Historian Patrick Mercer writes about 1st Earl Howe of Langar

Next time you’re in Langar Hall, you must admire the simple, late Georgian elegance and the beauty of the surroundings, writes historian Patrick Mercer — but don’t forget to salute the heroic ghost who’s said to stalk the place!

It’s reported that every June 1, Admiral of the Fleet, the 1st Earl Howe — ‘Black Dick’ — paces about the place as if he’s treading the quarter deck of his ship whilst delivering the decisive broadsides into the French at the vast, naval victory of the Glorious First of June 1794.

This battle was one of the few, yet greatest triumphs against revolutionary France.

But while it’s a charming story, it doesn’t really make sense unless Howe’s shade is especially adventurous!

You see, there had been an ‘embattled house’ — a defendable dwelling that was usually known as a small castle — in Langar since Medieval times, but its occupants and village were wiped out by the plague in 1665 causing the old ‘castle’ to be abandoned and a new house to be built sometime later closer to the church.

The Howe family’s asso-ciation with Langar only began in Charles II’s time and it was this house with which our hero was familiar.

He, Richard Howe, was buried here in 1799 before most of the edifice was in turn demolished with the current, sparely beautiful mansion being built in 1835.

So, any direct association between the great sailor and the modern house is rather difficult to establish.

Yet, hanging in the reception of Langar Hall today is a magnificent portrait of the very lovely Lady Howe painted by Gainsborough.

Perhaps the best explanation of the ghostly happenings is that the old admiral just wants to come back and see his missus!

But why was Richard Howe so renowned?

Well, his career was a dazzling series of naval battles and skirmishes which saw him commanding in the Mediterranean as a Rear Admiral in 1782.

Here, Gibraltar was under siege by the French and Spanish, but Howe slipped his fleet through the block-ade and relieved the place.

Made an earl for his gallantry, even greater achievements lay ahead.

In June 1794, the first battle between Jacobin France and Britain resulted in any threat of invasion being quashed and a stunning victory for Lord Howe.

Leading 25 ships from HMS Queen Charlotte, the British fire raked the French through the stern and then engaged the enemy on the leeward side — a great feat of seamanship.

Seven enemy ships were captured, the French suffered 3,000 killed and wounded while Howe’s losses were only one third those of his enemy.

Sadly for Britain, the Admiral’s career came to an abrupt end just five years later. At 73, he was suffering excessively from gout and was advised to try electric shocks.

Unfortunately, the charge was too great and it ‘travelled direct to his brain’ achieving something that none of King George’s foes had been able to do.

Now the hero lies in Langar, ‘…first and greatest sea officer the world has ever produced’ and a true son of Nottinghamshire.