Susanna Howard, countess of Suffolk born Lady Susanna Rich (1627–1649) was a Countess. She was known for being devout and as an example of a godly life.

Life

Howard was born before May 1627. Her parents were

Isabel Rich, Countess of Holland Isabel Rich, Countess of Holland (died August 1655), formerly Isabel Cope, was an English courtier. She was the wife of Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland. Isabel Cope was the daughter of Sir Walter Cope (c. 1553–1614) and his wife, the former D ...

(born Cope) and

Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland (baptised 15 August 1590, died 9 March 1649), was an English courtier and politician executed by Parliament of England, Parliament after being captured fighting for the Cavaliers, Royalists during the Second Engli ...

. She showed talents for, and interest in, learning, poetry and religion. Her father probably knew poets from the court of

Henrietta Maria Henrietta Maria of France (French language, French: ''Henriette Marie''; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England, List of Scottish royal consorts, Scotland and Ireland from her marriage to K ...

and she had a remarkable memory. She was a particular fan of

George Herbert George Herbert (3 April 1593 – 1 March 1633) was an English poet, orator, and priest of the Church of England. His poetry is associated with the writings of the metaphysical poets, and he is recognised as "one of the foremost British devotio ...

and his best known work "The Temple". Herbert was both a

church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

minister and a poet and he was known as "Holy Mr Herbert". He was someone who had given up preferment to devote himself to God. She would learn sections of the bible and, it was said that, she could recall a sermon she had heard almost word perfect. Every day she would use the notes of

Giovanni Diodati Giovanni Diodati or Deodati (3 June 15763 October 1649) was a Genevan-born Italian Calvinist theologian and translator. His translation of the Bible into Italian from Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources became the reference version used ...

to assist her in reading six chapters of the bible. She was said to always wear black and to not where any adornment, although a portrait reveals that this was not always the case. Howard went to live in Essex at the mansion of

Audley End Audley End House is a largely early 17th-century country house outside Saffron Walden, Essex, England. It is a prodigy house, known as one of the finest Jacobean houses in England. Audley End is now one-third of its original size, but is st ...

after she married

James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk, KB (10 February 1606/1607December 1688), and 3rd Baron Howard de Walden (1619–1688), eldest son of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk. Howard was honoured with knighthood in the Order of the Bath in 1626 ...

on 1 December 1640 in Kensington. He had inherited a debt of £132,000 from the previous Earl and he married her, in part, to reduce that burden. Her husband had supported the King, before they married in a war against the Scots. After they married and as the civil war progressed he sided with Parliament and he attended the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. Their first child was named Essex Howard and she was followed by two sons. One of these died young and another died unbaptised. Her husband was arrested during the civil war and her father, Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland, was involving in leading a faction who intended to put Charles back on the throne by force. The force of 600 men was defeated and he was tried for treason by his peers. He was executed in March 1649. Susanna Howard was ill and she lived until 19 May 1649. She was 22 when she died of an infection and she was buried at St Mary the Virgin church in Saffron Walden.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Susanna 1627 births 1649 deaths People from Saffron Walden Countesses