Brede - Brent-Tor

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

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'Brede - Brent-Tor', in A Topographical Dictionary of England, (London, 1848) pp. 353-357. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp353-357 [accessed 17 March 2024]

In this section

Brede (St. George)

BREDE (St. George), a parish, in the union of Rye, partly in the hundred of Staple, but chiefly in that of Gostrow, rape of Hastings, E. division of Sussex, 4 miles (S. by W.) from Northiam; containing 1151 inhabitants. This parish, distinguished by the divisions of Broad Oak and Brede High, is bounded on the south by the Brede channel, which is navigable for barges, and over which is a bridge; and is intersected in the eastern portion by the road from London to Rye. It comprises 4834a. 3r. 8p., whereof 1960 acres are arable, 1091 pasture, and 1316 woodland; the soil is favourable for the growth of hops, which are successfully cultivated. The village is pleasantly situated on a hill commanding extensive and finely varied prospects. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £12. 10. 5.; net income, £702; patron and incumbent, the Rev. J. W. Maher. The church consists of a nave, aisles, and chancel, with a square embattled tower surmounted by a low spire, the whole thoroughly repaired in 1840. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans at Broad Oak; and the union workhouse is in the parish. Dr. Horne, Bishop of Norwich, in 1790, was a native of Brede.

Bredenbury

BREDENBURY, a parish, in the union of Bromyard, hundred of Broxash, county of Hereford, 3 miles (W. N. W.) from Bromyard; containing 46 inhabitants. The parish comprises by measurement 540 acres, of which the soil is of a clayey nature, and the surface for the most part hilly; it is intersected by the road from Leominster to Bromyard. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £2. 1. 10½., and in the patronage of Charles Dutton, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for a yearly rentcharge of £53. 9., and the glebe consists of 50 acres, of which 30 are in the parish of Bockleton. The church is a neat small edifice.

Bredfield (St. Andrew)

BREDFIELD (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of Woodbridge, hundred of Wilford, E. division of Suffolk, 2½ miles (N.) from Woodbridge; containing 468 inhabitants, and comprising by measurement 1067 acres. The living is a discharged vicarage endowed with the rectorial tithes, with the livings of Lowdham and Petistree consolidated in 1827; it is valued in the king's books at £4. 4. 2., and is in the patronage of the Crown. The tithes of the parish have been commuted for £318, and the glebe comprises 27 acres. There is a small placeof worship for Baptists.

Bredgar (St. John the Baptist)

BREDGAR (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the union and hundred of Milton, lathe of Scray, E. division of Kent, 4 miles (S. W. by S.) from Sittingbourne; containing 540 inhabitants. The parish comprises by measurement 1727 acres, of which 1072 are arable, 400 pasture, 180 woodland, and 21 acres hops: the soil is in many parts a good marl, and the substratum chalk; the surface is undulated, and the higher grounds crowned with woods. A fair is held on the first Monday after the 29th of June. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £9; patron and impropriator, Sir E. C. Dering, Bart.: the great tithes have been commuted for £375, and the vicarial for £210; there are about 2 acres of glebe, with a house and garden. The church, which is partly of Norman architecture, was built about five centuries ago, and, prior to the Dissolution, had a small college attached to it: it is endowed with land for repairs. A Methodist meeting-house was erected about 1800.

Bredhurst (St. Peter)

BREDHURST (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Hollingbourn, hundred of Eyhorne, lathe of Aylesford, W. division of Kent, 5 miles (S. S. E.) from Chatham; containing 131 inhabitants. It comprises 600 acres, of which 274 are in wood. The ancient village is said to have stood at a short distance, near a wood, where several wells are still visible. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Rector of Hollingbourn, and endowed with the tithes, which have been commuted for £130: there are 9 acres of glebe. The church is a small edifice, consisting only of one aisle and a chancel, with a tower surmounted by a low spire: adjoining it is a small ruinous chapel in the early English style, formerly the burial-place of the family of Kemsley. There is a small dissenters' place of worship.

Bredicot (St. James)

BREDICOT (St. James), a parish, in the union of Pershore, Lower division of the hundred of Oswaldslow, Worcester and W. divisions of the county of Worcester, 3¾ miles (E.) from Worcester; containing 53 inhabitants. It is a small parish, comprising only 337 acres, whereof two-thirds are arable, and the remainder pasture; the surface is undulated, the soil a good rich marl, and the scenery picturesque. The Birmingham and Gloucester railway intersects the parish from north to south, nearly on a level with the surface. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £3. 18. 1½.; net income, £120, derived from land: patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Worcester. The church, an ancient structure, was thoroughly repaired, re-pewed, and beautified, in 1843, at a cost of £300, defrayed principally by the rector, the Rev. William Godfery. In 1839, some workmen excavating for the railway, found a small Roman urn of red clay, containing about 140 copper coins; it was met with at the depth of two feet in the earth, under the boughs of an old pollard elm, just by Bredicot Court.

Bredon (St. Giles)

BREDON (St. Giles), a parish, in the union of Tewkesbury, chiefly in the Middle, but partly in the Upper, division of the hundred of Oswaldslow, Pershore and E. divisions of the county of Worcester, 3¾ miles (N. E. by N.) from Tewkesbury; containing, with the chapelries of Norton and Cutsdean, and the hamlets of Bredon, Hardwick with Mitton, Kinsham, and Westmancote, 1567 inhabitants. This place was given by Ethelbald, King of Mercia, before the year 716, to his kinsman, Eanulph, who founded a monastery here in honour of St. Peter, which, previously to the Conquest, was annexed to the bishopric of Worcester. The parish comprises by computation between 5000 and 6000 acres, of which 963 are in the hamlet of Bredon, and is situated on the road between Tewkesbury and Pershore; the river Avon separates it from Gloucestershire. The soil is in general strong, producing good wheat and beans. The Birmingham and Gloucester railway passes through the village, where there is a station. From Bredon Hill (on which are quarries of stone suitable for building) is a pleasing view of the vales of Evesham and Cotswold, including the winding course of the Severn: the hill is crowned by a Roman encampment with a double trench. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £72. 11. 0½.; net income, £1498, arising from 1100 acres of land, assigned in lieu of tithes, under inclosure acts, in 1775 and 1808; patron, Jacob Jones, Esq.: there is a glebe-house. The church has been recently restored by the incumbent and parishioners, and is a fine edifice with a tower and spire. The porch and principal doorways are excellent examples of the Norman style: the tower, which stands between the nave and chancel, is supported by an arch forming a good specimen of the transition style; the south transept is early English, and the north transept decorated English, as is also the chancel, remarkable for its windows. The edifice contains some very old and curious monuments; among them is a monument to the memory of Dr. Prideaux, who was dismissed from the bishopric of Worcester during the parliamentary war. There are chapels of ease at Cutsdean and Norton; and at Milton the ruins of a chapel. In the hamlet of Westmancote is a place of worship for Baptists. A Bluecoat school was founded in 1718, by William Hancocke, who endowed it with lands, which, with accumulations, now produce £115 per annum. An almshouse for eight single women was founded in 1696, by Catherine Reed, who endowed it with tithes, since exchanged for 138 acres of land worth £143 per annum.

Bredwardine (St. Andrew)

BREDWARDINE (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of Hay, hundred of Webtree, county of Hereford, 11½ miles (W. N. W.) from Hereford; containing 409 inhabitants. The parish comprises 2200 acres, and is intersected by the road from Hay to Hereford. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £7. 8. 1½.; net income, £190; patron and incumbent, the Rev. N. D. H. Newton; impropriator, Sir Velters Cornewall, Bart. On the banks of the Wye, about two miles above Moccas, are the ruins of Bredwardine Castle, in which the gallant Captain Cornewall was born. A monument in Westminster Abbey, erected by a vote of both houses of parliament, records his heroic achievements.

Bredy, Little

BREDY, LITTLE, a chapelry, in the parish of Long Bredy, union of Dorchester, hundred of Uggscombe, Dorchester division of Dorset, 7 miles (W. by S.) from Dorchester; containing 196 inhabitants. The chapelry comprises by measurement 1637 acres; and is situated one mile south of the London road, through Dorchester, to Exeter. The soil is generally calcareous, and the surface hilly: there is a large quarry, from which the stone for erecting Winterborne Abbey was obtained. The river Brede, or Bride, has its source in a small lake here called Bride Head, near which is a Druidical circle of stones. The chapel, dedicated to St. Michael, was rebuilt about 15 years since: the chancel of the former edifice remains, and, from its style of architecture, is supposed to have been erected in the thirteenth century.

Bredy, Long (St. John the Baptist)

BREDY, LONG (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the union of Dorchester, hundred of Eggerton, Dorchester division of Dorset, 8 miles (W.) from Dorchester; containing, with the hamlet of Upper Kingston and the chapelry of Little Bredy, 536 inhabitants. It comprises, exclusively of Little Bredy, 2060a. 1r. 19p., of which 1213 acres are meadow and pasture, 764 arable, and 7 woodland. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £19. 12. 1., and in the patronage of R. Williams, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £460, and there are 75 acres of glebe. At Little Bredy is a chapel of ease.

Breedon (St. Mary and St. Hardulph)

BREEDON (St. Mary and St. Hardulph), a parish, in the union of Shardlow, hundred of West Goscote, N. division of the county of Leicester, 5¼ miles (N. E. by N.) from Ashby-de-la-Zouch; containing 2625 inhabitants, and comprising the township of Staunton-Harrold, the hamlets of Tonge and Wilson, and the chapelry of Worthington with Newbold liberty. A cell for Black canons was founded soon after 1144, by the prior and monks of St. Oswald, Nosthall, to whom the church and some lands here had been given by Robert Ferrers, Earl of Nottingham; its revenue, at the Dissolution, amounted to the sum of £25. 8. 1. The church which belonged to it is now the parochial church. The parish comprises by computation between 2000 and 2500 acres: the soil in general is very strong, and chiefly calculated for growing wheat; the surface is hilly. The village is situated at the foot of an elevated limestone rock, on the summit of which stands the church: there are considerable lime-works. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £6. 2. 8.; net income, £205; patron and impropriator, the Earl of Stamford and Warrington: in 1759, land and money payments were assigned in lieu of all tithes for the manor. At Worthington is a separate incumbency. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. By deed in 1736, Francis Commins gave £300 towards the support of a school for boys, and Eliza Commins £583 for a girls' school; on which endowments a national school has been established.

Breem

BREEM, a chapelry, in the parish of Newland, union of Monmouth, hundred of St. Briavell's, W. division of the county of Gloucester, 5½ miles (W. by S.) from Blakeney; containing 441 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £52; patron, the Vicar of Newland. The chapel is dedicated to St. James.

Breightmet, or Brightmead

BREIGHTMET, or Brightmead, a township, in the parish and union of Bolton, hundred of Salford, S. division of the county of Lancaster, 2 miles (E. by N.) from Bolton, on the road to Bury; containing 1309 inhabitants. The manor of this place, forming part of the possessions of Henry, Duke of Lancaster, in the reign of Edward III., seems to have been comprehended within the manor of Manchester. In the 1st of Richard III. it was one of the forfeited estates of "our rebell" Sir Thomas St. Leger, and was by that king conferred upon Lord Stanley. The ill-fated Sir Thomas, although he had married the Duchess of Exeter, sister of Richard, lost, not only his estates by attainder, but his life by the hands of the public executioner. The township comprises 825 acres of land, mostly pasture; the soil is red and gravelly, on a substratum of red rock, and the scenery viewed from the hills is very extensive. Several collieries are at work, in one of which the vein of coal is three yards thick; and there is a stone-quarry. Two cotton-mills are in operation, and a few of the inhabitants are employed in weaving quilts and counterpanes by hand: at Breightmet-Fold are the extensive bleachworks, established seventy years ago, of John Seddon, Esq. The river Irwell separates this township from Tonge. Among the chief residences here, are, Breightmet Hall, a substantial stone building, long possessed by the Parker family, who, and the Earl of Derby, are the principal owners of the soil; Oaken Bottom, formerly the residence of the Cromptons; and Crompton-Ford, an elegant mansion. R. A. Hibbert, Esq., has a cottage residence at West Breightmet, with good views. In 1729, William Hulton gave land for the erection of a school, which was built in 1750, and is endowed with £30 per annum. About sixty years ago, twelve Roman urns of earthenware were found in the township, a little below the surface, containing ashes of the dead; but on being exposed to the air they mouldered into dust: the vessels were of cylindrical form, and within the top of each was a small bone. Camden supposed that the Coccium of Antoninus was near this place.

Breighton

BREIGHTON, a township, in the parish of Bubwith, union of Howden, Holme-Beacon division of the wapentake of Harthill, E. riding of York, 5¼ miles (N. W. by N.) from Howden; containing 204 inhabitants. The village lies on the eastern bank of the river Derwent, opposite to Menthorpe. The farm of Gunby, in the township, was given by the Conqueror to his standard-bearer, Gilbert Tison, whose posterity took the name of De Guneby, and resided in the old mansionhouse for many generations.

Breinton (St. Michael)

BREINTON (St. Michael), a parish, in the hundred of Grimsworth, union and county of Hereford, 2 miles (W.) from Hereford; containing 362 inhabitants. It comprises 1539a. 28p., of which about two-thirds are arable; on the south it is bounded by the river Wye. The living is a perpetual curacy, valued in the king's books at £1. 10., and in the patronage of the Dean of Hereford; appropriators, the Dean and Chapter. The great tithes have been commuted for £210, and those of the incumbent for £135.

Bremhill (St. Martin)

BREMHILL (St. Martin), a parish, chiefly in the union of Calne, but partly in that of Chippenham, hundred of Chippenham, Chippenham and Calne, and N. divisions of Wilts, 4¼ miles (E.) from Chippenham; containing 1550 inhabitants. This parish comprises by computation 6000 acres: the soil is chiefly a sandy loam; the surface is partly hilly, and partly a fine vale. Facilities of communication are afforded by the Wilts and Berks canal. The Roman Watling-street passed through the parish, and in the vicinity is the course of the ancient rampart Wansdyke. At the hamlet of Studley was a Roman station, thought to have been an outpost to the more important station of Verlucio, the site of which was ascertained by Sir Richard Colt Hoare to be near Wanshouse, about four miles distant: numerous coins, chiefly of Constantine, and some British earthenware, have been dug up. Avebury, a celebrated temple of the Britons, supposed to have been raised in honour of Teutates, their chief Celtic deity; and Tan hill and Silbury, two lofty eminences appropriated to the performance of their pagan rites, are situated within a short distance: on Tan hill a fair is held on Aug. 6th. The living is a vicarage, endowed with the rectorial tithes, with the living of Highway annexed, valued in the king's books at £15. 15.; net income, £406; patron, the Bishop of Salisbury. Under an inclosure act in 1775, land and a money payment were assigned to the impropriator in lieu of tithes on certain lands in the parish: there are about 230 acres of glebe, with a residence. The church is a venerable and interesting edifice, with a massive square tower adorned with battlements and pinnacles; between the aisle and chancel is a handsome rood-loft, beautifully carved: the chancel contains several monuments, and in the churchyard are numerous epitaphs written by the late vicar, the Rev. Mr. Bowles, the poet, who in 1827 published a description of the parish. Near the church are the ivy-mantled remains of a portion of the tenements belonging to the grange of the abbot of Malmesbury. At Foxham is a chapel of ease, dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

Bremilham, or Cowich

BREMILHAM, or Cowich, a parish, in the union and hundred of Malmesbury, Malmesbury and Kingswood, and N. divisions of Wilts, 2 miles (W. by S.) from Malmesbury; containing 47 inhabitants. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £4. 1. 8., and in the patronage of the Hon. and Rev. R. Bowles: the tithes have been commuted for £106.

Brenchley (All Saints)

BRENCHLEY (All Saints), a parish, in the union of Tonbridge, hundred of Brenchley and Horsemonden, lathe of Aylesford, W. division of Kent, 4¼ miles (N.) from Lamberhurst; containing 2472 inhabitants. The parish comprises 7698 acres, of which 1693 are common or waste, and 1010 in wood. It abounds with iron-ore; and there are some mineral springs, similar in their properties to those of Tonbridge. A cattle-fair is held annually at the hamlet of Matfield Green. The South-Eastern railway passes through the parish. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £12. 18. 9.; net income, £749; patron and impropriator, G. Courthorpe, Esq. The church is an ancient cruciform structure, built chiefly of sandstone, with a lofty tower. There is a place of worship for Particular Baptists.

Brendon (St. Brendon)

BRENDON (St. Brendon), a parish, in the union of Barnstaple, hundred of Sherwill, Braunton and N. divisions of Devon, 15½ miles (E.) from Ilfracombe; containing 271 inhabitants. The parish comprises 4497 acres, of which 3000 are common or waste. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £9. 4., and in the patronage of John Knight, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £167, and there are 50 acres of glebe.

Brenkley

BRENKLEY, a township, in the parish of Dinnington, union and W. division of Castle ward, S. division of Northumberland, 7½ miles (N. by W.) from Newcastle-upon-Tyne; containing 56 inhabitants. It lies above three miles north-east from Ponteland, and nearly a mile west from the great post road. The tithes have been commuted for £141, payable to Merton College, Oxford, and £9 to the vicar.

Brent, East (St. Mary)

BRENT, EAST (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Axbridge, hundred of Brent with Wrington, E. division of Somerset, 4¾ miles (W. S. W.) from Axbridge; containing, with the hamlets of Edingworth and Rooksbridge, 849 inhabitants. This place appears to have been the scene of various military transactions at an early period; and on the summit of a lofty conical hill termed Brent Knoll, are vestiges of a large double intrenchment, within which, and at the base of the hill, numerous Roman relics have been found. The West Saxons are also supposed to have occupied this position, in their contests with the Mercians; and it is related that Alfred defended himself here against the Danes. A plot of ground to the south retains the name Battleborough, probably from some battle having been fought upon it. The parish is situated on the road from Bridgwater to Bristol, and near the Bristol and Exeter railway; and comprises by computation 3000 acres. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £30. 11. 3.; patron and appropriator, the Bishop of Bath and Wells: the great tithes have been commuted for £90, and the vicarial for £690; the glebe comprises about 70 acres. The church is a very ancient structure, with a tower and spire together 130 feet high; at the east end of the north aisle is a handsome painted window. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans; and a national school is supported by subscription. Cornua ammonis and other fossils have been found. Here was a cell to the abbey of Glastonbury.

Brent Illeigh, Eleigh, or Ely (St. Mary)

BRENT ILLEIGH, ELEIGH, or ELY (St. Mary), a parish, and formerly a market-town, in the union of Cosford, hundred of Babergh, W. division of Suffolk, 2½ miles (E. by S.) from Lavenham; containing 289 inhabitants, and comprising by measurement 1597 acres. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £8, and in the patronage of Dr. Browne: the tithes have been commuted for £480, and the glebe consists of 9 acres. At the end of the chancel of the church, an apartment was built by Dr. Colman, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, who placed in it a parochial library; and Edward Colman, Esq., endowed an almshouse, for six widowers and six widows.

Brent, South (St. Patrick)

BRENT, SOUTH (St. Patrick), a parish, and formerly a market-town, in the union of Totnes, hundred of Stanborough, Stanborough and Coleridge, and S. divisions of Devon, 7¾ miles (S. W. by S.) from Ashburton; containing 1237 inhabitants. It is beautifully situated on the river Avon, which pursues its course for nearly six miles within the limits of the parish: the number of acres is 9374; upwards of 6000 are inclosed and in a high state of cultivation, and the remainder chiefly common lands. The higher grounds are remarkably picturesque, and afford fine prospects over Torbay and Plymouth Sound. The manor anciently belonged to the abbot of Buckfastleigh, who possessed the power of inflicting punishment for capital crimes. Tin-works were formerly carried on: here is a small establishment for spinning and carding wool; and slate is quarried to a considerable extent. Fairs for cattle are held on the last Tuesday in April and September. The living is a vicarage, endowed with the great tithes, and valued in the king's books at £29. 14. 4½.; patron, the Rev. N. Cole: the tithes have been commuted for £965, and the glebe comprises about 30 acres, with a house. The church is an ancient structure. There are places of worship for Independents and Wesleyans. A school has a small endowment; and there are various bequests for charitable purposes, amounting to about £100 per annum.

Brent, South (St. Michael)

BRENT, SOUTH (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Axbridge, hundred of Brent with Wrington, E. division of Somerset, 6 miles (S. W. by S.) from Axbridge; containing 1074 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the Bristol and Exeter road, comprises by measurement 3533 acres, including 84 acres of road; the soil is very rich, and the surface flat, with the exception of a high hill called Brent Knoll, partly in the parish. There is a canal from Highbridge, distant about 2½ miles, to Glastonbury; and the Bristol and Exeter railroad intersects the parish. Fairs for sheep and horned-cattle are held on the second Monday in July, and second Monday in October. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £25. 17. 8½.; patron, the Archdeacon of Wells. The tithes have been commuted for £780, of which the vicar receives £689; the glebe consists of about half an acre, on which is the vicarage-house. In the church is a monument to the memory of Captain John Somersett, a zealous royalist in the time of the civil war. There is a place of worship for Bryanites.

Brentford

BRENTFORD, a market-town, and the head of a union; comprising Old Brentford, in the parish of Ealing, Kensington division of the hundred of Ossulstone, and New Brentford, in the parish of Hanwell, hundred of Elthorne, county of Middlesex, of which it is the county town; 7 miles (W. by S.) from Hydepark Corner, and on the great western road; New Brentford containing 2174 inhabitants, and Old Brentford 5058. This place, formerly called Brainforde, takes its name from an ancient ford on the small river Brent. In 1016 Edmund Ironside, having compelled the Danes to raise the siege of London, pursued them to this place, where they were routed with great slaughter. A chapter of the order of the Garter was held here in 1445; and, in the 25th of Henry VI., an hospital for a master and several brethren, of the Nine Orders of Angels, was founded in a chapel beyond the bridge, at the western end of the town, once known as West Brentford: the revenue appears to have been £40, and the site was granted to Edward, Duke of Somerset, in the 1st of Edward VI. In 1558, six Protestants were burnt here at the stake. In the great civil war the place was the scene of a battle, in which the royalists, though victorious, were obliged to retire from the field, by the sudden arrival of a strong reinforcement to the enemy from London. For his services in this battle, which occurred on the 12th of November, 1642, Patrick Ruthen, Earl of Forth in Scotland, was created an English peer by the title of Earl of Brentford, which title was subsequently conferred by William III. upon Mareschal Schomberg, who had accompanied him to England at the Revolution. Several skirmishes also took place in 1647, between the royal guards stationed here and the parliamentary troops quartered at Hounslow.

The town consists of one street, more than a mile in length, paved, and lighted with gas, under an act of parliament obtained in 1825 and amended in 1842. The river Thames runs parallel with the street; and over it, at the eastern extremity of the town, is a handsome stone bridge leading to Kew: the Brent, uniting the Grand Junction canal with the Thames, crosses Brentford on the west; and over this is a neat stone bridge erected by the county in 1825, replacing a bridge of great antiquity, at one time supported by a toll levied upon Jewish passengers exclusively. There are a large malt-distillery, an extensive brewery, and a soap-manufactory; but the chief trade of the town is derived from its situation on the great western road (now much diminished, however, by the construction of the Great Western railway), and from the union of the canal with the Thames. The market is on Tuesday; and fairs are held on May 17th, 18th, and 19th, for cattle, and September 12th, 13th, and 14th, for toys and pedlery. The town is within the jurisdiction of the county magistrates, who hold a petty-session for the division every alternate week: the powers of the county debt-court of Brentford, established in 1847, extend over the registrationdistrict of Brentford. The parliamentary elections for the county take place at New Brentford.

The living of New Brentford is a perpetual curacy; net income, £283; patron, the Rector of Hanwell. The rectorial tithes have been commuted for £60, and the vicarial for £85. The chapel, dedicated to St. Lawrence, with the exception of the tower was rebuilt of brick in 1762: annexed to it is the residence of the minister. The chapel of Old Brentford, dedicated to St. George, was rebuilt in 1770, by subscription: the living was augmented in 1842 to £168 per annum by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and is a perpetual curacy in the gift of the Vicar of Ealing. There are places of worship for Particular Baptists, Primitive Methodists, and Wesleyans. A charity school for boys, established by subscription in 1703, was endowed by Lady Capel, in 1719, with the twelfth part of an estate, yielding at present £37. 10. per annum: the endowment, enlarged by subsequent benefactions, produces an annual income of £143. There is a national school, partly supported by an endowment. The poor law union of Brentford comprises 10 parishes or places, and contains a population of 37,054. Human skeletons have at various times been dug up in the neighbourhood.

Brentingby

BRENTINGBY, a chapelry, in the parish of Wyfordby, union of Melton-Mowbray, hundred of Framland, N. division of the county of Leicester, 2½ miles (E. by S.) from Melton-Mowbray; containing 54 inhabitants. The chapelry comprises about 600 acres: the soil is partly a cold clay, and partly of much richer quality; the pastures are luxuriant, and Stilton cheese is made here and in the neighbourhood. There is a curious old manor-house, repaired in 1846. The Melton-Mowbray and Oakham canal passes through the district. The chapel is an ancient structure.

Brent-Tor (St. Michael)

BRENT-TOR (St. Michael), a parish, in the union and hundred of Tavistock, Tavistock and S. divisions of Devon, 4 miles (N.) from Tavistock; containing 169 inhabitants. This place partly derives its name from its situation on a lofty eminence or tor, which, differing materially in its strata from all other tors in Dartmoor Forest, is by geologists supposed to have been originally a volcanic eruption. It comprises 887 acres, whereof 100 are common or waste. The small river Lid runs through the parish; in which are also a fine sheet of water called Stowford Lake, and some mines of manganese. The village is built on the acclivity of the eminence; and the church, occupying its summit, forms a conspicuous landmark to vessels entering Plymouth harbour. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £60; patron and impropriator, the Duke of Bedford.