Francis Bramston or Brampston (died 1683) was an English judge and

Baron of the Exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was a ...

Life

Bramston, the third son of Sir John Bramston the elder, was educated at the school of Thomas Farnabie, in Goldsmiths' Alley, Cripplegate, and at

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

, where Edward Martin was then the President, graduating B.A. in 1637 and M.A. in 1640. He was admitted to the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

as a student in 1634, but as his health was weak he for a time entertained the idea of taking holy orders. Shortly before the final rupture between the king and the parliament he was elected a Fellow of Queens' College, and after being

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

(14 June 1642) left the country. He spent the next four years (1642–46) travelling in France and Italy, falling in with

John Evelyn John Evelyn (31 October 162027 February 1706) was an English writer, landowner, gardener, courtier and minor government official, who is now best known as a diarist. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society. John Evelyn's diary, or memo ...

and his friend Thomas Henshaw at Rome in the spring of 1645, and again at

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

and

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

in the autumn of 1645. On his return to England Bramston devoted himself to the study and practice of the law. His history, however, is a blank until the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

, when he was made steward of some of the king's courts (probably manorial) in

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

, and of the liberty of Havering in the same county. In 1664 he represented Queens' College, Cambridge, in the litigation respecting the election of

Simon Patrick Simon Patrick (8 September 1626 – 31 May 1707) was an English theologian and bishop. Life He was born at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, eldest son of Henry Patrick, a wealthy merchant, on 8 September 1626, and attended Boston Gramma ...

to the presidency, and in the following year was appointed one of the counsel to the university, with a fee of 40 shillings per annum. In 1668 he was elected one of the benchers of his inn, and appointed reader, his subject being the statute 3 Jac. c. 4, concerning popish recusants. The banquet which, according to custom, he gave on this occasion (3 August) is described by Evelyn, who was present, as "so very extravagant and great as the like hath not been seen at any time". He mentions the

Duke of Ormonde The peerage title Earl of Ormond and the related titles Duke of Ormonde and Marquess of Ormonde have a long and complex history. An earldom of Ormond has been created three times in the Peerage of Ireland. History of Ormonde titles The earldo ...

, the lord privy seal Robartes, the Earl of Bedford, John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse, and George Savile, 1st Viscount Halifax as among the guests, besides "a world more of earls and lords". In Trinity term of the following year he was made serjeant-at-law, presenting the king with a ring inscribed with the motto, "''Rex legis tutamen''", and was appointed steward of the court of common pleas, with a salary of £100. per annum. In Trinity term 1678 he was created a

baron of the exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was a ...

, but early next year (29 April) was dismissed, without reason assigned, along with

Sir William Wild Sir William Wilde, 1st Baronet (ca. 1611 – 23 November 1679) was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660. Wilde was the eldest son of William Wilde, vintner of Bread Street, London. He was a student of Cliffo ...

of the king's bench, Sir

Edward Thurland Edward Thurland (22 February 1607 – 14 January 1683) was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1673. Thurland was the son of Edward Thurland of Reigate, Surrey. He matriculated ...

of the exchequer, and

Vere Bertie Vere Bertie (died 1680) was an English barrister and judge. Life and career He was of a Cavalier family, the fourth son to Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey, Lord Great Chamberlain to Charles I, and his first wife Martha, daughter of Sir Willia ...

of the common pleas, Sir Thomas Raymond being sworn in his place (5 May), though, according to his own account, he "had laboured, and not without great reason, to prevent it". It was supposed that either

Sir William Temple Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet (25 April 162827 January 1699) was an English diplomat, statesman and essayist. An important diplomat, he was recalled in 1679, and for a brief period was a leading advisor to Charles II, with whom he then fell ...

or Lord-chancellor Finch was at the bottom of the affair. On 4 June a pension of £500 a year was granted him, of which the first three terminal instalments only were paid him. At his death, which occurred at his chambers in

Serjeants' Inn Serjeant's Inn (formerly Serjeants' Inn) was the legal inn of the Serjeants-at-Law in London. Originally there were two separate societies of Serjeants-at-law: the Fleet Street inn dated from 1443 and the Chancery Lane inn dated from 1416. In 17 ...

27 March 1683, it was three years and six months in arrear. He was buried 30 March in Roxwell Church in

. He died heavily in debt, and his brother John, who was his executor, made persistent efforts to get in the amount due in respect of his pension (some £1,750), and succeeded in 1686 in recovering £1,456 5''s''., the balance being, as he plaintively puts it, abated in costs. Sir Francis was never married. In person he was short and rather stout.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bramston, Francis Year of birth missing 1683 deaths 17th-century English judges Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Fellows of Queens' College, Cambridge Barons of the Exchequer People from the City of Chelmsford