Gentleman's Magazine Images
John Howard Obituary, Feb. 1790
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Transcription of the Report Obituary (Page 276)
Advice was received, by Mr.Whitbread, of the not unexpected, yet certainly untimely, death of eccentric, but truly worthy, JOHN HOWARD, esq. This extraordinary man was the son of an upholsterer, or carpet warehouseman, in Long-lane, West Smithfield, who was allied to the families of Tatnall, Cholmley, and Barnardiston, and to Samuel Whitbread, esq M.P. for Bedford. It had been supposed, he was born in Enfield in Middlesex, in or about the year 1724; but he is not enterted in the parish register of that town in any preceding or following year; and the register belonging to the Presbyterian congregation there dose not commence till 1727. The mistake seems to have originated from his having some landed property in the parish which was disposed off before his last expedition. It is therefore most probable that this place has been mistaken for some other near the metropolis, and in the same county. He was apprentice to Mr. Nathaniel Newnham, a wholesale grocer in a court on the South side of Watling Street, between Friday Street and the Old Change, grandfather to the present Alderman. His father died, leaving only this son and a daughter, to both of whom he bequeathed handsome fortunes; and by his will directed that his son should not be considered of age till he was five and twenty. His constitution was thought very weak, and his health appeared to have been injured by the necessary duties of his apprenticeship; and therefore, at the expiration of it, he took an apartment in a lodging house in Church Street, Stoke Newington, Middlesex; but not meeting with the tenderest treatment there, he removed to another lodging house in the same street, which was kept by Mrs Sarah Lardeau, widow of a man who had been clerk at Sir James Creeds White lead works, a worthy, sensible woman, but a poor invalid, who had not had a days health for twenty years. Here he was nursed with the utmost care and attention; and during this time he used to ride out in the morning for a few miles with a book in his pocket, dismount, turn his horse to graze upon a common, and spend several hours in reading. At length he became so found of his landlady, that he resolved to marry her, out of gratitude for her kindness to him. In vain she expostulated with him upon the extravagance of such a proceeding, he being about 28, and she about 51 years of age, and twenty years older in constitution; but nothing could deter him; and they were privately married about the year 1752. She was possessed of a small fortune which he presented to her sister. During his residence at Newington, the Minister of the Dissenting Meeting house there resigned his office, and a successor was elected; and MR Howard, who was a bred Dissenter, and steadfastly adhered all his life to that profession, proposed to purchase the lease of a house near the Meeting House, and to appropriate it as a parsonage house for the use of the Minister for the time being, and generously contributed 50l for that purpose. His wife died Nov 10, 1755, aged 54; and he was a sincere and affectionate mourner for her death. About this time, it is believed, he was elected F.R.S.. After mature consultation with a Dissenting minister, his intimate friend, on his intention of visiting Lisbon after the earthquake OF Nov1,1755; and being earnestly dissuaded from this purpose, as tempting Providence, from the risks of being taken by some of the ships of France then at war
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