Sir John Brograve was an English lawyer and politician. He was the Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 for Preston

Preston (UK Parliament constituency)

Preston is a borough 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.-Boundaries:...

 on several occasions, and once for Boroughbridge

Boroughbridge (UK Parliament constituency)

Boroughbridge was a parliamentary borough in Yorkshire from 1553 until 1832, when it was abolished under the Great Reform Act. Throughout its existence it was represented by two Members of Parliament in the House of Commons....

.

Life

He was the son of Richard Brograve by his wife, daughter of Mr. Sares. He matriculated at St. John's College, Cambridge in 1554. In 1576 he was autumn reader at Gray's Inn

Gray's Inn

The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...

, where he was admitted in 1555, and he was elected one of the treasurers there in February 1579-80, and again in February 1583-4.

In 1580 he was appointed her majesty's attorney for the Duchy of Lancaster

Duchy of Lancaster

The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall. It is held in trust for the Sovereign, and is used to provide income for the use of the British monarch...

, and he continued to hold that office under King James I, who conferred onn him the honour of knighthood. He was nominated one of the counsel to the university of Cambridge in 1581. He resided at Braughing

Braughing

Braughing is a village and civil parish, between the rivers Quin and Rib, in the non-metropolitan district of East Hertfordshire, part of the English county of Hertfordshire, England...

 in Hertfordshire, of which county he was custos rotulorum

Custos rotulorum

Custos rotulorum is the keeper of an English county's records and, by virtue of that office, the highest civil officer in the county...

for thirty years. He was M.P. for Preston 1586, 1597, and 1601, and for Boroughbridge 1593. He died on 11 September 1613, and was buried at Braughing.

By his marriage with Margaret, daughter of Simeon Steward of Lakenheath, Suffolk (she died 5 July 1593), he had issue three sons and two daughters.

Works

He is the author of 'The Reading of Mr. John Brograve of Grayes Inne, made in Summer 1576, upon part of the Statute of 27 H. 8. C. 10, of Vses, concerning Jointures, beginning at the twelfth Branch thereof.' Printed in 'Three Learned Readings made upon three very useful Statutes, by Sir James Dyer, Brograve and Tristram Risdon,' London, 1648.