William Howley

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable

William Howley
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable; William Howley
Archbishop of Canterbury
Province	Canterbury
Diocese	Canterbury
See	Canterbury
Installed	1828
Term ended	1848
Predecessor	Charles Manners-Sutton
Successor	John Bird Sumner
Personal details
Born	12 February 1766; Ropley, Hampshire, England
Died	11 February 1848; Lambeth, Surrey, England
Buried	St Mary the Blessed Virgin Church, Addington, London

William Howley (1766–1848) was a clergyman in the Church of England. He served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1828 to 1848.

Early Life, education, and interests

Howley was born in 1766 at Ropley, Hampshire, where his father was vicar. He was educated at Winchester College and in 1783 went to New College, Oxford. He became Chaplain to the Marquess of Abercorn in 1792, whose influence was critical in advancing his early career.^[1]^: 3 In 1809 he was appointed Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University (as well as previously becoming a Fellow of Winchester and a Canon of Christ Church, Oxford in 1804.)

He was an active English Freemason, having joined the 'Royal York Lodge' in Bristol on 21 December 1791,^[2] aged 25, and served the lodge regularly until his elevation to the episcopate took him to London.^[3]^[4]

In October 1813, at Lambeth Palace, he was consecrated Bishop of London, a post he was to occupy until 1828, when he became Archbishop of Canterbury.

Life as Archbishop of Canterbury

Howley was Archbishop during the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts (1828), the Emancipation of the Catholics (1829) and the passing of the Great Reform Act (1832). The bench of bishops was generally opposed to all three measures. As archbishop, Howley was their spokesman, and his heart-felt opposition to the Great Reform Act led to his carriage being attacked in the streets of Canterbury.^[5]

Like very many other bishops at that time, Howley was an "old-High Churchman." These inherited a tradition of high views of the sacraments from the Caroline Divines and their successors. They held Catholic beliefs but were consistently anti-Roman. They were often despised by the more extreme Tractarians and their beliefs were often obscured, for example, in Richard William Church's classic account of the Oxford Movement.

Archbishop Howley presided over the coronation of William IV and Queen Adelaide in 1831. At 5 a.m. on 20 June 1837, accompanied by the Lord Chamberlain, the Marquis Conyngham, the Archbishop went to Kensington Palace to inform Princess Victoria that she was now Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Architecture was of particular interest to him. During his career, he initiated the renovation and rebuilding of: his official house at Oxford, his town residence while Bishop of London (32 St. James's Square), Fulham Palace (also while he was Bishop of London), and finally, extensive renovations to Lambeth Palace. This last project was a virtual reconstruction of the Palace carried out by Edward Blore, the work beginning after 1828 and done mainly in the Gothic Revival style. It took several years and cost upwards of £60,000.

Queen Victoria receiving the news of her accession to the throne. The archbishop is on the right.

William Howley was married on 29 August 1805 to Mary Frances Belli, a daughter of John Belli, EICS, (1740–1805) of Southampton who had been Private Secretary to Warren Hastings. The Howleys had two sons and three daughters; neither son reached adulthood. One of his daughters married Sir George Howland Willoughby Beaumont, a nephew of Sir George Beaumont, 7th Baronet. William Howley died in 1848 and was interred at Addington after an elaborate funeral.

References

^ Garrard (The Rev'd Canon), James (2016). Archbishop Howley, 1828-1848 ((Prev published Ashgate, 2015) ed.). London: Routledge. ISBN 9781472451330.
^ Powell, A.C.; Littlejohn, S. (1910). Freemasonry in Bristol (First ed.). Bristol: Bennett Brothers.
^ See also the Freemasons' Review, June 1844 edition - Howley's masonry was a well known contemporary fact.
^ See also the Freemasons' Quarterly Review, first quarter, 1835 - a survey of the Archbishop's masonic career.
^ "Assault On His Grace The Archbishop Of Canterbury". The Times. No. 14927. London. 10 August 1832. p. 3.

External links

Academic offices
Preceded by Charles Henry Hall	Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford 1809–1813	Succeeded by William Van Mildert
Church of England titles
Preceded by John Randolph	Bishop of London 1813–1828	Succeeded by Charles James Blomfield
Preceded by Charles Manners-Sutton	Archbishop of Canterbury 1828–1848	Succeeded by John Bird Sumner

[Garrard-1] Garrard (The Rev'd Canon), James (2016). Archbishop Howley, 1828-1848 ((Prev published Ashgate, 2015) ed.). London: Routledge. ISBN 9781472451330.

[2] Powell, A.C.; Littlejohn, S. (1910). Freemasonry in Bristol (First ed.). Bristol: Bennett Brothers.

[3] See also the Freemasons' Review, June 1844 edition - Howley's masonry was a well known contemporary fact.

[4] See also the Freemasons' Quarterly Review, first quarter, 1835 - a survey of the Archbishop's masonic career.

[5] "Assault On His Grace The Archbishop Of Canterbury". The Times. No. 14927. London. 10 August 1832. p. 3.

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v t e Archbishops of Canterbury
List of archbishops of Canterbury
Pre-Conquest	Augustine Laurence Mellitus Justus Honorius Deusdedit Wighard Theodore of Tarsus Berhtwald Tatwine Nothhelm Cuthbert Bregowine Jænberht Æthelhard Wulfred Feologild Ceolnoth Æthelred Plegmund Athelm Wulfhelm Oda Ælfsige Byrhthelm Dunstan Æthelgar Sigeric Ælfric of Abingdon Ælfheah Lyfing Æthelnoth Eadsige Robert of Jumièges Stigand
Conquest to Reformation	Lanfranc Anselm Ralph d'Escures William de Corbeil Theobald of Bec Thomas Becket Roger de Bailleul Richard of Dover Baldwin of Forde Reginald Fitz Jocelin Hubert Walter Reginald John de Gray Stephen Langton Walter d'Eynsham Richard le Grant Ralph Neville John of Sittingbourne John Blund Edmund of Abingdon Boniface William Chillenden Robert Kilwardby Robert Burnell John Peckham Robert Winchelsey Thomas Cobham Walter Reynolds Simon Mepeham John de Stratford John de Ufford Thomas Bradwardine Simon Islip William Edington Simon Langham William Whittlesey Simon Sudbury William Courtenay Thomas Arundel Roger Walden Thomas Arundel Henry Chichele John Stafford John Kemp Thomas Bourchier John Morton Thomas Langton Henry Deane William Warham Thomas Cranmer Reginald Pole
Post-Reformation	Matthew Parker Edmund Grindal John Whitgift Richard Bancroft George Abbot William Laud Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) William Juxon Gilbert Sheldon William Sancroft John Tillotson Thomas Tenison William Wake John Potter Thomas Herring Matthew Hutton Thomas Secker Frederick Cornwallis John Moore Charles Manners-Sutton William Howley John Bird Sumner Charles Longley Archibald Campbell Tait Edward White Benson Frederick Temple Randall Davidson Cosmo Lang William Temple Geoffrey Fisher Michael Ramsey Donald Coggan Robert Runcie George Carey Rowan Williams Justin Welby
Italics indicate a person who was elected but not confirmed.

v t e Bishops of London
Post-Augustine	Mellitus Cedd Wine Earconwald Waldhere Ingwald Ecgwulf Wigheah Eadberht Eadgar Coenwalh Eadbald Heathoberht Osmund Æthelnoth Ceolberht Deorwulf Swithwulf Heahstan Wulfsige Æthelweard Leofstan Theodred Brihthelm Dunstan Ælfstan Wulfstan Ælfhun Ælfwig Ælfweard Robert of Jumièges Spearhafoc
Post-Conquest	William the Norman Hugh d'Orevalle Maurice Richard de Belmeis I Gilbert Universalis Anselm (quashed) Robert de Sigello Richard de Belmeis II Gilbert Foliot Richard FitzNeal William of Sainte-Mère-Église Eustace of Fauconberg Roger Niger Fulk Basset Henry Wingham Richard Talbot Henry of Sandwich John Chishull Fulke Lovell Richard Gravesend Ralph Baldock Gilbert Segrave Richard Newport Stephen Gravesend Richard de Wentworth Ralph Stratford Michael Northburgh Simon Sudbury William Courtenay Robert Braybrooke Roger Walden Nicholas Bubwith Richard Clifford John Kemp William Grey Robert FitzHugh Robert Gilbert Thomas Kempe Richard Hill Thomas Savage William Warham William Barons Richard FitzJames Cuthbert Tunstall
During the Reformation	John Stokesley Edmund Bonner (1st) Nicholas Ridley Edmund Bonner (2nd)
Post-Reformation	Edmund Grindal Edwin Sandys John Aylmer Richard Fletcher Richard Bancroft Richard Vaughan Thomas Ravis George Abbot John King George Montaigne William Laud William Juxon Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) William Juxon Gilbert Sheldon Humphrey Henchman Henry Compton John Robinson Edmund Gibson Thomas Sherlock Thomas Hayter Richard Osbaldeston Richard Terrick Robert Lowth Beilby Porteus John Randolph William Howley Charles James Blomfield Archibald Campbell Tait John Jackson Frederick Temple Mandell Creighton Arthur Winnington-Ingram Geoffrey Fisher William Wand Henry Montgomery Campbell Robert Stopford Gerald Ellison Graham Leonard David Hope Richard Chartres Pete Broadbent (Acting) Sarah Mullally

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Early Life, education, and interests

Life as Archbishop of Canterbury

References

Further reading

External links