HISTORICAL CORRESPONDENCE VOLUME 10

Historical correspondence volume 10, containing documents numbered 1-130. 19th century binding entitled on spine 'Letters from Lord Viscount Montague [Anthony Browne (1526-1592), 1st Viscount Montague] to Sir William More'.

At the front of the volume is a note on Montague by William Bray dated 1822. The volume also includes a detailed list of the letters (items 1-79 at the front of the volume items 80-130 at the back) by the Rev Charles Kerry, curate of Puttenham, largely based on Bray's endorsements, which was completed in 1874. At the back of the volume Kerry has added 'As Montague's writing is so difficult to decipher, I have made copious extracts from his letters - omitting nothing of topographical or general interest'.

Anthony Browne, a Roman Catholic, came to political prominence during Mary's reign, being created Viscount Montague in 1554 and appointed to the Privy Council in 1555. Although he was ejected from the Council on Elizabeth's accession, he succeeded in remaining prominent in political life. He was lord lieutenant of Sussex in 1558 and 1569, and among other positions he sat as a commissioner at the trial of Mary Queen of Scots. Queen Elizabeth visited Montague at Cowdray Park in 1591.

He had inherited estates including Battle Abbey and Cowdray Park, Sussex, and the manors of Send, Jury and East Clandon from his father Sir Anthony Browne in 1548. Aside from the Surrey estates recorded in this group, Montague at his death owned the manors of Clayton and Stockwell, the Great House at St Mary Overies, Southwark, and the manors of Pyrford and Pirbright, as well as considerable estates in Sussex (see his will, PROB11/81, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, register Neville, 22). See LM/1316-1317, section B.2.3.3, for dispute with the Bishop of Winchester concerning fishing rights.

Montague's seat at Cowdray made him a neighbour of William More, and he appears to have been a close friend. Montague is known to have attempted unsuccessfully to use his influence over More to obtain the release of his son-in-law Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, who stayed at Loseley under house arrest while suspected of treason for his catholicism (see Hyland, A Century of Persecution op. cit.).

Sir George More is known to have acted as a trustee on behalf of Montague's widow Magdalen in a minor lease assignment (LM/348/281, section G.9.12), and became a trustee under a private act for settling of certain manors and lands of the Right Hon Anthony Viscount Montague, towards the payment of his debts and raising of his daughters' portions in 1624: More commented that the More family owed 'much to that House for benefits and alliance' (see Munden, op. cit.).

Further correspondence with Montague will be found in LM/COR/3/- [database available]. For records relating to Montague's commissions in Surrey, see also: LM/1488 (section B.1.12) for subsidy collection, LM/1330/11 for musters (section B.1.8). For pay books relating to Thomas Cawarden's service with Montague's father Sir Anthony Browne in the suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace, 1536, see LM/1330/2-3 (section E.4.4), LM/25/6-8 (section E.4.1) and 6729/5/19. Further deeds relating to Montague's manor of Waverley and stewardship of the manor and hundred of Godalming are in section G.9.11.

For Montague's career, see the Dictionary of National Biography (London 1908), RB Manning 'Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montague: the influence in county politics of an Elizabethan Catholic nobleman', Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol 106 (1968), and Send and Ripley History Society, Surrey People: Sir Anthony Browne and Sir Anthony Browne, First Viscount Montague, statesmen, courtiers and Catholic lords of the manor of Send and Ripley ... (1982).

Subjects of the letters include: the musters, matters relating to the royal parks (Guildford, Witley, Windsor), building and garden at Montague's house at Cowdray, the business of Commissioners of the River Wey, reports of war in the Low Countries and attacks of the Turks on Malta and Italy, a dispute at Montague's iron foundry, the inclosure of Horsley Common, Montague's embassy to Paris, 1572; the involvement of Montague's son Anthony in 'disorder' at Guildford; the commission of the subsidy and other county business.

The modern spelling of Montague has been used throughout the following calendar, in preference to the variant 'Mountague' frequently used in the original documents.

For transcripts of the letters, see Zg/109/3/8.