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John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden

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The Lord Howard de Walden
John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden
Birth nameJohn Griffin Whitwell
Born13 March 1719
Oundle, Northamptonshire
Died25 May 1797 (aged 78)
Audley End House, Essex
Place of burial
St Mary the Virgin Churchyard, Saffron Walden
AllegianceKingdom of Great Britain
Service / branchBritish Army
Years of service1739–1797
RankField Marshal
Battles / warsWar of the Austrian Succession
Seven Years' War
AwardsKnight Companion of the Order of the Bath

Field Marshal John Griffin Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden, KB (13 March 1719 – 25 May 1797), was a British Army officer, politician and peer. He served as a junior officer with the Pragmatic Army in the Dutch Republic and Germany during the War of the Austrian Succession. After changing his surname to Griffin in 1749, he commanded a brigade at the Battle of Corbach in July 1760 during the Seven Years' War. He also commanded a brigade at the Battle of Warburg and was wounded at the Battle of Kloster Kampen.[1]

Early life

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Canting arms of Griffin: Sable, a griffin segreant argent beak and forelegs or[2]
Quartered arms of John Griffin Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden (1719–1797), Catton's English Peerage, 1790. Quarterly of eight: 1: Griffin; 2:?; 3:Latimer; 4: De la Warr; 5: Howard; 6: de Warrenne, Earl of Surrey; 7: Mowbray; 8: Audley of Walden[2]

He was born John Griffin Whitwell, the son of William Whitwell by his wife Anne Griffin, sister and sole heiress of Edward Griffin, 3rd Baron Griffin of Braybrooke, and granddaughter of James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk and 3rd Baron Howard de Walden (1619–1689).[3]

Career

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Whitwell was educated at Winchester College and commissioned as an ensign in the 3rd regiment of Foot Guards and lieutenant in the Army in 1739.[3] He served with the Pragmatic Army in the Low Countries and Germany during the War of the Austrian Succession and was promoted to captain in his regiment and lieutenant colonel in the Army in March 1744.[4]

Whitwell's aunt Elizabeth, Countess of Portsmouth agreed to leave him her interest in Audley End House if he changed his surname to Griffin: he did so in 1749, by Act of Parliament, becoming John Griffin Griffin.[4][5] He became Member of Parliament for Andover in November 1749.[4] Promoted to colonel on 29 May 1756 he became first major of his regiment on 9 May 1758.[6] Promoted to major-general on 12 September 1759,[7] he became colonel of the 50th Regiment of Foot in October 1759 and colonel of the 33rd Regiment of Foot in May 1760.[4]

Griffin commanded a brigade of at least four battalions at the Battle of Corbach in July 1760 during the Seven Years' War.[8] At Corbach, following the arrival of French reinforcements from Frankenberg, the allied army was forced to withdraw.[9] He also commanded a brigade at the Battle of Warburg later that month where the allied army were more successful.[4] He was present and wounded at the Battle of Kloster Kampen in October 1760.[10]

Griffin was appointed Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath on 11 April 1761[11] and inherited Audley End House outright when his aunt died in 1762.[12] Promoted to lieutenant-general on 26 March 1765,[13] he became colonel of the 1st Troop, Horse Grenadier Guards in March 1766 and was promoted to full general on 14 April 1778.[14] During the political crisis in the early 1780s at the end of the American Revolutionary War he was generally a supporter of William Pitt the Younger.[3]

Pitt arranged for the Barony of Howard de Walden to be called out of abeyance in Griffin's favour, so elevating him to the House of Lords, on 3 August 1784[15] and for Griffin to be appointed Lord Lieutenant of Essex in November 1784.[3] Griffin became colonel of the 4th Dragoons in March 1788, was additionally created 1st Baron Braybrooke on 30 August 1788[16] and was promoted to field marshal on 30 July 1796.[17] He died on 25 May 1797.[18]

Family

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Audley End House

In 1749 he married Anna Maria Schutz and in 1765 he married Catherine Clayton; there were no children from either marriage.[3]

Plan of the Battle of Warburg where Griffin led his brigade to victory

References

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  1. ^ Rapson, Edward James (1890). "Griffin, John Griffin" . In Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney (eds.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 23. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  2. ^ a b Debrett, J., The Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland: The peerage of England, London, 1790, p.395 [1] as visible in Audley End House, Essex [2]
  3. ^ a b c d e "John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/11589. Retrieved 5 July 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. ^ a b c d e Heathcote, p. 153
  5. ^ Deed Poll Office: Private Act of Parliament 1748 (22 Geo. 2). c. 2
  6. ^ "No. 9789". The London Gazette. 6 May 1758. p. 2.
  7. ^ "No. 9930". The London Gazette. 11 September 1759. p. 1.
  8. ^ The Manuscripts of His Grace, the Duke of Rutland, Vol. II, London 1889, p. 209, these are 4 of the "...six battalions-1,000 men each..." mentioned. Manners, Walter Evelyn, Some Account of the Military, Political, and Social Life of the Right Hon. John Manners Marquis of Granby, London, 1899, Macmillan and Company Ltd., p. 131, note 5: "...Carr's, Brudenell's, Hodgson's, Cornwallis'
  9. ^ The Manuscripts of His Grace, the Duke of Rutland, Vol. II, London 1889, p. 219
  10. ^ "Griffin, John Griffin (1719–97), of Audley End, Essex". History of Parliament. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  11. ^ "No. 10094". The London Gazette. 7 April 1761. p. 2.
  12. ^ "Audley End, Saffron Walden, Essex: Monument to Elizabeth, Countess of Portsmouth, commissioned by Sir John Griffin Griffin Bt (later 4th Lord Howard de Walden), c1763, unexecuted (3)". Sir John Soane's Museum. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  13. ^ "No. 10507". The London Gazette. 23 March 1765. p. 1.
  14. ^ "No. 11865". The London Gazette. 11 April 1778. p. 1.
  15. ^ "No. 12566". The London Gazette. 3 August 1784. p. 2.
  16. ^ "No. 13020". The London Gazette. 26 August 1788. p. 413.
  17. ^ "No. 13918". The London Gazette. 2 August 1796. p. 743.
  18. ^ Heathcote, p. 154

Sources

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Andover
1749–1784
With: John Pollen 1749–1754
Sir Francis Blake Delaval 1754–1768
Benjamin Lethieullier 1768–1784 		Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Colonel of the 50th Regiment of Foot
1759–1760 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonel of the 33rd Regiment of Foot
1760–1766 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Captain and Colonel of the
1st Troop Horse Grenadier Guards
1766–1788 		Troop abolished
Preceded by Colonel of the 4th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Dragoons
1788–1797 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Lieutenant of Essex
1784–1797 		Succeeded by
Vacant
Title last held by
The Earl of Rochford 		Vice-Admiral of Essex
1795–1797 		Vacant
Title next held by
The Lord Braybrooke
Peerage of England
Vacant
Title last held by
James Howard 		Baron Howard de Walden
1794–1797 		Vacant
Title next held by
Frederick Hervey
Peerage of Great Britain
New creation Baron Braybrooke
1788–1797 		Succeeded by
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