Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...

Thomas Henry Howard OF (July 17, 1849 – July 1, 1923) was the Second

Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army The Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army is a Commissioner appointed by the General of The Salvation Army as the second in command internationally. The Chief of the Staff is stationed at International Headquarters in London. The office of C ...

, succeeding

Bramwell Booth William Bramwell Booth, Order of the Companions of Honour, CH (8 March 1856 – 16 June 1929) was a British church and charity leader who was the first Chief of the Staff of The Salvation Army, Chief of Staff (1881–1912) and the second Genera ...

on his appointment as General on the death of his father

William Booth William Booth (10 April 1829 – 20 August 1912) was an English Methodist preacher who, along with his wife, Catherine, founded the Salvation Army and became its first General (1878–1912). This Christian movement, founded in 1865, has a qu ...

in 1912.

Biography

Howard was born on July 17, 1849, in

Ilkeston Ilkeston ( ) is a town located in the Borough of Erewash in Derbyshire, England, with a population of 40,953 at the 2021 census. Its major industries, coal mining, iron working and lace making/textiles, have now all but disappeared. Part of t ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

to Hannah and William Howard. He worked as a builder and spent a night in prayer before making the decision to join

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

. After a short period spent at the

Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...

Corps, he was appointed to the work of officer training. In 1884, he was transferred to Australia, where he was instrumental in expanding the work of the Army, and was the first Commander of The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory, from 1886 to 1889. Later appointments included British Commissioner, International Training Commissioner and Foreign Secretary at the International Headquarters in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Howard was appointed The Salvation Army's Second

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

by General Bramwell Booth in 1912, a post he held until his retirement from active service in 1919. In 1920, he was awarded the

Order of the Founder In 1917, five years after the death of the founder of the Salvation Army William Booth, his son, General Bramwell Booth, inaugurated the Order of the Founder to recognise Salvationists who had rendered distinguished service, such as would have spe ...

, the Salvation Army's most prestigious award. Commissioner Howard died in

Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

in 1923.

Two of the children he had with his wife Martha (1847-1937) died young. His son John Howard married Florence Annie Lawley, the daughter of

Commissioner John Lawley Commissioner John Lawley (31 December 1859–9 September 1922) was a Commissioner in The Salvation Army, the second highest rank attainable by Officers in the organisation, and the highest 'appointed' rank. An early Salvationist, he joined The ...

. He died on July 1, 1923. Like many prominent

Salvationist The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of ov ...

s, T. Henry Howard is buried in

Abney Park Cemetery Abney Park cemetery is one of the "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries in London, England. Abney Park in Stoke Newington in the London Borough of Hackney is a historic parkland originally laid out in the early 18th century by Lady Mary Abney, D ...

References

External links

Howard
in

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

October 5, 1908, Retrieved on 2008-10-31 * *
Howard on Salvation Army Collectables
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, T. Henry 1849 births 1923 deaths Salvation Army officers Commissioners in The Salvation Army English Salvationists Burials at Abney Park Cemetery People from Ilkeston