Editing William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe (section)

==Early life and career==

William Howe was born in England, the third son of [[Emanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe]], and [[Charlotte Howe, Viscountess Howe|Charlotte]], the daughter of [[Sophia von Kielmansegg, Countess of Leinster and Darlington]], an acknowledged illegitimate half-sister of [[George I of Great Britain|King George I]].<ref name=A222>Alden (1989), p. 222.</ref><ref name=F67/> His mother was a regular in the courts of [[George II of Great Britain|George II]] and [[George III]].<ref name=F67>Fischer, p. 67.</ref> This connection with the crown may have improved the careers of all four sons, but all were also very capable officers.<ref>Gruber, pp. 45–47.</ref> His father was a politician, who served as [[Governor of Barbados]] where he died in 1735.<ref name=A222/> William's eldest brother, General [[George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe|George Howe]], was killed just before the 1758 [[Battle of Carillon]] at [[Fort Ticonderoga]]. Another brother, Admiral [[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|Richard Howe]], rose to become one of Britain's leading naval commanders.<ref>Alden (1989), p. 223.</ref> A third brother, Thomas, commanded ships for the [[East India Company]], Winchelsea in 1762–1764 and Nottingham in 1766, and made observations on [[Madeira]]<ref>''Madeira''. [Signed: T. H., i.e. the Hon. Thomas Howe. Edited by A. Dalrymple.]</ref> and on the [[Comoro Islands]].<ref>''Memoir of a Chart of the N.W. Coast of Madagascar by Capt. David Inverarity''.</ref>

William entered the army when he was 17 by buying a [[Cornet (military rank)|cornet]]'s commission in the [[Duke of Cumberland's Regiment of Light Dragoons|Duke of Cumberland's Dragoons]] in 1746, becoming a lieutenant the following year.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} He then served for two years in [[Flanders]] during the [[War of the Austrian Succession]]. After the war he was transferred to the [[20th Regiment of Foot]], where he became a friend of [[James Wolfe]].<ref name=B43>Billias, p. 43.</ref>