Thomas Browne (High Sheriff of Kent)

Sir Thomas Browne (d.29 July 1460) was a medieval Member of Parliament and Chancellor of the Exchequer of England.

Career

Sworn to the peace in Kent in 1434. He was Justice of Peace for Kent from 1436 to 24 Dec 1450. He was Member of Parliament (MP) between 1439 and 1444 for Dover. He was High Sheriff of Kent in 1443-4, and then MP between 1445 and 1446 for Kent. He was present at Parliament in 1447 and 1449 as Under Treasurer. He was MP between 1449 and 1450 for Wallingford.

He was knighted 1449/51. During the reign of King Henry VI, his highest post was that Chancellor of the Exchequer which post he held between 1440 and 1450. He was later Justice of Peace for Surrey from 20 July 1454 till death. He was executed for treason on the gallows at Tyburn on 29 Jul 1460.

Property

• Beechworth or Betchworth Castle, Dorking, Surrey.
  which he purchased from his father in law Thomas FitzAlan.
• Tonford Manor, Thanington, Kent
  Called Toniford, Tunford etc, came into possession of the manor from Sir Thomas Fogge, (died anno 9 Henry IV.) by the Browne's who in the 27th year of Henry VI. obtained a grant of liberty to embattle and impark, and to have free warren, &c. within this manor.
• Morris-Court, Bapchild, Kent.
  situated within the Ecclestical jurisdiction of the diocese of Rochester, and deanry of Sittingborne.
• Eythorne Manor, Kent
  Thomas obtained the grant of a fair at the neighbouring village of Wimlingswold, to be held on the feast of St. Margaret the Virgin, (20 July), but it is now held yearly on Old May-day.
• Hoptons Manor, in the parish of Alkham, Kent.
• Kingsnoth Manor, Kent
  in the 27th year of Henry VI. reign, Thomas obtained a licence for a fair in this parish, on the feast of St. Michael, and that same year he had another to embattle his mansion here and to inclose a park, and for freewarren in all his demesne lands within this manor.
• Westbery Manor, Watringbury, Kent.
  Richard Fishborne, sold the manor in the 33d year of Henry VI. reign to Thomas Browne.
• Swanscombe Manor, Greenhithe, Kent
• Tong Castle & Manor, Tong, Kent
  the property which had been in possession of Richard, Duke of York, but was attainted in anno 38 Henry VI., and granted by Henry VI. to Thomas Browne, prior to his knighthood, and being made comptroller and treasurer of his household. Thomas soon afterwards obtained a grant of a fair at this manor, on St. Jame's day yearly, and another for liberty to embattle his mansion, and to impark his lands here.

Family

Thomas was born about 1414. He was the son and heir of Robert Browne and a nephew of Stephen Browne MP He married Eleanor daughter and coheir of Thomas Fitzalan (third son of Lord Maltravers) in 1434. Eleanor later remarried, to Sir Thomas Vaughan in 1461. Thomas had seven sons and several daughters:

• Sir George Browne, Knt, was M.P. Surrey. Knighted after the Battle of Tewkesbury, but attainted as a rebel and beheaded by Richard III in 1483.^[1] His estates were confiscated, but were afterwards restored to his heirs in 1485 by Henry VII.^[2]
• Thomas Browne
• Robert Browne Of Chilham, Kent, Eng; m Anne
• Sir Anthony Browne; Standard bearer for England.
• William Browne (of Tavistock, Devon)
• Leonard Browne
• Edward Browne
• Katherine Browne m Humphrey Sackville of Buckhurst, Sussex (1426 – January 24, 1488).
• Jane Browne

References

• Colonel the Right Honourable Josiah C. Wedgwood D.S.O M.P. collab Anne D. Hart M.A.. Biographies of the Members of the Commons House 1439-1509. London: H.M.S.O, 1936. Vol.2 pp 123–4.
• 'Parishes: Bapchild', The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 6 (1798), pp. 122–132. (Date accessed: 17 December 2007).