Member of the UK Parliament
Edward Brogden
MP
for Worcester; attended Parliament in 1553 (March) and 1554 (November)
Born by 1527; died in 1557
Edward
was the second son of Thomas Brogden, a clothier of Worcester, and his
wife Eleanor. He married Dorothy, daughter of Humphrey Goldston of Bridgnorth,
Shropshire. Edward and Dorothy had children - they were mentioned in
his will (1) but not named. Clothiers were relatively wealthy merchants in the Worcester area.
Edward's
father died in 1528 or 1529, leaving £20 (£6800 in today's values) to
each of his three sons and one daughter. He also left two houses to
his eldest son, Richard.
We don't
know how Edward earned his living or what led him to become one of the
chosen representatives of Worcestershire electors in Parliament, except that he was one of the "48" leading Worcester citizens and described as a "Gentleman" (4) which implies wealth. The
election of MPs in those days was in the hands of local landowners with
land worth a minimum of 40 shillings per annum in rent. (2) The MPs were
usually wealthy merchants and, as is still the case, not necessarily
local residents. Parliament was convened by the monarch only about once
a year, usually to agree to raise revenues. The House of Commons in
which Edward served was slowly gaining in authority, but it was to be
another century before the English Civil War and the execution of the
king led to a more powerful parliament. Edward's earlier years saw Henry VIII's dissolution of religious
houses and he may have been related (see below) to the Sir John Brogden (Prior of Thelsford Monastery when it was seized and dismantled and Vicar of Newbold Pacey)
who had succeeded in recovering property confiscated by Henry. (3) Both he and
John are mentioned in a set of deeds in the Warwickshire Record Office. (See article on Sir John Brogden, below).
Edward
attended the House of Commons in March 1553 and November 1554. He was
due to attend in 1555 but a complaint is recorded against him that he
did not attend when called. This complaint was not upheld, perhaps because
he was away from home and missed the call, rather than because he was
avoiding attending the session.
Expenses
could be claimed for attending Parliament at 2 shillings per day (£23
at today's values), from the day he set out to the day he returned home.
The records show that he claimed for 36 days in 1553 and 80 days in
1555.
Further research is required to try to clarify
and confirm the Warwickshire connection to Edward, including the Sir
John referred to in the Bishops Tachbrook deeds, and to discover Edward's
coat of arms, assuming that he applied for these as entitled as a "gentleman."
The Worcestershire Record Office says it holds no references to Edward
other than part of his will.
Notes:
1. The
will is referred to in Bindoff (Ed) (see below) as having only a fragment
remaining. It is in the Worcestershire Record Office.
2. The
"Forty Shilling Franchise" was not repealed until 1832.
3. John
Brogden succeeded via a bill of complaint in persuading the King's Council
to reinstate to him lands that had been confiscated when Thelsford Priory
was seized. The deeds also refer to a Sir John Brogden, "clerk, minister
of Thelsford." The deeds appear to indicate that these are separate
people. See CR 1908/98/1 Warwickshire Record Office: Deeds Relating
to Bishops Tachbrook [a parish in central Warwickshire].
4. See
CR 1908/98/2 Warwickshire Record Office: Deeds Relating to Bishops Tachbrook:
"Bargain and sake from Thomas Denton of Besselshye, Berkshire., esq.,
and Edward Brogden of Worcester gent. to Thomas Savage of all those
messuages and hereditaments etc in Bishops Tachbook which are now in
the tenures of Richard Horley, Edward Chastelyn, William Bysshop and
William Trentam senior which property John Brogden formerly recovered
from Henry VIII by decree of the Court of Augmentations, 20th April
1 Ed. VI (1547)."
5. The
information about Edward Brogden, his family and his House of Commons
attendances comes from Bindoff (Ed): The House of Commons 1509 - 1588
(Members A - C); published for the History of Parliament Trust by Secker
and Warburg; 1982. The contribution on Edward Brogden is credited to
the editor himself.
Updated: 11/2011
The
USA Brogden/don contact is Bill Brogden: BBrog727@aol.com
Member
of the UK Parliament
James Brogden
Whig
MP for Launceston (Cornwall) 1796 - 1832
Born:
Narborough 1765
Died:
Sussex 9th July 1842; buried at Narborough
James was
the oldest son of John Brogden, a merchant, of Leadenhall Street, London
and Clapham, Surrey, and his wife, Mary. He spent a year at the public
school, Eton College, in 1780-81. He married Hannah, born about 1776
and who died in Sussex on 2 February 1855.
James probably
worked in partnership with his father, John, who was a Russia merchant
and director of the London Assurance Company and in business from 1757
to 1793. The company may have been started by James' great uncle, James,
who appears to have retired and left the running of the business to
John. John died in 1800.
By 1806
James was being described as a "respectable Russia merchant." He was
judged to know the "country and the climate" of Russia well and had
spent a year in Russia in 1787/8. He also undertook a North European
tour in 1791. Thorne records that he fell out with his business partner,
Pleschell on his brother Henry's account, and that he withdrew from
active participation, whist remaining a director. He was a director
of the Rock Life Assurance Company from 1812 and became chairman in
1816. Thorne gives no further information, either about the business
or about brother Henry. Trade directories list the business address
as Leadenhall (sometimes 143 Leadenhall) Street, London and after 1767
as 1 (sometimes 6) Russia Court, Leadenhall Street. The directories
also sometimes refer to the address of John Brogden as Clapham, London.
Another variation is a trade directory reference to John Brogden as
"Consul of the Russia Company" with an address as the "Merchant Seaman's
office over the Royal Exchange, London." The South Wales newspaper,
The Cambrian, reports James Brogden's comings and goings to his farm
at Trimsaran, Carmarthenshire, the sale of grain and animals and his
generosity in giving to charitable causes.
The History
of Parliament Trust's publication, "The House of Commons 1790 - 1820,"
edited by RG Thorne* gives a long and detailed resume of James' parliamentary
career. James was elected in 1796 to represent Launceston in Cornwall,
supported by the Duke of Northumberland. He frequently spoke on
commercial matters (including on the mining industry in which he had
a stake in Carmarthenshire) and not always to the Duke of Northumberland's
approval. At one point his voting with the opposition led him to consider
quitting the House of Commons but his "friends kindly prevented" him
from doing this. He voted for parliamentary reform in the 1790s and
was considered friendly to the abolition of slavery. Perhaps these views
were part of the reason for Arthur Shakespeare MP striking him in 1807
and calling him a "damned villain." Shakespeare later apologised.
Back on
friendly terms with the Duke by 1812, James gained a seat on the Treasury
Board following a recommendation by the Duke to the Prince Regent who
lobbied the new prime minister, Lord Liverpool. (Liverpool's predecessor
as prime minister, Spencer Perceval, had the unique distinction of being
assassinated in the lobby of the House of Commons.) James Brogden gave
up the seat on the Board in 1813 when he became Chairman of the Ways
and Means Committee where he remained for 13 years until he felt obliged
to resign, claiming innocence, over his involvement in a mining company
scandal.
James left
parliament in 1832 and died some ten years later.
Sephen
Massil of the Sir John Soane's Museum, found a reference to the sale
of James Brogden's art collection in an 1812 catalogue:
"A
catalogue of a select and singularly valuable collection of paintings,
the property of a gentleman of fortune ... which will be sold by
auction, by peter Coxe, in Maddo Street, Hanover Square, on Friday,
the 12th of June, 1812 ..." The catalogue referes to 17 lots.
(See
Burton B. Fredericksen, "Index of paintings" 1988, iii,
p36, sale no. 1005)
There remain
a number of unanswered questions about James. Where does his branch
of the Brogdens fit with the others? Did he marry early enough to have
children? What can be discovered about great uncle James and brother
Henry? Are there descendants to be found today?
For the
article James Brogden in Russia 1787 - 1788 which refers to his correspondence
at the time to his father and sister, click
here.
Notes:
*This
history was published by Secker and Warburg for the History of Parliament
Trust in 1986.
Members
of Parliament were not salaried until 1911 so MPs such as James would
have needed substantial private or business incomes to support their
parliamentary careers and a London address that was convenient for their
attendances in the House of Commons.
Updated
11/2011
Member of the UK Parliament
Alexander Brogden
Liberal MP for Wednesbury: 1868 - 1885
Born:
3 November 1825 in Manchester
Married: 6 September 1848 Manchester Cathedral
Died: 26 November 1892 in Croydon
Alexander
was the second son of the railway construction contractor and coal mine
owner, John Brogden. He and three of his brothers went into partnership
with their father in 1846 and the company, John Brogden and Sons thrived
for several years. Alexander succeeded his father as chairman of the
company when John senior retired. John senior's eldest son, who would
no doubt have become chairman, died in 1855, aged only 31.
Alexander
was a graduate of King's College, London, and had expected to follow
a career in the law but a stint in his father's office led him to stay
and be part of an entrepreneurial family business that is well known
in railway history circles for their work on the Ulverstone and Lancashire
Railway (and others) and the civil engineering projects at home and
abroad (including New Zealand and the Alps), for coal mining and iron-production
in England and in Wales and not only for the construction of the docks
at Porthcawl in South Wales but also for the beginnings of its development
as a tourist resort. The company became over-stretched and collapsed
with large debts in 1880. Alexander and his brothers were declared bankrupt
in 1884.
Alexander's
first attempt to be elected to represent Yarmouth in parliament failed,
amid accusations of improper influencing of the vote. He was successful
in being elected for Wednesbury in 1868 and served the constituency
until 1885 when his bankruptcy forced his resignation. He died in 1892
in most unfortunate circumstances when he fell into the fireplace and
suffered severe burns.
Alexander
married in 1848 Ann Garstang, daughter of a business partner of his
father's, James Garstang, who was linked with John senior in the promotion
of the Ulverstone and Lancashire Railway. There were two children: James
Garstang Brogden was born in 1850, married in 1877 and died 1885 leaving
a daughter; Ann Edith was born in 1856 and married in 1891.
The accounts
of Alexander's roles in the John Brogden Company reveal a difficult
character who, whilst bringing energy to the firm, also demonstrated
at times a tactless obstinacy which led him into costly litigation (including
unsuccessful action against the Metropolitan Railway Company which he
persisted in taking as far as an appeal to the House of Lords). He even
provoked litigation within the family, falling out with his younger
brother James, who ran the South Wales branch of the business and also
with his sister who sued for her father's legacy to be paid. Perhaps
he had inherited his father's tendency to be bad tempered, a characteristic
that is recorded in one of John Brogden's employee's recollections.
Whether or not he inherited his father's good sense of business is open
to question: John Brogden's will reveals that the company was already
heavily mortgaged and it did not require much in the way of a fall in
coal and iron prices to bring the company down.
No information
has yet come to light about Alexander's parliamentary career. Members
of parliament were not salaried in his day and Alexander seems to have
managed the company and his parliamentary work simultaneously. If for
no better reason, being an MP was useful for making the right business
contacts.
Street
names in Porthcawl and Cheshire commemorate the Brogdens' industrial
and commercial enterprises (see Brogden Places on this website) and
railway history researchers continue to enquire into the history of
the company. Genealogical research has revealed some of Alexander's
Lancashire ancestry but no direct male descendents.
Note:
For
further details on the activities of the John Brogden company and more
information on Alexander, see various pages on this website.
Updated: 11/2011
Member
of the New South Wales Parliament: 1996 - 2005

John
Brogden
Former Liberal Party Member of New South Wales Parliament for Pittwater,
Australia
Born:
28 March 1969 in Balmain
Elected: 1996 Resigned: 2005
John
Brogden grew up in Haberfield in Sydney's inner-west and attended St
Patrick's College, Strathfield 1979 - 1986. He completed a Masters of
Public Affairs (University of Sydney) in 2001. John is married to Lucy.
He has
been Public Affairs Manager for the Credit Union Services Corporation
(Australia) Limited; Public relations consultant - Cosway Australia;
Adviser to the Hon. J.P. Hannaford, MLC, Attorney-General; the Hon.
J.J. Fahey, MP, Premier; and the Hon Ted Pickering, MLC, Minister for
Police and Emergency Services. Director of the Australian Institute
of Political Science Sydney Institute; Member of Industrial Relations
Society (NSW); Centre for Independent Studies; Sydney Institute.
The Pittwater
constituency is located in Sydney's outer northern area. The principal
suburbs are Mona Vale, Newport, North Narrabeen, Palm Beach and Terrey
Hills. Area: 175.32 sq km Enrolment: 44,077
John was
member for Pittwater from 25 May 1996 (by-election), re-elected 27 March
1999. Shadow Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning, Shadow Minister
for Sydney Water, Shadow Minister for Youth Affairs April 1999 to 28
March 2002. Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Minister for Ethnic Affairs,
Shadow Minister for Reform of Government 28 March 2002.
Joined
Liberal Party 1986; Member of Mona Vale Branch; Member of Liberal Party
State Executive 1992-93 and 1996; Delegate Federal Council 1993; President
of Young Liberal Movement of Australia (NSW Division) 1992-93; Federal
Treasurer of Young Liberal Movement of Australia 1994. In 2002 John
became the youngest ever leader of the liberal party for New South Wales.
There is a great deal of information about his parliamentary activities
on the internet.
Some very
intemperate remarks made by John in 2005 (reportedly made as a result
of inbibing too much alcohol) led him to have to resign his leadership
role and his seat in the New South Wales parliament. His political career
appears to have ended. He became
CEO of Manchester Unity, an Australian health services company but this
job came to an end when the company was taken over. (See article from
The Australian, below.)
*John Brogden
is a descendent of the Oxfordshire Brogdens through his g-g-grandfather,
William, who emigrated to New Zealand with his family on the Ballochmile
in 1874. John's father was born in New Zealand but subsequently moved
to Australia. John's brother also lives in Australia and his sister
in London.
Article from: The Australian, 15 July 2009
FORMER
NSW Liberal leader John Brogden has ruled out a return to politics by
taking the role of chief executive of peak lobby group the Investment
& Financial Services Association. "I have no interest or plans to return
to politics," he said yesterday in response to reports last week that
he was contemplating a return to the political arena. "In fact, the
day the media speculated I have been approached to return to politics,
I had just signed the contract to join IFSA." IFSA is a lobby group
representing 145 members of managed retail and wholesale funds in superannuation
and life insurance with more than $1.3 trillion in funds under management
on behalf of 10 million Australians. Mr Brogden said the attraction
of joining IFSA was that it would allow him to remain in business and
combine it with public policy.
Mr Brogden
has been looking for a new job since he left as chief executive of health
fund Manchester Unity with a termination payment of more than $1 million
-- equivalent to two years' salary -- when HCF paid $256m to take over
MU last December. Both Mr Brogden and IFSA chairman David Deverall declined
to talk about Mr Brogden's salary at IFSA. Neither was Mr Deverall,
who is also managing director of wealth management group Perpetual,
willing to disclose details of Mr Brogden's contract: "We went through
a very thorough process before we appointed John. His association with
politics has absolutely not been an issue at all."
Mr Brogden
resigned from the NSW Liberal leadership in controversial circumstances
in August 2005 and gets a parliamentary pension of $70,000 a year. He
said the big issue facing the industry was how to encourage Australians
to save enough in their superannuation to enable them to retire comfortably:
"How do we incentivise Australians to save more for the long haul towards
retirement." Australians are also underinsured by world standards. "How
do we get more Australians to take out life insurance policies so that
their loved ones are well taken care of in the event of sudden death,"
he said. Mr Brogden said superannuation was crying out for changes to
make contributions simple, easy to understand and straightforward. "Next
to a house purchase, superannuation contributions are the big expenditure
for Australians," he said. The global financial crisis has affected
the returns from superannuation, preventing many older Australians from
taking retirement. "The current debate is whether there should be an
increased compulsory contribution to super -- from 9 per cent to between
12 and 15 per cent," he said. Mr Brogden takes over from Richard Gilbert,
who retires on August 28 after seven years as IFSA chief executive.
Notes:
Most
of this information on John Brogden has been taken from his website.
*Information
in this paragraph mostly comes from Grace Morrow's researches. Grace
is also a descendent of William Brogden of Oxfordshire and is at MORROW-OTAKI@xtra.co.nz
Updated: 11/2011
An
Unpopular Vicar
The
Reverend James Brogden
A
Brogden who lived in Oxfordshire, but not related to those in the Witney area, was
the infamous Vicar of Deddington (near Banbury), the Reverend James
Brogden (1806 - 1864). James's baptism is recorded at St Giles, Cripplegate,
London. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge, and published several massive
volumes of theological works (for example, "Illustrations of
the Liturgy and Ritual of the United Church of England and Ireland,"
3 volumes; 1842 and "Safeguards against Popery," 3 volumes;
1846)) but as vicar of Deddington (following a curacy in Childwickbury,
near St Albans) he got into a dispute between high and low churchmen
as well as running up debts with local tradesmen. Taking to drink
did not help his reputation and appeals by 128 parishoners to the
Bishop for his removal did not succeed in obtaining his resignation,
despite urging by Bishop Wilberforce: "Your continuance at Deddington
is, and my judgement now, ever must be fatal to the interests of Christ's
church and the souls of your people." James Brogden felt "the
tedium of being crossed by the small minds of Deddington" and
that "nothing but preferment should ever induce him to resign."
James and his wife Ernastine Matilda Sophia (Perks) had seven children.
He died on Ash Wednesday, 1864, of apoplexy caused by intoxication.
He is buried in Deddington. Thus ended the career of this "worthless
and wretched man." (HM Colvin in a "History of Deddington;"
1963
An
earlier extraordinary episode in the troubled life of the Reverend
James Brogden had occured when he was a curate in Childwickbury. This
story is reported in "Hertfordshire Murders" by Nicholas
Connell and Ruth Stratton (published by Sutton Publishing in 2003).
James Brogden shot a policeman, PC Cornelias Wintle. The policeman
survived and the Reverend gentleman was acquitted of murder. It seems
that PC Wintle heard gunfire coming from Mr Brogden's house at 1.20
am on New Year's Day, 1844. PC Wintle bravely went to investigate
(today it would require an armed response unit, body armour and a
helicopter), only to be shot himself. Why James Brogden was firing
his shotgun at 1.20 in the morning is not revealed in the book (nor
why he had a shotgun) but, in court, he claimed that he thought PC
Wintle was a potential burglar. He said he called out to the person
to identify himself but receiving no reply, fired the shotgun. Finding
that he had shot a policemen rather than a burglar, James Brogden
sent a servant to St Albans to fetch a doctor who sent PC Wintle to
hospital, where he made a good recovery. At the trial, Mr Justice
Alderson said, "It was a very foolish and very rash act, Mr Brogden,
and I hope you will not do such a thing again. I entirely acquit you,
in my belief, of any intention of firing to injure any one."
This seems a very generous interpretation of the event when James
Brogden was intending to shoot a burglar! [Many thanks
to Paul Marston for calling attention to this event.]
The Revd James Brogden is thought to be a son of John Brogden, a London
jeweller. Was this the John Brogden of Watherston and Brogden? (see
Brogden
Artists, Performers, Businesses & Products) There was
an older brother, John, baptised in 1803. James' children were:
- Frederica
Caroline Eloise; baptised 1838, St Michael's, St Albans
- Mary
Katherine; baptised 1840; St Michael's, St Albans
- James;
baptised 1841, Great Henney, Essex
- William
Henry; baptised 1845; buried 1865, Deddington
- Edith
Blanch; baptised 1847, St Michael's, St Albans
- Bertha;
baptised 1848, Deddington
- Arthur;
baptised 1850, Middlesex
(Information
from Anne Brogden, with thanks.)
Updated 12/07/2009
A Trusted Servant
John
Brogden
John Brogden was
servant to Bishop John Bell who had been promoted to the See (bishopric)
of Worcester in 1539. Bishop Bell resigned in 1543 and moved to Clerkenwell,
London. He gave no explanation for his resignation. We do not know
how long John Brogden had been John Bell's servant but the following
extract from his will shows the extent to which he valued him: John
Brogden inherited the tenancy of what appears to be a good deal of
property. Bishop Bell had connections with Stratford upon Avon where
there were Brogdens and another family of Brogdens came from Worcester,
one of whom became an MP. We do not know the ancestry of this John
Brogden or his history when he progressed to tenant of properties
from servant to a Bishop.
Extract from
John Bell's will, dated 10 August 1556:
Item:
I give and bequeath unto the foresaid John Brogden my trusty servant
all my whole right title and interest of and in my said lease of Chiswick
concerning my other houses, tenements, lands and grounds specified
in the same lease over and besides the said principal mansion house
garden and orchard as afore bequeath, to have and to hold to him the
said John Brogden and to his assigns all the said other houses tenements
lands and grounds not bequeathed to the said Mr Feckenham during the
term of years expressed, he the said John Brogden paying and discharging
the usual rent and rents yearly going out and due for the same according
to the tenor and purport of the said lease, in consideration of the
good and trusty service that the said John has done to me and upon
rounding and to the intent he shall be aiding and helping my executors
in and about the execution of this my last will and testament as afore
I have willed and declared.
(Many thanks to Richard
RL Bell for sending the copy of Bishop Bell's will.)
"A
Very Good Public Servant"
Judge
Hiram Brogden
Judge Hiram Brogden
was Probate Judge in Covington County, USA, for several terms in the
1930s and 40s. G Sidney Waits, who kindly sent this information, says,
"As far as I know he was native to this county and had several
kinsmen here. He was very popular and helped a lot of people. His son
Hiram Junior has been dead for many years. The Judge was quite a politician
and a very good public servant."
Lord
Mayor of Portsmouth
JPN
Brogden
John Patrick Newton
Brogden was Lord Mayor of Portsmouth in 1973 - 74.
Updated
01/01/2011
Senator
Randy Brogdon

Ran
for Governor of Oaklahoma, USA
"Since
being elected State Senator in 2002, Randy Brogdon has championed legislation
such as "The Taxpayer Bill of Rights" (TABOR) and SB 1 "The Taxpayer
Transparency Act." In addition, he was successful in leading the charge
to opt out of the federal "REAL ID ACT" of 2005. Randy Brogdon is also
the author of SJR 10, otherwise known as the 10th Amendment Resolution.
This resolution is designed to protect states rights and prevent the
federal government from overexerting its legislative power. His efforts
on the 10th Amendment Initiative have brought him national attention
from several media outlets across the country. In March of 2009, Senator
Brogdon was invited to speak to the Pennsylvania State Legislature about
his work on the 10th Amendment Initiative. Randy Brogdon has received
numerous accolades for his consistent, conservative voting record from
state and national organizations. He was also the first State Senator
in 20 years to receive a 100% mark on the Conservative Vote Index.
Senator
Brogdon has been married to his high school sweetheart Donna for 36
years. They have two grown sons, Chris and Bryan and a daughter-n-law
Jessica. He is active in his church at Woodlake Assembly of God, where
he has taught a young adult Sunday School Class, and has served on the
church board. Randy Brogdon has been a successful business owner for
over 30 years in the Air Conditioning industry. He previously owned
a mechanical contracting firm with his Dad and best friend Cal. He was
also president of Environmental Products Supply a company specializing
in Geo-Exchange heating and cooling. Randy was born in Ardmore OK. and
raised in Tulsa. He and his wife, Donna, currently reside in Owasso,
OK. " (Extracted from Randy Brogdon's campaign website.)
Updated
01/01/2011