The Early Brownhills

From AD 1290 to AD 1600.

AD 1290  -  Northenden, Cheshire. Richard de Brounhull witnessed a transfer of land from Rics de Brom to Hamo. Robert de Tatton was also a witness.  (This is the earliest record so far found of the Brownhill name. Richard may well have been the first Brownhill. It is very likely that all Brownhills living today are directly descended from him or his immediate family. He is almost certainly our common ancestor and it is in him that we meet!)

AD 1315  -  Ashton on Mersey, Cheshire. Richard de Brownhill witnessed a grant of land by Richard de Sale to William, lord of Baguley

AD 1332  to 1336 -  Manchester district. Adam de Brounhill was taxed to assist King Edward 111 to continue his war against Scotland.

AD 1344  -  Edinburgh, Scotland. Adam de Bronhull and Hugo de Brownhill, an Alderman of Edinburgh, witnessed a charter. (This is the earliest record of the Brownhill name so far found in Scotland.)

AD 1359 -  Edinburgh, Scotland. Adam de Bronhill received the sum of £10 -4-0d.

AD 1361 -  Edinburgh, Scotland. Thomas de Brownhill was a bailee in Edinburgh and made donations to St. Giles Church.

AD 1367 - Edinburgh, Scotland. Ade de Bronhull was a burgess of Edinburgh and was authorised to sit in the Scots Parliament (King David 11's reign).

AD 1383 -  Lichfield, Staffordshire. John Caton, priest, in the person of Roger Bronhull, his proxy, was instituted to the church of Gowesworth. (This entry and the one below shows a connexion between Gawesworth, Cheshire, and Coventry, Warwickshire. In later centuries the Brownhill family of Gawesworth claimed that according to their family tradition they descended from the Brownhills of Coventry.)

AD 1340 - 1450.  Coventry, Warwickshire. The following appears in the records: Agnes and Thome Brouneale, Thomas Brounehal, Walterus Brounale.

AD 1441 -  Sheffield, Yorkshire. Adam Bronhulle attended an inquest accusing certain people of various crimes. (This is the earliest record of the Brownhill family so far found in Yorkshire.)

AD 1441 - Stannington, Yorkshire, near Sheffield. Adam Brownell was in possession of lands at Stannington. (He is almost certainly the ancestor of all the Yorkshire Brownhills)

AD 1466 - Gretton Native Vire, Yorkshire. Will of Richard Brownell dated March 1466. (So far, the oldest Brownhill will found)

AD 1485 - 1509 -  Cheshire. The following place names appear in the records: Northenden, Kenworthy, Brounhyll, Altrincham. (This establishes where Brownhill existed and where the family probably originated.)

AD 1510 - Northenden, Cheshire. William Brownhill, among others, gave evidence at a Hearing called to discuss Breaches of Assize of ale by mistauysed vessel.

AD 1521 -  Rotherham, Yorkshire. Will of Robert Brownell of Rotherham, mercer, dated 14th. May 1521.

AD 1537 -  London. Robert Brownhill was made a freeman of the Company of Barber Surgeons in1537, warden in 1549 and master in 1563.

AD 1545 -  Bradfield, Yorkshire. Will of Henry Brownell dated 2nd. October 1545.

AD 1548 -  Kirkburton, Yorkshire. Will of John Brownehill dated 20th. April 1548.

AD 1558 -  Rotherham, Yorkshire. Marriage of Elizabeth Brownell.

AD 1559 -  Ecclesfield, Yorkshire. Marriage of Thomas Brownell and Margaret Gilberthorpe.

AD 1559 -  Derby, All Saints, Derbyshire. Marriage of Robert Brownehill and Agnes Parker.

AD 1561 -  Norton, Derbyshire. Baptism of Henry, son of Robert Brownell.

AD 1561 -  Sheffield, Yorkshire.  Marriage of Agnes Brownell.

AD 1561 - St. Mathew, Middlesex. Marriage of Bartline Brownhill and Margaret Yevens.

AD 1562 -  Cople, Bedfordshire. Baptism of Walter, son of Richard Brownell. (So far the earliest record of the Brownhill family found in Bedfordshire, and the start of my family tree.)

AD 1565 -  Coventry, Warwickshire. Edmund Brownell, clothier, was mayor in AD 1565. (The Brownell/Brownhill family of Gawsworth, Cheshire, claimed descent from the Coventry Brownells.)

AD 1567 - Northenden, Cheshire. Sir John Brownhill buried 26th. February.

AD 1569 -  Sheffield, Yorkshire. Richard Brownell witnessed a Deed of Bargain and sale between John Parker and London Merchants.

AD 1597 -  Gawsworth, Cheshire. William Brownell was appointed rector. (This family used both the Brownell and Brownhill spellings.)

Note:

All the above information was given to me by Harold Brownhill (of Nova Scotia, Canada and Ecclesfield, Yorkshire) in the 1960's. Harold spent a lot of time and money employing professional record searchers to go through the old records, finding whatever information that they could. He believed that the Ecclesfield Brownhills were descended from the Scottish Brownhills and sought to establish this. I disagreed with this view, as will be evident from other pages on this website.

Frank Brownhill.

2nd. August 2009.