Brownsea
BROWNSEA, an island, in the parish of Studland
union of Wareham and Purbeck, hundred of Rowbarrow, Wareham division of Dorset; containing 70
inhabitants.
Brownsover
BROWNSOVER, a chapelry, in the parish of Clifton, union of Rugby, Rugby division of the hundred of
Knightlow, N. division of the county of Warwick,
2 miles (N. by E.) from Rugby; containing 90 inhabitants. In the 13th of Edward I., John de Bosco claimed
and was allowed a court leet here; and in the 11th of
Edward IV., Thomas Bellers released all his lands in
this manor to Richard Boughton, with whose descendants it continued for several generations. It afterwards
passed with a female heir to Sir Egerton Leigh. The
chapelry is situated on an eminence near the confluence
of the Avon and Swift rivers, and on the road from
Rugby to Lutterworth; and comprises by measurement
853 acres. The chapel is dedicated to St. Michael. The
great tithes belong to Rugby grammar school, founded
by Lawrence Sheriff, who was born here.
Browsholme
BROWSHOLME, a hamlet, in the township of
Bowland-Forest Lower division, chapelry of Whitewell, parish of Whalley, union of Clitheroe, wapentake of Staincliffe and Ewcross, W. riding of York,
6½ miles (N. W.) from Clitheroe; containing 150 inhabitants. This hamlet, which has lately been disforested,
comprises 1720 acres, whereof about 350 are woodland:
it is the property of Thomas Goulburne Parker, Esq.
Browsholme Hall, the seat of the Parker family for
more than three centuries, is a large mansion of red
stone, with a centre, two wings, and a small façade in
front, of the time of Elizabeth and of James I.: it contains many oak rooms, with oak furniture; and a good
library, having a valuable collection of MSS., paintings,
some coins, and armour. The Roman Watling-street
passes through the hamlet.
Browston
BROWSTON, a hamlet, in the parish of Belton,
hundred of Mutford and Lothingland, E. division of
Suffolk; containing 64 inhabitants.
Broxa
BROXA, a township, in the parish of Hackness,
union of Scarborough, liberty of Whitby-Strand,
N. riding of York, 7¾ miles (W. N. W.) from Scarborough; containing 65 inhabitants. It comprises 1858
acres, of which 509 are arable, 619 pasture, 445 wood,
and 285 waste or moor.
Broxbourn (St. Augustine)
BROXBOURN (St. Augustine), a parish, in the
union of Ware, hundred and county of Hertford;
containing, with the chapelry of Hoddesdon, part of
which is in the parish of Great Amwell, 2386 inhabitants. In the time of William the Conqueror, the manor
belonged to Adeling, wife of Hugh de Grentemaisnill;
it afterwards came to the Knights Templars, and lastly
to the prior and brethren of the hospital of St. John of
Jerusalem, who occupied the more ancient part of the
present mansion of Broxbournbury. James I., on his
way from Scotland, was entertained at the manor-house,
where he was met by many of the nobility and the
officers of state. The parish is situated on the north
road, and bounded on the east by the river Lea, which
separates it from the county of Essex; the New River,
also, flows through it. The scenery is pleasingly diversified, and the views from many parts are extensive, embracing some mansions of great interest and beauty.
The sweeps of woodland in different places are strikingly
picturesque; and in Broxbournbury Park are some fine
specimens of oak, elm, and Spanish chesnut. The parish
comprises by admeasurement 4379 acres, whereof 2582
are in the hamlet of Hoddesdon: the soil, which is fertile, lies upon a bed of gravel of very fine quality. The
Lea has a wharf about 200 yards from the church: a
station of the Eastern Counties railway has been built
here, of red brick and quadrangular form, in the Elizabethan style; and a little beyond it, in the valley of the
Lea, the line is continued for about two miles on an
embankment twelve feet high. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£12. 6. 5½.; patron and appropriator, the Bishop of
London. The great tithes have been commuted for
£197. 8., and the vicarial for £147. 8.; the appropriate
glebe consists of 62½ acres. The church is a large handsome edifice, in the later English style, with a square
tower supporting an octagonal spire, and a north and
south chapel, the former rich in detail: there are an
ancient font and several very fine monuments, of which
those to Lady Elizabeth Say, Sir John Say, and Sir
Henry Cock, are the most remarkable. A chapel was
built in Hoddesdon about 1730; and the Independents
and Quakers have each a place of worship. By deed in
1727, the Hon. Letitia Monson gave £1000, since laid
out in Bank annuities, for endowing an almshouse for
six widows.
Broxholme (All Saints)
BROXHOLME (All Saints), a parish, in the
wapentake of Lawress, parts of Lindsey, union and
county of Lincoln, 6¾ miles (N. W.) from Lincoln;
containing 145 inhabitants. The parish comprises 1304
acres of land, and is bounded on the west by the river
Till. The property was purchased of Lord Monson, a
few years ago, by Frederick Robinson, Esq., now lord
of the manor. The living is a rectory, valued in the
king's books at £9. 10., and in the gift of Mr. Robinson:
the tithes have been commuted for £250, and there is
a good glebe-house, with 68a. 33p. of glebe.
Broxted (St. Mary)
BROXTED (St. Mary), a parish, in the union and
hundred of Dunmow, N. division of Essex, 3 miles
(S. W.) from Thaxted; containing 737 inhabitants. This
place, anciently called Chawreth, is supposed to have
derived its present name from a brook or rivulet which
has its source here, and flows into the river Chelmer at
Tiltey. The parish comprises 3098a. 3r. 1p., of which
2195 acres are arable, 503 pasture, 138 woodland, and the
remainder gardens and waste. The soil is richly fertile,
and the surface rises in some parts into considerable
elevations, commanding fine views of the surrounding
country. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in
the king's books at £7; patron and impropriator, R. de
Beauvoir, Esq. The great tithes have been commuted
for £660, and the vicarial for £200; there is a good
glebe-house. The church, pleasantly situated on the brow
of a hill, is an ancient edifice with a wooden turret.
Broxton
BROXTON, a township, in the parish of Malpas,
union of Great Boughton, Higher division of the
hundred of Broxton, S. division of the county of
Chester, 5 miles (N.) from Malpas; containing 464
inhabitants, and comprising 1638 acres, the soil of which
is sand and clay. It has given name to a hundred,
which, at the time of the Norman survey, was called
Dudestan. The tithes have been commuted for £170.
Bruen-Stapleford, county of Chester.—See Stapleford, Bruen.
BRUEN-STAPLEFORD, county of Chester.—See
Stapleford, Bruen.
Bruera.—See Churton-Heath.
BRUERA.—See Churton-Heath
Bruern
BRUERN, an extra-parochial liberty, in the union of
Chipping-Norton, hundred of Chadlington, county
of Oxford, 3¾ miles (N. by E.) from Burford; containing 46 inhabitants, and comprising 3510 acres of land.
An abbey for Cistercian monks, dedicated to the Blessed
Virgin Mary, was founded by Nicholas Basset, in 1147;
the revenue of which, at the Dissolution, amounted to
£124. 10. 10.: the site was granted in the reign of
James I., to Sir Anthony Cope, whose family built a
mansion here, which was accidentally destroyed by fire.
Bruisyard (St. Peter)
BRUISYARD (St. Peter), a parish, in the union
and hundred of Plomesgate, E. division of Suffolk,
4½ miles (N. W.) from Saxmundham; containing 296
inhabitants. It comprises by admeasurement 1126 acres:
the soil is a fertile clay, the surface is undulated, and
the lower grounds are watered by a small river. The
living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £62; patron
and impropriator, the Earl of Stradbroke, whose tithes
have been commuted for £92. The church is an ancient
structure, chiefly in the later English style, with a circular tower at the west end, and consists of a nave and
chancel, with a chapel on the south side, in which is a
slab, bearing the effigies, in brass, of Michael Hare and
his lady. A collegiate chapel, in honour of the Annunciation, was founded at Campsey, for a warden and
four Secular priests, by Maud, Countess of Ulster, in
1347, seven years after which the establishment was
removed to Bruisyard: the site and possessions, in
1366, were surrendered to an abbess and nuns of the
order of St. Clare, who continued here until the general
suppression, when their annual revenue was estimated at
£56. 2. 1. It was granted by Henry VIII. to Sir
Nicholas Hare, and came by marriage to the family of
Rous.
Brumstead (St. Peter)
BRUMSTEAD (St. Peter), a parish, in the Tunstead and Happing incorporation, hundred of Happing,
E. division of Norfolk, 1 mile (N.) from Stalham;
containing 116 inhabitants. It comprises by measurement 788 acres, of which 652 are arable, 22 wood, and
the remainder marsh; the soil of the arable land is
fertile. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in
the king's books at £6. 5. 7½., and in the gift of the
Earl of Abergavenny: the tithes have been commuted
for £240, and there is a glebe of 23 acres, with a parsonage-house erected in 1841. The church is chiefly in
the decorated style, and has a lofty embattled tower.
At the inclosure in the year 1805, 12 acres were allotted
to the poor.
Brundall (St. Lawrence)
BRUNDALL (St. Lawrence), a parish, in the
union and hundred of Blofield, E. division of Norfolk, 6½ miles (E. by S.) from Norwich; containing
52 inhabitants. It is bounded on the south by the navigable river Yare; and comprises about 559 acres, the
whole arable, excepting about 133 acres of common.
The Brundall estate, consisting of a mansion and 143
acres of land, was sold to Mr. Tuck, in 1845, for £12,500.
The Norwich and Yarmouth railway passes through the
parish. The living is a discharged rectory, consolidated
with the livings of Witton and Little Plumstead, and
valued in the king's books at £4. 10.: the tithes have
been commuted for £145, and the glebe comprises
nearly 14 acres. The church is a plain structure, chiefly
in the early English style. In the 38th of Henry III.,
William de St. Omer received a grant of a fair to be
held here.
Brundish (St. Lawrence)
BRUNDISH (St. Lawrence,) a parish, in the
union and hundred of Hoxne, E. division of Suffolk,
4½ miles (N. by W.) from Framlingham; containing 525
inhabitants. The living is a perpetual curacy, united to
the vicarage of Tannington: the tithes have been commuted for £572, of which £467 are payable to the Bishop
of Rochester, and £105 to the incumbent, who has also
10½ acres of glebe. The church is a handsome structure, chiefly in the later English style, with a square
embattled tower: under an arched canopy in the north
aisle is an altar-tomb, on which is an effigy, engraved in
brass, of "Sir Esmonded de Burnedish," who died in
1349. A chantry was founded in the church, in the
7th of the reign of Richard II., by John de Pyeshall,
for six chaplains.
Brundon.—See Ballingdon.
BRUNDON—See Ballingdon.
Brunslow, with Edgton.—See Edgton.
BRUNSLOW, with Edgton.—See Edgton.
Brunstock
BRUNSTOCK, a township, in the parish of Crosbyupon-Eden, union of Carlisle, Eskdale ward, E.
division of Cumberland, 2¾ miles (N. E. by E.) from
Carlisle; containing 75 inhabitants.
Bruntingthorpe, or Brentingthorpe (St. Mary)
BRUNTINGTHORPE, or Brentingthorpe (St.
Mary), a parish, in the union of Lutterworth, hundred of Guthlaxton, S. division of the county of Leicester, 5½ miles (N. E.) from Lutterworth; containing
423 inhabitants. It comprises 1148a. 3r. 19p., of which
about 300 acres are arable, and the rest pasture; the
soil consists of sand, gravel, and clay. The population
is partly employed in the stocking-manufacture. The
living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£10. 7. 6.; net income, £380; patron, John Bridges,
Esq. Under an inclosure act, in 1776, land and a
money payment were assigned in lieu of tithes. The
church is an ancient edifice of pebbles; and contains an
altar-piece painted by the late rector, the Rev. T. Freeman.
Brunton, East
BRUNTON, EAST, a township, in the parish of
Gosforth, union and W. division of Castle ward, S.
division of Northumberland, 4¼ miles (N. by W.)
from Newcastle-upon-Tyne; containing 268 inhabitants.
East and West Brunton, Fawdon, Dinnington, Wideopen, and Weetslade, formed the manor and estate of
the Haslerigge family, and were sold in 1768, by order
of the court of chancery, with the exception of the coalmines of Fawdon and Brunton. The township lies on the
west of the road between Newcastle and Morpeth, and
comprises by computation 936 acres of land. The
tithes have been commuted for £74. 1. payable to the
Bishop of Carlisle, an equal sum to the Dean and
Chapter, and £9. 4. to the vicar of Newcastle.
Brunton, High and Low
BRUNTON, HIGH and LOW, a township, in the
parish of Embleton, union of Alnwick, S. division of
Bambrough ward, N. division of Northumberland,
8¾ miles (N. by E.) from Alnwick; containing 59 inhabitants. They are situated about a mile north from
Fallowden, near a stream which shortly falls into the
North Sea; the number of acres is about 1000, of which
above 300 are rich old pasture.
Brunton, West
BRUNTON, WEST, a township, in the parish of
Gosforth, union and W. division of Castle ward, S.
division of Northumberland, 4¼ miles (N. W. by N.)
from Newcastle-upon-Tyne; containing 109 inhabitants. It is situated west of the road between Newcastle
and Morpeth, and comprises by computation 1140 acres.
The tithes have been commuted for £74. 3. payable to
the Bishop of Carlisle, a similar sum to the Dean and
Chapter, and £58. 9. to the vicar of Newcastle.
Brushfield
BRUSHFIELD, a township, in the parish and union
of Bakewell, hundred of High Peak, N. division of
the county of Derby, 4¾ miles (W. N. W.) from Bakewell; containing 53 inhabitants.
Brushford
BRUSHFORD, a parish, in the union of Crediton,
hundred of North Tawton, South Molton and N.
divisions of Devon, 3 miles (E.) from Winkleigh; containing 144 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated
on the north bank of the river Taw, and near the
road from Bideford to Exeter, comprises by computation
1300 acres. A few women are occasionally employed
in weaving serges by hand-loom. Adjoining the churchyard is a green of about 3 acres, on which are marks
of the foundations of houses, supposed to have been the
ancient village, which, according to tradition, was destroyed by fire, and of which only one house is remaining. The living is a perpetual curacy; patron and impropriator, G. Luxton, Esq. The church, a small ancient
edifice in the early English style, is situated on a hill
overlooking the river; the chancel is divided from the
nave by a carved oak screen, and contains a good painting of Queen Anne. Abbotsham, a farmhouse in the
parish, is thought to have been the occasional residence
of the abbot of Hartland, to which abbey this parish was
annexed.
Brushford (St. Mary Magdalene)
BRUSHFORD (St. Mary Magdalene), a parish,
in the union of Dulverton, hundred of Williton
and Freemanners, W. division of Somerset, 1¾
mile (S. by E.) from Dulverton; containing 340 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the river
Exe, and on the road from Minehead to Exeter, comprises by computation 2067 acres: there are some
good stone-quarries, and a very fine gravel for gardenwalks is found in abundance. A fair for cattle and
sheep is held on the 2nd of August, at Langridge farm, in
the parish. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £15. 1. 5½., and in the alternate patronage of
the Earl of Carnarvon and the Sydenham family; the
tithes have been commuted for £305, and the glebe comprises 40 acres. The church is a plain neat edifice.