Sir John Brownlow, 1st Bt of Belton ('Old Sir John') (1594 – 1679)

attributed to Gilbert Soest (Soest c.1605 – London 1681). Oil painting on canvas, Sir John Brownlow, 1st Bt of Belton ('Old Sir John') (1594 – 1679) attributed to Gerard Soerst (Soest c.1600 – London 1681). 1644. Painted oval. Head-and-shoulders portrait of a mature man, turned slightly to the right, gazing at the spectator, pale brown natural hair falling on shoulders, wearing a black coat and white linen collar, inscribed along bottom: OLD SR JOHN BROWNLOWE 1644. Sir John Brownlow, 1st Bart of Belton was the son of Richard Brownlow (1553-1638) and Katharine Page He married Alice Pulteney (1604-1676) , daughter of Sir John Pulteney. He matriculated at St. Mary Hall, Oxford University on 26 June 1607. He was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1608. He graduated from University College, Oxford on 28 April 1610 with B.A. He held the office of Sheriff of Lincolnshire from 1639 to 1640. He was created 1st Baronet Brownlow, of Belton on 26 July 1641. He held the office of Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1665.He became a substantial farmer at a time when enclosure made this a profitable business. Through shrewd planning and careful management he was able to more than double his inheritance from his father, which even at the outset provided him with a healthy £4,000 a year. Having no children and fearing the Brownlow family might die out he took charge of his eldest great-nephew, 'Young' Sir John Brownlow(1659-1697) sent him to Westminster School and briought him up to live with him at Isleworth and his Drury Lane house. 'Young' Sir John must have met his cousin Alice Sherard during this time and 'Old' Sir John added a codicil to his will expressing his earnest desire that a marriage should be affected 'between my kinsman Sir John Brownlow Bt and my kinswoman Alice Sherard in case they shall affect one another'. . Luckily they did 'affect one another and were duly married in Henry VII's Chapel, Westminster Abbey There years later 'Old' Sir John was dead and the young couple inherited the bulk of his considerable fortune. He died on 23 November 1679, without issue. In Belton Church there is a monument to Sir John and his wife Alice by William Stanton 1679. Belton House, Lincolnshire (Accredited Museum)