BROUGHTON family of Marchwiel, Denbighshire

The Broughton family probably originated in and took their name from the township of that name in Cheshire; they first appear on the western side of the Dee in the 16th century, when RALPH BROUGHTON was in possession of Plas Isa, Is-y-coed, Denbighshire. His third son VALENTINE BROUGHTON (died 1603), alderman of Chester, was an early benefactor if not founder of Wrexham grammar school. MORGAN BROUGHTON (c. 1544 - c. 1614), Ralph Broughton's grandson (and heir to the Plas Isa estate), added to it that of Marchwiel Hall by his marriage to the daughter of Henry Parry of Basingwerk and Marchwiel, and was sheriff of Denbighshire in 1608. His eldest son Sir EDWARD BROUGHTON was knighted in 1618 (18 March). In 1639 (22 January) he was pardoned (on the petition of his wife and the certificate of judge Sir Wm. Jones and Sir Thomas Trevor) for abetting murder. On the outbreak of the second bishops' war he tried to get some mitigation of the burdens imposed on Denbighshire (May 1639); and as a commissioner of array for Denbighshire (September 1642) and major in the forces raised in North Wales (November 1643), he was seized in his house by Myddelton's forces (November 1643) on their first invasion of North Wales. His younger brother ROBERT BROUGHTON of Stryt-yr-hwch, Marchwiel, fourth son of Morgan Broughton, was captain of the 150 men raised in Denbighshire for the second bishops' war and led them in the northern campaign. He was a colonel in the forces sent to quell the Irish rebellion of 1641, but brought his regiment back to Chester in January 1644 to serve against the Roundheads, and was made Royalist governor of Shrewsbury (18 August 1644). He was captured in the battle of Montgomery (17 September 1644), but was released and did further service in the Royalist cause in North Wales in 1645. WILLIAM BROUGHTON, third son of Morgan Broughton, was also a captain in the Royal army.

Sir EDWARD BROUGHTON (died 1665), heir of the above Sir Edward, fought as a lieutenant on the king's side in the Civil War, commanded the foot at Winnington Bridge in Booth's rebellion, and as one of the garrison which held Chirk castle against Lambert (August 1659) was specifically excluded from the articles of surrender granted by Lambert when the castle was taken. He was imprisoned in the Gatehouse, Westminster, and on release married as his second wife the recently widowed wife of the keeper, Mary Wyke, after settling on her all his estates (6-7 April 1660) and binding himself to good behaviour in a famous written imprecation (printed in Pennant, Tours, 1883 ed., iii, 286-8), being thereupon admitted to the lucrative leasehold interest of the Wykes in the Gatehouse and its precincts. He lived on this property till he was killed at sea in the Dutch war (26 June 1665) and buried at Westminster abbey - before the award of a baronetcy could be formally completed, though the title is sometimes used in legal documents and was assumed by his son EDWARD (or Sir EDWARD) BROUGHTON (1661 - 1718), sheriff of Denbighshire in 1698 and the last of his line. ROBERT BROUGHTON, third son of the first Sir Edward and brother of the naval hero, was a major in the Royalist forces in the Civil War, was wounded at Wem (17-18 October 1643), and was one of the envoys sent by Thomas Myddelton (later 1st baronet,) to negotiate the surrender of Chirk castle on the collapse of Booth's revolt (24 August 1659). Another brother, FRANCIS BROUGHTON, is said to have fought for Parliament. When the Broughton s died out, the Marchwiel estates passed to AQUILA WYKE, of Llwynegryn, Mold, sheriff of Denbighshire in 1743 (died 1772), grandson of lady (Mary) Broughton by her first husband the keeper of the Gatehouse, and eventually to his nephew CHARLES BROWN (sheriff of Denbighshire 1789, Flintshire 1790), on whose death in 1795 the estates were sold.

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Published date: 1959

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