Brampton-Bierlow - Bransby

A Topographical Dictionary of England. Originally published by S Lewis, London, 1848.

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'Brampton-Bierlow - Bransby', in A Topographical Dictionary of England, (London, 1848) pp. 343-347. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp343-347 [accessed 19 March 2024]

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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.