BRERETON, Sir William, 1st bt. (1604-61), of Handforth Hall, Cheadle, Cheshire.

Family and Education

b. 13 Sept. 1604, 1st s. of William Brereton of Handforth, and Margaret, da. of Richard Holland† of Denton, Lancs.Cheshire IPM ed. R. Stewart-Brown (Lancs. and Cheshire Rec. Soc. lxxxiv), 68; Ormerod, Cheshire, iii. 639. educ. Brasenose, Oxf. 2 Nov. 1621;Al. Ox. G. Inn 29 Jan. 1623;G. Inn Admiss. 169. travelled abroad (United Provinces, Spanish Netherlands, France, Scotland, Ireland), c.1634-5.W. Brereton, Travels in Holland, the United Provinces, England, Scotland, and Ireland, 1634–5 ed. E. Hawkins (Chetham Soc. o.s. i), pp. v, 183; R.N. Dore, ‘The early life of Sir William Brereton’, Trans. Lancs. and Cheshire Antiquarian Soc. lxiii. 9-10. m. (1) lic. 3 Apr. 1624 (with £2,000), Susanna (d. 31 May 1637), da. of Sir George Booth, 1st bt. of Dunham Massey, Cheshire, 2s. (1 d.v.p.) 3da. (1 d.v.p.); (2) (settlement 15 Fe 1639), Cicely (d. Oct. 1649), da. of Sir William Skeffington, 1st bt. of Fisherwick, Staffs., wid. of Edward Mytton of Weston-under-Lizard, Staffs. 2da.JRL, EGR3/3/3/2, no. 2; Staffs. RO, K003/2/6; Cheshire and Lancs. Fun. Certs. ed. J. P. Rylands (Lancs. and Cheshire Rec. Soc. vi), 23; Archdeaconry of Chester Mar. Lics. ed. M. F. Irvine (Lancs. and Cheshire Rec. Soc. lvi), 199; Ormerod, Cheshire, iii. 645; Earwaker, E. Cheshire, i. 260; CB; Brereton Lttr. Bks. ii. 34, 35, 55; iii. 13. suc. fa. 18 Fe 1610;Ormerod, Cheshire, iii. 645. cr. bt. 10 Mar. 1627.CB. d. 7 Apr. 1661.Cheadle par. reg.; Ormerod, Cheshire, iii. 639, 645; Earwaker, E. Cheshire, i. 254-9.

Offices Held

Local: commr. Forced Loan, Cheshire 1627;C193/12/2, f. 7. sewers, 1 Mar. 1627, 7 Feb. 1628;C181/3, ff. 215v, 237v. Kent and Surr. 14 Nov. 1657, 1 Sept. 1659;C181/6, pp. 263, 386. Chester 12 Feb. 1658.C181/6, p. 270. J.p. Cheshire 19 Mar. 1627-bef. Oct. 1660;C231/4, p. 221. Staffs. 4 July 1640 – 6 Aug. 1642, 13 Nov. 1645-c.May 1653, Mar.-bef. Oct. 1660;C231/5, pp. 393, 536; C231/6, pp. 30, 104; C193/13/4, f. 89v; A Perfect List (1660). Surr. 22 Nov. 1647 – bef.Oct. 1653, by c.Sept. 1656-bef. Oct. 1660.C231/6, p. 101; C193/13/4, f. 96v; C193/13/6, f. 85. Commr. swans, midland cos. and Welsh borders 27 July 1627;C181/3, f. 227v. England except south-western cos. c.1629.C181/3, f. 268. Dep. lt. Cheshire by Sept. 1628-aft. 1648;SP16/117, f. 32; SP/16/150, f. 92. Lancs. 4 July 1642–?CJ ii. 649a; LJ v. 178b. Commr. recusants, northern cos. 8 June 1629-aft. July 1638;C66/2615/1; C231/5, p. 113; Rymer, Foedera, viii. pt. 3, p. 47; ix. pt. 1, p. 57; pt. 2, p. 162. inquiry fees, Cheshire, Chester and Flint 3 Jan. 1635;C181/3, f. 192v. charitable uses, Cheshire 15 Nov. 1638;C192/1, unfol. subsidy, 1641; further subsidy, 1641; poll tax, 1641;SR. disarming recusants, 30 Aug. 1641;LJ iv. 385a. contribs. towards relief of Ireland, 1642;SR. assessment, 1642, 24 Feb. 1643, 18 Oct. 1644, 21 Feb. 1645, 23 June 1647, 16 Feb. 1648, 9 June 1657, 26 Jan., 1 June 1660;SR; A. and O.; An Ordinance...for an Assessment (1660, E.1075.6). Staffs. 28 Mar. 1643, 18 Oct. 1644, 23 June 1647, 16 Feb. 1648, 7 Apr., 7 Dec. 1649, 26 Nov. 1650, 10 Dec. 1652, 26 Jan. 1660;CJ iii. 22b; LJ v. 676a; A. and O. Chester 16 Feb. 1648, 26 Jan. 1660; Surr. 7 Apr., 7 Dec. 1649, 26 Nov. 1650, 10 Dec. 1652, 9 June 1657, 26 Jan., 1 June 1660;A. and O.; An Ordinance...for an Assessment (1660, E.1075.6). to levy militia forces, Cheshire 4 Oct. 1642;JRL, Booth fam. pprs., EGR3/3/1/8. sequestration, Cheshire, Staffs. 27 Mar. 1643;A. and O. Surr. 4 Aug., 18 Oct. 1648;CJ v. 650b; LJ x. 419b.; A. and O. levying of money, Cheshire 7 May, 3 Aug. 1643; commr. for Salop, 13 June 1644.A. and O. V.-adm. Cheshire, 12 Apr. 1644-aft. June 1649.HCA30/820, no. 121; CSP Dom. 1649–50, p. 203. Steward, hundred and forest of Macclesfield by Mar. 1646-aft. Apr. 1660.Bodl. Nalson XIV, f. 216; Cheshire RO, DDS/353. Commr. militia, Cheshire, Staffs., Surr. 2 Dec. 1648, 26 July 1659, 12 Mar. 1660; Chester 2 Dec. 1648, 12 Mar. 1660;A. and O. Lancs. 8 Aug. 1659;CJ vii. 752a. oyer and terminer, Home circ. by Feb. 1654–10 July 1660;C181/6, pp. 12, 372. Surr. 21 Mar. 1659;C181/6, p. 349. Oxf. circ. June 1659–10 July 1660;C181/6, p. 374. ejecting scandalous ministers, Cheshire, Surr. 28 Aug. 1654;A. and O. dividing parishes, Cheshire and Chester 10 Mar. 1656.Mins. of the Cttee. of Plundered Ministers rel. to Lancs. and Cheshire ed. W.A. Shaw (Lancs. and Cheshire Rec. Soc. xxxiv), 115. Custos rot. Cheshire by Mar.-July 1660.A Perfect List (1660); C231/7, p. 21.

Military: capt. of horse (parlian.) by 3 Aug. 1642 – 24 June 1645; col. 1 Mar. 1643 – 24 June 1645; col. of ft. 20 Sept. 1642–24 June 1645.SP28/128, pt. 10, f. 4; SP28/261, f. 5; SP28/262, f. 218; JRL, TW/262; ‘An acct. bk. of Sir William Brereton, bart.’ ed. D. Eastwood, Trans. Lancs. and Cheshire Antiquarian Soc. cv. 91. C.-in-c. Cheshire 28 Mar. 1643–24 June 1645, 25 Sept. 1645–1 Mar. 1646.SP28/256, unfol.; CJ iii. 19a; iv. 139b, 284b, 412a; LJ vii. 367a, 599a; viii. 117b. Gov. Eccleshall Castle, Staffs. 22 Nov. 1643–?CJ iii. 313a; JRL, TW/263. Maj.-gen. 7 Mar.-7 June 1646.SP28/256; CJ iv. 466b, 608a; LJ viii. 202b.

Central: member, cttee. for examinations, 28 Oct. 1642;CJ ii. 825b. cttee. for advance of money, 26 Nov. 1642.CCAM 1; CJ ii. 866a, 938a; iii. 67b. Commr. conserving peace betw. England and Scotland, 20 May 1643, 7 July 1646, 28 Oct. 1647.LJ vi. 55b; CJ iv. 606a; LJ viii. 411a; ix. 500a. Member, cttee. for excise, 6 June 1645; Star Chamber cttee. of Irish affairs, 1 July 1645. Commr. appeals, visitation Oxf. Univ. 1 May 1647. Member, cttee. for indemnity, 21 May 1647. Commr. high ct. of justice, 6 Jan. 1649;A. and O. removing obstructions, sale of bishops’ lands, 4 May, 20 June 1649.CJ vi. 201a; A. and O. Cllr. of state, 10 Feb. 1651, 25 Nov. 1652.CJ vi. 533a; vii. 221a. Member, cttee. for plundered ministers by May 1651.Mins. of the Cttee. for Plundered Ministers rel. to Lancs. and Cheshire ed. Shaw (Lancs. and Cheshire Rec. Soc. xxviii), 220. Commr. removing obstructions, sale of forfeited estates, 16 July 1651.A. and O. Gov. Westminster sch. and almhouses, 24 May 1655.Cheshire RO, ZCR 63/2/730, p. 29.

: 1st bt. (1604-61), of Handforth Hall, Cheshire., Cheadle 1604 – 61.

Likenesses

Likenesses: line engraving, unknown, 1646;J. Ricraft, A perfect List of all the Victories (1646, 669.f.10.79). line engraving, unknown, 1647;J. Ricraft, A Survey of Englands Champions (1647), opp. 41. line engraving, unknown, 1647;J. Vicars, England’s Worthies (1647), 71. oil on wood, unknown, nineteenth century.Grosvenor Museum, Chester.

Volume

Commons 1640-1660

Web Title

BRERETON, Sir William, 1st bt. (1604-61), of Handforth Hall, Cheadle, Cheshire.

Will

6 Apr. 1661, pr. 27 July 1661.PROB11/305, f. 12v.

Estates

inherited capital messuages of The Nuns and Lache House, Chester; manors of Ashton upon Mersey, Eaton and Handforth; a moiety of manor of Baddiley; property in Altrincham, Ashton on Mersey, Baddiley, Bowdon, Brindley, Buglawton, Burland, Chester, Faddiley, Handbridge, Handforth, Hulme Walfield, Lache, Marlston, Northenden, Sale, Stockport and Stoke; and advowson of Ashton upon Mersey, Cheshire.Cheshire IPM ed. Stewart-Brown, 64-9. In 1629, he obtained a conveyance of lands on east side of Charles River, Mass.Winthrop Pprs. ii. (Mass. Hist. Soc. 1931), 13. In 1632, he was assessed at £30 for distraint of knighthood.‘Obligatory knighthood temp. Charles I’ ed. J.P. Earwaker (Lancs. and Cheshire Rec. Soc. xii), 209. Acquired an estate at Weston-under-Lizard, Staffs. by marriage.Brereton Lttr. Bks. iii. 15. Estate bef. civil war estimated to be worth c.£1,000 p.a.Brereton Lttr. Bks. ii. 31. By 1644, owned or rented a house in Abbots Langley, Herts. In 1644, admitted tenant of Lord Capell’s sequestered estate at Cassiobury, Herts. with the tithes of Watford and Bushey, paying rent of £725 p.a.; these properties were reportedly worth £2,000 p.a.Add. 40630, ff. 134, 139; [C. Walker*], Hist. of Independency (1648), 170 (E.463.19). In 1644, granted part of a house of Sir Richard Ducy worth £40 p.a. and his goods worth £150.Bodl. Nalson XIV, f. 216. In 1647-8, owned or rented a house in Dean’s Yard and, in 1650-?54, in Old Palace Yard, St Margaret, Westminster.WCA, SMW/E/47/1582-3, 1592-1603. In 1647-8, purchased, from trustees for the sale of church lands, manor and archiepiscopal palace of Croydon, Surr. for £7,959, and manor of Waddon, Croydon, for £1,612 (parcels of which he sold off during the 1650s).C54/3807/54; C54/3815/11; C54/3908/11; C54/3936/24; Coll. Top. et Gen. i. 3, 124; VCH Surr. iv. 219, 220. In 1653, purchased property in the forest of Macclesfield from trustees for the sale of forfeited estates for £1,454.Cheshire RO, DDK/1472/12. In 1661, estate inc. manors of Ashton upon Mersey, Eaton and Handforth; property in Acton, Baddiley, Bunbury and Macclesfield; manor and court leets and baron of Nantwich, Cheshire; and property in Norbury and Waddon, Surr.PROB11/305, ff. 12v, 13.

Oxford 1644

Addresses

assigned lodgings of Mr Middleton in Whitehall (Dec. 1651);Cheshire RO, ZCR 63/2/730, p. 42. assigned lodgings of John Lambert* in Whitehall (Jan. 1660).CSP Dom. 1659-60, p. 325.

Religion

presented Ralph Stirrop to rectory of Ashton upon Mersey, Cheshire, 1632; Richard Heyricke, 1640;IND1/70001, p. 53. John Johnson, by June 1642;CJ iii. 270a; J.R. Mawdesley, ‘Clerical Politics in Lancs. and Cheshire during the Reign of Charles I, 1625-49’ (Sheffield Univ. Ph.D. thesis, 2014), 382. John Shawe to rectory of Lymm, Cheshire, 1643;Yorks. Diaries and Autobiographies ed. C. Jackson (Surtees. Soc. lxv), 137. Thomas Gilbert to rectory of Cheadle, Cheshire, 1646;Mawdesley, ‘Clerical Politics’, 389. William Jones to rectory of Orpington, Kent, 1653.Add. 36792, f. 65. Elder, fifth Surr. classis, 1648.Shaw, Hist. Eng. Church, ii. 435.

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