He was born in about 1369, the eldest son and heir of John Browning by his wife Alice Mautravers, a daughter and co-heiress of Sir John Mautravers, MP, of Hooke in Dorset (and a half-sister of
John Maltravers, 1st Baron Maltravers (c.1290–1364)[3])), by his second wife Joan Foliot, daughter and heiress of Sir Walter Foliot of Nantwich, Cheshire, and of Melbury Sampford in Dorset.
Marriage and children
He married twice:
Firstly at some time before February 1383, to Agnes Rodborough (c.1364-pre.1392), a daughter and co-heiress of William Rodborough of Leigh, near Deerhurst, Gloucestershire, by whom he had issue one son, who predeceased him, and one daughter:
Cecily Browning, wife of Guy Whittington, MP, eldest son of Robert Whittington of Pauntley, and nephew of
Richard Whittington,
Mayor of London. She inherited several of her maternal Rodborough estates.[5]
Secondly, at some time before 1397, he married Eleanor FitzNichol, the younger daughter and a co-heiress of Sir Thomas FitzNichol, MP, of Hill near
Berkeley Castle, in Gloucestershire, by whom he had two sons including:
John Browning (1397-1420), eldest son and heir,[6] who besides his paternal inheritance also inherited various FitzNichol estates from his maternal grandfather. He died childless aged 23 when his heir became his younger brother William Browning.[7]
Thirdly, in 1408, he married Alice Berkeley (c.1379-1414), a daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Berkeley, MP, of Coberley, and widow of Thomas Bridges of Haresfield, Gloucestershire.[9]
Sources
Woodger, L. S., biography of "Browning, John (c.1369-1416), of Melbury Sampford, Dorset and Leigh near Deerhurst, Glos.", published in:
History of Parliament: House of Commons 1386-1421, ed. J.S. Roskell, L. Clark, C. Rawcliffe., 1993
[3]
References
^"Monumental Heraldry in Dorset", in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 5, East (London, 1975), pp. 121-129
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