Sir John Brownlow, 3rd Baronet

Sir John Brownlow, 3rd Baronet (26 June 1659 – 16 July 1697), was an English politician associated with Belton House near Grantham in Lincolnshire. He was born as the eldest surviving son and heir of Sir Richard Brownlow, 2nd Baronet of Humby, Lincolnshire, and Elizabeth Freke, daughter of John Freke of Stretton, Dorset. His education included attendance at Westminster School.

In 1668, upon the death of his father, he inherited the baronetcy, becoming the 3rd Baronet of Humby. Later, in 1679, he inherited the estate of Belton along with other properties from his great-uncle, Sir John Brownlow, 1st Baronet, who had no children.

He commissioned the construction of Belton House between 1685 and 1687, and during this period, he developed new gardens and lakes on the estate. His official appointments included serving as Treasurer of the Marshalsea in 1686 and as Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1688.

In 1689, Sir John Brownlow was elected as a Member of Parliament for Grantham. He held this parliamentary seat until his death in 1697.

In his personal life, he married Alice Sherard in 1676, who was the daughter of Richard Sherard of Lopethorp in Lincolnshire. They had four or five daughters and no sons. Their children included:

- Jane Brownlow (died 1736), who married Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, in 1711.

- Elizabeth Brownlow (1681–1723), who married John Cecil, 6th Earl of Exeter, in 1699.

- Alicia Brownlow (1684–1727), who married Francis North, 2nd Baron Guilford, in 1703.

- Margaret Brownlow (1687–1710).

- Eleanor Brownlow (1691–1730), who married her first cousin, John Brownlow, 1st Viscount Tyrconnel, in 1712. He was the son of Sir William Brownlow, 4th Baronet, and the last male of the Brownlow family line.

The marriage between Eleanor Brownlow and her cousin was childless. Consequently, Sir John Brownlow's titles became extinct upon his death. His estates, including Belton House, passed to the Viscount Tyrconnel's nephew, Sir John Cust, 3rd Baronet.

Sir John Brownlow died by suicide at the age of 38 in July 1697, after suffering from severe gout. He was succeeded in his title and most of his estates by his younger brother, Sir William Brownlow, 4th Baronet. Belton House was granted to Sir William on the condition that Alice Sherard, Sir John's widow, could retain possession for her lifetime. After her death in 1721, the estate was inherited by William's son, John Brownlow, 1st Viscount Tyrconnel.