Francis Browne, 3rd Viscount Montagu

[1] His seat was the family home at Cowdray House and the estate included Easebourne Priory and Verdley.

A plan of these commissioned by Browne, executed by cartographer Nicholas Lane in February 1635, is now held in the West Sussex Record Office.

[4] Julia Roundell, however, claimed that they were married prior to Francis succeeding the title and a first son, Anthony, was baptised at Battle Abbey in August 1629.

Some sources claim that Anthony did not marry and predeceased his father without issue, but Roundell recounts another version, that Anthony argued with his father, moved to The Hague, returned at the outbreak of the English Civil War, married Bridgit Maskell of York, fought and was wounded at the Siege of York February 1644, had several children whose line later, unsuccessfully, lay claim to the title.

[3][4] During the Civil War, Browne remained a staunch royalist and Catholic and had both land and possessions sequestrated as a result.