65 
BROWSHOLME. 
(Wirs Lantern Views.) 
By ALFRED STRANGE, J.P. 16th December, 1902. 
The subject matter of this Paper was given by Mr. Strange, at 
the request of the Committee, to commemorate, in some way, the 
visit paid by the Club to this ancient mansion in July, 1902. 
‘‘ The published genealogy of the Parker family dates back to 
the Fifteenth Century, when one ‘ Robert Parker,’ described as 
of ‘ Browsholme, in the Forest of Bowland,’ appears as the 
founder of the Browsholme and Alkincoates families.”’ 
‘This Robert Parker was appointed Parker of Radholme Park 
(one mile from Browsholme), by Royal letters patent, on Oct. 
24th, 1434 ; and the Duchy of Lancaster records show that, long 
before that date, the family resided at Radholme, and farmed the 
vaccaries of Over and Nether Browsholme.” 
“ Klizabeth—a daughter of Robert Parker, but not his heiress 
as the pedigree states—married John Redmayne, lessee of the 
neighbouring vaccary of Neway—now called Hareclough—a 
younger son of Redmayne of Thornton-in-Eweross, and their 
only daughter and heiress, Elizabeth Redmayne, married her 
cousin, Edmund Parker, about the year 1507. They had no less 
than sixteen children, and from one of the younger sons, Robert 
Parker (who married Elizabeth Chatterton, sister of the Bishop 
of Chester and Lincoln, at Whalley, on January 8th, 1554), the 
present family descends.” 
«« Although the family name, ‘ Parker,’ and place of residence, 
a ‘ Forest,’ suggests that the founder held a position in connec- 
tion with park-keeping and the protection of game, yet the office 
would be subordinate to that of Bow-bearer, who was Deputy to 
the Master Forester, an office generally held by some eminent 
person, but who, being non-resident, left all the work to the Local 
Deputy. Robert Parker held the office in Queen Elizabeth’s reign, 
and was acting in 1591, exactly one hundred years before Edward 
Parker held the position.” 
“Tt is probable that upon the elevation of the head of the 
Clan to this post, the picturesque armorials of gold and green, now 
