From a previous thread I have shown the claim by Robert Browne 1st Baronet
of Walcot that he was a cousin of William FitzWilliam (1550-1618) son of
William FitzWilliam (1526-1599) of Milton, N'hants, and in looking for this
connection, I have found a different Browne connection.
The issue of William FitzWilliam (1526-1599) is commonly given as William,
John, Mary (m Sir Richard Dyre), Philippa (m Sir Thomas Coningsby) and Margaret
(m John Byron)
However there were further issue who predeceased him for in his Will he
states "...[my] sundry children who there is remayning 2 sons and 3 daughters."
In "Queen Elizabeth and HER TIMES, letters, edited by Thomas Wright (1838),
Vol I pp 3-5." there is a letter from Sir William FitzWilliam (1526-1599) to
William More of Loseley, nr Compton, Surrey which has been dated (perhaps by
the editor) as 31 Dec 1558 where William refers to his son Browne and his
hoped for appointment as knight of the shire. The editor identifies this Browne
as Sir Thomas Browne of Betchworth Castle in [s/b nr] Dorking who married
Mabyl dau of Sir William.
There seems little doubt that this is a correct identification. Sir Thomas
Browne is commonly given as married firstly to Mable daughter and heir of Sir
William FitzWilliams of Ireland. Apart from Mable not being an heiress,
this rest fits in the above. Mable must have married young as ODNB states that
her parents were married in 1543. William More occurs as a commissions
jointly with Sir Thomas is another. By 1576/7 Sir Thomas Browne was then married
to Helen (either nee Warner or nee Harding), so Mable had presumably died.
Sir Thomas and Mable's s&h was Mathew Browne born in 1562 (killed 1603 in a
dual)
But the above still does not explain the cousenship with Robert Browne of
Walcot
Adrian
[31st Dec 1558.]
SIR WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM {fn 1} TO MR. MORE. {fn 2}
Sir, I can but for these your lettyrs, and all othyr your gentlenes, render
onto you moste hertie thanks, and to th’e effect of your saide lettyrs, you
shall ondyrstande that apon Saturdeye last, he beyng at Londyn, my sone
Browne {fn. 3} wrote oneto me, that he hade onderstandyng my Lord Chamberlayn {fn
4} began to make labore for his sone to be one of the knyghts for the shyre..
Whereapon I sent to Mr. Cawerden to knowe hys opinion theryn, whose awnswer
was, that for hys owne parte he wolde take no knoledge of annye suche
mattyrs, nor he thoght gode that my son sholde, saying furdyr that oneles my son dyd
stande for the same he wolde not, and that he undrstode Mr. Sawndyrs made at
the desyre of my saide lord earnest mene onto the freeholders abowte
Kyngston, which made answere that theye had promysyd ther gode wylls beffore, &c.
Thus have I certeffyd my sayd sone of Mr. Cawyrden his mynde, and of my owen
also, which is myche agreable to the same.
And I hope with the gode helpe of you and othyr gode frends the mattyr wyll
go well ynoghe on owr syde, &c. Mr. Teylle wil be with you apon Wensdaye
week, &c.
And for newes you shall ondyrstand that yestydaye beyng Chrystemas day, the
Quene’s majestie repayryd to hyr great closet, with hyr nobles and ladyes, as
hath ben acustomyd yn such high feasts. And she perseving a bysshope
preparing himselfe to make all in the olde fowrme, she tayyd there onetill the
gospell was done, and when all the people lokyd ffor hyr to have offryde
according the olde facion, she with hyr nobles returnyd agayn from the closet and
the masse, onto hir priveye chamber, which was strange onto dyvers, &c. O
Blessid by God in all his gifts, &c. {fn 5} You shall knowe more of this matter
by Mr. Teylle, &c. I pray you to commende me and my wiffe, first onto
yourself and then onto your gode wyfe, &c. This Saynt Stevenes night, by
Your as his own,
WYLLIAM FITZWYLLIAMS
{fn 1. Sir William FitzWilliam, of Milton in Northamptonshire, ancestor of
the present Earl Fitzwilliam. He married the sister of Sir Henry Sidney, and
was himself five times Lord Deputy of Ireland. In the great lack of
correspondance at the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign, the present letter has been
reprinted from Kemp’d Loseley Manuscrips. It is also printed incorrectly in
Ellis.}
{fn 2. William More of Loseley in Surrey, who was at this time Sheriff of
the counties of Surrey and Sussex.}
{fn 3. Sir Thomas Brown of Betchworth Castle in Dorking, who married
Mabyl, daughter of Sir Willim Fitzwilliams.}
{fn 4. William Lord Howard of Effingham.}
{fn 5. It is well known that for at least a month after the accession of
Elizabeth, no change was made in the religion of the State. She waited till
she had her ministry settled and her parliament assembled. As the time of the
meeting of parliament approached, she bagan to show more openly her
intentions, and the circumstance here mentioned was one of the first prognostics of
the great change that was to come. “On the first of January, following,â€