866

Howard—Earls of Nottingham, Earls of Effingham, Co. Surrey
Earldom of Nottingham, by Letters Patent, dated 22 October 1596
Earldom of Effingham, by Letters Patent, dated 8 December 1731

Lineage
Lord William Howard, eldest son of Thomas,Duke of Norfolk, by Agnes, his 2nd duchess,sister and heiress of Sir Philip Tilney, of Boston, co. Lincolnshire, having been accredited by King Henry VIII, and Edward VI, upon numerous confidential missions to foreign courts, amongst others, in 1553, to the Czar of Muscovy (being the first ambassador from England to Russia), was elevated to the peerage in the first year of Queen Mary, 11 March, 1554, as Baron Howard, of Effingham, and constituted in the same month lord high admiral of her majesty's dominions. His lordship was soon afterwards installed a knight of the Garter, and in the ensuing reign he was made lord chamberlain of the household, and then lord privy seal. His lordship m. 1st Katherine, one of the sisters and heirs of John Broughton, Esq., by whom he had an only dau., Agnes, who m. William Paulet, 3rd Marquess of Winchester, and d. 1601.Lord Howard m. 2nd Margaret, 2nd dau. Of Sir Thomas Gamage,Knt. Of Coity, co. Glamorgan and had issue,
Charles, his successor
William, (Sir), of Lingfield, co. Surrey, who m. Frances, dau. Of William Gouldwell, Esq., of Gouldwell Hall, Kent, and had issue,
Edward
Francis
Charles
all knights

Sir William d.in 1600 and was s. by his eldest son,
Sir Edward Howard, who d.s.p. In 1620, and was s. by his brother,
Sir Francis Howard of Great Bookham, who m. Jane, dau. Of Sir William Monson, of Kinnersley, in Surrey, and was s. by his eldest son,
Sir Charles Howard.

Lincolnshire Pedigrees: G-O‎ - Page 683
by Arthur Staunton Larken -1903

Says that Jane was the daughter of Sir William Monson, knighted at Cadiz who was Admiral of the Narrow Seas in 1604.

A geological, historical, and topographical description of the borough of Reigate- Page 49
by Robert Phillips Anderson - 1885

Says that Francis Howard and Jane Monson resided at Eastwick House in Great Bookham.

The Peerage of England. Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of ...‎ - Page 126
by Arthur Collins

This Sir Frances received the honor of knighthood at Chatham, on July 4, 1604, and married Jane, daughter of Sir William Monson, of Kinnersley in Surrey, Knight. He died on July 7, 1651, and lies buried in the church of Great Bookham in Surrey, under a monument erected to his memory.

His issue were seven sons, and one daughter; Charles, William, Henry, Thomas, Edward, Lodowick, John, and Mary.

The representative history of Great Britain and Ireland, comprising ...‎ - Page 153
by Robert Henry O'Byrne – 1848

Sir Francis, sat for Windsor in the Parliament of 1603, succeeding on the demise of Mr. Durdent. He was the second son of Sir William Howard, of Lingfield, co. Surrey, and the nephew of Sir Charles Howard, second Baron Effingham, so famous for his memorable defeat of the Spanish armada, who subsequently was created Earl of Nottingham. Sir Francis, who is described as of Great Bookham, married Jane, daughter of Sir William Monson, of Kinnersley, in Surrey, and on his demise was succeeded by his eldest son Sir Charles.


The following information comes from an introduction in the front of, The naval tracts of Sir William Monson in six books‎ - Page xxxvi, by Sir William Monson, Michael Oppenheim -1902 (the same basic information is contained in the Dictionary of National Biography)

William Monson was the first English seaman to write a historical account of the wars he fought in. He was from a family of Lincolnshire squires, who lived at South Carlton, about three miles from Lincoln. He was the third son of Sir John Monson, (d. 1593) and Jane Dighton. He was born about 1567-68. He attended Balliol College for at least two years around 1581. He ran away to sea at about age sixteen. In 1587 he was a captain, and went to Salee with “two pinnaces and a small Spanish prize”, which I take to mean that he captured a Spanish vessel.

The book says that he went to the Canaries and traveled to Cezimbra. He went into Setubal to get supplies with his crew disguised as Portugese, having only one Portugese sailor on board. On their return voyage, they were almost shipwrecked and nearly starved.

After the 1587 voyage as a privateer, he served durign the Armada campaign on the Queen's ship 'Charles'. After that time, around 1589, he was in the royal navy serving under the Earl of Cumberland, and must have obtained a good reputation as a sailor to serve under him, as he was still a very young man.

The books introduction says that he referred to himself as the Vice-Admiral under Cumberland in 1589. Sometime during that year he became ill and was forced to remain on land during 1590. But he was back at sea in 1591 and was taken prisoner on a galley ship until July 1592. He did not write how he managed to be freed from the Spanish. In 1593 he was again serving under Cumberland. His writings indicate that he no longer thought so highly of Cumberland and may have considered him imcompetent.

His father died in 1593 and he inherited some property in Lincolnshire. On 9 July 1594 he received an M.A at Oxford. In 1595 he married Dorothy Wallop, daughter of Richard Wallop.She was the widow of Richard Smith of Shelford and had a son by him.

He went back to sea under Cumberland, but had a falling out with him, because Cumberland left another sailor in command when he believed it should have been him. So, in April 1596, he was commanding another ship called the Rainbow. He then served at Cadiz under Earl of Essex, as a flag-captain. He was given this position ahead of older and perhaps more qualified officers. He was also knighted, indicating that he had found favor in some way with Essex. It may also have been partly prompted by a rivalry between Essex and Cumberland.

In 1597, he went with Essex on the 'Islands Voyage'. In 1599 he was in command of a ship called the 'Defiance'. During the following two years, Essex was losing political power and he served on two ships called the 'Garland' and the 'Nonpareil'. In Leveson's squadron on the coast of Ireland.

It was during this time that he became attached to the Howard family, who were connected to Sir Robert Cecyll. Sir Richard Leveson was a son-in-law of Charles Howard, the Earl of Nottingham and Lord Admiral and an old friend of the Queen.

In December 1601, he sat in Parliament in the House of Commons. In 1602,he served as Levinson's Vice-Admiral. He captured the St. Valentine in Cezimbra Bay. When he returned from this voyage he was called to London, to a conference with the Queen, Nottingham, Buckhurst and Cecyll. They sent back to sea with his own command. In 1603, he served again as Leveson's Vice-Admiral but also had his own command during the same year. Leveson's fleet was to secure the Channel to avoid any problems due to Elizabeth's death that year. He wrote that Leveson was not trusted by the Privy Council and that they intended to have him replace him under the command of Thomas Howard.

The book says that Sir William Monson had an older brother, Sir Thomas, who was Chancelor to the Queen and the King's Master Falconer. He also had a younger brother named Robert that was knighted.

In 1604 William Monson was placed in charge of the Channel Guard. Despite all of this honorable service, the book says that he was taking bribes from the Spanish.

In 1613, Sir John Digby, Ambassador to Spain wrote to James I,

'I must humbly crave Your Majesty's permission to utter some few words by way of apoloby, for that I well understand how ill it befitteth a gentleman or an honest man to put jealousies int the heads of princes against their ministers upon circumstances that have not strong possibilities; but when the present danger or inconvenience will not fittingly admit of the delay which is requisite for the sifting of those suspicions, which are not without cause concerned, then I suppose that the prejudice of particular men is rather to be adventured than Your Majesty's service or safety in the least manner hazarded. And this is now the case: for I see a person employed in Your Majesty's service in a place of so great consequence and trust, and that in times of danger if he should be disloyal unto Your Majesty might have so great power to do hurt, being indeed one of the guards of Your kingdom, as may well excuse my giving Your Majesty a caveat to have him carefully looked unto, although my suspicions are not yet come to certain and direct proof. The party is Sir William Monson, Admiral of the Narrow Seas, whom by diverse circumstances and collections I gather to be a pensioner of the King of Spain, as I fear (before it be long) I shall plainly make it appear unto Your Majesty.'

In another letter, he wrote that William Monson 'hath been the ambassador's instrument to negotiate therein, himself being and having been, a pensioner to the King of Spain ever since the year 1604.' And that he had been allotted 4,000 crowns a year pension. And had received bonuses of 1,500 crowns.

The book indicates that his actual service in return for the bribes was to negotiate prices with other more influential people the Spanish sought to bribe. He may have also been payed to let Spanish ships pass un-harassed and to assist messengers and priests traveling to and from England. The period during which he was in command of the Channel was from 1604-1616.

In 1614 he owned a house in Charterhouse Square, 'adoining the west gate of the Charterhouse that opens into the old churchyard.' He did not buy Kinnersley until later. He wrote that he did not receive compensation for distinguished passengers that he sometimes had on board his ships. He also wrote that he was never given any 'recompense or preferment' for his services. However, this is not entirely accurate. He did have his command of the Channel and he had a lease given to him for service to the Queen, of a manor called Gimingham in Norfolk.

He was dismissed from his command in January of 1616, just after the December 1615 letter from Digby. Those in power who had helped him obtain his command, had died or lost political influence and he ended up in the Tower.

He was suspected of Popery, carrying forbidden passengers, contraband goods, secret communication for Spanish officials and taking bribes. He asked that a preacher be allowed to come to him in the Tower, indicating that he was not a practicing Catholic. Because of the political situation, the King decided that he did not want the pensions that Monson and others took to become public knowledge, and he was freed from the tower in July.

Due to his arrest, he lost his estates to forfeiture. In letters that he wrote, he says that he was charged because he had complained about the state of the navy and his opinion that there should be reform.

In 1614, his daughter Jane married Sir Francis Howard, of Lingfield, the nephew of Nottingham. In 1624, he owned Kinnersly, three miles south of Reigate. The book says that his children were all born before he bought Kinnersly. John Monson, born Bugbrooke, 10 September 1597; William Monson, born London, 2 February 1599; Francis Monson, baptized Boston, 27 February 1607; Anne Monson, baptized 27 February 160?; Elizabeth Monson, baptized St. Dunstan's in the West, 27 June 1605. In 1617 he was called before the Privy Council to give advice about how best to attack Algiers, in order to stop Algerian piracy. He had nine daughters in total.

His eldest son, John was supposed to have been an avowed Papist and was committed to the Gatehouse for arguing on some points of Popery. His son William, was asked to leave court, in part because his family was suspected of Popery, but he was later knighted.

Sir William Monson spent the latter years of his life at Kinnersley. During that time he put the finishing touches on his 'Tracts” so that they could be published. He was sometimes employed as a consultant. In 1637 he was part of a commission to appoint officers to defend England. He was ordered along with William Lynch in 1639 to make inquirey into 'insolences' committed by the Dutch.

He died in 1642-43, before his manuscripts were printed. He was buried 13 February, at St. Martin's in the Fields. His wife survived him. His second son William, having married Nottingham's widow and become Viscount Monson, was administrator of his estate. His eldest son John, died 20 August 1645. William Monson's estate besides Kinnersley, consisted of 120 acres of land in the parishes of Minster and Eastchurch in Kent; the manors of Croft and Skegness in Lincolnshire.