Henry Brouncker, 3rd Viscount Brouncker

The Right Honourable The Viscount Brouncker
Cofferer of the Household
In office 9 December 1679 – 6 February 1685
Monarch	Charles II
Preceded by	William Ashburnham
Succeeded by	Sir Peter Apsley
Personal details
Born	c. 1627
Died	4 January 1688 Surrey, England
Resting place	Richmond, London, England
Occupation	Courtier and politician

Henry Brouncker, 3rd Viscount Brouncker (c. 1627 – 4 January 1688) was a Restoration-era courtier who was Cofferer of the Household to Charles II, and served as Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James, Duke of York.

Born around 1627,^[1] Brouncker was the second son of William Brouncker, 1st Viscount Brouncker and Winifred Leigh; and the brother of William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker, who was President of the Royal Society. The brothers were on bad terms and William at his death in 1684 disinherited Henry, "for reasons I do not think it fit to mention". William instead left most of his wealth to his mistress Abigail Williams-Cromwell, (a cousin by marriage of Oliver Cromwell), with whom he had lived happily outside marriage for many years.

He graduated from Oxford in 1646 as a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). He was Member of Parliament for New Romney from 1665 to 21 April 1668 but was expelled when charges were brought against him for allowing the Dutch to escape during the Battle of Lowestoft and ordering the sails of the British fleet to be slackened in the name of the Duke of York. Such a decision, taken without the Duke's authority, was an incident seemingly without parallel, especially as his apparent motive was simply that he was fatigued with the stress and noise of the battle.^[1]

John Evelyn wrote, "ever noted for hard coteveous vicious man, but for his wordly craft and skill in gaming few exceeded him." He was a famous chess player. He is mentioned in the famous "Memoirs" of Philibert, comte de Gramont, in particular his preference for "Orange seller" girls.

On 29 August 1667 Samuel Pepys called Brouncker: "a pestilent rogue, an atheist, that would have sold his king and country for 6d. almost".

He married (in 1661) Rebecca Rodway, widow of Thomas Jermyn, brother to the Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans, and they had no children.^[1]

He was a Commissioner of Trade and Plantation in 1673, and he became Cofferer of the Household to Charles II on 9 December 1679 following the death of William Ashburnham. He vacated the office on 6 February 1685 following the death of the king.^[2]

He died on 4 January 1688 at Sheen Abbey, Surrey and was buried at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Richmond, Surrey. His titles became extinct on his death.^[1]

References

1. McIntyre, G. S. (2004). "Brouncker, William, second Viscount Brouncker of Lyons (1620–1684)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/3596. Retrieved 9 January 2011. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
2. Bucholz, Robert. "Index of Court Officers: Index B" (PDF). The Database of Court Officers 1660–1837. Department of History, Loyola University Chicago. p. 82. Retrieved 9 January 2011. External link in |work= (help)

External links

•  Lee, Sidney (1886). "Brouncker, William". In Stephen, Leslie. Dictionary of National Biography 6. London: Smith, Elder & Co.