Anthony Browne KG (abt. 1500 - 1548)

Born about 29 Jun 1500 in England

Ancestors

Husband of Alice (Gage) Browne — married before 1528 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Elizabeth (FitzGerald) Clinton — married about 1542 (to 6 May 1548) in England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 6 May 1548 at about age 47 in Byfleet, Surrey, England

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Biography

Birth, Parents and Early Life

Anthony Browne, son and heir of Anthony Browne and his second wife, Lucy Neville,^[1] was born 29 June 1500.^[2][3]

Anthony was probably sent as a child to be brought up in the household of Henry VIII, like his half-brother William FitzWilliam.^[1][4]

Career

Anthony was closely associated with the court of Henry VIII, with whom he managed to stay on friendly terms until the king's death.^[1] His first appointments came in 1518, when he was made Surveyor and Master of Hunting for some royal properties in Yorkshire^[1] and was part of an embassy to the French king.^[1][4] While on that diplomatic mission, in 1519, he hit a colleague: he was recalled,^[1][4] but the episode did not stop François I of France from making him formally a gentleman of his household and awarding him 200 crowns a year and the ambassador, Thomas Boleyn, gave him a good report.^[4]

In 1520 Anthony took part in a tournament at the Field of the Cloth of Gold.^[1][4] A few years later he saw military action at Morlaix in France, and was knighted afterwards.^{[2][3][1][4][5]}

A succession of official appointments followed during the reign of Henry VIII: he would have delegated the responsibilities for many of them. They included:

• positions in various royal manors and parks^[2][3]
• Gentleman of the Privy Chamber, 1519^[1]
• Lieutenant of the Isle of Man, 1525^[1]
• Ambassador to France, 1527^[1][4]
• royal standard-bearer^[1]
• a diplomatic mission to France in 1538, where his complaints about the lodging he was afforded led to his abrupt departure on Henry VIII's instructions^[1][4]
• Privy Councillor, 1539^[1]
• Master of the Horse, 1539-1548^[2][3]
• Captain of the Gentleman Pensioners, 1539^[2][3][1][4]
• Master of the King's Harriers, 1543^[2][3][1]

In 1532 and 1533 he was involved in negotiations over Henry VIII's desire to secure an annulment of his marriage to Katharine of Aragon.^[1] In 1536 he helped to suppress the Pilgrimage of Grace.^[2][3][1][4] In 1540 he met Anne of Cleves on her arrival in England.^[1]

Anthony was made a Knight of the Garter on 23 April 1540:^[1][6] he was the 305th member of the Order.^[7] In 1542 he was fighting against the Scots, and he saw further military action in the Boulogne area in 1544.^[1]

Anthony represented Surrey in Parliament four times, in 1539, 1542, 1545 and 1547.^[2][3][4]

Early in 1547, it was Anthony who informed Henry VIII that he was near death: the king made him an executor of his will and guardian of his children Edward VI and the future Elizabeth I, and also left him £300.^[1]

Lands

Anthony held extensive lands in Sussex and Surrey, which came to total by his death 11000 acres in Sussex and 8500 in Surrey.^[1] In 1537 he and his first wife were given the reversion of the manor of Poynings, Sussex^[8] and other extensive properties in Sussex.^[9] With the dissolution of the monasteries, in 1538 he was granted Battle Abbey, Sussex,^[4] where he entertained Henry VIII the following year.^[1] In 1542 he inherited lands in Sussex from his half-brother William FitzWilliam.^[1]

On 1 January 1547 (possibly 1547/8) Anthony and his second wife were granted, by letters patent, properties in Cambridgeshire, Essex and Sussex, at least some of which had belonged in the past to religious foundations.^[10]

Marriages and Children

Anthony married twice. His first wife was Alice Gage, daughter of Sir John Gage: they married by 1528^[1] and had at least six sons and three daughters.^[2][3][1] Secondary sources disagree about some of the sons.

• Anthony, 1st Viscount Montague^[2][3][1]
• William^[2][3][1]
• Francis^[2][3][1]
• Henry^[2][3][1]
• Thomas^[2][3][1]
• Mary,^[2][3][1] who married John Grey and Henry Capell^[2][3]
• Mabel, wife of Gerald FizGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare
• Lucy,^[2][3][1] who married Thomas Roper^[2][3]
• The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography includes a son named George^[1]
• The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography states that there was a second son named Henry^[1]
• Douglas Richardson states that there was a second son named William^[2][3]

Anthony's first wife Alice died in 1540.^[2][3] In 1542 he married again, his second wife being Elizabeth FitzGerald, daughter of Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare and Elizabeth Grey.^[2][3][1] They had two sons:

• Edward,^[2][3][1] who died in infancy^[1]
• Thomas,^[2][3][1] who also died in infancy^[1]

Anthony also had at least two illegitimate children, who are named in his will:^[11][12]

• Charles
• Anne who married Edmund Lewknor (see her profile for more sourcing)

Death

Sir Anthony Browne died on 6 May 1548 at Byfleet, Surrey, England and was buried at Battle, Sussex alongside his 1st wife,^[2][3][1] with an elaborate tomb.^[13] The funeral procession to Battle started in London.^[1] His widow Elizabeth remarried in 1552, her second husband being Edward Clinton.^[2][3]

The inscription on his memorial reads:^[14]

Here lieth the Right honorable

Sir Anthony Browne, Knyght

of the Gartere

master of the Kyngs Maiesties horcys

and one of the honorable prive councel

of our most drad soverayne lorde and

victoryous prince Kyng

henry the eyght

and dame allis his wyfe whiche allis

decesid the 31 day

of marche Ao. Dni. 1540.

and the sayd Sir Anthony decesid 6 day

of May Ao. Dni. 1548 on whois sowls

and all christen Ihu. [Jesus] have Marcy

Will

Anthony's will, dated 22 April 1547 was proved on 31 March 1550.^[11][12] In it he requested burial in the church of Battle, Sussex, and "certain masses to be done for him ... according to the ancient and laudable custom of the Church of England" (this may confirm suggestions that he was of Catholic leanings).^[4] He named his son Anthony as his main heir. He bequeathed

• horses, jewels, clothing and household goods to his wife Elizabeth
• annuities of forty marks to his younger sons William, Henry, Francis, Thomas, George, and Henry
• 400 marks or the equivalent in plate to left his daughter Mary
• 900 marks to his daughter Mabel, of which 600 were the bequest of her uncle the Earl of Southampton
• to his daughter Lucy the right to marry Lord Dacre, a royal ward whose marriage he had purchased, or Dacre's brother Gregory Fynes - or, if both died before marriage, 800 marks for her marriage
• two feather-beds with associated fittings to his son William
• £20 in plate to his daughter-in-law Anne Browne
• an annuity of £10 to his base-born son Charles
• £100 to his base-born daughter Anne

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42} William B. Robison. "Browne, Sir Anthony (c. 1500–1548), courtier" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 17 Sep 2015. Oxford University Press, online with subsc. at ODNB.
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24} Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City: the author, 2011), Vol. III, pp. 226.228, NELSON 13, Google Books
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24} Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), Vol. V, pp. 134-136, TEMPLE 14
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12} History of Parliament Online, entry for Browne, Sir Anthony (c.1500-1548)
5. ↑ W A Shaw. The Knights of England, Vol. II, Sherratt and Hughes, 1906, p. 44
6. ↑ W A Shaw. The Knights of England, Vol. I, Sherratt and Hughes, 1906, p. 23
7. ↑ List of Knights of the Garter
8. ↑ 'Parishes: Poynings', in A History of the County of Sussex (Victoria County History), Volume 7, the Rape of Lewes, ed. L F Salzman (London, 1940), pp. 208-212, British History online, accessed 16 May 2020
9. ↑ East Sussex Record Office, ref. AMS 798, catalogue entry on The Keep website, accessed 5 August 2021
10. ↑ East Sussex Record Office, ref. ACC 4795/7, catalogue entry on The Keep website, accessed 5 August 2021
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Will of Sir Anthony Browne, PCC Wills, PROB 11, piece 33, viewable at Ancestry.co.uk
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Digest of Sir Anthony Browne's will, West Sussex Record Office, ref. SAS-BA/19, web
13. ↑ Edward Jeffery. The Antiquarian repertory: a miscellaneous assemblage of topography, history, biography, customs, and manners ; intended to illustrate and preserve several valuable remains of old times, privately printed, 1808, p. 182 and image on following page, Google Books
14. ↑ Nigel Llewellyn. East Sussex Church Monuments 1530-1830, Sussex Record Society, 2011, pp. 26-27

• Arms and Standard of Sir Anthony Browne. College of Arms. January 2021 Newsletter (no. 63)
• Dictionary of National Biography, 188501900, Vol. 7, pp. 38-39, Wikisource
• Wikipedia:Anthony_Browne_(died_1548)
• History of Parliament Online, entry for Browne, Sir Anthony (c.1500-1548)
• Blore, Edward. The Monumental Remains of Noble and Eminent Persons, Harding, Lepard and Co., London, 1826, Internet Archive: "Sir Anthony Browne. 1500-1548. Monument at Battle Abbey."
• Benolte, Thomas; Philipot, John; & Owen, George. The Visitations of the County of Sussex: 1530 and 1633-4. London: The Harleian Society, 1905. Vol LIII, pp 9, Gage & 83, Browne.
• 'Parishes: Byfleet', in A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3, ed. H E Malden (London, 1911), pp. 399-403. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/surrey/vol3/pp399-403 [accessed 6 August 2022].

Acknowledgements

Magna Carta Project

This profile was reviewed and approved 16 May 2020 by Michael Cayley.

Anthony Browne KG appears in a trail that was identified and badged by the Magna Carta Project from Gateway Ancestors John Nelson and Margaret Nelson to Magna Carta Surety Baron Saher de Quincy in 2015. Other trails were later identified and badged from the Nelsons to surety barons John de Lacy, Gilbert de Clare, Richard de Clare, Hugh le Bigod, Roger le Bigod, Robert de Vere and John FitzRobert. The trails are set out in the Magna Carta Trails section of John Nelson's profile.

See Base Camp for more information about identified Magna Carta trails and their status. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".