David Brook (c. 1498–1560) (also Brooke or Broke) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

and

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

Life

He was of a

West country The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Gloucesters ...

family living at

Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

. His father, John Brook, was also a lawyer and serjeant-at-law; he died in 1525, and was buried in the church of St. Mary Redcliffe,

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, having been principal seneschal of the neighbouring monastery. David was appointed reader at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

in the autumn of 1534, and again in Lent term 1540, when he was also treasurer, and in 1541 he became governor. He was

recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...

of Bristol (1541–1549) and M.P. for the city (1542–1544). On 3 February 1547, the first week of Edward VI's reign, he received the coif, the degree of serjeant-at-law having been bestowed on him as one of the last acts of Henry VIII. On 25 November 1551 he was appointed king's serjeant, and when, two years later (1 September 1553), Sir Henry Bradshaw was removed, he succeeded him as

lord chief baron of the exchequer The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" (meaning judge) of the English Exchequer of Pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who pre ...

. On 2 October, the day after Queen Mary's coronation, Brook and others, according to

Henry Machyn Henry Machyn (1496/1498 – 1563) was an English clothier and diarist in 16th century London. Machyn's ''Chronicle'', which was written between 1550 and 1563, is primarily concerned with public events: changes on the throne, state visits, in ...

, were dubbed knights of the carpet. Notices of his judgments continue to occur in

James Dyer Sir James Dyer (1510 – 24 March 1582) was a judge and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Edward VI of England. Life Dyer was knighted at Whitehall on 9 April 1553, Strand Inn, preparatory 1520s, Middle Temple abt. 1530, ca ...

's reports until Hilary term 1557–58. In March he was succeeded by

Sir Clement Heigham Sir Clement Higham, or Heigham, (pre-1495 – 9 March 1571) of Barrow, Suffolk, was an English lawyer and politician, a Speaker of the House of Commons in 1554, and Chief Baron of the Exchequer in 1558–1559. A loyal Roman Catholic, he held va ...

. He is said to have been fond of the maxim, 'Never do anything by another that you can do by yourself'.

Family

He was twice married: first to Katherine, daughter of

Giles Brugge, 6th Baron Chandos Giles Brugge of Cubberley, 6th Baron Chandos (c. 1462 – 1 December 1511) born in Cubberley, Gloucester, England. The son of Thomas Brugge, 5th Baron Chandos, and Florence Darrell. Giles took part in the Battle of Blackheath on 22 June 1497 from ...

, who was the widow of Leonard Poole (d.1538); secondly, to Margaret, daughter of Richard Butler of London, who had already survived two husbands, Andrew Fraunces and Alderman Robert Chertsey, and, surviving Broke, married

Edward North, 1st Baron North Edward North, 1st Baron North ( 1504 – 1564) was an English peer and politician. He was the Clerk of the Parliaments 1531–1540 and Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire 1557–1564. A successful lawyer, he was created the first Baron North, giv ...

, and was buried in the chancel of the church of

St. Lawrence Jewry St Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall is a Church of England guild church in the City of London on Gresham Street, next to Guildhall. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and rebuilt to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren. It is the ...

, London. By neither wife had he any issue.

References

* 1498 births 1560 deaths People from Glastonbury English MPs 1529–1536 English MPs 1536 English MPs 1539–1540 English MPs 1542–1544 16th-century English judges Chief Barons of the Exchequer Serjeants-at-law (England) {{1529-England-MP-stub