BROWNING, Alexander

Alexander, born as a younger son to the wealthy William Browning, was first mentioned in the records in July 1444 when a settlement was made of the family manor of Nethercote and lands in Lower Slaughter in Gloucestershire, it being arranged that after his father’s death these properties would descend to him, rather than to his eldest brother, the heir apparent. Nethercote was only a small part of William’s extensive landed holdings, which were mainly situated in Dorset, but was a property that had traditionally been settled on younger sons of the Browning family. Alexander’s mother had died several years earlier, but her brother the Berkshire lawyer Thomas Drew* of Southcote and another kinsman, Thomas Rothwell†, were looking after his interests: both of them witnessed the settlement.1 E210/4344. Alexander had not yet come of age, but probably did so by the time of his election to the Parliament summoned to meet on 9 July 1455, in which he represented the borough of Wareham in Dorset. He was introduced into the Commons by his father, who sat for the county. The Parliament had been called in the aftermath of the battle of St. Albans, in which the duke of York had led the victorious side, and the return of William Browning as a shire knight is scarcely surprising, since for at least the past eight years he had been receiver of York’s estates in Dorset and his most important retainer in the locality. Since these estates included Wareham it is not hard to deduce how Alexander obtained his seat.2 P.A. Johnson, Duke Richard of York, 161n (although Johnson did not realize that Alexander was William’s son). He himself had no known connexion with the burgesses or town of Wareham, which was situated at some distance from the family home in the north of the county.

It looks as if William had settled other property on Alexander, besides the reversionary interest in the Gloucestershire manor, for in March 1458 the latter granted to his brother John, parson of the church of Symondsbury near Bridport, a yearly rent of 20 marks from lands pertaining to the church.3 CCR, 1454-61, p. 275. Despite their father’s continued employment in the duchy of York after the accession of Edward IV, and the succession of Alexander’s eldest brother to the office of receiver of the estates of the dowager duchess, there is no sign that Alexander himself came to the attention of the government, for he was never appointed to royal commissions. He had remained close to his mother’s kinsfolk. A chancery suit shows him involved in negotiations for the remarriage of his aunt Elizabeth or Isabel, following the death of her husband Thomas Rothwell. According to his petition he was ‘gretely instaunsed and moved’ by the Shropshire lawyer John Lawley* to labour on his behalf for the marriage, Lawley promising to reward him with £40 if the match went ahead. However, although it did take place Lawley ‘affirmed diverse fayned plaints of trespasse and dette’ against our MP, so that he should be kept in prison until he released the lawyer from his bond. Alexander petitioned for a writ of corpus cum causa to the mayor and sheriffs of London so that the matter might be examined by the chancellor.4 C1/20/137.

It would appear that from the early 1460s Browning usually lived in London, and that financial difficulties led to further spells in prison, such as in 1462 and 1466 when he failed to fulfil the terms of obligations entered into at the staple of Westminster.5 C131/237/8, 242/9; C241/243/9, 249/46. In 1471 he was bound to pay a London draper named John Beauchamp separate sums of £5 and £16, which he failed to do on the agreed dates. Then, to pay for four tuns of red wine which he purchased from Beauchamp, he and William Burre were jointly bound in £24, but Beauchamp had them both arrested, and having obtained judgement against Burre for the £24 and costs, nevertheless kept Browning in prison demanding a further £24. Although Browning found surety for his release one of his sureties found himself sued by the draper under bonds for £16.6 C241/254/94, 97; C1/46/348. Yet another suit concerned an action of debt for £4 taken against Browning in London by one John Aleyn on an obligation, whereby he was arrested, although he denied being Aleyn’s debtor. Aleyn ‘enbrased suche aqueste’ of his friends and affinity as would hear no evidence against him.7 C1/32/379.

In 1467 Alexander and his brothers William and John, the parson, had confirmed the indenture of five years earlier whereby their father had given his new wife Alice jointure in his principal manor and advowson of Melbury Sampford,8 Collectanea Topographia et Genealogica ed. Nichols, vi. 357. and it was probably in accordance with their father’s wishes that two days after he died, on 27 Sept. 1472, Alexander demised to Alice certain pasture-land he held in ‘Wynfrydegle’ in Dorset, in return for a payment of £23 6s. 8d. and, after seven years had elapsed, an annual rent of five marks for the rest of his life.9 CCR, 1468-76, no. 1043. Following the death of Edward IV, Alexander’s brother William was removed from his office in administration of the estates of the King’s mother, and it may be that both brothers were opposed to the ursurpation of Richard III. In the troubled summer of 1484, following the rebellion against Richard, Alexander saw fit to purchase a royal pardon. In this he was described as a gentleman ‘formerly of Melbury, Dorset, Reading and Southcote, Berkshire, and London’.10 C67/52, m. 16.The references to Reading and Southcote point to his having kept in close contact with his maternal relations. Whether through political circumstances or continued indebtedness, that same summer he sold his Gloucestershire manor and lands his father had settled on him 40 years earlier to a neighbouring landowner named Robert Taylor, in a conveyance registered in the hundred court of Slaughter. Two years later this conveyance was confirmed by a collusive suit in the King’s court of common pleas.11 CCR, 1476-85, no. 1252; VCH Glos. vi. 40; CAD, i. B855; CP40/897, rot. 255.

Alexander is not recorded thereafter, and died at some point before the death of his elder brother William, which occurred in August 1493. William left no surviving issue, so it was Alexander’s son, another William (who had been born in about 1463), who inherited the Browning family’s principal estates.12 CIPM Hen. VII, i. 954. Alexander was survived by his wife Eleanor, who formally relinquished her rights to Nethercote in October 1496.13 CAD, i. B850.