Robert Brooke was born in Whitemarsh, Southampton on June 23, 1602, son of Honorary Thomas Brooke (1561–1612) of Whitchurch and Susan Foster, daughter of Sir Thomas Foster (1548–1612) of "Etherstone". Brooke married first, on February 25, 1627, Mary Baker (1602-1634), daughter of Thomas Baker of Battle in Sussex, England.
Baker, married Anne Calvert, daughter of Government.
Leonard Calvert, first Governor of Maryland.
He matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford University on April 28, 1618. He received the degree of Bachelor of Arts July 6, 1620. Consequently, in 1624, without further study or examination, he also received a Master of Arts degree.
He was admitted to Orders, but it is doubtful whether he was ever the incumbent of a parish.
The Brooke family arms were recorded in the Visitation of Hampshire, 1634. Robert and Mary (Baker) Brooke had four children:
Mary
Barbara
Robert and Mary (Mainwaring) Brooke had thirteen children:
Charles, never married.
Roger, married:
Dorothy Neale, daughter of Captain James Neale and Anna Maria Gill
Mary Wolseley, daughter of Walter Wolseley and Mary Beauchamp.
Robert, married Elizabeth Thompson, daughter of William Thompson and Mary Bretton.
John, married Rebecca Isaacs. Mary. William. Ann, married Christopher Beanes. Francis, never married.
Basil, died in infancy.
Henry, never married. Elizabeth, married Captain
Richard Smith, Junior.
On September 20, 1649, Brooke was issued with a commission as Commander of "one whole county" (in the province of Maryland) "to be newly set forth, erected, &c". He was to receive a grant of 2,000 acres (81 km2) for every ten persons he transported.
Robert Brooke was constituted as Commander of newly formed Charles County in Maryland on October 30, 1650.
In 1652, under the Cromwellian Government, Brooke was made Governor, and served in this capacity from March 29 to July 3, 1652. Later he allied himself with the conservative Catholic Party. Like most of the wealthy emigrants who came to Maryland under the patronage of the Proprietor, Brooke amassed many thousands of acres of land.
He constructed three large estates, each named for himself:
“De Louisiana Brooke Manor” (2,000 acres (81 km2), granted July 28, 1650) in Saint Mary"s County, Maryland.
Now the home of a hunting club “Brooke Place Manor” (2,100 acres (85 km2)) on Battle Creek, Calvert County, across the Patuxent, where he built a home almost a replica of “De Louisiana Brooke”.
“Brooke Court” (2,000 acres (81 km2)) in what is now Prince George’s County. By the time of his death on July 20, 1655, Brooke is said to have accumulated 8,000 acres (32 km2) of land.
