Born – 1473
Died – 25th August 1554
Father – Thomas Howard 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1443 – 1524)
Mother – Elizabeth Tilney (1445 – 1497)
Spouses – m. 1495 – Anne of York (1475 – 1511), m. 1513 – Elizabeth Stafford
Children – by Anne of York – Thomas (1496 – 1508);
by Elizabeth Stafford – Henry (1516 – 1547), Mary (1519 – 1557), Thomas (1520 – 1582), Katherine (c1522 – 1530)
1473 (during)
Thomas Howard was born to Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Tilney. He was the couple’s first child.
1476 (during)
Thomas’s brother, Edward, was born to Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Tilney.
1478 (around)
Thomas’s brother, Edmund, was born to Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Tilney.
1480 (around)
Thomas’s sister, Elizabeth was born to Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Tilney. Thomas also had another younger sister, Muriel, but her date of birth is not known.
1484 (during)
Thomas was betrothed to Anne of York, daughter of King Edward IV, niece of King Richard III, sister of Henry VII’s wife, Elizabeth of York.
1485 (22nd August)
Battle of Bosworth Field
Thomas’s father and grandfather fought for King Richard III in this battle against Henry Tudor. King Richard was killed during the battle and Henry Tudor was proclaimed King of England. Thomas’s grandfather was also killed during the battle.
Thomas’s father and grandfather fought for King Richard III in this battle against Henry Tudor. King Richard was killed during the battle and Henry Tudor was proclaimed King of England. Thomas’s grandfather was also killed during the battle.
1485 (22nd August)
Thomas’s father, Thomas became 2nd Duke of Norfolk on the death of John Howard at the Battle of Bosworth Field.
1485 (late August)
The Howard family were stripped of their titles for their allegiance to King Richard III.
1489 (May)
King Henry VII restored Thomas’s father to the earldom of Surrey.
1495 (4th February)
Thomas Howard married Anne of York at Westminster Abbey.
1496 (during)
A son, Thomas, was born to Thomas Howard and Anne of York.
1497 (4th April)
Thomas’s mother, Elizabeth, died.
1497 (Summer)
Thomas accompanied his father on campaign against the Scots.
1497 (30th September)
Thomas was knighted and became Sir Thomas Howard.
1497 (8th November)
Thomas’s father married Agnes Tilney who was cousin to Thomas’s mother.
1508 (during)
Thomas’s son, Thomas, died.
1509 (21st April)
King Henry VII died of tuberculosis at Richmond Palace. He was succeeded by his son, Henry who took the throne as King Henry VIII.
1510 (around)
Thomas was made a Knight of the Garter by King Henry VIII.
1510 (around)
Thomas’s half-brother, William Howard, was born to Thomas Howard and Agnes Tilney.
1511 (during)
Thomas’s half-brother, Thomas Howard, was born to Thomas Howard and Agnes Tilney.
1511 (23rd November)
Thomas’s wife, Anne of York, died.
1511 (after)
Thomas’s half-brother, Richard and half-sisters Dorothy, Anne, Catherine and Elizabeth were born to Thomas Howard and Agnes Tilney after 1511. The exact dates of their births are not known.
1513 (early)
Thomas Howard married Lady Elizabeth Stafford, daughter of Edward Stafford Duke of Buckingham.
1513 (4th May)
Thomas Howard was appointed Lord Admiral.
1513 (9th September)
Battle of Flodden Field
Thomas took part in this battle that saw the Scottish army defeated and King James IV of Scotland killed.
Thomas took part in this battle that saw the Scottish army defeated and King James IV of Scotland killed.
1514 (1st February)
King Henry VIII created Thomas Howard Earl of Surrey and his father Duke of Norfolk.
1514 (early October)
Thomas Howard was one of the party that accompanied Henry VIII’s sister, Mary to France to marry King Louis XII of France. Thomas’s nieces Mary and Anne Boleyn were to serve Mary in France.
1516 (during)
A son, Henry, was born to Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Stafford.
1519 (during)
A daughter, Mary, was born to Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Stafford.
1520 (around)
A son, Thomas, was born to Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Stafford.
1520 (10th March)
Thomas Howard was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland.
1520 (July)
Thomas went to Ireland where he tried to keep order between the rival Earls of Kildare and Ormonde.
1521 (late)
Thomas was recalled to England and sent with the English fleet to make a series of raids on France.
1520 (around)
A daughter, Katherine, was born to Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Stafford.
1522 (4th December)
Howard was appointed Lord Treasurer of England.
1524 (21st May)
Thomas’s father died. Thomas became Duke of Norfolk on his father’s death.
1525 (during)
Thomas Howard was replaced as Lord Admiral by Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy. It is likely that the replacement was engineered by Thomas Wolsey who felt that Thomas Howard’s preferment for war was against his policy of diplomacy.
1526 (February)
King Henry VIII began to pursue Thomas’s niece, Anne Boleyn, as a love interest.
1527 (during)
Thomas began an extra-marital affair with Elizabeth Holland.
1527 (Spring)
Divorce Crisis
King Henry VIII began to have serious doubts about the validity of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and had decided he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn.
King Henry VIII began to have serious doubts about the validity of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and had decided he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn.
1529 (17th October)
Henry VIII removed Cardinal Wolsey from the post of Chancellor due to his failure to secure his divorce from Catherine of Aragon.
1530 (during)
Howard’s daughter, Katherine died.
1530 (29th November)
Thomas Wolsey had been arrested, charged with treason, but he died en route to London to be tried.
1533 (25th January)
Thomas’s niece, Anne Boleyn, secretly married Henry VIII at Whitehall because she was pregnant.
1533 (28th May)
Thomas Howard was appointed Earl Marshal of England.
1533 (7th September)
A daughter, Elizabeth, was born to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
1533 (November)
Thomas’s daughter, Mary, married Henry Fitzroy, illegitimate son of King Henry VIII.
1535 (during)
Thomas moved his estranged wife, Elizabeth Stafford to Redbourn in Hertfordshire. She was confined to the property and only given a small allowance.
1536 (1st May)
Thomas’s niece, Anne Boleyn, was arrested on a charge of treason for having committed adultery.
1536 (15th May)
Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk was one of the 26 peers that tried Anne Boleyn and her brother George for treason. Although Anne argued her innocence she was found guilty and sentenced to die by burning or beheading whichever the King chose. Her brother George was tried after Anne and was also found guilty.
1536 (17th May)
Thomas’s nephew, George Boleyn, was executed by beheading for treason.
1536 (19th May)
Thomas’s niece, Anne Boleyn, was executed by beheading for treason.
1536 (30th May)
Henry VIII married Jane Seymour.
1536 (October)
Pilgrimage of Grace
Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk was sent north with George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury to put down this rebellion against the closure of the monasteries.
Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk was sent north with George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury to put down this rebellion against the closure of the monasteries.
1537 (12th October)
A son, Edward, was born to Henry VIII and Jane Seymour.
1537 (24th October)
Jane Seymour died from puerperal fever.
1539 (19th March)
Thomas’s brother, Edmund Howard died.
1540 (6th January)
Despite the fact that he did not like his bride, Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves at Greenwich Palace.
1540 (April)
King Henry VIII began pursuing Thomas Howard’s niece, Kathryn Howard, as a love interest.
1540 (10th June)
King Henry VIII’s chief minister, Thomas Cromwell was arrested on a charge of treason. He had fallen from favour after arranging the Cleves marriage.
1540 (9th July)
The marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves was annulled.
1540 (28th July)
King Henry VIII married Thomas’s niece, Kathryn Howard, at Oatlands Palace.
1541 (29th January)
Howard was appointed Lieutenant-General north of the River Trent.
1541 (12th November)
Thomas’s niece, Kathryn Howard, was arrested and charged with treason for committing adultery.
1541 (10th December)
Thomas Howard’s stepmother, Agnes Howard, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, was questioned regarding concealing the indiscretions of Kathryn Howard while in her care, while promoting Kathryn as a bride for the king. She admitted the charge and was imprisoned.
1541 (13th December)
Thomas’s half-brother, William and his wife were sent to the Tower of London for concealing the indiscretions of Kathryn Howard while in his mother’s care.
1541 (14th December)
Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk wrote a letter to the King denouncing his stepmother and half-brothers and sisters.
1541 (13th December)
Thomas’s half-brother, William and his wife were sentenced to life imprisonment. Also sentenced were other members of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk’s household. Most were pardoned after Kathryn Howard’s execution.
1542 (13th February)
Thomas Howard’s niece, Kathryn Howard, was executed by beheading.
1542 (5th May)
Thomas’s step-mother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, was released from imprisonment.
1542 (August)
Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk was appointed Captain-General for the campaign against the Scots.
1542 (24th November)
Battle of Solway Moss
This battle between the English and the Scots was a resounding victory for the English army.
This battle between the English and the Scots was a resounding victory for the English army.
1543 (June)
Thomas was appointed Lieutenant-General of the army that was to be sent to France.
1544 (May)
Howard was in France with the English army. He lay siege to Montreuil.
1544 (14th September)
In France, King Henry VIII took Boulogne for England.
1544 (October)
Howard lifted the siege of Montreuil, placed a garrison in Boulogne and withdrew to Calais. Henry VIII was annoyed by this action.
1546 (12th December)
Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk and his son Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey were arrested. They were charged with treason because Henry Howard had used the arms of Edward the Confessor in his own coat of arms. Thomas Howard was charged with concealing the act.
1546 (24th December)
Thomas pleaded guilty to the charge of treason and offered to give up his lands to King Henry VIII.
1547 (19th January)
Howard’s son, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey was executed by beheading.
1547 (27th January)
Thomas Howard was sentenced to be executed by beheading the following day.
1547 (28th January)
Henry VIII died at Whitehall Palace. He was succeeded by his son, Edward who became King Edward VI of England, Ireland and Wales.
1547 (28th January)
As was the custom when a new King took the throne, all prisoners were pardoned or had their sentences commuted. Thomas Howard’s sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
1553 (10th July)
King Edward VI died. As directed by Edward, Lady Jane Grey became Queen. She reigned for nine days.
1553 (19th July)
Henry VIII’s daughter Mary became Queen Mary I of England, Wales and Ireland. She vowed to restore Catholicism to Britain.
1553 (July)
Howard was released from the Tower of London and pardoned by Queen Mary I.
1553 (18th August)
Howard was Lord High Steward for the trial of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland.
1553 (September)
Thomas was appointed Earl Marshall.
1553 (1st October)
Thomas Howard attended the coronation of Queen Mary I.
1553 (October)
Thomas was restored to the dukedom of Norfolk and his lands were restored to him.
1554 (February)
Wyatt’s Rebellion
Howard was sent to put down this rebellion against the Queen’s marriage to Philip of Spain.
Howard was sent to put down this rebellion against the Queen’s marriage to Philip of Spain.
1554 (25th August)
Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, died at Kenninghall, Norfolk.
Published Oct 13, 2019 @ 1:30 pm – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2019 – 2021). Thomas Howard 3rd Duke of Norfolk 1473 – 1554. https://www.thetimelinegeek.com/thomas-howard-duke-of-norfolk-1473-1554 Last accessed [date]