Francis Howard, 5th Baron Howard of Effingham

The Right Honourable The Lord Howard of Effingham
Crown Governor of Virginia
In office 1683–1692
Monarch	Charles II James II William III
Preceded by	Baron Colepeper
Succeeded by	Sir Edmund Andros
Personal details
Born	17 September 1643
Died	30 March 1694/95

Francis Howard, 5th Baron Howard of Effingham (c. 1643 – 30 March 1694 O.S./95 N.S.) was a member of the Howard family, descended from noted naval commander Lord High Admiral Howard, and a Crown Governor of Virginia (1683-1692).

He was the son of Sir Charles Howard and Frances Courthope. Francis Howard's paternal grandfather was the first cousin of both Charles Howard, 2nd Earl of Nottingham and Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Nottingham. His maternal grandfather was Sir George Courthope of Whiligh, Sussex. Francis was baptised on 17 September 1643 in Great Bookham near Effingham in Surrey. On 8 July 1673, he married Philadelphia Pelham, daughter of Thomas Pelham, 2nd Baronet Pelham of Laughton and half-aunt of Thomas Pelham, eventual 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton. Francis and Philadelphia were the parents of Thomas Howard, 6th Baron Howard of Effingham and Francis Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham as well as another son and three daughters.

In 1681, Howard's cousin, the 3rd Earl of Nottingham, died and did not leave a male heir; nor did his two half-brothers. The earldom was declared extinct, but the title of Baron Howard of Effingham was passed on to Francis Howard.

Lord Howard was appointed Governor of Virginia in 1683. His family relocated there in February 1684, and Howard lived primarily at Rosegill plantation in Middlesex County. Howard commenced his duties as Governor on 16 April 1684. (The previous governor, Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper, had departed suddenly in 1683. He was replaced by acting Governor Nicholas Spencer, Culpepper's cousin, agent, and President of the Council, until Lord Howard's arrival nine months later.)

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