BROWNE, George (c.1615-61), of Radford Semele, Warws.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Family and Education

b. c.1615, 1st s. of Sir William Browne of Radford Semele by w. Elizabeth. educ. Lincoln, Oxf. matric. 25 Nov. 1631, aged 16; L. Inn 1633. m. 1636, Margaret, da. of Sir Edward Littleton of Pillaton Hall, Staffs., s.p. suc. fa. 1637; kntd. 30 June 1660.1

Offices Held

Commr. of array, Warws. 1642, j.p. July 1660-d., dep. lt. c. Aug. 1660-d., commr. for assessment, Aug. 1660-d.

Biography

Browne’s grandfather, of Sussex origin, bought Radford Semele in 1589. Browne was named to the Warwickshire commission of array in 1642, but he cannot have been an active Royalist in the Civil War, for his estates were never sequestrated, and he was pricked as sheriff in 1648. He stood as a Royalist at the general election of 1660 with Thomas Archer, to whom Sir Henry Puckering wrote: ‘Little George ... hath taken pains with marvellous success, and promoted nowhere his own interest without yours’. Returned without a contest, Browne was not active in the Convention, in which he was named to 11 committees and made no recorded speeches. But he was doubtless a court supporter, being rewarded with a knighthood during the first session. His most important committees were to prepare the bill for local accounts commissions, to report on the debts of the army and navy, and to consider the bill for reducing the maximum legal rate of interest to 6 per cent. After the recess he was added to the committee for the militia bill, and helped to consider defects in the poll bill. Browne signed his will on 7 Jan. 1661, and it was proved on 21 Feb. before the next general election. He was the only member of his family to sit in Parliament.2

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: M. W. Helms / A. M. Mimardière

Notes

  • 1. C142/565/198; PCC 52 May.
  • 2. VCH Warws. vi. 201; Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Hewett mss, Puckering to Archer, 1 Mar. 1660; PCC 52 May.