Sir George Browne (1440 – 4 December 1483) was an English politician. He was the eldest surviving son and heir of

Sir Thomas Browne Sir Thomas Browne (; 19 October 1605 – 19 October 1682) was an English polymath and author of varied works which reveal his wide learning in diverse fields including science and medicine, religion and the esoteric. His writings display a ...

, beheaded 20 July 1460. He took part in Buckingham's rebellion, and was beheaded on Tower Hill on 4 December 1483.

Family

George Browne was the second but eldest surviving son of

of Betchworth Castle, Surrey, and Eleanor FitzAlan, the daughter of Thomas Fitzalan. By his mother's first marriage, he had six brothers, including Sir Anthony Browne, and two sisters. After his father's death, his mother married Sir Thomas Vaughan who was executed at Pontefract on 25 June 1483 (along with Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers and Sir Richard Grey).

Career

On 30 September 1460, two months after his father's execution, Browne was granted a pardon by the

Yorkists The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, t ...

, and in 1470 was arrested with George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, and Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick. He fought at the Battle of Tewkesbury on 4 May 1471, and was knighted after the battle by the Duke of Clarence. He was elected a member of parliament for

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...

in 1472 and for Canterbury in 1483. In 1478 he was Knight of the Shire for

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, and in 1480

Sheriff of Kent The high sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (prior to 1974 the office previously known as sheriff)."Sheriffs appointed for a county or Greater London shall be known as high sheriffs, and any reference in any enactment or instrum ...

. In 1472, he surrendered his title and the Manor of Tong to

Cecily Neville, Duchess of York Cecily Neville (3 May 1415 – 31 May 1495) was an English noblewoman, the wife of Richard, Duke of York (1411–1460), and the mother of two kings of England—Edward IV and Richard III. Cecily Neville was known as "the Rose of Raby", because ...

. An undated letter in Browne's hand to John Paston, esquire, containing the cryptic message 'It shall never come out for me', survives among the Paston Letters. By 1483 he had switched his allegiance to the future Henry VII, and with a force in Kent took part in the rebellion by Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, against

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

. According to Speed:

Another commotion at the same time was in Kent, where George Browne and John Guildford, knights, Fogge, Scot, Clifford and Bonting, with five thousand men attempted great matters at
Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...
, but hearing of the Duke of Buckingham's surprise, dispersed themselves for that time....whereupon those that lately fled England were indicted of treason, and other of Henry's factions beheaded, whereof Sir George Browne and Sir Roger Clifford, knights, with four others were beheaded at London, and at Exeter for the like cause died Sir Thomas Sentleger, who had married Lady Anne, Duchess of Exeter, King Richard's own sister, with others, so jealous was the king of his usurped crown.

Browne was beheaded on Tower Hill on 4 December 1483, and buried at the

Blackfriars Blackfriars, derived from Black Friars, a common name for the Dominican Order of friars, may refer to: England * Blackfriars, Bristol, a former priory in Bristol * Blackfriars, Canterbury, a former monastery in Kent * Blackfriars, Gloucester, a f ...

, London. His widow left a will, proved 26 June 1488, in which she asked to be buried at the

with her husband.

Marriage and issue

In 1471 Browne married Elizabeth Paston (1 July 1429 – 1 February 1488), widow of Sir Robert Poynings (slain at the

Second Battle of St Albans The Second Battle of St Albans was fought on 17 February 1461 during the Wars of the Roses in England. It took place at St Albans in Hertfordshire, the first battle having been fought in 1455. The army of the Yorkist faction under the Earl of W ...

on 17 February 1461), and daughter of

William Paston William Paston may refer to: *William Paston (died 1444) (1378–1444), Justice of the Common Pleas *William Paston, 2nd Earl of Yarmouth (1654–1732), British peer and politician *Sir William Paston, 1st Baronet (1528–1610), English benefactor ...

, Justice of the Common Pleas, and Agnes Berry. By her first marriage she had an only son, Sir Edward Poynings.Poynings, Sir Edward (1459–1521), of Westenhanger, Kent, History of Parliament
Retrieved 21 September 2013. By Elizabeth Paston, Browne had two sons and a daughter: *Sir Matthew Browne (d. 6 August 1557), who married Frideswide Guildford, daughter of

Richard Guildford Sir Richard Guildford (alias ''Guilford, Guldeford'', etc.), KG (c. 1450 – 1506) was an explorer, naval commander, and English courtier who held important positions at the court of Henry VII, including the office of Master of the Ordnance. L ...

, by whom he had eight sons and six daughters. *George Browne. *Mary Browne, who married a husband surnamed Bradbridge (or Benbridge).

Notes

References

* * * * * *

External links

David Nash Ford’s Royal Berkshire History: Buckingham’s Insurrection at Newbury
Retrieved 21 September 2013

Retrieved 21 September 2013
Will of Dame Elisabeth Browne, Widow of Blackfriars, City of London, proved 26 June 1488, PROB 11/8/210, National Archives
Retrieved 21 September 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Browne, George 1440 births 1483 deaths George English MPs 1472 People executed under the Yorkists English politicians convicted of crimes People executed under the Plantagenets by decapitation English MPs 1478 English MPs 1483