Bradford-Abbas (St. Mary)
BRADFORD-ABBAS (St. Mary), a parish, in the
union and hundred of Sherborne, Sherborne division
of Dorset, 4 miles (W. S. W.) from Sherborne; containing 652 inhabitants. It comprises 1139a. 1r. 30p.,
of which 774 acres are arable, 336 pasture, and 29 woodland: the soil is partly of a sandy and partly of a stony
nature; the surface is generally hilly, and where flat
subject to inundation. The river Ivel passes through.
The living is a vicarage, with which the rectory of
Clifton-Mabank was united in 1824, valued in the king's
books at £7. 17. 11., and in the gift of the Warden and
Fellows of Winchester College, who exchanged the living
of Milbourne-Port for this in 1824. The Marquess of
Anglesey has commuted his share of the great tithes for
£193. 17. 11.; the Warden and Fellows receive £45,
and the vicarial tithes of the parish have been commuted
for £156: the glebe belonging to the impropriator comprises nearly nine acres, and that of the vicar nearly 9½.
The church is an elegant structure in the later English
style, with a lofty square embattled tower of graceful
elevation. The Rev. William Preston, in 1738, gave an
estate now worth £24 per annum; and in 1781, Mark
West and William Read gave property producing £12. 5.
per annum; for which sums children are educated on
the national system.
Bradford, Great (Holy Trinity)
BRADFORD, GREAT (Holy Trinity), a markettown and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Bradford, N. and Westbury divisions, and
Trowbridge and Bradford subdivisions, of Wilts, 8 miles
(S. E.) from Bath, 31½ (N. W.) from Salisbury, and 102
(W. by S.) from London; comprising 11,272 acres, and
including the ancient chapelries of Atworth, Holt,
Limpley-Stoke, Winsley, and South Wraxall, and the
tythings of Leigh with Woolley, and Trowle; the whole
containing 10,563 inhabitants, of whom 3836 are in the
town. This place, from a ford over the river Avon, was
called by the Saxons Bradenford, of which its present
name is a contraction. During the heptarchy, a battle
took place here between Cenwalh, King of the West
Saxons, and a formidable party of his own subjects, who
had rebelled against him, under the command of his
kinsman Cuthred; when the latter were defeated with
great slaughter. In 706, Aldhelm, bishop of Sherborne,
founded an abbey at the place, which he dedicated to
St. Lawrence, and which, after its destruction by the
Danes, was rebuilt and converted into a nunnery by
Ethelred, who annexed it to a larger establishment of
the same kind at Shaftesbury, in 1001.
The town is beautifully situated on the acclivity of a
steep hill forming part of a line of eminences on the
northern side of the river Avon, over which here are an
ancient bridge of four, and a modern bridge of nine,
arches, both affording agreeable prospects. The view
of the town, which consists of three regular streets
ranged above each other at different elevations on the
side of the hill, is strikingly picturesque: the houses,
built of stone, are in general handsome, and many of
them elegant; and the inhabitants are amply supplied
with water from springs. Various designs have been
carried into effect for the improvement of the town: in
1839 an act was passed for paving, lighting, watching,
and otherwise improving it; some of the streets have
been widened, and considerable alterations made for the
furtherance of business. A book society and a newsroom have been established. The principal branch of
manufacture is that of woollen-cloth (said by Leland to
have flourished in the reign of Henry VIII.), particularly of the cloth composed of the finer kind of Spanish
and Saxony wool, for the dyeing of which the water of
the river is highly favourable. There are numerous factories, affording employment to many men, women, and
children, in the town and neighbourhood. Ladies' cloth,
kerseymere, and fancy pieces, are also manufactured to
a considerable extent. The Kennet and Avon canal,
which provides an increased facility of conveyance to
various parts of the kingdom, passes close to the town,
and a commodious wharf has been formed on its bank.
The act also for constructing the Wilts, Somerset, and
Weymouth railway, passed in 1845, sanctions the formation of a branch to Bradford, 1¾ mile in length. The
market is on Saturday: the fairs are on Trinity-Monday, and the day after St. Bartholomew's day; the latter
held at Bradford-Leigh, a hamlet in the parish.
Bradford sent members to parliament in the 23rd of
Edward I., but since that time it has made no return.
Petty-sessions are held here alternately with Trowbridge: the powers of the county debt-court of Bradford, established in 1847, extend over nearly the whole
of the registration-district of Bradford. A small oratory, on the south-western side of the bridge, formerly
belonging to the monastery of St. Lawrence, has been
converted into a place of confinement for offenders previously to their committal to the county gaol. The
Living is a discharged vicarage, with the living of Westwood annexed, valued in the king's books at £10. 1. 3.;
patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Chapter of
Bristol. The great tithes of Bradford have been commuted for £1485, and the small for £1000; the appropriate glebe consists of 260 acres, and the vicarial of 3.
The church, a spacious handsome structure, suffered
greatly from fire in 1742, and has undergone extensive
repair; the windows contain some modern stained
glass, the altar is embellished with a good painting of
the Last Supper, and there are several stately monuments of marble. A district church dedicated to
Christ has been erected, the incumbent of which,
appointed by the Vicar, has a net income of £150;
and there are five chapels attached to the three perpetual curacies of Holt, Atworth with South Wraxall,
and Winsley with Limpley-Stoke. There are also places
of worship for Baptists, Independents, the Society of
Friends, the Connexion of the Countess of Huntingdon,
Wesleyans, and Unitarians. A free school is endowed
with land producing £40 per annum. Two almshouses
here, one founded by Mr. John Hall for aged men, the
other for aged women, are supposed to have been an
appendage to the monastery, of which, and of other religious establishments formerly existing, there are still
some slight remains. The poor law union of Bradford
comprises eight parishes or places, seven of them in
Wilts, and one in Somerset; and contains a population
of 13,379. Many curious fossils have been found in the
quarries adjoining the town.
Bradford-Peverell (St. Mary)
BRADFORD-PEVERELL (St. Mary), a parish, in
the union of Dorchester, hundred of George, Dorchester division of Dorset, 3¼ miles (N. W. by W.) from
Dorchester; containing, with the hamlet of Muckleford,
355 inhabitants. This parish, which comprises by measurement 2180 acres, is situated on the river Frome,
and bounded on the north by the main road from Dorchester to Yeovil, and on the south by the road to
Bridport. There is an old Roman way in a straight
line from the village to Dorchester; and in the vicinity
are several tumuli, some of which, on being opened,
were found to contain urns, burnt bones, coins, and
various other relics of the Romans. The living is a
rectory, valued in the king's books at £11. 2. 11.; net
income, £229; patrons, the Warden and Fellows of
Winchester College: corn-rents were assigned in lieu of
tithes in 1798, and there are about 50 acres of glebe,
with an excellent house. The church is a plain edifice:
a good arch divides off the chancel; and on stained glass
in one of the windows is the coat of arms of William of
Wykeham.
Bradford, West
BRADFORD, WEST, a township, in the parish of
Mitton, union of Clitheroe, W. division of the
wapentake of Staincliffe and Ewcross, W. riding of
York, 2 miles (N.) from Clitheroe; containing 366
inhabitants. The township comprises by computation
1700 acres, chiefly in pasture; it is intersected by the
road from Grindleton to Waddington, and the river
Ribble passes on the south-east, at a very short distance from the village.
Bradgate.—See Broadgate.
BRADGATE.—See Broadgate.
Brading (St. Mary)
BRADING (St. Mary),
a market-town and parish,
in the liberty of East Medina, Isle of Wight division
of the county of Southampton, 4 miles (S.) from
Ryde, and 95 (S. W.) from
London; containing 2701 inhabitants. The parish comprises 9555 acres, of which
8156 are arable, pasture,
and ground occupied by
cottages and gardens; the
remainder being the cliff, the harbour of Brading, and
roads and waste. The town, which was formerly of
considerable importance, as appears from its being styled
"the King's Town of Brading" in the legend of its common seal, is situated to the south of the harbour, and
may be approached by vessels of small burthen. Repeated attempts have been made to exclude the sea by
an embankment; the last was by Sir Hugh Myddelton,
the projector of the New River, who had effected this,
when, during a wet season, the whole of the works,
which had been raised at an expense of £7000, were
destroyed by a spring tide. In the parish is Sandown
fort, a quadrangular fortification, flanked by four bastions, and encompassed by a ditch; it was constructed
in the reign of Henry VIII., on a level with the beach,
and, having been greatly neglected after the rise of the
English navy, was repaired during the late war, and
made the most considerable fortress in the island.
Corporation Seal.
The town consists principally of one long street, the
houses in which are irregularly built; the inhabitants
are plentifully supplied with water from public wells.
The market, which is amply supplied with corn, is on
Monday; and fairs are held on the 12th of May and 2nd
of October. The government, by charter of incorporation granted prior to the reign of Edward VI., is vested
in a senior and junior bailiff, two justices (who are
the bailiffs of the preceding year), two constables, a
steward, and other officers; the bailiffs are appointed at
the court leet of the town. The town-hall is now partly
used as a schoolroom; the lower portion contains a
prison, and is also used for the market. The living is a
discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£20, and in the gift of Trinity College, Cambridge: the
tithes have been commuted for £1645, of which £1285
are payable to the college, £330 to the incumbent, and
£30 to an impropriator; the glebe attached to the living
consists of 3½ acres, and that belonging to the college of
16½ acres. The church is said to have been built in 704
by Wilfred, Bishop of Chichester, who here baptized
his first converts to Christianity; it is a spacious structure with a tower, and some probable remains of Saxon
architecture are preserved in the nave, though the
building has undergone many alterations in other parts.
A church was built at Bembridge in 1827; and in
1846 an additional church was erected, which occupies a lofty and conspicuous position, at Sandown.
There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.—See Bembridge.
Bradle
BRADLE, a tything, in the parish of ChurchKnowle, union of Wareham and Purbeck, hundred
of Hasilor, Wareham division of the county of Dorset; containing 97 inhabitants.
Bradley
BRADLEY, a tything, in the parish of Cumner,
union of Abingdon, hundred of Hormer, county of
Berks, 5 miles (N. N. W.) from Abingdon; containing
7 inhabitants.
Bradley
BRADLEY, a township, in the parish of Malpas,
union of Wrexham, Higher division of the hundred of
Broxton, S. division of the county of Chester, 2 miles
(S. E. by E.) from Malpas; containing 99 inhabitants.
In this township are 820 acres, of a clayey soil. The
tithes have been commuted for £72.
Bradley (All Saints)
BRADLEY (All Saints), a parish, in the hundred
of Appletree, union of Burton-upon-Trent, S. division of the county of Derby, 3 miles (E. by S.) from
Ashbourn; containing 271 inhabitants. At the time of
the Domesday survey, the manor belonged to Henry de
Ferrers; and at a very early period it became the property and seat of the ancient family of Kniveton: Sir
Andrew Kniveton, in 1655, sold the estate to the
Meynells. Bradley comprises 2374a. 3r. 23p., the soil
of which is, in nearly equal portions, strong and light.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£5. 19. 9½., and in the patronage of the Bishop of
Lichfield: the tithes have been commuted for £262,
and the glebe comprises 55 acres. The church is a
small ancient structure. There is a chalybeate spring,
but not much used.
Bradley, with Sinwell.—See Sinwell.
BRADLEY, with Sinwell.—See Sinwell.
Bradley (St. George)
BRADLEY (St. George), a parish, in the union of
Caistor, wapentake of Bradley Haverstoe, parts of
Lindsey, county of Lincoln, 3 miles (S. W.) from
Grimsby; containing 106 inhabitants. The living is a
discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at
£5. 10. 10., and in the patronage of Sir John Nelthorpe,
Bart.: the tithes have been commuted for £245, and
there are nearly 7 acres of glebe.
Bradley (All Saints)
BRADLEY (All Saints), a parish, in the union of
Basingstoke, hundred of Overton, Basingstoke and
N. divisions of the county of Southampton, 8¼ miles
(S.) from Basingstoke; containing 125 inhabitants. It
comprises about 1100 acres, of which 850 are arable,
23 meadow, and 220 woodland. The living is a rectory,
valued in the king's books at £8. 13. 4., and in the
patronage of C. E. Rumbold, Esq.: the tithes have
been commuted for £185, and there are 21 acres of
glebe. The church is a small plain edifice, with 80
sittings.
Bradley
BRADLEY, a chapelry, in the parish of Fladbury,
union of Droitwich, Middle division of the hundred of
Oswaldslow, Droitwich and E. divisions of the county
of Worcester, 6¾ miles (E. S. E.) from Droitwich;
containing, with the hamlet of Stock, 251 inhabitants,
of whom 160 are in Bradley. It comprises 1096 acres
of land, of rather level surface, and lies on the road
from Droitwich to Stratford. The chapel has lately
been put into excellent repair, at the joint expense of the
congregation and the rector.
Bradley, Both
BRADLEY, BOTH, a township, in the parish of
Kildwick, union of Skipton, E. division of the wapentake of Staincliffe and Ewcross, W. riding of
York, 2½ miles (S. S. E.) from Skipton; containing 557
inhabitants. This township, which consists of the two
hamlets of Upper and Lower Bradley, comprises 1576
acres, whereof 209 are common or waste, the whole the
property of the Earl of Burlington; the soil is fertile,
and stone is quarried. The tithes have been commuted
for £43. 15. payable to the Dean and Chapter of ChristChurch, Oxford, and £23 to the vicar of the parish.
There are places of worship for Primitive Methodists
and Wesleyans, and a burial-place belonging to the
Society of Friends.
Bradley, Great (St. Mary)
BRADLEY, GREAT (St. Mary), a parish, in the
union and hundred of Risbridge, W. division of Suffolk, 6½ miles (N. by E.) from Haverhill; containing
544 inhabitants, and comprising by computation 2306
acres. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £17. 1. 5½., and in the patronage of the Trustees of the Rev. W. S. Parr Wilder, the present incumbent: the tithes produce £650 per annum, and the glebe
comprises about 50 acres. The church is an ancient
structure.
Bradley-in-the-Moors (All Saints)
BRADLEY-in-the-Moors (All Saints), a parish,
in the union of Cheadle, S. division of the hundred
of Totmonslow, N. division of the county of Stafford,
4 miles (E. S. E.) from Cheadle; containing 72 inhabitants. It lies near the road from Cheadle to Rocester,
and comprises about 650 acres of land: the Earl of
Shrewsbury is lord of the manor and principal owner of
the soil. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income,
£58; patron and impropriator, the Earl of Shrewsbury,
whose rectory is valued in the king's books at £17. 11. 8.
The church is a small edifice.
Bradley-Juxta-Stafford (All Saints)
BRADLEY-juxta-Stafford (All Saints), a parish, in the W. division of the hundred of Cuttlestone,
union, and S. division of the county, of Stafford, 3¾
miles (N. W.) from Penkridge; containing, with the
liberties of Billington and Woollaston, 649 inhabitants.
The parish comprises by measurement nearly 6000 acres
of fertile land, the greater part arable, the rest pasture
and meadow; and is situated near the Liverpool and
Birmingham railway, and the Grand Trunk canal.
The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £75;
patron, the Duke of Sutherland; impropriators, the
Earl of Lichfield, Lord Willoughby de Broke, and
other landowners. The church is a neat and substantial
structure, lately new-pewed and thoroughly repaired.
There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. The free
grammar school is of early and obscure foundation; the
endowment arises from land producing about £130 per
annum. At Billington are traces of an old encampment,
said to have been a British station and afterwards possessed by the Saxons.
Bradley, Little (All Saints)
BRADLEY, LITTLE (All Saints), a parish, in the
union and hundred of Risbridge, W. division of Suffolk, 6 miles (N. by E.) from Haverhill; containing
33 inhabitants, and comprising by measurement 976
acres. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in
the king's books at £5. 0. 10., and in the patronage of
W. and C. Lamprell, Esqrs.: the tithes have been commuted for £250. The church, though small, is of very
considerable antiquity, with a round tower; in it lies
buried John Day, the celebrated printer, and it contains
also some ancient and curious monuments.
Bradley, Maiden (All Saints)
BRADLEY, MAIDEN (All Saints), a parish, in
the union of Mere, partly in the hundred of NortonFerris, E. division of the county of Somerset, but
chiefly in the hundred of Mere, Warminster and S.
divisions of Wilts, 5¾ miles (N. by W.) from Mere;
containing, with the tything of Yarnfield, 700 inhabitants. The parish is the property of the Duke of Somerset, who has a seat here; and comprises 4208 acres, of
which 1400 are arable, 1860 pasture, 506 down, and
362 wood: the soil is various, and for the most part
good rich land. The district abounds with romantic
and interesting scenery; there are two singular knolls
of chalk, separated from each other by the turnpike-road
leading to Wincanton. Fairs, formerly of importance,
are held on April 25th and September 21st. About
three-quarters of a mile to the north-east of the village,
and now forming part of the buildings of a farm called
Priory Farm, are the remains of an hospital founded by
Manasser Biset, about the close of the reign of Stephen
or the beginning of that of Henry II., and dedicated to
the Blessed Virgin. It was for leprous women, under
the care of some secular brethren, who were afterwards
changed by Herbert, Bishop of Sarum, into a prior and
canons of the Augustine order; and at the Dissolution,
the revenue was £197. 18. 8. The living is a perpetual
curacy; net income, £111; patrons and appropriators,
the Dean and Canons of Christ-Church, Oxford. The
church contains a monument, finely executed, to the
memory of Sir Edward Seymour, Bart., of political
celebrity in the reigns of Charles II., William and Mary,
and Anne.
Bradley, North (St. Nicholas)
BRADLEY, NORTH (St. Nicholas), a parish, in
the union of Westbury and Whorwelsdown, hundred of Whorwelsdown, Whorwelsdown and N. divisions of Wilts, 2 miles (S.) from Trowbridge; containing, with the chapelry of Southwick, 2427 inhabitants, of
whom 1043 are in North Bradley tything. The parish
is bounded on the west by the river Frome, and comprises by measurement 3978 acres, of which 2764 are
pasture, 927 arable, and 287 woodland; the soil is for
the most part a strong clay, and the surface hilly, except to the north, where a small portion is level. Bradley stream enters from the south, and, pursuing a
northern course, empties itself into the Trow. The
living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's
books at £11; net income, £398; patrons and impropriators, the Warden and Fellows of Winchester College. In the tything of Southwick, at the extremity of
the parish, is an additional church, called Christ Church,
erected under the auspices of the late Dr. Daubeny,
Archdeacon of Sarum, and incumbent of the parish. At
a short distance from the parish church is a neat edifice
of Bath freestone, erected and endowed in 1808, by the
archdeacon, as an asylum for aged persons of respectable character, reduced to poverty; and attached to the
asylum is a school. The endowment consists of property invested in the funds, producing about £120 per
annum. A building called the Vicar's poor-house was
erected by the same munificent benefactor, for the
reception of twelve poor persons. There is one place
of worship for Wesleyans, and two for Particular Baptists.
Bradley, West
BRADLEY, WEST, a parish, in the union of Wells,
hundred of Glaston-Twelve-Hides, E. division of
Somerset, 4¾ miles (E. S. E.) from Glastonbury; containing 116 inhabitants. The living is annexed to the
vicarage of East Pennard: the appropriate tithes, payable to the Bishop of Bath and Wells, have been commuted for £30, and those belonging to the incumbent
for £50; there is a glebe of 12½ acres.
Bradmore
BRADMORE, a parish, in the union of Basford,
N. division of the wapentake of Rushcliffe, S. division
of the county of Nottingham, 6¼ miles (S.) from Nottingham; containing, with the hamlet of Parbrook, 416
inhabitants. The parish is on the Nottingham and
London road, through Loughborough; and comprises
by computation 1560 acres. It is of oblong form, extending from east to west; and is bounded on the north
by the parish of Ruddington, on the north-east by the
parish of Plumtree, on the south-east by that of Keyworth,
on the south by Bunny parish, and on the west by Gotham. The village stands on an eminence, close to the
high road, and about a mile distant from the village of
Bunny. The living is a vicarage, annexed to that of
Bunny: the church, with the exception of the steeple,
was destroyed by fire, and has not been rebuilt. A place
of worship for a congregation of Wesleyans was erected
in 1830.
Bradninch (St. Disen)
BRADNINCH (St. Disen), a town and parish,
having separate jurisdiction,
in the union of Tiverton,
locally in the hundred of
Hayridge, N. division of
Devon, 8 miles (N. E.) from
Exeter, and 170 (W.) from
London; containing 1714
inhabitants. This place, anciently called Braineis, was
of some importance in the
time of the Saxons: in the
reign of John it received many privileges, which were
increased by Henry III.; and in the reign of Edward
III. it was annexed to the duchy of Cornwall. In this
and in the preceding reign it sent representatives to
parliament, from which, on account of its poverty, it
was excused in the time of Henry VII., on the payment
of a fine of five marks. During the civil war the town
suffered considerably, from its proximity to Exeter, and
was alternately in the possession of the royalists and the
parliamentarians; in the year 1665 it was almost destroyed by fire. The parish comprises 4351a. 27p., of
which 4184 acres are arable, meadow, pasture, and
orchard. The town is pleasantly situated on an
eminence, environed by hills on all sides except the
south and south-west, and consists principally of neatly
thatched and white-washed cottages. The woollentrade was formerly carried on, but little now remains;
the chief branch of manufacture at present is that of
paper, for which there are three mills, affording employment to sixty or seventy of the inhabitants. Ironore has been found in the neighbourhood, but works
have not been established. The Bristol and Exeter
railway passes by the town. The market has been discontinued; fairs are held on May 6th and Oct. 2nd.
Corporation Seal.
The first charter of incorporation was granted by
Reginald, Earl of Cornwall, and others were bestowed
by King John and James I.; the latter of these, as enlarged in 1667, is the governing charter, under which the
corporate body consists of a mayor, twelve masters, and
an indefinite number of free burgesses, with a recorder,
town-clerk, two serjeants-at-mace, and constables. The
mayor, late mayor, and recorder, are justices of the
peace for the borough. The corporation holds a court
of session quarterly: a mayor's court for the recovery
of debts under 40s. is held monthly; and petty-sessions
are also held monthly, and frequently every Monday.
The guildhall is a small building. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £102; patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Canons of Windsor, whose tithes
have been commuted for £584, and who have 120 acres
of glebe. The church is an ancient structure, with a
tower and other portions of later date; the chancel is
separated from the nave by a richly carved oak-screen:
the whole was repaired in 1842, and with such skill and
success that the original character of the venerable
structure has been preserved in all its pristine beauty.
There is a place of worship for Particular Baptists.
Bradninch gives the title of Baron to the dukes of
Cornwall, who are styled barons of Braines.
Bradninch
BRADNINCH, a precinct, in the county of the city
of Exeter, S. division of Devon; containing 55 inhabitants.