Browne, Milecent

Introduction:

Welsh-born Mrs. MILECENT BROWNE née MATHEWS* (1748-1810) was a wealthy amateur freehand cutter of considerable skill. A bound volume of her output housed about 300 bust-sized, full-length and conversation pieces. Many of the sitters were named; most were political, literary or titled individuals, likely in her circle of acquaintance.

Illustrated in McKechnie and often reproduced is a ca.1790 full-length cut-work profile of successful actress Dorothy Jordan (1761-1816), mistress of the Duke of Clarence, later William IV (1765-1837). Costumed for a male or 'breeches' role, the cutting depicting her attire is of high order. Also illustrated in McKechnie, formed from single sheets of paper are 2 well-composed conversation pieces. Her full-length study of historian, author and essayist Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) was used on the frontispiece to his 'Miscellaneous Works' (1796), while her own cut-work self portrait is reproduced in 'Profile Through the Ages...' by R.L. Mégroz (1948).

In 'SILHOUETTE' (1938) Mrs. Neville Jackson noted an American collector then owned the volume inscribed 'Silhouettes by Mrs. Brown [sic] of 15 Portman Square, London'. McKechnie speculated its 300 cuttings were likely Mrs. Browne's entire output, most of which were produced using blackened white paper.

Regarding her personal circumstances, she was the last of 5 offspring, one son and 4 daughters, born between 1735 and 1748 to Ann née Knight (N/K) and Major Thomas William Mathews (1711-N/K), only son of Admiral Thomas Mathews (1676-1751) of Llandaff Court, Glamorganshire. Milecent herself was baptised at Llandaff 10th October 1748.

On 23rd March 1772, aged 24, she wed a Mark Browne Esq. (dec. before 1808) at St. Marylebone, London. The union would be childless. Browne's history is opaque, but given the bewildering frequency with which the surname appears as 'gentry' throughout Ireland, he was likely an Anglo-Irish landowner. Residing in Galway, his nephew is mentioned in Milecent's Will. It also transpires the Charles Bingham who witnessed the marriage was Sir Charles Bingham (1735-1799), Bart., Irish peer, landowner, politician and ennobled in 1795 as 1st Earl Lucan. His then widow Margaret Dowager Countess Lucan (1740-1814) and their daughter Lady Anne Lucan (1767-1840) were both beneficiaries in Milecent's Will of 1808, so it's little surprise her profile sitters were, by and large, from an elevated level of society.

In her Will, she stipulated that her burial be beside 2 of her sisters at St.Mary's Wimbledon, Surrey. Her unmarried sisters Jane (1735-1796) and Ann (1740-1808) both formerly of Marylebone, were already interred at St.Mary's. Its records show Milecent died 28th February 1810, the burial register stating 'Mrs. Melicent Browne, Widow, in her 62nd year, From Portman Street, St. Marylebone Midd[lesex]' was interred alongside her sisters 6th March 1810.

*As the spelling of her given name is inconsistent, research opted for 'Milecent' as signed by her own hand on her marriage day.

Revised 26 February 2025 (Brian Wellings)