Thomas Howell (

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

1568), was an English poet. Howell was probably a native of

Dunster Dunster is a village that is home to Celtu and civil parish in Somerset, England, within the north-eastern boundary of Exmoor National Park. It lies on the Bristol Channel southeast of Minehead and northwest of Taunton. At the 2011 Census, ...

in Somerset. He published in 1568 "The Arbor of Amitie, wherein is comprised pleasant Poems and pretie Poesies, set foorth by Thomas Howell, Gentleman", 8vo, 51 leaves (

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

), with a dedicatory epistle to Lady Ann Talbot. Howell appears to have been employed at this time in the household of the

Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Ireland ...

. "New Sonnets and Pretty Pamphlets … Newly augmented, corrected, and amended", 4to, was licensed for publication in 1567-8. An imperfect, undated copy, supposed to be unique, is preserved in the Capell collection (

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

); it is dedicated "To his approved Freinde, Maister Henry Lassels, Gentilman". Several poems are addressed to John Keeper (a Somerset man), and some of Keeper's poems are included among "Newe Sonets". Howell's latest work was "H. His Deuises, for his owne exercise, and his Friends pleasure. Vincit qui patitur", 1581, 4to, 51 leaves, preserved among Malone's books in the Bodleian Library. It appears from the dedicatory epistle that he was now in the service of the Countess of Pembroke (

Mary Sidney Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke ( Sidney, 27 October 1561 – 25 September 1621) was among the first Englishwomen to gain notice for her poetry and her literary patronage. By the age of 39, she was listed with her brother Philip Sidney and ...

), and that the poems were written at

Wilton House Wilton House is an English country house at Wilton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, which has been the country seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 400 years. It was built on the site of the medieval Wilton Abbey. Following the dissolution ...

"". Howell's works have been reprinted in Dr. Grosart's "Occasional Issues".

References

16th-century English poets 16th-century English male writers People from West Somerset (district) Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown English male poets {{England-poet-stub