Dorothy Brownlow 1664-1700

Dorothy BROWNLOW or BROWNLOWE or MASON 1664-1700

The larger of Dorothy Brownlow's bookplates (British Museum Franks Collection *138)

Biographical Note

Daughter of Sir Richard Mason of Sutton, courtier. In 1688 she married William Brownlow, who inherited the Belton House estate in Lincolnshire and a baronetage from his elder brother John in 1697. They had five children before her death; several portraits of her survive by leading painters of the time.

Books

The library at Belton House was continuously developed from the time of Richard Brownlow (1553-1638) onwards, and contains books associated with many subsequent generations. Its growth largely took place during the 18th century (there were ca.1300 books there by 1730), but there are numerous books at Belton today which can be associated with Dorothy and Sir William. An engraved armorial bookplate dated 1698 was made both for her and for her husband, in two sizes (Franks *132/*138).

Sources

• Lady Dorothy Mason, St Nicholas, Sutton.
• History of Parliament.
• Brundin, A. & D. Roberts, Book-buying and the grand tour: the Italian books at Belton House, The Library 7th ser 16 (2015), 51-79.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J . Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903.
• Hoare, P. The perils of provenance, Library History 18 (2002), 225-34.
• Purcell, M., The English country house library, New Haven and London, 2017, 77.