John Aubrey Conway Howarth (19 February 1896 – 31 March 1984) was an English stage, radio and television actor, best remembered for his role in his latter years as grumpy but likeable elderly pensioner and war veteran Albert Tatlock in the TV series Coronation Street, as an original cast member he appeared in the series from its inception in 1960 until his death in 1984, aged 88, in which producer Mervyn Watson stated that Howarth was at that time most likely the oldest working actor in England. Prior to his work with Coronation Street, Howarth had a lengthy career in theatre, and in the radio soap opera Mrs. Dale's Diary.

John Aubrey Conway Howarth was born at 96 Mitchell Street, Rochdale, Lancashire (now Manchester) on Wednesday, 19 February 1896, the son of comedian Bert Howarth and his wife Amelia Mary (née Townsend). He had two brothers, Sydney and Sam, and three sisters, Ella, Elsie and Mary Louisa. Howarth went to school with the singer and actress Gracie Fields.

As a child, he sold theatre programmes at the Theatre Royal, Rochdale, and in 1908 at the age of twelve he began playing juvenile roles on stage alongside his father. He joined the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1915 and served in France and Belgium in World War I.

Howarth ran a small cinema after the First World War. From 1935, he also ran his own theatre in Colwyn Bay, taking most of the male roles himself, due to the lack of men available to play the parts. He appeared in the first stage production of Dracula in 1924, in a company run by Hamilton Deane. He toured the country in theatre performances where he met his wife Betty.

In 1947, Howarth was one of the first television performers at Alexandra Palace. He recalled, "I once played Humpty Dumpty when the director decided I had to wear a costume like a big egg, with little arms and legs. It was very hot and uncomfortable and when I got to the Jabberwocky poem I dried up, but kept talking. When we did the repeat later, I dried up at exactly the same place."

Howarth also appeared in a number of films including The Man in the White Suit (1951) and Hobson's Choice (1954), and many television programmes. For 14 years, Howarth appeared in the role of Mr Maggs in the radio serial Mrs Dale's Diary.

Howarth made his Coronation Street debut in the first episode on 9 December 1960 and appeared in over 1,700 episodes until his final appearance on 25 January 1984, which was recorded in December 1983. He was listed in The Guinness Book of Records under the category "Most Durable Performers" for being an actor on stage and television for 76 years from 1907 until his last appearance as Albert Tatlock in 1984. Reflecting on his role as Albert, Howarth said he would never have joined the cast of Coronation Street had he known it would run so long, however when he was awarded the MBE in 1983, he stated he had no intentions of leaving the series, and he remained with the show until he's death aged 88, in which producer Mervyn Watson stated he was most likely at that time the oldest working actor in England.

Howarth married Sarah E. "Betty" Murgatroyd at St Mary and St Peter Parish Church, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, on Thursday, 25 July 1929. The couple were married for almost 55 years until Howarth's death, and had a son, John Murgatroyd Howarth, in Rochdale, in 1930. It was reported that Howarth bought his wife so much jewellery, she had to keep it in the bank.