Brownlow was born on 17 July 1741 in Chelsea, Middlesex, Great Britain, the only son of Francis North, 1st Earl of Guilford and his second wife Elizabeth (then styled as the dowager Viscountess Lewisham as the widow of her first husband George Legge, Viscount Lewisham), only child and sole heir of Arthur Kaye, 3rd Baronet.
He was educated at Eton College (1752–1759) and Trinity College, Oxford (where he matriculated on 10 January 1760 as a fellow-commoner), graduating as a Bachelor of Arts in 1762.
He became a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford in 1763, gaining his Master of Arts (Oxfordshire) on 4 July 1766 and Doctor of Civil Law in 1770. North was ordained a deacon at Christ Church by John Hume, Bishop of Oxford, on 27 October 1765 and priest at Grosvenor Chapel, Westminster by Frederick Cornwallis, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry on 12 April 1767. Supremely well-connected — his father was an influential courtier and his half-brother Frederick was to become Prime Minister of Great Britain — North enjoyed substantial, rapid and early career advances.
He remained a Canon of Oxford until he was installed as Dean of Canterbury on 6 October 1770.
While there he obtained the lucrative livings of Lydd and Bexley, both of which he retained while at Lichfield. North left Canterbury for Lichfield in 1771, when his half-brother the Prime Minister"s recommendation saw him elected Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry.
His election to that See having been confirmed on 26 August 1771, he was consecrated a bishop by Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury (with Richard Terrick, Bishop of London. Zachary Pearce, Bishop of Rochester.
And William Markham Bishop of Chester) on 8 September 1771 at Lambeth Palace chapel North was Bishop of Lichfield for three years before his election as Bishop of Worcester was confirmed on 27 December 1774.
He then remained in Worcester for six and a half years until his election to the See of Winchester was confirmed on 5 June 1781. Throughout the period of his appointments to these two Sees his half-brother remained Prime Minister. North was enthroned (by proxy) at Winchester Cathedral on 25 June 1781 and continued as Bishop of Winchester until his death, following a long illness, at Winchester House, Chelsea on 12 July 1820.
He was then buried at his cathedral on 21 August 1820.
1741–1765: The Honourable Brownlow North 1765–1768: The Reverend and Honourable Brownlow North 1768–1770: The Reverend and Honourable Canon Brownlow North 1770-1771: The Very Reverend and Honourable Brownlow North 1771–1820: The Right Reverend and Honourable Brownlow North.
