Family and Education

bap. 13 Nov. 1638, 1st s. of John Westbrook† of Witley, Surr. and Ferring by Barbara, da. of William Watersfield of Ferring, coh. to her bro. John.  educ. I. Temple 1656, called 1663.  m. 2 June 1663, Elizabeth (d. 1694), da. and coh. of Thomas Houghton of Mayfield, Suss., 5da.  suc. fa. 1666.1

Offices Held

Recorder, Portsmouth 1689–d.2

Biography

A practising lawyer, Westbrook may have been a Whig collaborator in 1688, when his name was ordered to be added to the Sussex commission of the peace. Possibly because of this record he did not try to re-enter Parliament until 1698, when he successfully contested Bramber. He was classed as a Court Whig in around September 1698, but in accordance with his having previously been forecast as likely to oppose a standing army, he was not listed as voting against the disbanding bill on 18 Jan. 1699. An analysis of the House drawn up in 1700, classifying Members according to interests, listed Westbrook as ‘doubtful’ or possibly as ‘opposition’. Otherwise he made little mark in the Commons and did not stand again. He died in February 1703 and was buried at Ferring, his daughters (one of whom married Thomas Chowne*) inheriting the estate.3

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Author: Paula Watson

Notes

• 1. Manning and Bray, Surr. ii. 45; Add. 5699, ff. 103, 106; Vis. Suss. (Harl. Soc. lxxxix), 111, 112.
• 2. R. East, Recs. of Portsmouth, 421.
• 3. PCC 203 Degg.