Biography of George Brooke 1568-1603

Paternal Family Tree: Brooke Baron Cobham

Maternal Family Tree: Joan Lovel Baroness Maynard 1297-1337

In 1545 William Brooke 10th Baron Cobham [aged 17] and Dorothy Neville Baroness Cobham [aged 20] were married. He had been a ward of her father George Neville 5th and 3rd Baron Abergavenny. They were half second cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

On 25th February 1560 [his father] William Brooke 10th Baron Cobham [aged 32] and [his mother] Frances Newton Baroness Cobham [aged 21] were married at Whitehall Palace [Map]. She by marriage Baroness Cobham. They were fourth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England.

On 17th April 1568 George Brooke was born to [his father] William Brooke 10th Baron Cobham [aged 40] and [his mother] Frances Newton Baroness Cobham [aged 29].

In 1580 George Brooke [aged 11] matriculated at King's College, Cambridge, and took his M.A. degree in 1586.

Before 1592 [his step-father] John Poyntz [aged 31] and [his mother] Frances Newton Baroness Cobham [aged 52] were married. The difference in their ages was 21 years; she, unusually, being older than him. They were first cousin once removed.

On 6th March 1597 [his father] William Brooke 10th Baron Cobham [aged 69] died. His son [his brother] Henry [aged 32] succeeded 11th Baron Cobham.

After 17th January 1598 George Brooke [aged 29] and Elizabeth Burgh were married. They were fifth cousins.

After October 1598 [his son] William Brooke was born to George Brooke [aged 30] and [his wife] Elizabeth Burgh. He married in or before 1636 his half fifth cousin Pembroke Lennard, daughter of Henry Lennard 12th Baron Dacre Gilsland and Chrysogona Baker Baroness Dacre Gilsland, and had issue.

Letters of John Chamberlain Volume 1. [17th January 1599] There is a mariage spoken of twixt the Lord Cobham [aged 34]²⁴ and the Countesse of Kildare,²⁵ and betwene his lame brother Master George Brooke [aged 30]²⁶ and the Lord Borroughs eldest daughter. Yt is saide likewise that Sir Will: Woodhouse hath married²⁷ the Lady Southwell,²⁸ and the Lord Marquis²⁹ woman or concubine (before he is buried) hath married a youth not full eightene yeares old, younger sonne to Master Fleetwoode³⁰ recever of the court of wardes.

Note 24. Henry Brooke, eighth [11th] Lord Cobham.

Note 25. Cf. Letter 10.

Note 26. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas, fifth Lord Burgh.

Note 27. Contradicted in Letter 18.

Note 28. Widow of Sir Robert Southwell.

Note 29. William Paulet, third Marquis of Winchester.

Note 30. William Fleetwood (knighted, 1603).

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In 1601 [his brother] Henry Brooke 11th Baron Cobham [aged 36] and [his sister-in-law] Frances Howard Countess Kildare were married. She the daughter of Charles Howard 1st Earl Nottingham [aged 65] and Katherine Carey Countess Nottingham [aged 51]. They were third cousin once removed.

Letters of John Chamberlain 1.58. [17th January 1603] Dr. Bennett⁸ deane of Windsore is preferred to the bishopricke of Hereford: there is much canvassing for his Deanry, and mastership of St. Crosse⁹ which George Brooke [aged 34]¹⁰ wold faine ingrosse.

Note 8. Robert Bennet.

Note 9. The hospital of St. Cross, near Winchester [Map].

Note 10. Brother of Henry, eighth [11th] Lord Cobham.

Main and Bye Plots

On 5th December 1603 George Brooke [aged 35] was beheaded at Winchester, Hampshire [Map] for his part in the Main and Bye Plots.

State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason. 15th November 1603. Mr. George Brooke [aged 35], after his first arguments, spake little or nothing for himself, more than his own Confession led him otherwhiles to excuse or qualify his own offence; only he gave cast of a Letter, which, he said, he received from his majesty, wherein he had liberty and authority to deal in the sounding out of these practices; but neither at any time before nor at his Arraignment, could shew the said letter. And the king being by some of the Lords Commissioners questioned withal on that point, requireth his Letter to be produced, and deniesh he wrote any such letter.

State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason. [11th December 1603] The two priests that led the way to the execution, were very bloodily handled; for they were both cut down alive; and Clarke, to whom more favour was intended, had the worse luck; for he both strove to help himself, and spake after he was cut down. They died boldly both; and Watson (as he would have it seem) willing: wishing he had more lives to spend, and one to lose, for every man he had by his treachery drawn into this treason. Clarke stood somewhat upon his justification, and thought he had hard measure: but imputed it to his function, and therefore thought his death meritorious, as a kind of martyrdom. Their quarters were set on Winchester gates, and their heads on the first Tower of the castle. Brooke [deceased] was beheaded in the castle-yard, on Monday last; and to double his grief, had St. Croftes in his sight, from the scaffold, which drove him first to discontent. There was no greater assembly than I have seen at ordinary executions; nor no man of quality more than the lord of Arundel and young Somerset; only the bishop of Chichester who was sent from the court two days before, to prepare him to his end, could not get loose from him; but, by Brooke's earnest entreaty was fain to accompany him to the scaffold, and serve for his ghostly father. He died constantly (and, seeming, religiously); spake not much; but what he said was well and assured. He did somewhat extenuate his offences, both in the treasons, and the course of his life; naming these rather errors than capital crimes; and his former faults, sins; but not so heinous as they were traduced; which he referred to the God of truth and time to discover; and so left it, as if somewhat lay yet hid, which would one day appear for his justification.

Ancestors of George Brooke 1568-1603

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Brooke Baron Cobham

Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Brooke 6th Baron Cobham 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Braybrooke 5th Baroness Cobham 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Brooke 7th Baron Cobham 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: James Tuchet 5th Baron Audley, 2nd Baron Tuchet 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Tuchet Baroness Cobham 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Ros Baroness Audley Heighley 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Brooke 8th Baron Cobham 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland 5 x Great Grand Son of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Edward Neville 1st Baron Abergavenny Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Neville Baroness Cobham 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Howard 4 x Great Grand Son of King John of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Katherine Howard Baroness Bergavenny 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Mowbray Baroness Grey Ruthyn 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

GrandFather: George Brooke 9th Baron Cobham 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Henry Heydon

Great x 1 Grandmother: Dorothy Heydon Baroness Cobham 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Geoffrey Boleyn

Great x 3 Grandfather: Geoffrey Boleyn

Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Bracton

Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Boleyn 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Hoo 1st Baron Hoo and Hastings 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Ann Hoo 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Wychingham 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King John of England

Father: William Brooke 10th Baron Cobham 5 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Bray of Eaton Bray

Great x 1 Grandfather: Edmund Braye 1st Baron Braye

GrandMother: Anne Braye Baroness Cobham 12 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Richard Halwell of Halwell in Devon

Great x 1 Grandmother: Jane Halwell Baroness Bray 11 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Henry Norbury 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 3 Grandfather: John IV Norbury 9 x Great Grand Son of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Jane Norbury 10 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

George Brooke 6 x Great Grand Son of King Edward III of England

Great x 1 Grandfather: John Newton

GrandFather: John Newton of Hawtrey 7 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Theobald Gorges

Great x 3 Grandfather: Walter Gorges

Great x 2 Grandfather: Edmund Gorges

Great x 1 Grandmother: Margaret Gorges 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Robert Howard 4 x Great Grand Son of King John of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Howard 1st Duke of Norfolk 4 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Mowbray Baroness Grey Ruthyn 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Anne Howard 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: William Moleyns 4 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Katherine Moleyns 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England

Mother: Frances Newton Baroness Cobham 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Nicholas Poyntz

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Poyntz

Great x 4 Grandmother: Elizabeth Mill

Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Poyntz

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Cox

Great x 3 Grandmother: Alice Cox

Great x 1 Grandfather: Anthony Poyntz 8 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard Woodville 1st Earl Rivers

Great x 3 Grandfather: Anthony Woodville 2nd Earl Rivers 6 x Great Grand Son of King Henry III of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Jacquetta of Luxemburg Duchess Bedford 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Woodville 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry III of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: William Stradling

Great x 3 Grandmother: Gwenllian Stradling

GrandMother: Margaret Poyntz 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 2 Grandfather: William Huddersfield

Great x 1 Grandmother: Elizabeth Huddersfield 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Courtenay 2 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Philip Courtenay 3 x Great Grand Son of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Champernoun 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Katherine Courtenay 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Edward I of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Walter Hungerford 1st Baron Hungerford

Great x 3 Grandmother: Elizabeth Hungerford 9 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Eleanor or Catherine Peverell 8 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Biography of George Brooke 1568-1603

Royal Ancestors of George Brooke 1568-1603

Ancestors of George Brooke 1568-1603