Extract from The Records of the Cust Family Series II - The Brownlows of Belton,1909

By Lady Elizabeth Cust

Lady Elizabeth Cust writes:

The Brownlow family, if originally of Derbyshire, appear to have early migrated into Nottinghamshire, and many branches of the Brownlows in this country appear to have always considered themselves to belong to the same family as the Prothonotary, and to have the right to bear his arms ...

This was first brought to my notice in a manuscript book compiled in 1855 by the late Rev. John Brownlow, a Roman Catholic priest, which his cousin the late Bishop of Clifton kindly lent to me. The object of this book was to prove his descent and that of the Bishop from Christopher Brownlow of Derbyshire already mentioned. Although there was much that was interesting in this book respecting the Brownlow family, including extracts from many parish registers and other records, yet it failed in my opinion to prove this descent. Mr Brownlow was only able to prove his descent as far as a certain Richard Brownlow of Ordsall, called "Welbeck Brownley", who was baptised at Nottingham October 24th 1569 and buried at Tuxford December 26th 1639. Mr Brownlow was persuaded that this Welbeck Brownley was the son of "Brian Bromley" of Ordsall, who was married there on July 26th 1568, to Margaret Graunt, and he mentions that Ordsall, which is a mile from Retford, was three miles from Haughton Park, of which place, as we shall see later, Chrostopher Brownlow's wife of the name Lee was the heiress. It is impossible to say whether this hypothosis of Mr. Brownlow's has any foundation beyond the fact that the Brownlows of Ordsall and Retford used the arms of the Prothontary, which were formerly to be seen in Ordsall Church on the monument of Richard Brownlow of Thrumpton, grandson of Welbeck Brownley who died January 31st 1706. Although these arms have now disappeared, it is a fact that at the present time there exists, belonging to the church, a large silver flagon, 13 inches high, on which is the same Brownlow coat with the greyhound crest, with this inscription:

The gift of Mrs ANN TURNELL Widd: Only Daughter & Heir of Mr RICHD BROWNLOW of THRUMPTON decd for the Use of the Communicants of the Parish Church of ORDSALL for Ever.

Mrs. Turnell's monument states that she died November 6th 1727.

Another branch of the Brownlows of Nottinghamshire settled in Ireland early in the seventeenth century, which is now represented by Lord Lurgan. The Brownlows of Lurgan always believed themselves to be related to the Brownlows of Belton near Grantham and for many years carried the same arms and crest. In 1839, when a peerage was granted to Mr. Charles Brownlow of Lurgan, it being found impossible to prove his right to bear these arms, the Heralds only granted him the old Brownlow coat with a difference in the field, viz,. Per pale Or and Agent, as escutcheon within an orle of martlets sable.

This Irish branch can be traced back to John of Epworth and Nottingham who was possibly a son of John, Mayor of Nottingham several times between 1567 and 1590. Be this as it may, young John Brownlow was married at St Mary's, Nottingham, by Archdeacon Welles on April 30th 1598 to Douglas, daughter of Thomas Roper of Heanor, co. Derby….