House of Brownlow

The first member of this family to settle in Ulster was

JOHN BROWNLOW, of Nottingham, who offered himself as an undertaker, at the barony of Oneilland, County Armagh, during the plantation.

His son,

SIR WILLIAM BROWNLOW (1591-1661), of Brownlows Derry, County Armagh, born at Epworth, Derbyshire, settled in Ulster, and was knighted, 1622, by Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland, Lord Deputy of Ireland.

Sir William, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1623, was granted 1,000 acres of land by JAMES I, close to the southern shore of Lough Neagh.

He married Eleanor, daughter of Sir John O'Doherty, of Londonderry, by whom he had several daughters, the eldest of whom,

LETTICE, married Patrick Chamberlain, of County Louth, and had issue,

ARTHUR CHAMBERLAIN (1645-1711), High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1668-9,  who assumed the arms and name of BROWNLOW.

He wedded Jane, daughter of Sir Standish Hartstonge Bt, of Hereford, and of Bruff, County Limerick.

Mr Brownlow was succeeded by his son and heir,

WILLIAM BROWNLOW (1683-1739), of Lurgan, County Armagh, MP for Armagh County, 1711-39, who married, in 1712, the Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, eldest daughter of James, 6th Earl of Abercorn, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Jane; Elizabeth; Anne; Mary; Isabella.

Mr Brownlow was succeeded by his son,

THE RT HON WILLIAM BROWNLOW (1726-94), High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1750, MP for Armagh County, 1753-94, who espoused firstly, in 1754, Judith Letitia, daughter of the Very Rev Charles Meredyth, Dean of Ardfert, of Newtown, County Meath, and had issue,

William, dsp;
CHARLES, his heir;
Arthur;
Letitia.

He married secondly, in 1765, Catherine, third daughter of Roger Hall, of Mount Hall, County Down, and had issue,

James;
Henry;
Francis (Rev);
Catherine; Elizabeth; Isabella; Frances Letitia; Mary Anne; Selina; Louisa.

Mr Brownlow was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CHARLES BROWNLOW (1757-1822), of Lurgan, who wedded, in 1785, Caroline, daughter of Benjamin Ashe, of Bath, and had issue,

William (1787-1813);
CHARLES, of whom hereafter;
John (Rev);
Frederick;
George;
Henry;
Isabella; Anna; Mary.

Colonel Brownlow was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

CHARLES (1795-1847), who wedded firstly, in 1822, the Lady Mary Bligh, daughter of John, 4th Earl of Darnley, and had issue,

Clara Anne Jane;
Mary Elizabeth.

He espoused secondly, in 1828, Jane, daughter of Roderick Macneill, of Barra, and had issue,

CHARLES, his successor.

Mr Brownlow, High Sheriff of County Armagh, 1834, was elevated to the peerage, in 1839, in the dignity of BARON LURGAN, of Lurgan, County Armagh.

His lordship was succeeded by his son,

CHARLES, 2nd Baron (1831-82), KP,  who married, in 1853, Emily Anne, daughter of John, 3rd Baron Kilmaine, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
Louisa Helene; Isabella.

His lordship was appointed a Knight of St Patrick in 1864.

• Charles Brownlow, 2nd Baron Lurgan (1831–82);

• William Brownlow, 3rd Baron Lurgan (1858–1937);

• William George Edward Brownlow, 4th Baron Lurgan (1902–84);

• John Desmond Cavendish Brownlow, 5th Baron Lurgan (1911–91).

I have written about Brownlow House and the Barons Lurgan here.

The Brownlow Papers are deposited at PRONI. 

First published in February, 2012.