Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Brownlow, Richard
BROWNLOW, RICHARD (1553–1638), chief prothonotary of the court of common pleas, was the son of John Brownlow of High Holborn, by a daughter of Sir John Zouch of Stoughton Grange, Leicestershire. He was born 2 April 1553, and baptised 12 April at St. Andrew's, Holborn. In 1583 he was entered at the Inner Temple, and was treasurer of that society in 1606. On 9 Oct. 1591 he was made chief prothonotary of the court of common pleas, which office he continued to hold until his death, deriving from it an annual profit of 6,000l., with which he purchased the reversion of the estate of Belton, near Grantham, and other properties in Lincolnshire. He married Katherine, daughter of John Page of Wembly, Middlesex, one of the first governors of Harrow School, and by her had three sons and three daughters. He died at Enfield on 21 July 1638 in his eighty-sixth year; his bowels were buried in Enfield church, but his body was carried to Belton, and buried 1 Aug. in the church there, where there is a figure of him in his prothonotary's gown surmounting his monument. A portrait in similar dress is preserved at Belton House, and was engraved by Thomas Cross as frontispiece to his works. His will is dated 1 Jan. 1637–8, and was proved 8 Aug. 1638 by his two sons, John and William Brownlow, who were both created baronets, the latter being the ancestor of John Brownlow, viscount Tyrconnel, whose sister married Sir Richard Cust, bart., the ancestor of the present Earl Brownlow. A street in Holborn still bears the name. After his death various collections frnm his manuscripts were published, including: 1. 'Reports of diverse Choice Cases of Law, taken by Richard Brownlow and John Goldesborough,' 1651. 2. 'Reports' (a second part of 'Diverse Choice Cases of Law'), 1652. 3. 'Declarations And Pleadings in English,' 1652; 2nd part 1654; 3rd edition 1659. 4. 'Writs Judicial,' 1663. 5. 'Placita Latine Rediviva: a Book of Entries collected in the Times and out of some of the Manuscripts of those famous and learned prothonotaries Richard Brownlow, John Gulston, Robert Moyland, and Thomas Cory, by R. A. of Furnival's Inn' 1661; 3nd edition 1673. 6. 'A Second Book of Judgements on Real, Personal, and Mixt Actions and upon the Statute; all or most of them affirmed upon Writs of Error. Being the collection of Mr. George Huxley of Lincoln's Inn, Kent., out of the choice manuscripts of Mr. Brownlowe and Mr. Moyle.' &c., 1674. 7. 'Latinè Redivivus: a Book of Entries of such Declarations, Information, Pleas in Bar, &c,, contained in the first and second ports of the Declarations and Pleadings of Richard Brownlow, esq., late chief protonotary of the Court of Common Pleas (unskillfully turned into English and) printed in the years 1653 and 1654. Now published in Latin, their original Language, with additions,' 1693.
[Turnor's Collections for the History of the Town and Soke of Grantham, pp. 94-5, 100; Gent. Mag, xcvi. 26; Barrington's Observations on the more Ancient Statutes; Granger's Biographical History of England (5th edit.), iii. 26; Visitations of Lincolnshire, Harl. MSS. 1190, 1550, 1551, 3625, and Heralds' College; Brit. Mus. Catalogue; family papers belonging to Earl Brownlow.]