Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham is Born

Today in Masonic History Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham is born in 1746.

Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham was a British nobleman and military officer.

Effingham was was educated at Eton from 1753 to 1760. In 1762 he officially joined the army.

Effingham would become famous for attempting to resign his commission when the war with the American Colonies (the American Revolution) broke out. Effingham was neither an American Patriot nor British Loyalist. He considered himself a neutralist. His feeling was that Britain was wrong to attack the colonies and the colonies were wrong to rebel. He felt the actions of both weakened the British Empire.

Despite being a neutralist, Effingham was revered by the American colonists. They would name a galley for him, a frigate, a town in New Hampshire and two counties, one in Georgia and one in Illinois.

Effingham would be appointed governor of Jamaica in 1789. His wife died at sea due to a liver disease on the way to Jamaica. Effingham died just 5 months later in Jamaica leaving no heirs. His title passed to his brother.

Effingham was the acting Grand Master of Masons in England in 1782.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.