Editing Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe (section)

== Early career ==
Howe was born in [[Albemarle Street]], London, the second son of [[Emanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe]], who died as [[List of Governors of Barbados|governor of Barbados]] in March 1735, and of [[Charlotte Howe, Viscountess Howe|Charlotte]], a daughter of [[Sophia von Kielmansegg, Countess of Darlington|Baroness von Kielmansegg]], afterwards [[Earl of Darlington|Countess of Darlington]], the half-sister of King [[George I of Great Britain|George I]].<ref name=odnb>{{cite ODNB |last=Knight |first=Roger |date=October 2009 |orig-year=2004 |id=13963 |title=Howe, Richard, Earl Howe (1726–1799)}}</ref>

After education at [[Eton College]], Richard Howe entered the navy in the [[fourth-rate]] {{HMS|Pearl|1726|6}} in July 1739.<ref name=heath122>Heathcote 2002, p. 122.</ref> He then transferred to the fourth-rate {{HMS|Severn|1695|6}}, one of the squadron sent into the south seas with Admiral [[George Anson, 1st Baron Anson|George Anson]] in 1740.<ref name=heath122/> ''Severn'' sailed to [[Cape Horn]] and then, after encountering storms, returned home in Spring 1742.<ref name=heath122/> Howe next served in the [[West Indies]] aboard the [[third-rate]] {{HMS|Burford|1722|6}} and was present when she was severely damaged in the unsuccessful attack on [[Battle of La Guaira|La Guaira]] in February 1743 during the [[War of the Austrian Succession]].<ref name=heath122/> He transferred to the third-rate {{HMS|Suffolk|1680|6}}, [[flagship]] of Admiral [[Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet|Sir Charles Knowles]], Commander-in-Chief in the West Indies, in March 1743 and then to the [[fifth-rate]] {{HMS|Eltham|1736|6}} in July 1743, before being promoted to [[midshipman]] on 8 October 1743 and returning to HMS ''Suffolk'' later that month.<ref name=heath122/> Promoted to [[Lieutenant (navy)|lieutenant]] on 25 May 1744, he joined the [[bomb vessel]] {{HMS|Comet|1742|6}} and then transferred to the [[first-rate]] [[HMS Royal Charles (1673)|HMS ''Royal George'']], flagship of Admiral [[Edward Vernon]], in August 1745.<ref name=heath122/>
[[File:Lord Howe on the deck of HMS Queen Charlotte 1 June 1794.jpg|thumb|250px|''[[Lord Howe on the Deck of the Queen Charlotte]]'', by [[Mather Brown]], 1794]]

Promoted to [[Commander (Royal Navy)|commander]] on 5 November 1745, Howe was commanding officer of the [[Sloop-of-war|sloop]] {{HMS|Baltimore|1742|6}} in the [[North Sea]] during the [[Jacobite rising of 1745]] and was severely wounded in the head while cooperating with a frigate in an engagement with two French [[privateer]]s.<ref name=heath122/> Promoted to [[post-captain]] on 10 April 1746, he was given command of the [[sixth-rate]] {{HMS|Triton|1745|6}} and took part in convoy duties off [[Lisbon]].<ref name=heath122/> He transferred to the command of the fourth-rate {{HMS|Rippon|1712|6}} in Summer 1747 and sailed to the West Indies before becoming Flag Captain to Admiral Sir Charles Knowles, Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica, in the third-rate {{HMS|Cornwall|1692|6}} in October 1748.<ref name=heath122/> He was given command of the fifth-rate {{HMS|Glory|1747|6}} off the coast of West Africa in March 1751 and then transferred to the command of the sixth-rate {{HMS|Dolphin|1751|6}} in the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] in June 1752.<ref name=heath123>Heathcote 2002, p. 123.</ref>