Notes for Robert BROWNE

Thurtell and Related Families Thurtell and Related Families

Notes for Robert BROWNE

Information received from Peter Murray in 1997 showed that the grandfather of Anne Browne Thurtell, wife of John Thurtell, was Robert Browne. He is the earliest known ancestor of our Browne family. Robert Browne was a founding partner of the Lowestoft China Works, which produced distinctive wares now highly prized by collectors. The Browne family continued to manage the factory throughout its short history, from 1757 to 1799.

The origin of the family before the time of Robert Browne is unclear. One of his descendents recounted a family tradition that the family of the china factory was descended from a cadet branch of Browne of Wymondham Hall, in Norfolk, and the will of a Robert Browne of Tharston, which is near Wymondham, has a signature that appears to match that of Robert Browne the china manufacturer (information from John Howell who notes that the connection is not proven). However, notices of a Brown or Browne family appear in Lowestoft from long before this time (perhaps his wife's family if not his own). In 1649 an Edward Browne was one of five inhabitants of Lowestoft who were appointed surveyors for the purpose of determining for parliament the true yearly value of all the lands and tenements within the town. Around 1670 William Browne was one of the inhabitants of Lowestoft who signed petitions to the government from Lowestoft on behalf of the local herring fishery. These pieces of information are from Gillingwater's History of Lowestoft. The International Genealogical Index (IGI), which is derived from parish records, shows that Brown(e) was quite a common name in Lowestoft over the centuries.

The history of the Lowestoft China Works, including a pedigree of the Browne family, is given in a book "Catalogue...Lowestoft China Works" by F.A.Crisp (pub & date?). An abbreviated summary history accompanied an exhibition of Lowestoft china at the Lowestoft library in 1984, and Peter Murray has a copy of this. Gillingwater's History of Lowestoft, which was published in 1790, gives the story of the foundation of this enterprise. These extracts regarding the history of the Lowestoft China Works are attached separately to this account.

The following Browne family history is derived from a well researched pedigree included in the above mentioned book by F. A. Crisp, from an extensive section on Browne descendents in the `Thurtell Pedigree' compiled by Herbert and Ada Murray around 1930, from a Browne pedigree chart sent by from Zimbabwe by John Browne, of the same family, and from scattered entries in the International Genealogical Index compiled by the Genealogical Research Library of the Mormon church.

Robert Browne, with whom our records begin, was born in 1702 or very early in 1703, and died aged 68, buried at Lowestoft February 9, 1771. His will, dated November 2, 1770, was proved April 29, 1771. On April 1, 1730, he married Elizabeth Brown, who was apparently born in 1698. On their marriage licence, dated April 1, 1730, he is called `Robertum Brown Fabr de Lowestoft...' (IRO: FAA 50/2/89). Fabr is a term literally meaning `one who makes' but generally used at the time to describe a workman, smith, joiner, or carpenter. A later affidavit dated in December 1754 (when his underage daughter Ann applied for a wedding licence) and bearing his signature has the words "and I Robert Brown of Lowestoft Blacksmith father of the said Ann" (IRO: FAA 50/2/89). Later tradition gives him a reputation as a chemist, and the speculation is that this was based on his activities at the Lowestoft China Works. He was a founding partner of this enterprise, along with Philip Walker, Obed Aldred, and John Richman, and from the beginning Robert Browne was the most active member of the consortium, working out the details of china making and managing the factory. The first wares were produced in 1758, but in the year prior to this Browne, following formation of the partnership, had obtained first hand experience in the business in the employ of Bow China Factory in London, his future rival. The Bow factory account book for 1757-58 confirms weekly wages of 18 shillings payable to a Mr Browne. While there, according to his grandson, Browne succeeded in surreptitiously obtaining information on Bow's closely guarded secret formula. He subsequently employed former workmen from Bow in the Lowestoft factory. But we hear that workers brought in from London, presumably from Bow, attempted to sabotage the initial manufacturing at the factory, but the partners were alert enough to detect this and rectify the problem, although not apparently without serious losses. Robert Browne lived to see the business thrive.
Robert and Elizabeth Browne had six children of whom we have record.

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