In my previous post I told the story of Phebe Browne, my 9th great grandmother, her journey to and life in America. Now it’s time for me to tell the story of her forefathers and the religious turmoil that impacted their lives.
The Time
It's the 16th century and the 25th year of the reign of Henry VIII. (See RESOURCES for historical information.)
Heretofore the Pope has been the supreme leader of the church in England. Henry, however, has brought changes to the church-state relationship resulting in the exclusion of the Pope and bringing the clergy under the control of the monarchy At the same time, Parliament has brought about the dissolution of the monasteries.
In retrospect, it would seem that Henry must have been conflicted about his religious beliefs. On the one hand he upheld the central pillars of the Roman Catholic faith. On the other hand he reduced the authority of the Pope and ensured that his son, Prince Edward, was educated by those who believed in Protestantism.
It must have been a very contentious time as those who favored Catholicism were pitted against those who favored Protestantism.
Heretofore the Pope has been the supreme leader of the church in England. Henry, however, has brought changes to the church-state relationship resulting in the exclusion of the Pope and bringing the clergy under the control of the monarchy At the same time, Parliament has brought about the dissolution of the monasteries.
In retrospect, it would seem that Henry must have been conflicted about his religious beliefs. On the one hand he upheld the central pillars of the Roman Catholic faith. On the other hand he reduced the authority of the Pope and ensured that his son, Prince Edward, was educated by those who believed in Protestantism.
It must have been a very contentious time as those who favored Catholicism were pitted against those who favored Protestantism.
The Place
The place is Surrey, a county lying just to the southwest of and bordering on Greater London. The Thames River, which forms its northern border, is fed by the rivers Wey and Mole, which run through the County.William
The story begins in February 1534 with the birth of William Browne, my 12th great grandfather. This date is known not from any birth record, for those were not yet kept, but rather from information recorded at the time of his death. His birthplace and the names of his parents are lost to the mists of time.
The earliest known record for William can be found in the records of Cambridge University:
Browne, William.
Matric. pens. from PEMBROKE, Michs.
1546
Matric. pens. from PEMBROKE, Michs.
1546
This tells us that William was admitted (matriculated) as a pensioner to Pembroke Hall during Michaelmas (the first term) in 1546. (See RESOURCES for a Glossary of Terms.)
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| Birds Eye View of Pembroke Hall, by David Loggan, published in 1690 |
William would have been just 12 years old when he was admitted. As odd as it might seem to us today, it was common at the time for boys to be sent away to boarding school at a young age. As a pensioner, his family would have paid for his tuition, room and board. His family would also have paid for any servants, tailors, or tutors the young William might have required. Pembroke is nearly 90 miles north of Horley so it’s likely that William only saw his family during holidays.
I think it's fair for us to surmise that William came from a family of some means. I believe it’s also fair to surmise that the Browne’s favored Protestantism over Catholicism.
RELIGIOUS TURMOIL
Henry VIII had brought about changes in the curriculum at Cambridge. The study of canon law declined, and the Greek and Latin classics, mathematics and Biblical studies came to the fore.
When William became a student there, Nicholas Ridley was the master of Pembroke Hall (1540-1554). Ridley was a known Reformist who had transformed the university into a seminary capable of producing the future leaders of the reformed church.
Henry VIII died in London on 28 January 1547 and his son was crowned King Edward IV.
Under Edward’s reign (r. 1547-1553), England officially became Protestant. He abolished clerical celibacy and the Mass, and ushered in the requirement that services be conducted in English. His half-sister Mary became queen at his death.
Mary I (r. 1553-1558), a devout Roman Catholic, attempted to reverse the Reformation begun by her father and furthered by her brother. She restored papal supremacy, abandoned the title of Supreme Head of the Church, reintroduced Roman Catholic bishops and began the slow reintroduction of monastic orders. Hundreds of leaders of the Reformation were burned at the stake for heresy under her reign thus earning her the title Bloody Mary. Among the martyrs was Nicholas Ridley, former master of Pembroke Hall. At her death, Mary’s half-sister Elizabeth became queen.
Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603) reversed the actions begun by Mary. She established an English Protestant church, of which she became the Supreme Governor. Elizabeth ushered in the Elizabethan era, the time of exploration by Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh and writers such as William Shakespeare. It was also a time marked by war and economic depression.
THE RECTOR
Returning to the story of William, we find that on 26 June 1561 he was appointed Rector of St. Bartholomew’s Church in Horley in Surrey County.
There has been a church on Church Road, on the banks of the River Mole, since the middle of the 12th century, although the present building is mainly of 14th century origin.
Horley Parish and its Manor were originally under the control of the Benedictine Abbey of St Peter at Chertsey, close by the River Thames. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, Horley Manor passed to Henry VIII who gave or sold it to various people until 1602, when it became the property of Christ’s Hospital in London. A map produced in that year, a copy of which is held today by the Horley Local History Society, shows that the parish consisted of three hamlets around a huge open common.
One hamlet was clustered around St. Bartholomew’s Church and the Six Bells public house, which sits adjacent to the church still today; another where a windmill once stood by the River Mole; and the third in what is now Horley Row.
According to the Horley Local History Society, William Browne owned Russell’s Farm, Rowel’s Farm, a couple miles south of Horley, and other lands in the Horley area. On the 1602 map, Russell’s Farm is shown with the name N. Browne. This unknown N. Browne is surely related somehow to our William, perhaps even being his father.
Russell’s Farm is a mere half-mile from St. Bartholomew’s Church along Massetts Road. On this 1895 map we see that the farm is a short distance from Victoria Road.
The farm, its outbuildings and orchards are gone now having been replaced by a mixture of residential and commercial buildings. One has to wonder if anyone living there now knows the origin of the street named Russells Circle.
In the 1895 map you see on the farm that there’s a large building sitting right next to Massetts Road. This is roughly the same location as The Yew Tree Guest House with its lovely garden today.
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| YEW TREE GUEST HOUSE https://bedandbreakfast.uk/property.asp?PropertyID=2983 |
Rowel’s Farm was situated 2 miles south, in about the same location as that body of water that lies just to the right (east) of the Ian Stewart Centre in this map. Unfortunately there is no lovely garden for me to show you here as this is now the Crawley Sewerage Works.
In 1560 William married Magdalene Elphick/Elsick. They would become the parents of four known children:
- Phoebe Browne may have been born in Horley in about 1560. She married Anthony Hugett on 30 May 1580 in Horley.
- Joseph Browne, my 11th great grandfather, may have been born about 1562 in Horley. He married Margery Patching in February 1583/4 in Horley.
- Sarah Browne may have been born about 1566-9 in Horley. She married John Burstowe on 10 October 1593 in Horley.
- Benjamin Browne was baptized on 12 October 1571 in Horley, Surrey. He married Sarah Leachford in 1596.
Sons Joseph and Benjamin followed in their father’s footsteps by attending Cambridge University. Joseph matriculated as a pensioner at Queens’ College at Easter in 1579 when he was about 17 years old. Benjamin matriculated as a pensioner at Christ’s College in 1590/1591 when he was about 19 years old.
During the Elizabethan era, some people were strong supporters of the Protestant reformation (as I believe the Browne’s were), some were staunchly Catholic, some were ambivalent, and some still practiced a stricter form of Christianity, Puritanism.
At Elizabeth death, King James I (r. 1603-1625), the reigning King of Scotland, became King of England. Although originally tolerant of Catholicism, a threat against his life in 1606 resulted in the imposition of strict penalties on Roman Catholics. King James is noted for having ordered a new translation of the Bible, which became known as the Authorized King James Version.
William’s wife Magdalene died 8 September 1604 and was buried in the churchyard of St. Bartholomew’s.
On 15 October 1604 William conveyed Russels Farm to his son Joseph Browne by enfeoffment (See Glossary of Terms).
The very next day, on 16 October 1604, William married Margaret Bonnyke, a widow, in the neighboring town of Charlwood.
I wonder what prompted William to remarry so soon after losing Magdalene, his wife of 44 years. It’s clear he didn’t want Margaret or her children to inherit Russels Farm. There is no similar record for Rowels farm nor the other property that is said to have been owned by William so we don’t know how or when they were disposed of.
Eight years after they married, Margaret died and was buried in the Horley churchyard on 17 February 1612.
A little over year later, on 14 November 1613 William died at the age of 79. The burial transcript in the Horley Parish Register for 16 November 1613 has this note:
Mr William Browne clereke vicar of Horley having lived there the space of fiftie yeares being of the age of foure score yeares lacking foure monthes depted this mortal life the fourtenth day of November and was buried the 16th of the same month.
The Surrey and Sussex Will Records show the following entry:
William Brown of Horley, clerk and pastor 4 Jun 1613 (to poor 10s)
to my daughter Sarah Bristowe £20 and to her son John Bristowe £3 and to her daughter Joan Bristowe £2; to my daughter Phoebe £3; to Donum Hogget my second gown; to William Browne my black gown; to Stephen Browne my best cloak; to young Anthony Hogget 10s; residue to my sons Joseph Browne and Benjamin Brown, execs.
Someone saw to it that a memorial tablet was installed in the north chancel wall at St. Bartholomew’s Church in memory of William Browne. The inscription is in Latin and names Williams wives, his four children and the children of his sons.
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| Image courtesy of Peter Brown https://peter-brown.net |
I was able to obtain a translation of the inscription from The Latin Discussion Group:
A SACRED MONUMENT TO MEMORY
William Brown, vicar of this church for a period of fifty years, passed away on 14th November 1615. His first wife Magdalene expired on the seventh of September 1604, and his last wife Margaret died on 17th February 1611.
From the loins of William and Magdalene sprang:
Sons:
- Joseph and his:
____________- sons: William, Stephen, Joseph and John
____________- daughters: Sarah, Susan, Phoebe
William Brown, vicar of this church for a period of fifty years, passed away on 14th November 1615. His first wife Magdalene expired on the seventh of September 1604, and his last wife Margaret died on 17th February 1611.
From the loins of William and Magdalene sprang:
Sons:
- Joseph and his:
____________- sons: William, Stephen, Joseph and John
____________- daughters: Sarah, Susan, Phoebe
- Benjamin and from him:
____________- males: Joseph, Benjamin, William, John, Barnabas,
__________________Tho(mas?)
____________- females: Sara, Mary, Elizabeth
Daughters:
- Phoebe, Sara
He constantly nourished his flock with his teaching and his life.
He was a loving and faithful servant of Christ.
GLORY TO GOD
Translation courtesy of: http://latindiscussion.com/forum/ 3/25/19. http://latindiscussion.com/forum/latin/translation-of-church-memorial-to-william-brown.32061/
I find it curious that the inscription only names William’s grandchildren by his sons and not the grandchildren by his daughters. William named four of his daughters' grandchildren in his Will so it’s not as though they were unknown or disowned.
Thus ends the chapter about William. Next time, I’ll resume the story about Phebe’s forefathers.
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How we’re related:
William Browne/Magdalena Elphick/Elsick
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Joseph Browne/Margery Patching
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William Browne/Jane Mills
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Greenfield Larrabee/Phoebe Browne
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Elizabeth Larrabee/Joshua Hempstead
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Mary Hempstead/Green Plumb
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Samuel Plumb/Ana Roe
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Justus Plumb/Margaret Sammis
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Anna Plumb/Louis J. Houlette
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James Dale Houlette/Agnes Smith Clarke
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Anna Margaret Houlette/Levi Slinker
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Agnes Emeline Slinker/Peter Alexander Creger
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James Iver Creger/Gertrude Ethel Blayden
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Helen Pauline Creger/John Robert Nielsen
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Me
_____________
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My sincere gratitude to Peter Brown for providing his extensive history of the Browne families in Sussex and Surrey, England. It is with his permission that I share material from his website in my articles about my Browne ancestors.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also thank John Larrabee for sharing his extensive knowledge of English history and our shared Browne ancestry..
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Brayley, Edward Wedlake, and Mantell. A Topographical History of Surrey: The Geological Section by Gedeon Mantell. G. Willis, 1850.
Brown, Peter. “Peter Brown Family History,” Last updated 2014. https://peter-brown.net/Pages_Family_Groups/brownwilliam1534.html#documents2.
Ciara.Berry. “Elizabeth I (r.1558-1603).” Text. The Royal Family, January 14, 2016. https://www.royal.uk/elizabeth-i.
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“Mary I (r.1553-1558).” Text. The Royal Family, January 14, 2016. https://www.royal.uk/mary-i.
Fisher, Connie. “James I (r. 1603-1625).” Text. The Royal Family, February 26, 2016. https://www.royal.uk/james-i.
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Malden, Henry Elliot. The Victoria History of the County of Surrey. Vol. Volume III. London: A. Constable, 1911. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/surrey/vol3/pp200-208.
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“Surrey & South London Wills & Probate Index, 1470-1856.” Accessed March 25, 2019. https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=OR/SSL/WILLS/00028924.
“The History of Student Life: 7 Things You Didn’t Know.” History Extra. Accessed March 28, 2019. https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/the-history-of-student-life-7-things-you-didnt-know/.
“Translation, William Brown 1543-1613 Memorial.” Latin D. Accessed March 25, 2019. http://latindiscussion.com/forum/latin/translation-of-church-memorial-to-william-brown.32061/.
“University of Cambridge - Sixteenth Century.” University of Cambridge, January 28, 2013. https://www.cam.ac.uk/about-the-university/history/sixteenth-century.
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