Francis Browne, 3rd Viscount Montagu

Who was Francis Browne, 3rd Viscount Montagu?

Francis Browne, 3rd Viscount Montagu was the eldest son of Anthony-Maria Browne, 2nd Viscount Montagu and Jane Sackville, the daughter of Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset.

He succeeded his father on 23 Oct 1629. His seat was the family home at Cowdray House and the estate included Easebourne Priory and Verdley. A plan of these commissioned by Browne, executed by cartographer Nicholas Lane in February 1635, is now held in the The National Archives. Browne also inherited the substantial park estate of Battle Abbey.

Browne married Lady Elizabeth Somerset, daughter of Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester by licence on the 6 July 1637. Julia Roundell, however, claimed that they were married prior to Francis succeeding the title and a first son, Anthony, was baptised at Battle Abbey in August 1629. Some sources claim that Anthony did not marry and predeceased his father without issue, but Roundell recounts another version, that Anthony argued with his father, moved to The Hague, returned at the outbreak of the Civil War, married Bridgit Maskell of York, fought and was wounded at the Siege of York February 1644, had several children whose line later, unsuccessfully, lay claim to the title. Browne's other sons; Francis and Henry both succeeded in turn to became the 4th and 5th Viscount Montagu respectively. Their daughter, Elizabeth Browne married Christopher Roper, 5th Baron Teynham.