Will of Mary Browne of Tolethorp

[ADRIANC...@aol.com]

Here is another one, The Will of Mary Quarles who had married John Browne of
Tolethorp, Rutlandshire. A few weeks ago there was mention of another
Browne/Quarles marriage a century or so earlier. That Browne (of Stamford, Lincs)
was of the same family as this.

This is the first Will I have come across with a personal message is added
after the main Will

Will of Mary late wife of John Browne of Tolethorp 10 May 1634
[Transcribed from PRO pdf copy]

The last will and testament of Marie # Browne late wife of John Browne of
Tolethrop in the # County of Rutland Esq as follows # After my soule into the
hands of Almighty # God commended and my bodie to be decently buried by my late
loving husband # I give and bequeath unto Christopher my eldest sonne one
angell of gold Item I give # and bequeath to Quarles my second sonne four
hundred pounds Item to John my # third sonne one hundred pounds Item to
ffrancis my fourth sonne five hundred and # fiftie pounds Item to James my fifth
sonne two hundred and fifty pounds Item to # Penellope my first daughter
five hundred pounds, my black wrought bede with all # the furniture to it
belonging my satten bearing cloth and my lannce [?] fair cloth [margin: and my
tacsitie [?] brazing cloth] Item # to Priscilla my second daughter four hundred
pounds and all residue of my child ## bearing lynnen not to her sister formerly
bequested And forasmuch as I am now with # child (if it or they be born
alive) I give and bequeath to it or them one hundred pounds Item # I further
give to my daughters all my jewells to be equallie divided among them which #
jewells are woth more then fortie pounds provided allways and my will and
meaninge # is that if any of my daughters refuse to be ruled by Sr Robert Quarles my
loving brother # in her marriage that then it shalbe lawfull for him to abate
her portion so refusing and give her # less (as in his wisdom he shall then
be fittest) and the residue thereof to be divided equallie # among my other
children (except my sonne Christopher who hath not neede to share therein) #
provided likewise, and my will and meaning also is that if any of my children
shall depart # this life before he or she receive such portion as it to him or her
formerly bequeathed and be # not of years of discrecon' fitt to dispose of
the same That then every such part or portion shalbe # devided equally among
such of them as shall survive (except my sonne Christopher (as # before is said
[)] needeth not to share therein) Lastly I doe nominate appoint and make
Quarles # my second sonne sole executor of this my last will giving unto him all
other my goods cattells # and chattells herein not bequeathed And Sir
Robert Quarles my said loving brother sup'viser # of the same humbly intreating him
to accept thereof And to be a stepfather or rather sted # father to my
fatherles children And to canst such houshold goods and other personall effact as
# to me doth any waise belonge (and not herein bequeathed) to be forthwith
sold and the money # thereof made to be employed to the best advantage of my
children willing them to submitt # to him as to a father In witness whereof I
have hereunto set my hand and state the tenth daie of # May anno domini One
thousand six hundred thirtie four Also my will is whoesoever hath the # land
should have an angell of gold and what other portion is herein to him bequeathed
it to be equally # devided among my other children Mary Browne sealed and
delivered published and declared # as my last will in the present of
Christopher Browne John Lowlett
The last words of a dying friend # Loving brother Quarles give me leave to #
declare my minde by writing when othewise I cannot, my desire is to have my #
children brought up in the house wherein they were born therefor I think it
not fitt # to sell the goods or stock But my desire is that so much money
should be raised out of the # land in the nonage of my sonne as both goods and
stock do amount unto or ^are^ worth, And # so he at his full age to enter upon his
inheritance furnihed and stocked And so farewll # dear brother once your
loving sister Mary Browne And you my dear sonne # Christopher my Councell and
advice to you as to choose yor loving uncle Sir Robert # Quarles to be yor
guardian who was true loving and faithfull to me and I am assured # would be to
you And as god hath allotted a farr larger portion to yo' then to all other yor
# brothers and sisters, sobe you loving and respcfull to them and in so doing
you shall doubtless # please both God and all good men, And so fairwell dear
sonne once yor loving mother # Mary Browne

I can't read the date (but indexed as 6 Nov 1634) in the Probate clause,
which has been squeezed into the margin. Quarles Browne is mentioned, presumably
as executor

There was another son John, but he had died in infancy in 1624. Mary had
another daughter (the child she was expecting) Elizabeth who married the Rector
of Little Casterton. Son Christopher married and had issue, he was sheriff of
Rutland in 1647 and 1680. Quarles became a president of the East India
Company at Bantum, he married and left two daughters. John and James both married
but seem to have dsp, as did Francis but no record of a wife for him. Penelope
and Pricilla also both married.

In 1619 and again in 1629 it was found that John Browne (Mary Quarles
husband) had been mad and unable to manage his affairs since 1612, but apparently did
not prevent him from having further issue, in fact all but Charles were born
after 1619. John also died in 1634, but I do not have the exact date.

Adrian

[Rosie Bevan]

Dear Adrian

Thank you for posting and sharing Mary Quarles' interesting will with us. I
was not aware that there were so many children from the marriage -it seems
she left eight orphaned children under the age of 16 (having had 9 in all),
when she died at the age of 40, so it is hardly surprising she was so
anxious for their welfare.

Mary Quarles was a great grand-daughter of George Quarles of Ufford and
Margaret Browne of Walcot, Northants. as shown below.
1.George Quarles of Ufford, Northants, d.1535=Margaret Browne, da. Robert
Browne and Isabel Sharpe of Walcot, Northants
2. Francis Quarles of Ufford d.1570=Bridget Brampton d. 1591
3.Sir James Quarles of Romford, Essex, d. 1599=Joan Dalton of Great
Hadham, Herts. d.1606
4. Mary Quarles 1594-1634=John Browne of Tolethorpe, Rutland,
1592-March 1634

Her brother, Sir Robert Quarles, did not outlive her long, (dying in 1639),
but he survived long enough to manage Christopher's inheritance to his
majority. In 1638, the latter married Elizabeth, dau of Sir Edward
Harrington, Bart., of Ridlington, Rutland, (sheriff of Rutland in 1621 &
1637) and Margaret Doyley, dau of John Doyley of Merton, Oxon. There were a
number of Browne, Doyley and Quarles intermarriages at this time. Mary and
Sir Robert Quarles were siblings of the popular poet, Francis Quarles,
1592-1644.

John Browne, Mary's husband whom she married on March 17 1615, was perhaps
related to the Walcot Brownes, but if so, it is not clear how. His descent
[VCH Rutland v.2 p.237] is shown below.

1. Christopher Browne (probably of Stamford)
2. Francis d.1541 bought Tolethorpe and Little Casterton, Rutland from
Henry Scrope in 1527
3.Anthony d.1591
4.Francis d.1603
5 John 1592-1634=Mary Quarles 1594-1634
6.Christopher Browne b 1618

The dates of baptism for some of Mary and John's children are as follows
[The Genealogist v.1, p.66 - Extracts from the parish registers of Little
Casterton, co. Rutland]
Christopher, Feb 27 1618
Penelope, July 20 1620
Quarles, July 10 1622
John, April 27 1624, buried July 5 1624
John, April 13 1626
Priscilla, Feb 1 1629

It is interesting to note that Mary made her second son an executor of her
will when he was only 12 years old.

Cheers

Rosie