Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk

Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, KG (13 August 1584 – 3 June 1640) was an English nobleman and politician.

Born at the family estate of Saffron Walden, he was the son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, by his second wife, Catherine Knyvet of Charlton, and succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Suffolk and 2nd Baron Howard de Walden in 1626, along with some other of his father's offices, including the lord-lieutenancy of the counties of Suffolk, Cambridge and Dorset.

On 9 February 1608 he performed in the masque The Hue and Cry After Cupid at Whitehall Palace as a sign of the zodiac, to celebrate the wedding of John Ramsay, Viscount Haddington to Elizabeth Radclyffe .

Sir Theophilus Howard was named in the Second Charter of Virginia made by King James I on 23 May 1609. The members of this extensive list were "incorporated by the name of The Tresorer and Companie of Adventurers and Planters of the Citty of London for the Firste Collonie in Virginia."

He was elected MP for Maldon in a by-election in 1605 caused by the death of Sir Edward Lewknor and sat until he was ennobled in 1610 as Baron Howard de Walden by a Writ of Acceleration.

He was the dedicatee of Shelton's translation of Don Quixote, the first translation of the work in any language. The translation of the first part of Don Quixote was published in London in 1612, while Cervantes was still alive. It is not known why Shelton chose Howard as dedicatee, although he was possibly a distant relative.He was also the dedicatee of John Dowland's last book of songs "A Pilgrimes Solace", also published in 1612.

Howard owned Framlingham Castle in Suffolk which he sold to Sir Robert Hitcham in 1635 for the sum of £14,000.

He died at Suffolk House, Charing Cross, London, and was buried on 10 June that year in Saffron Walden.

In March 1612, he married Elizabeth Home (died 19 August 1633), daughter of George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar. They had nine children:

• James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk (c. 1620 – 1689)
• Thomas Howard
• Katherine Howard (died 1650), married first George Stewart, 9th Seigneur d'Aubigny (died 1642), second James Livingston, 1st Earl of Newburgh
• Elizabeth Howard (died 11 March 1705), married on 1 October 1642 Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland
• Margaret Howard, married Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery
• George Howard, 4th Earl of Suffolk (1625–1691)
• Henry Howard, 5th Earl of Suffolk (1627–1709)
• Anne Howard, married Thomas Walsingham
• Frances Howard (d. October 1677), married Sir Edward Villiers (died 1689)