John Grubham Howe

John Grubham Howe (1657–1722), commonly known as Jack Howe, was an English politician. Elected on numerous occasions as Member of Parliament, he made the transition from the Whig to the Tory faction. Early life He was second son of John Grobham Howe of Langar, Nottinghamshire, who was member of parliament for Gloucestershire. His mother was Annabella, third and youngest illegitimate daughter and coheiress of Emanuel Scrope, 1st Earl of Sunderland. Early in life he figured as a young and amorous courtier. In 1679 he brought an accusation against Frances Stewart, Duchess of Richmond, which on investigation proved to be false, and he was forbidden to attend the court. At this period he wrote verses. Member of Parliament Following the Glorious Revolution he sat for Cirencester in the Convention parliament, January 1689 to February 1690, and in its two successors 1690–1695 and 1695–1698. The county of Gloucester returned him in 1698, and again in January 1701. At the subsequent election (December 1701) the Whigs concentrated efforts against him and ejected him from the seat. In Queen Anne's first parliament (1702) Howe was returned for four constituencies (Bodmin, Gloucester city, Gloucester county, and Newton in Lancashire); and chose his old seat for Gloucestershire. A petition by Sir John Guise, his opponent for the county, against his return was defeated by 219 votes to 98. After 1705 he ceased to sit in parliament. At the beginning of William III's reign Howe had urged severe measures against such politicians as Carmarthen and Halifax, identified with the measures of James II. He was then a strong Whig, and in 1689 was appointed vice-chamberlain to Queen Mary. Early in March 1692 the queen dismissed him from that post, and he at the same time lost the minor position of Keeper of the Mall. In the following November he was summoned before the court of verge for wounding a servant of his in Whitehall, and on pleading guilty was pardoned (December 1692). From this time he became a fierce Tory. He took an active part against Gilbert Burnet for his 'Pastoral Letter,' and spoke vehemently against the prosecution of the war and on behalf of Sir John Fenwick. He served among those appointed by the House of Commons to bring in a bill on the forfeited estates in Ireland (December 1699), and thundered in parliament over the grants to King William's Dutch friends of some of the property.