Sir Richard Browne, 1st Baronet, of London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Richard Browne
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| Member of Parliament for Ludgershall |
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| In office December 1661 – September 1669 |
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| Lord Mayor of London | |
| In office October 1660 – September 1661 |
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| Member of Parliament for City of London |
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| In office September 1654 – December 1660 |
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| Member of Parliament for Wycombe |
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| In office September 1645 – December 1648 (excluded by Pride's Purge) |
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| Parliamentarian Governor of Abingdon | |
| In office June 1644 – 1646 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1602 London |
| Died | 24 September 1669 Debden Hall, Uttlesford |
| Resting place | Church of St Mary the Virgin and All Saints, Debden, Epping Forest |
| Nationality | English |
| Spouse | Bridget Bryan 1631 to his death |
| Children | 3 sons, 2 daughters Richard (1618–1684) |
| Military service | |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles/wars |
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Sir Richard Browne (born around 1602, died September 24, 1669) was an important person from London. He started as a merchant and became a Member of Parliament (MP). During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, he rose to become a Major general in the Parliamentarian army.
Browne was a moderate Presbyterian. After the First English Civil War, he wanted a peaceful agreement where King Charles I would stay on the throne. This put him at odds with more extreme leaders like Oliver Cromwell. Because of his views, he was removed from Parliament in December 1648. He also opposed The Protectorate, a period when England was ruled without a king. He spent almost five years in prison. He was also thought to be involved in the Royalist Booth's Uprising. After the king returned to power in 1660 (the Stuart Restoration), Browne became Lord Mayor of London and an MP for Ludgershall.
Contents
Early Life and Business
Richard Browne was born in London around 1602. His father was John Browne from Wokingham. Richard became a member of the Worshipful Company of Woodmongers by 1634. He made a lot of money trading coal and timber. He even invested £600 to help take back Ireland.
People who supported the King sometimes made fun of Browne for his humble beginnings, calling him "the woodmonger." In 1656, he joined the more respected Merchant Taylors' Company.
Military Adventures
Browne joined the Honourable Artillery Company in 1622. He became an officer in the London Trained Bands (LTBs), which were like a part-time army for London. When the LTBs grew in 1642, Browne became a captain.
Starting the Civil War
By September 1642, the English Civil War had begun. Browne started a regiment of dragoons (soldiers who rode horses but fought on foot) in London. He became their colonel. He helped remove Royalist supporters in Kent. Then, he served under Sir William Waller to capture Winchester in December. Browne's Dragoons also fought at Brill in January 1643.
Leading a Brigade
In July 1643, Browne was given his own command. He led soldiers from the LTBs, along with horse and dragoon units. Their mission was to break up a Royalist gathering in Sevenoaks, Kent. The Royalists moved to Tonbridge, where a three-hour fight happened on July 24. Browne's forces drove them out and captured 200 Royalists.
In December 1643, Parliament made Browne a Sergeant major general. He commanded a London brigade to help Waller's army, which was trying to capture Arundel Castle. Heavy snow slowed their march, and they arrived after Arundel had already fallen. Browne then fortified Petworth House to protect against the Royalist army.
Battle of Cheriton
Browne's brigade joined Waller's army on March 27, 1644. On March 29, they fought in the Battle of Cheriton. Browne's men were involved in skirmishes in Cheriton Wood. The battle turned into a big cavalry fight. Browne's London brigade had to push back several Royalist attacks. In the afternoon, Browne led his foot soldiers back into Cheriton Wood as the Royalists began to retreat.
On April 6, Browne's brigade helped capture the fortified Bishop's Waltham Palace. After this, the London soldiers wanted to go home. They left without orders and returned to London as heroes on April 14. Without them, Waller's operations had to stop.
Challenges as Major-General
In June 1644, Parliament made Browne a Major-General for Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire. His job was to defeat the Royalist garrisons (fortified places). He was given a brigade of London auxiliaries, but they were not at full strength.
When the King's army moved east, Browne was sent to protect Hertfordshire. He was joined by local trained bands. However, he was too late to help Waller, who was defeated at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge on June 29. When Browne joined Waller, Waller's tired London brigade thought Browne's men were there to replace them. They started chanting "Home, Home!" Many soldiers from Essex and Hertfordshire also left. On July 6, some even wounded Browne in the face when he tried to stop them.
Governor of Abingdon
Browne was then ordered to capture Greenland House. Later, he was put in charge of the forces at Abingdon-on-Thames. He became the Governor of Abingdon on August 15. During the winter, he kept up attacks against the Royalist stronghold of Oxford.
In the summer of 1645, he took part in the Second Siege of Oxford. In September, he had to stop a serious fight between different Parliamentarian troops. He was also active in the final Third Siege of Oxford in 1646. He remained Governor of Abingdon until the First Civil War ended that year.
Political Life
In October 1645, Browne was elected as an MP for Chipping Wycombe. He was allowed to keep his military command, even though a rule called the Self-denying Ordinance usually prevented this.
Conflict with the Army
In January 1647, Browne was one of the people who received King Charles when the Scots handed him over to Parliament. He was with the King when soldiers seized him for the Army in July. Browne strongly disagreed with this action.
He became an alderman (a senior member of the city council) for London in June 1648. He also served as Sheriff of the City of London. Because he opposed the Army's policies, he was removed from Parliament in December 1648 in an event known as Pride's Purge. He was then imprisoned for five years, accused of working against the government with the Scots.
Return to Power
Browne was elected MP for the City of London in 1656 and again in 1659, but he was not allowed to take his seat. He became unhappy with The Protectorate (the time without a king). He was one of many who wanted the monarchy to return.
In April 1660, he was elected MP for the City of London again. He met King Charles II when the King made his grand return to London. Browne helped bring to justice those who had been involved in the King's father's death.
Browne was made a knight in March 1660 and a baronet in July 1660. He became an alderman again and was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1660. He played a key role in stopping Venner's Rising in January 1661, personally leading the Yellow Regiment of the LTBs against the rebels. In 1661, he was elected MP for Ludgershall and served until his death in 1669.
Sir Richard Browne lived at Debden Manor in Essex, which he had bought before May 1662. He passed away there on September 24, 1669. He had several children, including Sir Richard Browne and Sir John Browne.
Sources
- John Adair, Cheriton 1644: The Campaign and the Battle, Kineton: Roundwood, 1973, ISBN 0-900093-19-6.
- Ian F.W. Beckett, Wanton Troopers: Buckinghamshire in the Civil Wars 1640–1660, Barnsley:Pen & Sword, 2015, ISBN 978-1-47385-603-5.
- Lt-Col Alfred H. Burne & Lt-Col Peter Young, The Great Civil War: A Military History of the First Civil War 1642–1646, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1959/Moreton-in-Marsh, Windrush Press, 1998, ISBN 1-900624-22-2.
- The Complete Baronetage, ca 1900, reprinted 1983.
- Dictionary of National Biography, 1886.
- Lawson Chase Nagel, The Militia of London, 1641–1649, PhD thesis, King's College London, 1982.
- Keith Roberts, London And Liberty: Ensigns of the London Trained Bands, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire: Partizan Press, 1987, ISBN 0-946525-16-1.
- Margaret Toynbee & Brig Peter Young, Cropredy Bridge, 1644: The Campaign and the Battle, Kineton: Roundwood, 1970, ISBN 0-900093-17-X.
