'Go 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 180 



January ^8th, 1783, a:nd immedi- 

 diately began those reforms, Avhich 

 hh long seiTicc had conTinced him 

 were necessary to be made in every 

 departnient of the navy, civil as well 

 as military. However, through a 

 contention of parties, he was obliged 

 to quit his post in April following; 

 but in little more than eight months 

 (on December 30tli) was re-instated 

 in it. The business of this high 

 office he transacted with the gene- 

 ral approbation of the kingdom for 

 about four years : I only say gaic- 

 ■I'al; it is not in the nature of things, 

 for a rectifier of abuses to give 

 ■universal satisfaction. 



During the last of these years, 

 17S7, lord Howe's youngest daugh- 

 ter, Louisa Catherine, was married, 

 on the 27th of May, to the carl of 

 Altamont, since created, in 1800, 

 marquis of Sligo, both Irish honours. 

 The living issue of this marriage, is 

 Howe Peter, born May 18th, 17.S8, 

 now titular earl of Altamont. Lord 

 Howe's eldest daughter, Sopliia 

 Charlotte, was married, July 31st 

 following, to Penn AshetonCurzon, 

 c^q. of Gopsal-house, Leicestershire, 

 son and heir to Asheton Curzon, esq. 

 (lord Scarsdalc's only brother), 

 created baron Curzon, 179^, and 

 viscount Curzon, 1802. The sur- 

 viving issue of George Augustus 

 William, heir apparent to the baro- 

 ny of Howe, born May the 14th, 

 1788. Marianne, born August the 

 30th, 1790. Richard William Penn, 

 born December the ilth, 179G. 



To return to lord Howe's history 

 in the naval line ; — he was promoted 

 to be admiral of the white, Septem- 

 ber the 14th, 1787. On the 16th 

 of July, 1788, he resigned his post. 



About a month after this resigna- 

 tion, his majesty, thoroughly sensi- 

 l)le ef the Vranscendant merit of 



a. 



Richard viscount Howe; and also, 

 mindful of this earl's paternal aftec- 

 tion for his daughters, granted him. 

 a barony (HoAve of Langar^ to de- 

 scend to his eldest daughter (in 

 consequence of her father's earldom, 

 become lady Charlotte Curzon) and 

 her heirs male ; in default of such 

 heirs, to his second daughter in the 

 same way ; in default there too, to 

 his youngest, as to his others- 



Early in the spring of 1790, from 

 an aggression on the part of Spain 

 in Nootka Sound, a rupture with 

 that country seemed imminent. On 

 this occasion his majesty once more 

 turned his eyes upon earl Howe, as 

 the fittest naval officer to command 

 the fleet. After having been at thehead 

 of the admiralty himself, he regard- 

 ed it in the light of an official degra- 

 dation, to act under the orders of a 

 successor ; but the king's will in the 

 matter being clearly notified, extin- 

 gtiished all scruples of his own. He 

 accepted the appointment as a mark 

 of royal favour, hoisted his flag on 

 board theVictory, and afterwards on 

 board the Queen Charlotte when 

 launched at Chatham, April 15th. 

 August the 10th he sailed with his 

 fleet, but the demand on the court 

 of Spain being complied with, was 

 recalled to Spitliead in Septem- 

 ber. 



Upon the death of lord Rodney, 

 in 1792, earl Howe was appointed 

 to succeed him as vice-admiral of 

 England. In 1793 he was called 

 out again into actual service, and 

 appointed to command the western 

 squadron. 



He always declared himself averse 

 to the system of blocking up ports; 

 he said it was frequently ruinous 

 to the shipping, and that, from the 

 uncertainty of winds, the possibility 

 of adhering to such a plan, was by 



no 



