Family and Education b. c.1550, 2nd s. of Henry Brouncker of Melksham and Erlestoke, Wilts. by his 2nd w. Ursula, da. of [?John] Yate of Lyford, Berks.; bro. of William. educ. M. Temple 1566. m. Anne, da. of Henry Parker, Lord Morley; at least 1s., William, 1st Visct. Brouncker. Kntd. 1597.1

Offices Held

Surveyor of all issues lost by jurors from 1589; lord president of Munster 1603; member of Household by May 1603.2

Biography Brouncker was returned at Westbury and Devizes through the local standing of his family. There is no obvious patron for him at Dorchester; perhaps the best guess would be Sir Robert Cecil, who may have been behind Brouncker’s lucrative grant of ‘issues lost by jurors’, the origin of which has not been ascertained. As his brother was also present in his earlier Parliaments it is not possible to distinguish Henry Brouncker’s committee activity, if any, but certainly in 1601 he was named to committees dealing with the penal laws (2 Nov.) and parliamentary business (3 Nov.).3

By 1597 Brouncker was serving in Ireland, where he was knighted in September by Thomas, 5th Lord Burgh at Drogheda. Three years later he was sent on an official mission to Scotland, where the English agent described him as ‘reasonable well thought on ... true, wise and not disliked’. On his return he is mentioned as providing furniture for the Earl of Essex in the Tower. Early in 1603 he was ordered to assist the Countess of Shrewsbury to guard Lady Arbella Stuart. He remained at court under James I, a list of May 1603 naming him as one of those who had unrestricted access to the privy chamber. In the same year he became president of Munster, an office which he presumably still held at his death on 3 June 1607: he was buried in St. Mary's, Cork.4

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603 Author: J.C.H. Notes 1. C142/152/166; Vis. Wilts. (Harl. Soc. cv, cvi), 32; CP, ii. 344-5. 2. PRO Index 6800; CSP Dom. Add. 1580-1625, p. 431; LC2/4/4; Harl. 6161, f. 132. 3. HMC Hatfield, x. 94, 107; E. Edwards, Life of Raleigh, ii. 435; CJ, i. 113; D’Ewes, 349, 413, 481, 623, 624; PCC 15 Babington; Wards 9/140, f. 114; PRO Index 6800; CSP Dom. 1591-4, p. 508; 1603-10, p. 59; Lansd. 72, f. 162. 4. HMC Hatfield, x. 340; xi. 418; Add. 30262, f. 17; HMC Rutland, iv. 388; Harl. 6161, f. 132; CSP Dom. Add. 1580-1625, p. 431; Harl. 1443, f. 136.

BROUNCKER, Henry

(c.1550-1607), of Erlestoke, Wilts. and West Ham, Essex.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981 Available from Boydell and Brewer

WESTBURY - 1572

DEVIZES - 1584

DEVIZES - 1586

DEVIZES - 1589

DORCHESTER - 1601

Family and Education b. c.1550, 2nd s. of Henry Brouncker of Melksham and Erlestoke, Wilts. by his 2nd w. Ursula, da. of [?John] Yate of Lyford, Berks.; bro. of William. educ. M. Temple 1566. m. Anne, da. of Henry Parker, Lord Morley; at least 1s., William, 1st Visct. Brouncker. Kntd. 1597.1 Offices Held

Surveyor of all issues lost by jurors from 1589; lord president of Munster 1603; member of Household by May 1603.2

Biography

Brouncker wasreturned at Westbury and Devizes through the local standing of his family. There is no obvious patron for him at Dorchester; perhaps the best guess would be Sir Robert Cecil, who may have been behind Brouncker’s lucrative grant of ‘issues lost by jurors’, the origin of which has not been ascertained. As his brother was also present in his earlier Parliaments it is not possible to distinguish Henry Brouncker’s committee activity, if any, but certainly in 1601 he was named to committees dealing with the penal laws (2 Nov.) and parliamentary business (3 Nov.).3

By 1597 Brouncker was serving in Ireland, where he was knighted in September by Thomas, 5th Lord Burgh at Drogheda. Three years later he was sent on an official mission to Scotland, where the English agent described him as ‘reasonable well thought on ... true, wise and not disliked’. On his return he is mentioned as providing furniture for the Earl of Essex in the Tower. Early in 1603 he was ordered to assist the Countess of Shrewsbury to guard Lady Arbella Stuart. He remained at court under James I, a list of May 1603 naming him as one of those who had unrestricted access to the privy chamber. In the same year he became president of Munster, an office which he presumably still held at his death on 3 June 1607: he was buried in St. Mary's, Cork.4

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: J.C.H.

Notes

1.C142/152/166; Vis. Wilts. (Harl. Soc. cv, cvi), 32; CP, ii. 344-5.

2.PRO Index 6800; CSP Dom. Add. 1580-1625, p. 431; LC2/4/4; Harl. 6161, f. 132.

3.HMC Hatfield, x. 94, 107; E. Edwards, Life of Raleigh, ii. 435; CJ, i. 113; D’Ewes, 349, 413, 481, 623, 624; PCC 15 Babington; Wards 9/140, f. 114; PRO Index 6800; CSP Dom. 1591-4, p. 508; 1603-10, p. 59; Lansd. 72, f. 162.

4.HMC Hatfield, x. 340; xi. 418; Add. 30262, f. 17; HMC Rutland, iv. 388; Harl. 6161, f. 132; CSP Dom. Add. 1580-1625, p. 431; Harl. 1443, f. 136.