Sir Thomas Browne (1402 – 29 July 1460) was a Member of Parliament and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was beheaded for treason on 20 July 1460.
Thomas Browne was born in 1402, the son and heir of Sir Robert Browne of Betchworth and a nephew of Stephen Browne MP. He was sworn to the peace in Kent in 1434. He was Justice of Peace for Kent from 1436 to 24 December 1450. He was High Sheriff of Kent in 1439 and Member of Parliament for Dover in the same year, and Knight of the Shire for Kent in 1445. He was present at Parliament in 1447 and 1449 as Under Treasurer. He was MP between 1449 and 1450 for Wallingford.
He served as Treasurer of the Household to Henry VI. He was knighted 1449/1451. During the reign of King Henry VI, his highest post was that of Chancellor of the Exchequer, which he held between 1440 and 1450. He was later Justice of Peace for Surrey from 20 July 1454 till his death.
Browne was convicted of treason on 20 July 1460, and immediately executed. According to some sources he was beheaded, while according to other sources he and six others were executed at Tyburn.
Betchworth Castle, which Browne purchased from his father in law, Thomas FitzAlan.
Tonford Manor, Thanington, Kent, called 'Toniford', 'Tunford' etc., which came to him from Sir Thomas Fogge, (died anno 9 Henry IV) through the Brownes, who in the 27th year of Henry VI obtained a grant of liberty to embattle and impark and to have free warren etc. within this manor.
Morris-Court, Bapchild, Kent, situated within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the diocese of Rochester and deanery of Sittingbourne.
Eythorne Manor, Kent. Browne obtained the grant of a fair at the neighbouring village of Wimlingswold, to be held on the feast of St. Margaret the Virgin (20 July), but which is now held yearly on Old May-day.
Hoptons Manor in the parish of Alkham, Kent.
Kingsnorth Manor, Ulcombe, Kent. In the 27th year of the reign of Henry VI, Browne obtained licence for a fair in this parish on the feast of St. Michael, and that same year had licence to embattle his mansion there and to enclose a park, and for freewarren in all his demesne lands within the manor.
Westbury Manor, Wateringbury, Kent, which Browne purchased from Richard Fishborne in the 33d year of Henry VI's reign. Now called Manor Farm.
Swanscombe Manor, Greenhithe, Kent.
Tong Castle and Manor, Tong, Kent, which had been in possession of Richard, Duke of York, but was taken by the crown in anno 38 Henry VI, and granted to Browne prior to his being knighted and appointed comptroller and treasurer of the King's household. Browne soon afterwards obtained a grant of a fair at this manor on St. James's day yearly, and another for liberty to embattle his mansion and to impark his lands here.
The manor of Barfreston, Kent
In about 1437, Browne married Eleanor FitzAlan, daughter of Sir Thomas FitzAlan, third son of John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel (d. 14 August 1390), and Elizabeth le Despenser (d. 10 or 11 April 1408), by whom he had seven sons and two daughters:
William Browne (of Tavistock, Devon).
Sir George Browne, beheaded in 1483. His estates were confiscated, but were afterwards restored to his heirs in 1485 by Henry VII.
Thomas Browne.
Sir Anthony Browne.
Robert Browne, esquire, of Luddenham, Kent, Comptroller of the Household to Thomas FitzAlan, 17th Earl of Arundel, who married a wife named Anne, by whom he had a daughter, Eleanor Browne, who married firstly, before 9 December 1509, Thomas Fogge (d. 16 August 1512), esquire, sergeant porter of Calais, younger son of Sir John Fogge, and secondly Sir William Kempe (d. 28 January 1539) of Olantigh, Kent.
Leonard Browne.
Edward Browne.
Catherine Browne, who married Humphrey Sackville, of Buckhurst Park, Sussex (1426 – 24 January 1488), son of Sir Edward Sackville and his wife Margaret Wakehurst.
Jane Browne.
