_Brown_by_Nathaniel_Dance%2C_(later_Sir_Nathaniel_Dance-Holland%2C_Bt)_cropped.jpg)
This year is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot Brown, who went on to create some of the greatest landscaped gardens of England. He designed some of my favourite gardens: Stowe, Charlecote and St. James’ Park, to name but a few, and there are many, many more. A comprehensive list is available here.
The son of a yeoman farmer and a chambermaid, Brown worked as a gardener at the local big house on the Kirkharle estate in Northumberland before he went to Stowe and took charge of the fabulous gardens and architecture there.
His ancestry is not easy to trace, and most of the family I have been able to research are his direct descendants. Howevver, if you have BROWN or HALL ancestors in this area of Northumberland, or if you have HOLLAND or BOURDILLON ancestors, then read on to see if you might be in his tree!
If you have any further information about the BROWN ancestry, please leave me a comment below.
BROWN
Lancelot was born in 1716 in Kirkharle, the son of William BROWN and Ursula HALL.
William BROWN worked as a land agent for Sir William Loraine, the local landowner, and it was at his country house in Kirkharle that he met Ursula HALL, where she was working as a chambermaid.
William’s parents were Lancelot BROWN and Dorothy (surname unknown). William’s parents were Lancelot BROWN and Dorothy (surname unknown). Unfortunately, that is as far back as online research can take me as far as specific ancestors go. However, According to Jane Brown’s Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown: The Omnipotent Magician, 1716-1783
HALL
Lancelot’s mother was Ursula HALL. She was the daughter of John and Ursula HALL of Girsonfield, the Halls being descended from Border clans. Again, this is another very common surname and extremely difficult to trace without very meticulous research. If you have any further information about the HALL family, please let me know.
DIRECT DESCENDANTS.
I have only been able to find information about two of Lancelot’s children, though he had at least nine children with his wife, Bridget WAYET, whom he married in 1744 at Stowe.
Tracing descendants with this surname is almost impossible using only the internet, so if you do have further information about descendants, do let me know.
Children and known descendants:
BROWN, HOLLAND & BOURDILLON:
Bridget BROWN m. Henry HOLLAND 11 Feb 1773, St. Georges, Hanover Square. Issue:
Lancelot HOLLAND. B. 1782. M. Charlotte Mary PETERS. Issue:
Emma HOLLAND 1813. No further info
Louisa HOLLAND 1823. No further info.
Sophia HOLLAND 1818. m. Francis BOURDILLON. Issue:
* UPDATE – further information on the Bourdillon family is available. Please see the post by Ginny Wigan in the comments box below.
Francis William BOURDILLON. m. Agnes Watson SMYTH. Issue:
Francis Bernard BOURDILLON 1883, Wadhurst. Needs further research
Sophia Louisa Nicolette BOURDILLON m. Robert B CHATWIN. No issue known
Robert Benedict BOURDILLON m. Harriet Ada BARNES. Issue:
Thomas D BOURDILLON 1924 (mountaineer – died in climbing accident 1956) m. Jennifer E C Thomas Issue: 1 son, 1 daughter.
William H BOURDILLON 1926 (no further info)
Sophia BOURDILLON (no further info)
Bernard Keene BOURDILLON m. Laura Elizabeth Providence TOWNSEND 1880, Harrogate. Issue:
Sir Bernard Henry BOURDILLON (1883, Tasmania) (Governer of Uganda)
Helen BOURDILLON (1885, Tasmania)
Lancelot Gerard BOURDILLON (1888, Cape Town)
Frederic Lancelot BOURDILLON (no further info)
Emily HOLLAND (no further info)
Henrietta HOLLAND (no further info)
Eleanor HOLLAND (no further info)
Wilmot HOLLAND m. Margaret WELLS Bromley, Kent 1857. Issue:
Frances E HOLLAND 1859 London (no further info)
Herbert Wilmot HOLLAND 1864, Beckenham m. Jennifer MONCUR. Issue:
Herbert Dingwall HOLLAND-RAMSAY m. Dorothy Courtenay (Issue)
Mary Frances HOLLAND. m. Sir Robert CRAUFURD 1800. No issue (known)
Henry Holland, architect. (no further info)
Lancelot BROWN MP. b.c. 1748 Stowe, Buckingham. (MP for Huntingdon) m. Frances FULLER 1788, Lausanne, Switzerland
I could not find anything else about Lancelot the younger – and I don’t know whether he had any children – I could not find any. If you know different, please let me know.
William BROWN, b. 1750, Stowe, Buckingham.
Adam John BROWN b. 1751
Thomas BROWN b. 1761
Margaret BROWN
Lancelot actually had nine children, but I have been unable to find any information about the names of the other three, or what happened to the named ones above. The Browns moved to London in 1751, so all the children born after that date would have been born/baptized in the Hammersmith area of London.
SIBLINGS:
Lancelot was the 5th of 6 children all born in Kirkharle. Again, tracing the name BROWN is fraught with difficulty, but this is what I have managed to find out about his siblings:
Dorothy BROWN b.c.1704
There are several possible marriages in Newcastle on Tyne – or a possible marriage in Hartburn, which is not too far from Kirkharle. However, this is in 1738, so she would have been about 34, which is quite old for marriage at that time. The spouse’s name is Mark HALL – another fairly common name, and possibly a cousin, but if you have HALL ancestry going back to this marriage, it might be worth checking this out.
Mary BROWN b.c. 1706
Again, this is too common a name – and I can find no marriage in Kirkharle.
John BROWN b.c.1709 (Estate Surveyor) m. Jane LORAINE (daughter of Sir William LORAINE, 2nd Baronet of Kirkharle. Loraine was the landowner that Lancelot was apprenticed to as a gardener in his youth.)
I can find no children of this marriage, and considering that Jane was about 41 when they married, it may be that there was no issue.
George BROWN – mason-architect. B.c. 1713 Kirkharle
As with the sisters, the name is too common to be sure. There is a marriage to a Dorothy FORSTER in Hartburn in 1748, and other possible marriages in Stamfordham and Haltwhistle. Further research needs to be done to eliminate the wrong ones
Elizabeth BROWN b.c.1719 Kirkharle
Same problem as above.
Obviously there is plenty more research to be done here, but the online research is very limited given the common surnames and availability of documents. Please feel free to leave comments if you have any further information.
I have a Brown always thought to be a relative of CB. Schoolmaster/Postmaster of Ponteland. His father was a carrier Newcastle to the Otterburn area, lived in Elsdon. Didn`t CBs father not have an Elsdon link
Hi Peter. There are certainly Browns in Elsdon – and I believe the families were connected – see the book by Jane Brown: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SligUwfuZl0C&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&d#v=onepage&q&f=false
The genealogy round the area is difficult, but I would say there is a good chance your ancestor is related to the family. Have you searched for his baptism record?
Cheers
Ros
One of Wilmot Holland’s sons, Ernest Wilmot Holland, emigrated to Canada, and much of the family is still there. There are still Hollands in England as well, and other cousins, all of whom have in common CB as a great- grandfather a few times back.
I have browns in my family. I have been advised that capability brown’s cousin married a henshaw who has a relative called achilles rawdin brown. can you shed anymore light on who the cousin would be? thanks
Hi Sam
Have you tried doing a Google search for Achilles Rawdin Brown? Quite a few results come up which might be useful. Any further more detailed research would take up more time, so if you wanted more professional research on this, please let me know.
However, if anyone in this thread has any information on this, please feel free to reply.
Ros
Lancelot is my husband’s 5th great grandfather if this is of any interest,
with kind regards
Jane
Hi There
My name is Cheryl Gaynor (nee Holland) and I am one of the Great Grand daughters of Capability Brown. I live in Sydney Australia as my Grandfather came out in the early 1900’s from England. Colonel Lancelot Brown who married Charlotte Mary Peters, had a son called Frederick Holland who is one of my Grandfathers, he married Janet Grant Hall. Our family line goes from there 🙂
Thanks Cheryl – how wonderful to have him as one of your ancestors!
I have recently started researching my family tree and am getting quite addicted to it. I have recently discovered a 5x and a 6x great-grandfather, both called Mark Hall, and with a strong Kirkharle link (the younger one is recorded as being born there in 1727). What are the chances of them being related to Capabilty Brown’s mother? The older Mark Hall was apparently born around 1700.
I guess an important rule of genealogical research is, don’t get too excited too early. My excitement over a possible Capability Brown link has been slightly dampened by the discovery that his mother, Ursula Hall, originally came from Redesdale, which is about 10 miles from Kirkharle. However, on the positive side, I have started learning something about Border Reivers, because the Halls were a Reiver family. That should be an interesting line of enquiry. I had anticipated that there might be a Reiver link when I started exploring the Gordons.
I will keep digging.
Ha! Yes, you are quite right, but it’s impossible not to get excited at times when you see a possible link to something interesting! The trouble with a name like Hall is that it is quite a common name, so there are going to be lots of them everywhere, so it’s necessary to be extremely cautious at every turn. Good luck with your searches, and do let us know what turns up.
Ros
I am a Brown, but my father’s family came from abroad during WW1, so no relation to Mr C B himself.
What evidence is there that Mr Bown senior was a yeoman gardener?
Hi Mike
I got that information from the Lancelot Brown website – http://www.capabilitybrown.org/lancelot-capability-brown. This seems to be a valid site with an emphasis on research, so I can only assume that they have well proven knowledge, though I could be wrong. Other sources describe him as a land agent. How strong the evidence is for the former I am not absolutely sure. Certainly it is known that his father worked as a land agent for Sir William Lorraine. He could well have been both, but I’m now wondering about the information on the website page. Hmmm….
having researched my family tree on my mothers side, the surname being palfreman, it came up that Capability brown was in my lineage.
it appears that from my mothers information that he was one of my uncles through marriage.
it is all very vague, but my mother could tell me about him, the work he did and where.
I studied horticulture and botany and indeed landscaping at university, I sometimes wondered why, could it be something passed on from capability brown.
unfortunately my mum passed away, and so contact lost as I went to live in Spain until last year.
it is interesting that a cousin researching the family tree found a point in her research where his name is mentioned.
regards
According to my family he is my great uncle between 8 and 10 times removed.
“Capability’ Brown is my 5-great-grandfather. Our family descended from Henry Holland and Bridget Brown through their son Lancelot Holland. We are part of the Canadian connection.
I live in Australia and have been doing some research and a Henry LeNeve Holland comes up as a relative from England that was an architect. I have connected him in with Cabability Brown but I seem to have a link that has confused me..
Regarding Capability’s other children, I have found evidence (in the form of bishop’s transcripts, available on Ancestry) for George Stephen Brown, abt. Jan – Apr 1755, and Ann Brown, abt. Feb – May 1756. They are both recorded as being the children of “Lancelot and Bridget Brown”, and were baptized and buried at St. Paul’s Hammersmith, so they seem likely matches. They are also consistent with Wikipedia’s mention of “a son in 1754 who died shortly afterwards, Anne who was born and died in 1756”
I became interested in Capability Brown’s family tree while researching an ancestor of mine also called Lancelot (or Launcelot) Brown, born c1810, though he was a lowly draper and hosier with a business in Brighton, Sussex. I’ve found no obvious connection with CB’s family tree yet, but interestingly he was born in St Ives, in Huntingdonshire (at the time) where CB was High Sheriff and Lancelot jr. was later an MP. Perhaps one day I’ll find a connection!
The Lorraines were cousins of my mother ((Hon. Lady (Christine) Llewellyn, nee Saumarez)), and it has been suggested to me that Lancelot (‘Capability’) Brown was the illegitimate son of a Lorraine Baronet (Sir William, 2nd Baronet ?).
Hi, I’m a direct descendant , he is my 5 x great grandfather. Through his daughter Bridget, her son Lancelot Holland, his daughter Henrietta ( Wise) her son Charles Dacres Wise, his son Henry Dacres Wise, his son Lancelot Evelyn Wise ( my father ) . Lancelot is a regularly repeated name throughout the generations. I’ve got quite a detailed family tree on the Ancestry site if that helps
Hi Georgie – Many thanks for your post. Would you be happy to post a link to your tree here so people can view it? No pressure if you’d prefer not to!
It must be lovely to visit some of his gardens and know they were created by your direct ancestor!
Ros
Are you aware that Lancelot’s sister in law Anne (Wayet) who married a John Scott of Braytoft is a direct ancestor of SIr Gilbert Scott?
Hi Neale – No, I didn’t know that! Thanks very much for the information.
Ros
I remember a John Brown who was resident of Abingdon House 61 Kew Green around 1975-76 ( Kew Gardens being one of the projects Lancelot was involved with for George lll ). As this estate is owned by the crown, I wondered if John Brown was a direct descendent.. Coukd anyone enlighten me.
I remember a John Brown who resided at Abingdon House in Kew around 1975/6. As this estate is owned by the crown, I wondered if John Brown was a direct descendent of Capability Brown. anyone enlighten me.
i have brown , holland and hall , wonder if i am related ?
Reply for George Hand, direct descendant…
Was John Brown, who was residing in Abingdon House in 1970’s a relative. Also was Abingdon House connected to your family as it is the first residential property after the Herbnium at the entrance of Kew Gardens..
My 5x grandfather George John Brown ran off with lady Mary Ann Coventry to miscou island Canada in early 1800s. That’s it, that’s all I know.
I mean…i have all the info “after” that, not sure if he’s even related (many browns). Also he’s scottish but born in londonderry.
Hi Ros, I am a direct descendant of Brown, through his great granddaughter Sophia Holland who married Rev Francis Bourdillon of Fenstanton. My own grandfather was Francis Bernard Bourdillon, born at Wadhurst Castle … I note your comment that more research is needed. I can provide any amount! FBB had 3 children, among them my mother. He had 6 grandchildren. He was very knowledgeable about the Bourdillon family, having undertaken extensive research in the UK and in Switzerland, France and Holland in the 1950s. Please let me know what you’d like to know.
Hi Ginny
Many thanks for this, and your offer of help. The best thing for me to do is amend the post so that anyone interested in that line will be directed to your comment here, and then they can request information. I can then send them your email address, if that’s OK?
Ros
I have a Domingo brown bush .1767 Newport Essex .because of the unusual first name I thought I’d share .it seems Domingo my GGG grandfather.was illegitimate. His mother is listed as prudence chipperfield 1728=1771. I’ve been intrigued by this ancestors first and middle name .they owned land in Essex .we are also linked to the bushes of u.sa .I’m working on my family tree.kind regards Annette .
Hello Ros,
My Grandfather was Herbert Dingwall Holland-Ramsay (The Ramsay was added after his mother Jeanie Holland married Thomas R Ramsay) She was first married to Herbert Wilmot Holland (7/02/1891) Herbert Dingwall arrived 24/02/1891 (Whoops) His father Herbert Wilmot Holland died 7/5/1892
Frances E HOLLAND 1859 London This was Herbert W Holland’s sister, I have letters from her to my grandfather Herbert Dingwall Holland(Ramsay) stating she thought that Capability Brown could be an ancestor! Also have some of her paintings, she was a very good artist. My father Miles Holland-Ramsay has recently passed away.
Herbert Wilmot HOLLAND 1864, Beckenham m. Jennifer MONCUR. I do have a copy of their marriage certificate (Newcastle upon Tyne)
Herbert Dingwall HOLLAND-(RAMSAY) m. Dorothy Courtenay, East Horsley 1915
Thanks Penny. It would be interesting to try and find out whether Frances was right!
Ros
Not sure if there’s any connection, but there is a renowned Swiss mechanical engineer (founder of the firm that is now Asea Brown Boveri) in my family tree named Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown (1863 -1924). His mother (Eugenie Pfau) was Swiss, but his father Charles Brown (1827-1905) was a British engineer originally from Uxbridge before he moved to Switzerland. Parents of Charles Brown MAY be Frederick (b. c. 1803) and Elizabeth Brown.
Hi Susan – thanks for your comment. Brown is a difficult surname to trace, and especially trying to connect with a famous person. As an engineer, it’s possible that perhaps your ancestor was just a fan of Lancelot Brown and named his son after him – which is not uncommon. However, if you ever want professional help to see if there is any possibility of finding a connection.
Ros
Reaching out to Cheryl Gaynor in Australia, do you have Ralph Holland as a relative? He was one of the children of Wilmot Holland and Margaret Wells who left England to live in the Australia/New Zealand area. And also Penny, yes Frances was right, she is a direct descendant of Capability Brown as well. I have inherited some of her paintings too, she was quite the artist! My father was Ernest Holland, son of Ernest Wilmot Holland who emigrated to Canada, and he did extensive research into the Holland family ancestry scouring records all over England during his life. Ernest Wilmot Holland gave his sons a very good education but no money, leaving them to fend for themselves in various parts of the world. Whatever inheritance there was was given to the unmarried daughters. Ros, I’m very glad you created this post and it is still active, and I have been fortunate to connect with some of my relatives who too have left comments here.
Thank you so much for this – I am sure it will be really useful to some of the people on this comment thread!
Best wishes
Ros
I have been interested in knowing if I have a CAPABILITY BROWN connection. I have a couple surnames not mentioned in previous posts. My interest was sparked when I saw the traveling show with Penelope about villages in England, Wales and Scotland. The village of MILTON ABBAS in ENGLAND is where my CHAMBERS ancestors came from.
She does a segment on that village and it mentions SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERS who wanted to tear down a building there and was working the project with CAPABILITY BROWN, who was a landscaper. My 2nd GG is named SAMUEL BROWN HOLLOWAY. He was born in 1859 and died in 1891. I realize how common BROWN is. Whenever I see CHAMBERS and HOLLOWAY together I take a more in depth research. I do not know where BROWN came from. My BRICK WALL.
My JAMES CHAMBERS was born in 1815 in Ohio and died Dec 1876. He was a Shoemaker. He married Catherine Ann Smith(Rose)(Chambers) who was born in NJ in Jan 1818 and died in Morrow County, Ohio in 1909.
This is a particular branch of HOLLOWAY and CHAMBERS that do not have their branch to hook onto any particular tree. We are kind of floating around.
The census is where I found out that JAMES CHAMBERS parents were both of a foreign birth. Research led me to MILTON ABBAS. It could also just be a coincidence that SIR WILLIAM CHAMBERS was just in a working relationship with CAPABILITY BROWN. The last thing I’ll say is that I am a creative planner of landscaping and spend ALOT of time in the great outdoors of nature.
Hi Karin
Thanks for this. Very interesting. The surname Brown as a middle name could be after a mother or grandmother’s surname. On the other hand, if the family knew the landscaper, it may have been in his honour. But of course it’s really difficult to find the answers with Brown being such a common name. Chambers is also a fairly common name.
Let me know if you would like any help with this.
Ros