Brampton-Bierlow
BRAMPTON-BIERLOW, a township, in the parish
of Wath-Upon-Dearne, union of Rotherham, N.
division of the wapentake of Strafforth and Tickhill, W. riding of York, 6 miles (S. E.) from Barnsley; containing 1704 inhabitants. This township, which
is situated on the Dearne and Dove canal, in a district
abounding with coal, comprises 3168a. 2r. 14p., of
which 1633 acres are arable, 1203 grass land, 245 wood,
76 acres homesteads, orchards, &c., and 9 canal. Extensive iron-works have been established, and several
mines of coal are in full operation; affording employment to the principal part of the population of the
township.
Brampton-Bryan (St. Barnabas)
BRAMPTON-BRYAN (St. Barnabas), a parish, in
the union of Knighton, partly in the hundred of
Knighton, county of Radnor, South Wales, but
chiefly in the hundred of Wigmore, county of Hereford, 10 miles (W. by S.) from Ludlow; containing,
in the English portion, with the township of Boresford
with Pedwardine, 250 inhabitants. The parish comprises about 3000 acres, of which 1200 are arable, 1470
pasture, and 330 woodland; and is bounded on the
north by the river Teme, and intersected by the road
from Ludlow to Knighton. The village was nearly destroyed in the parliamentary war; the castle, also, was
burnt by the royalists in 1643, and is now a ruin, consisting chiefly of an arched gateway flanked by two
circular towers, and fragments of the outer walls. Sir
Robert de Harley obtained this castle and estate in the
reign of Edward II., by marriage with the coheiress of
Sir Bryan de Brampton; and it has since continued in
that noble family. A great fair for horned-cattle, horses,
and sheep, is held on June 22nd. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £5. 11. 0½., and in the
gift of the Earl of Oxford: the tithes have been commuted for £345, and there are 16 acres of glebe. The
church, which was destroyed in 1643, was rebuilt in
1650, and is a plain edifice, containing 350 sittings, of
which 150 are free: the Earl of Oxford, lord treasurer,
was buried here. About a mile from the church is Coxwall Knoll, on the summit of which are vestiges of a
camp anciently occupied by the brave Caractacus, and
now overgrown with oak-trees: a brass celt, either
British or Roman, was found at Litton in 1843. A
school is endowed with property given by the second
Earl of Oxford in 1720, amounting to £18 per annum.
Brampton, Chapel
BRAMPTON, CHAPEL, a parish, in the union of
Brixworth, hundred of Newbottle-Grove, S. division of the county of Northampton, 4 miles (N. N. W.)
from Northampton; containing 229 inhabitants. It is
situated on the river Nene, and the Northampton and
Welford road; and comprises 1250 acres of rich land, in
equal portions of arable and pasture, with about 16
acres of wood: the soil is a red-sand loam, and red
sandstone is obtained. Earl Spencer is the sole owner.
The female population is employed in making pillowlace. In ecclesiastical matters, Chapel-Brampton is annexed to Church-Brampton; and its church has been
long demolished. There is a small dissenting place of
worship for all denominations; a boys' school is supported by John Beasley, Esq., and a girls' school by his
lady. One of the fine springs here is particularly good
for weak eyes.
Brampton, Church (St. Botolph)
BRAMPTON, CHURCH (St. Botolph), a parish,
in the union of Brixworth, hundred of NewbottleGrove, S. division of the county of Northampton,
4 miles (N. W. by N.) from Northampton; containing
169 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the
road from Northampton to Welford, and bounded by
the river Nene on the east, comprises by computation
1125 acres of rich land in equal portions of arable and
pasture, interspersed with fox-covers and plantations,
and mostly the property of Earl Spencer. Good stone
is obtained for building. The living is a rectory, valued
in the king's books at £25. 19. 7., and in the patronage
of Corpus Christi College, Oxford; net income, £400,
arising from 332 acres of land allotted long since in lieu
of tithes: there is a glebe-house. The church is partly
in the decorated, and partly in the later, style of English
architecture, and contains a large circular font; the
stairs of the rood-loft and some ancient benches remain:
the chancel was repaired in 1844. There are parochial
and Sunday schools, supported by Mr. and Mrs.
Beasley.
Brampton-En-Le-Morthen
BRAMPTON-EN-LE-MORTHEN, a township, in
the parish of Treeton, union of Rotherham, S. division of the wapentake of Strafforth and Tickhill,
W. riding of York, 5¼ miles (S. E. by E.) from Rotherham; containing 139 inhabitants. Two centuries since,
this place was the residence of several families of property and consequence; and in the church of Treeton
is a choir called Brampton choir, which is paved with
monumental stones placed over the remains of the
families of Vesey, Bradshaw, and Lord, who had mansions in the village, which have long been deserted by
their owners. The freeholders of Brampton acknowledge no mesne manor over them. The township comprises 1090 acres: the road from Rotherham to Tickhill
passes about two miles north of the village.
Brampton, Little, with Rod.—See Rod.
BRAMPTON, LITTLE, with Rod.—See Rod.
Bramshall (St. Lawrence)
BRAMSHALL (St. Lawrence), a parish, in the
union of Uttoxeter, S. division of the hundred of
Totmonslow, N. division of the county of Stafford,
2 miles (W. by S.) from Uttoxeter; containing 170 inhabitants. This place, formerly called Broomshelf from
the surface once abounding in broom, was a lordship of
the Staffords, and passed subsequently to the family of
Erdeswicke. It is situated on the road from Uttoxeter
to Stafford, and comprises 1276a. 1r. 38p. of fertile
land, of which the greater portion is pasture; the soil is
gravelly, the surface undulated, and the scenery beautifully picturesque. Here are several dairy-farms. The
living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books
at £4. 3. 9., and in the patronage of Lord Willoughby
de Broke: the tithes have been commuted for £145, and
there are nearly 43 acres of glebe, and a glebe-house.
The church, a plain edifice, was erected at the expense of
Lord Willoughby de Broke.
Bramshaw (St. Peter)
BRAMSHAW (St. Peter), a parish, in the union
of New Forest, partly in the hundred of Cawden and
Cadworth, Salisbury and Amesbury, and S. divisions
of Wilts, but chiefly in the N. division of the hundred
of New Forest, Romsey and S. divisions of the county
of Southampton, 3 miles (N.) from Stony Cross; containing, with the hamlets of Furzley and Brook, and the
extra-parochial places of Eyeworth-Lodge and Amberwood-Cottage, 793 inhabitants, of whom 474 are in the
county of Southampton. The parish comprises by measurement 3560 acres, and is intersected by the road from
Southampton to Salisbury. In that portion of the New
Forest which lies on its borders to the south-east,
William Rufus was killed by an arrow, shot by Walter
Tyrrell at a stag, but which, glancing by the animal,
struck the royal breast, and occasioned the monarch's
death: a stone, erected on the spot where the oak-tree
stood whence the arrow was shot, commemorates the
event. The living is a vicarage, described in the king's
books as not in charge; patrons and appropriators, the
Dean and Chapter of Salisbury. The rectorial tithes
have been commuted for £149, and the vicarial for £60;
there are about 20 acres of glebe, a portion of which is
in Lyndhurst. The vicarage-house was erected in 1841,
in lieu of a former one supposed to be more than 300
years old. Of the ancient church, which stands upon
an eminence, and overlooks a considerable portion of the
New Forest, the nave alone is standing; the east end,
and north and south aisles, being entirely new: in the
building of these latter portions, in 1829, some very
grotesque heads were found inclosed in the old walls.
There are places of worship for Calvinists and Wesleyans.
Bramshill, Great
BRAMSHILL, GREAT, a tything, in the parish of
Eversley, union of Hartley-Wintney, hundred of
Holdshott, Odiham and N. divisions of Hampshire,
1¾ mile (N. W. by N.) from Hartford-Bridge; containing 175 inhabitants.
Bramshill, Little
BRAMSHILL, LITTLE, a tything, in the parish of
Eversley, union of Hartley-Wintney, hundred of
Holdshott, Odiham and N. divisions of Hampshire;
containing 10 inhabitants.
Bramshott (St. Mary)
BRAMSHOTT (St. Mary), a parish, in the hundred
of Alton, Petersfield and N. divisions of Hampshire,
4½ miles (W. by N.) from Haslemere; containing, with
the hamlet of Liphook, 1313 inhabitants. This parish,
which includes part of Wolmer Forest, comprises about
3270 acres, and is situated on the London and Portsmouth road. The soil is a sandy loam, and the surface
uneven; sandstone is quarried. Fairs for live-stock are
held on the first Wednesday in March, and June 11th.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£18. 9. 2.; net income, £613; patrons, the Provost and
Fellows of Queen's College, Oxford: there are 45 acres
of glebe, with a house. The church is a very ancient
cruciform edifice, principally in the early English style,
with a low tower surmounted by a spire; the nave was
rebuilt and enlarged a few years since.
Bramwith, Kirk (St. Mary)
BRAMWITH, KIRK (St. Mary), a parish, in the
union of Doncaster, Upper division of the wapentake
of Osgoldcross, W. riding of York, 7 miles (N. N. E.)
from Doncaster; containing, with the hamlets of Braithwaite, Hawkhouse-Green, and part of Kirkhouse-Green,
251 inhabitants, of whom 54 are in Kirk Bramwith
township. The parish is bounded on the south by the
river Don, and comprises by measurement nearly 2000
acres, of which about 1000 are arable, 10 woodland, and
the remainder pasture and meadow. The village is
situated opposite to Sand-Bramwith, and the hamlets
are in the higher part of the vale: Kirkhouse-Green is
partly in the adjoining township of Moss, and parish of
Campsall. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £12. 18. 4., and in the patronage of the Crown,
in right of the Duchy of Lancaster: the tithes have been
commuted for £455, and there are about 50 acres of
glebe. The church, which is small, and of the simplest
form, at first consisted of a nave and chancel, divided by
a circular arch having indented mouldings rising from
Saxon columns; and a tower at the west end is the only
addition that has been made to the original design. It
contains a large octagonal font, doubtless coeval with
the foundation of the church soon after the Conquest;
and the principal entrance, where the arch has the
hawk's-head ornament, the cable, and the indentations,
is probably of equal antiquity.
Brancaster (St. Mary The Virgin)
BRANCASTER (St. Mary the Virgin), a parish,
in the union of Docking, hundred of Smithdon, W.
division of Norfolk, 4½ miles (W. N. W.) from Burnham-Westgate, and 122 (N. N. E.) from London; containing 913 inhabitants. This place has been identified
with the Roman station Brannodunum, at which an
eminent commander, styled Count, or Earl, of the Saxon
Shore, presided over a troop of Dalmatian cavalry, for
the defence of the coast against the Saxon invaders: the
castle and station occupied about eight acres between
the staith and village, where numerous coins, vessels,
and other relies have been found. The parish is on the
road from Lynn to Wells; and comprises 3672a. 30p.,
of which 2162 acres are arable, 10 pasture and meadow,
621 common, 135 marsh, 587 salt-marsh, 26 woodland,
7 ozier-ground, and 37 acres gardens. Malting is carried
on to some extent by the proprietor of a large malthouse, who also owns several vessels, of from 70 to 120
tons' burthen, which trade to and from the place in corn,
coal, malt, timber, oil-cake, &c. The staith is situated
on a commodious creek, which has at spring tides from
9 to 11 feet of water, and crosses the salt-marshes to
the ocean through Brancaster bay. The living is a
rectory, valued in the king's books at £24, and in the
patronage of W. Sadler, Esq.: the tithes have been
commuted for £821. 14., and there is a glebe of 7½
acres, with a handsome parsonage-house. The church,
which is in the early and decorated English styles, consists of a nave, chancel, and aisles, with a square embattled tower; it was thoroughly repaired in 1832. A
free school and almshouses were built by Robert Smith,
about the close of the sixteenth century, and endowed
with 72 acres of land by his sister; the endowment
produces about £70 per annum.
Brancepeth (St. Brandon)
BRANCEPETH (St. Brandon), a parish, in the
unions of Durham, Auckland, and Lanchester,
N. W. division of Darlington ward, S. division of the
county of Durham, comprising the townships of Brandon with Byshottles, Crook with Billy-Row, HedleyHope, Hemlington-Row, Stockley, and Wellington; and
containing 2151 inhabitants, of whom 352 are in the
township of Brancepeth, 4¼ miles (S. W.) from Durham.
The name is supposed to be a corruption of Brawn's
path, in allusion to the number of wild boars that formerly infested the district, and for the purpose of hunting which the Duke of Gloucester, afterwards Richard
III., frequently resorted to this place, where his maternal
ancestors, the Nevills, had a fortress. This fortress was
almost entirely taken down by the late Matthew Russel,
Esq., who erected on its site the present Brancepeth
Castle. Coal is found, and there are some quarries of
stone. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £60. 10. 5., and in the patronage of R. E. D.
Shafto, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for
£985. 12. The church is a fine cruciform edifice, highly
decorated within; the chancel is stalled and wainscoted
with oak carved in tabernacle work, and has an ornamented ceiling. At Crook is a living in the Rector's
gift. There are some medicinal springs of a vitriolic and
sulphureous kind.
Brandeston (All Saints)
BRANDESTON (All Saints), a parish, in the union
of Plomesgate, hundred of Loes, E. division of Suffolk, 4 miles (S. W.) from Framlingham; containing
555 inhabitants. The Hall was for many generations
the seat of the Revet family. The living is a discharged
vicarage, valued in the king's books at £8. 13. 4., and
in the patronage of the Rev. John Smythe; net income,
£100: there is a glebe of about 16 acres, with a good
residence. The church consists of a nave and chancel,
with an embattled tower.
Brandistone cum Guton (St. Nicholas)
BRANDISTONE cum Guton (St. Nicholas), a
parish, in the union of St. Faith's, hundred of Eynsford, E. division of Norfolk, 3 miles (E. S. E.) from
Reepham; containing 137 inhabitants. The parish is
chiefly the property of Magdalen College, Oxford; and
comprises 757a. 2r. 24p., of which 634 acres are arable,
103 meadow and pasture, and 20 common. The living
is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at
£7. 12. 8½., and in the gift of the College: the tithes
have been commuted for £240, and the glebe comprises
11½ acres. The church consists of a nave, chancel, and
north aisle; with a circular tower, the upper part octagonal, at the west end of the aisle: the font is Norman.
There was formerly another church, dedicated to St.
Swithin.
Brandon, with Byshottles
BRANDON, with Byshottles, a township, in the
parish of Brancepeth, union of Durham, N. W. division of Darlington ward, S. division of the county of
Durham, 3 miles (W. S. W.) from Durham; containing
467 inhabitants. It comprises by computation 3460
acres. The village is occasionally called East Brandon,
to distinguish it from a farm-hold within the township,
bearing the name of West Brandon. Here is a paper
manufactory. Burn Hall, a handsome mansion here,
was built about twenty years since, near the site of an
ancient residence. The tithes have been commuted for
£311. 15. 10. On the summit of Brandon Hill is an
oblong mount, or tumulus, supposed to have been either
the site of a beacon, or the burial-place of some departed
hero.
Brandon
BRANDON, a township, in the parish of Eglingham, union of Glendale, N. division of Coquetdale
ward and of Northumberland, 4 miles (N. N. W.) from
Whittingham; containing 147 inhabitants. It comprises 1020 acres, mostly arable land, with about 20 of
wood; the surface is undulated, and the soil light and
gravelly, and good for barley and turnips. Brandon
White House, to the east of the village, was the seat of
the Collingwood family, who possessed the estate for a
long period of years. A chancel wall and numerous
tombs indicate the site of an ancient church.
Brandon (St. Peter)
BRANDON (St. Peter), a market-town and parish,
in the union of Thetford, partly in the hundred of
Grimshoe, W. division of Norfolk, but chiefly in the
hundred of Lackford, W. division of Suffolk, 40
miles (N. W.) from Ipswich, and 78 (N. N. E.) from
London; containing 2002 inhabitants. The parish comprises 6759a. 10p., of which the soil is generally a sandy
loam, and the substratum chalk; the meadow-land is flat,
and subject to floods. The town consists of two portions, designated Town-street and Ferry-street, a mile
distant from each other; the latter, which is the chief
portion, stands upon the road from London to Lynn,
and on the southern bank of the Little Ouse, or Brandon river. The stream forms the northern boundary of
Suffolk, and is here crossed by a neat stone bridge; it
is navigable to Thetford and to Lynn. A line of railway
between Brandon and Norwich was opened in July,
1845; and there is railway communication with Ely,
and towns beyond, in a western direction. Imbedded
in a stratum of chalk a mile westward from the town,
lie continuous strata of the finest flint, of which gunflints are made in abundance, and conveyed to various
parts of the world, employing about 200 hands in the
manufacture. In addition, the town has a considerable
traffic in corn, seeds, malt, coal, timber, iron, bricks,
tiles, &c.; and there are some extensive rabbit-warrens
in the neighbourhood, from which 150,000 rabbits are
sent annually to the London markets. About 160
females are employed in preparing and cutting rabbit
and hare skins for making hats, and felts for the
clothiers in Yorkshire. A brewery has also been established. The market is on Thursday, for corn and seeds:
there are fairs on Feb. 14th, June 11th, and Nov. 11th;
and a fair at Broomhall, about half a mile distant, on
July 7th, for stock.
The living is a rectory, with that of Wangford annexed, valued in the king's books at £20. 18. 1½., and in
the patronage of Thomas Everard Cartwright, Esq.: the
tithes have been commuted for a gross rent-charge of
£560, and there are 102 acres of glebe. The church,
which is situated midway between the two streets, is in
the later style, and consists of a nave, chancel, and
south aisles, with a lofty embattled tower at the west
end. There are places of worship for Primitive and
Wesleyan Methodists. A free school was founded in
1646, by Robert Wright, who endowed it with a rentcharge of £40; it was further endowed with 8 acres of
land under the Bedford Level act, and with 3 under the
Brandon Inclosure act, producing £11. 18. per annum.
Joanna, widow of John Wright, in 1664 bequeathed £13
per annum for keeping the school-house in repair, and
for the relief of the poor: an almshouse was founded in
Ferry-street for seven widows, by Humphrey Hall, in
1698; and some almshouses founded by a person named
Curteis, for three parishioners, were rebuilt near the
church in 1840. Various other bequests have been made
for the benefit of the poor, amounting in the aggregate
to about £100 per annum. Brandon Camp, a square
earthwork guarded by a single trench and a rampart, is
supposed to have been the Bravinium of the Romans,
and to have been occupied by Ostorius Scapula previously to his decisive victory over the brave Caractacus.
The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon takes his English
title from the place.
Brandon
BRANDON, a hamlet, in the parish of Wolstan,
union of Rugby, Kirby division of the hundred of
Knightlow, N. division of the county of Warwick, 6
miles (E. S. E.) from Coventry; containing 252 inhabitants, and consisting of 1946 acres. Here was a castle,
built soon after the Conquest, either by Geffrey de Clinton, or his son-in-law, Norman de Verdune, and which
was garrisoned in the 7th of Richard I., and destroyed
by the barons in the reign of Henry III. It is supposed
to have been rebuilt by Theobald, a descendant of Norman, who appears to have enjoyed the privilege of free
warren in all his demesne lands here, together with
a court leet, gallows, and assize of bread and beer: there
are no remains. A station of the London and Birmingham railway is situated in the hamlet, and the
rateable annual value of railway property here is returned at £1400.
Brandon Parva (All Saints)
BRANDON PARVA (All Saints), a parish, in the
incorporation and hundred of Forehoe, E. division of
Norfolk, 5 miles (N. N. W.) from Wymondham; containing 222 inhabitants. It comprises about 1000 acres.
The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's
books at £8. 3. 9., and in the patronage of F. R. Reynolds, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £315,
and the glebe comprises 17 acres, with a small house.
The church is in the later English style, with a square
embattled tower.
Brandsburton (St. Mary)
BRANDSBURTON (St. Mary), a parish, in the
union of Skirlaugh, N. division of the wapentake of
Holderness, E. riding of York; containing 718 inhabitants, of whom 34 are in the township of Moortown,
and 684 in that of Brandsburton, 8½ miles (N. E.) from
Beverley. The church of St. John de Beverley had
property here so early as the time of Athelstan, by whom
a grant of lands was made to that establishment; and
among the families who held possessions in the place at
an early date, occurs that of St. Quintin. The township
of Brandsburton comprises 4484 acres, whereof 506 are
common or waste. The village, which is large, well
built, and in a very flourishing condition, is situated on
the lower road from Hull to Bridlington and Scarborough. Here is a large show for horses on the 11th
of April; and a fair is held on May 14th. The marketcross stands in the centre of the village. The living is
a rectory, valued in the king's books at £24. 13. 4.;
net income, £895; patrons, the Master and Fellows of
St. John's College, Cambridge. The church, which is
principally in the later style of English architecture, is
situated on a slight eminence, and when seen from the
south-west is highly picturesque, the old trees about it
adding greatly to the effect; it is of considerable size,
and consists of a nave, aisles, and chancel, with a low
embattled tower. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans, and another used alternately by the Independents
and Primitive Methodists.
Brandsby (All Saints)
BRANDSBY (All Saints), a parish, in the union of
Easingwould, wapentake of Bulmer, N. riding of
York, 14 miles (N. by W.) from York; containing with
Stearsby, 304 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the
road from York to Helmsley, and comprises 3048a. 20p.,
of which 1425 acres are arable, 1169 pasture, 219 woodland, and 165 moor: the soil varies in different situations, being rich in the vale, and light on the hills; the
surface is undulated, and the scenery picturesque. Good
limestone is quarried for building and other purposes.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£9. 8. 11½., and in the patronage of F. Cholmeley,
Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £588, and
there are 68 acres of glebe. The church, which is
surmounted by a handsome cupola, was erected in
the year 1770. There is a Roman Catholic chapel at
Brandsby Hall.
Brandy-Street
BRANDY-STREET, a hamlet, in the parish of
Selworthy, union of Williton, hundred of Carhampton, West division of the county of Somerset;
containing 29 inhabitants.
Bransby
BRANSBY, a township, in the parish of Stow,
union of Gainsborough, wapentake of Well, parts of
Lindsey, county of Lincoln, 8 miles (N. W.) from
Lincoln; containing 107 inhabitants.