John Bramston, the younger
Encyclopedia
Sir John Bramston, the younger (1611–1700), was an English lawyer. The son of Sir John Bramston, the elder, he was educated at Wadham College, Oxford, and called to bar at Middle Temple
in 1635. In 1660 he was elected to the Convention Parliament
for the county of Essex
and again in the Cavalier Parliament
of 1661 (a year he was also knighted (K.B.)). He frequently acted as chairman of committees of whole House of Commons of England
and was returned to parliament for Maldon
in 1679 and 1685. He left an autobiography (published 1845).
, Middlesex, in a house which for several generations had been in possession of the family. After attending Wadham College, Oxford
, he entered the Middle Temple, where he had as chamber fellow Edward Hyde
, afterwards Earl of Clarendon. Throughout life he continued on terms of intimate friendship with Hyde, who presented him with his portrait, the earliest of him now known to exist, and engraved for the edition of the "History of the Rebellion" published in 1816.
He stood for parliament at the second general election of 1640 as a burgess for Bodmin
in Cornwall, but failed to secure the seat in the Long Parliament
. On his father's advice, he sold his chambers in the Temple on the outbreak of the Civil War
, he removed with his family to his father's house at Skreens. At his father's death in 1654 he succeeded to the property. After the dismissal of Richard Cromwell
and George Moncks march to London, he served as Knight of the Shire for Essex in the Convention Parliament, and supported the motion for the Restoration.
The same year Branston held on to his seat and sat in the Cavalier Parliament
. Subsequently, he frequently acted as chairman in committees of the whole house. In 1672 an accusation was brought by Henry Mildmay
(1619–1692), before the council against him and Francis
, his younger bother, of being papists, and receiving payment from the pope to promote his interests. The chief witness was a Portuguese, Ferdinand de Macedo, whose evidence bore unmistakable signs of falsehood. Charles II
is said to have remarked concerning the affair, that it was "the greatest conspiracy and greatest forgerie that ever he knew against a private gentleman".
Branston was returned to Habeas Corpus Parliament
of 1679 for the constituency of Maldon
, but did not sit in the Exclusion Bill Parliament
later the same year or in the Oxford Parliament
that assembled for a week in 1681. He sat for Maldon in the first parliament
of James II
, but failed to secure a seat in a subsequent election.
After the restoration between 1660 and 1688 Bramston was active in other public offices he was a justice of the peace, deputy lieutenant and vice-admiral of Essex, high steward of Maldon, and a committee member for parliamentary tax assessment. He died 4 February 1700, leaving his estate to Anthony his third son and heir.
parish church close to her father in-law, and on his death in 1700 he was buried near to them. They had six sons and four daughters although not all of them outlived their parents.
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1635. In 1660 he was elected to the Convention Parliament
Convention Parliament
A Convention Parliament is a parliament in English history which, owing to an abeyance of the Crown, assembled without formal summons by the Sovereign...
for the county of Essex
Essex (UK Parliament constituency)
Essex was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1290 until 1832. It elected two MPs, traditionally referred to as Knights of the Shire, to the House of Commons...
and again in the Cavalier Parliament
Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter century reign of Charles II of England...
of 1661 (a year he was also knighted (K.B.)). He frequently acted as chairman of committees of whole House of Commons of England
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
and was returned to parliament for Maldon
Maldon (UK Parliament constituency)
Maldon is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in 1679 and 1685. He left an autobiography (published 1845).
Early life
Bramston, the son of Sir John Bramston and Bridget, daughter of Thomas Moundeford, M.D., of London, was born in September 1611, at WhitechapelWhitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
, Middlesex, in a house which for several generations had been in possession of the family. After attending Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
, he entered the Middle Temple, where he had as chamber fellow Edward Hyde
Edward Hyde
Edward Hyde may refer to:* Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon , English historian and statesman* Edward Hyde , British MP* Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon , Governor of New York and New Jersey* Edward Hyde Edward Hyde may refer to:* Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1609–1674), English...
, afterwards Earl of Clarendon. Throughout life he continued on terms of intimate friendship with Hyde, who presented him with his portrait, the earliest of him now known to exist, and engraved for the edition of the "History of the Rebellion" published in 1816.
Civil War and Interregnum
Bramston was called to the bar in 1635, and began to practise law with considerable success, until, in his own words, "the drums and trumpets blew his gown over his ears".He stood for parliament at the second general election of 1640 as a burgess for Bodmin
Bodmin (UK Parliament constituency)
Bodmin was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall from 1295 until 1983. Initially, it was a parliamentary borough, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England and later the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1868 general...
in Cornwall, but failed to secure the seat in the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
. On his father's advice, he sold his chambers in the Temple on the outbreak of the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, he removed with his family to his father's house at Skreens. At his father's death in 1654 he succeeded to the property. After the dismissal of Richard Cromwell
Richard Cromwell
At the same time, the officers of the New Model Army became increasingly wary about the government's commitment to the military cause. The fact that Richard Cromwell lacked military credentials grated with men who had fought on the battlefields of the English Civil War to secure their nation's...
and George Moncks march to London, he served as Knight of the Shire for Essex in the Convention Parliament, and supported the motion for the Restoration.
After the Restoration
On 23 April 1661, at the coronation of Charles II, Branston was created a Knight of the Bath, after refusing a baronetcy on account of his dislike to hereditary honours.The same year Branston held on to his seat and sat in the Cavalier Parliament
Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter century reign of Charles II of England...
. Subsequently, he frequently acted as chairman in committees of the whole house. In 1672 an accusation was brought by Henry Mildmay
Henry Mildmay (of Graces)
Henry Mildmay was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1654 and 1692. He fought in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.-Biography:...
(1619–1692), before the council against him and Francis
Francis Bramston
Francis Bramston or Brampston was an English judge.-Life:Bramston, the third son of Sir John Bramston the elder, was educated at the celebrated school of Thomas Farnabie or Farnaby, in Goldsmiths' Alley, Cripplegate, and at Queens' College, Cambridge, where Edward Martin was then the President,...
, his younger bother, of being papists, and receiving payment from the pope to promote his interests. The chief witness was a Portuguese, Ferdinand de Macedo, whose evidence bore unmistakable signs of falsehood. Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
is said to have remarked concerning the affair, that it was "the greatest conspiracy and greatest forgerie that ever he knew against a private gentleman".
Branston was returned to Habeas Corpus Parliament
Habeas Corpus Parliament
The Habeas Corpus Parliament, also known as the First Exclusion Parliament, was a short-lived English Parliament which assembled on 6 March 1679 during the reign of Charles II of England, the third parliament of the King's reign. It is named after the Habeas Corpus Act, which it enacted in May,...
of 1679 for the constituency of Maldon
Maldon (UK Parliament constituency)
Maldon is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, but did not sit in the Exclusion Bill Parliament
Exclusion Bill Parliament
The Exclusion Bill Parliament was a Parliament of England during the reign of Charles II of England, named after the long saga of the Exclusion Bill...
later the same year or in the Oxford Parliament
Oxford Parliament (1681)
An English Parliament assembled in the city of Oxford for one week from 21 March 1681 until 28 March 1681 during the reign of Charles II of England.Succeeding the Exclusion Bill Parliament, this was the fifth and last parliament of the King's reign. Both Houses of Parliament met and the King...
that assembled for a week in 1681. He sat for Maldon in the first parliament
Loyal Parliament
The Loyal Parliament was the first and only Parliament of England of King James II, in theory continuing from May 1685 to July 1688, but in practice sitting during 1685 only. It gained its name because at the outset most of its members were loyal to the new king...
of James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, but failed to secure a seat in a subsequent election.
After the restoration between 1660 and 1688 Bramston was active in other public offices he was a justice of the peace, deputy lieutenant and vice-admiral of Essex, high steward of Maldon, and a committee member for parliamentary tax assessment. He died 4 February 1700, leaving his estate to Anthony his third son and heir.
Family
Bramston was the eldest son of Sir John Bramston, the elder justice of the king's bench, by Bridget, daughter of Thomas Moundeford, M.D., of London. In 1635, (the year he was called to the bar) Bramston married Alice, eldest daughter of Anthony Abdy, alderman of London, took a house in Charterhouse Yard. She preceded him dying in 1647. She was buried in RoxwellRoxwell
Roxwell is a village and a parish in the Chelmsford District, in the English county of Essex.The parish church is St Michael & All Angels. There is a primary school and a public house...
parish church close to her father in-law, and on his death in 1700 he was buried near to them. They had six sons and four daughters although not all of them outlived their parents.