Bramshaw
Encyclopedia
Bramshaw is a small village and civil parish
in Hampshire, England. It lies just inside the New Forest
. The name Bramshaw means Bramble Wood. Until 1895, Bramshaw was divided into two parts, one half in Wiltshire
, and one half in Hampshire. The village of Bramshaw is stretched out for several miles along the B3079 road, with the church to the north, the hamlet of Brook to the south and Stock's Cross at its centre.
National Park. It includes large tracts of land owned by the National Trust
, and Crown Land
administered by the Forestry Commission
. It is located some 10 miles west of Southampton
. The parish contains the hamlets of Brook and Fritham
.
Bramshaw Commons, owned by the National Trust, comprise some 575 hectares (1,420.9 acre) of manorial wastes and commons. It is some of the best surviving example of lowland heath in Europe, still managed by the common grazing of ponies, pigs, donkeys, cattle and sheep. The parish also contains the highest point in the New Forest at Pipers Wait, some 129 metres above mean sea level. The site of a 14th-century Royal Hunting Lodge ("Studley Castle"), can be seen nearby. The site of a former stocks
and gallows
can be seen at Stocks Cross, at the intersection of Furzley Lane and the B3079. The gallows were still in use in 1831, when records show that they were repaired.
The Admiralty Shutter Telegraph Line had a station at Telegraph Hill, near Bramshaw. It was an optical shutter signal station used as a communication link for the Admiralty
during the Napoleonic Wars
.
for Wiltshire
, when the lands were held by Wulfnoth and a certain Edmund. Odo of Bayeux was overlord of these lands in Bramshaw at the time of the Survey. The name Bramshaw probably derives from an Old English word for "bramble bush wood."
The manor of Bramshaw, together with that of Britford
, appears to have been granted by one of the Norman kings to the family of de Lacy
sometime during the 12th century. By 1284 it had passed by marriage to Thomas de St Omer. The manor passed to his son, grandson, and then a great-granddaughter Elizabeth, who passed the manor on to her daughter Joan who in 1436 conveyed the property to trustees, by whom it was subsequently sold to Robert Lord Hungerford
and Margaret his wife. Their son Robert
was beheaded after the Battle of Hexham
in 1464 as a supporter of the Lancastrian
cause, and by the time of his mother's death in 1477–8 the manor passed to Richard Duke of Gloucester who, when he became king (Richard III
) in 1483, granted the manor to John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk
. John Howard was slain at the Battle of Bosworth Field
two years later and the manor reverted to the Crown. In 1485 Henry VII
granted the manor to Mary Hungerford
, granddaughter of the aforementioned Robert Lord Hungerford, and wife of Sir Edward Hastings
. It passed to her son George Lord Hastings
, created Earl of Huntingdon
in 1529, whose grandson, the third Earl
, sold the manor of Bramshaw (which from this time seems to have been also known as "Moore Closes") in 1561 to Thomas Dowse. It was sold several times in the next 150 years, until it was purchased in 1713 by Richard Paulet, in whose family the manor remained until 1887.
Saint Peter's church belonged at an early date to the Premonstratensian
priory of Britford
. In 1158, however, Henry II
granted the church to Salisbury cathedral
, when it was appropriated to the resident canon
s, and from that date the patronage was in the hands of the Dean and chapter of Salisbury. The current church dates from the 13th century, albeit with many later additions. The earliest part of the church is the west end of the nave, which is of mid-13th-century date, and there is a cambered beam roof of late 15th century date. Much of rest of the church, including the chancel and vestry, are of 19th century construction.
Bramshaw was partly in Wiltshire
and partly in Hampshire
until the "County of Southampton Act 1894" placed it all into Hampshire. The county boundary ran through the churchyard, and through the church, which had its nave in Wiltshire and its chancel in Hampshire. There were separate parish councils, one for Bramshaw (Hampshire) and one for Bramshaw (Wiltshire), which survived as Bramshaw (West) and Bramshaw (East) until 1932 when they were unified.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in Hampshire, England. It lies just inside the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
. The name Bramshaw means Bramble Wood. Until 1895, Bramshaw was divided into two parts, one half in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, and one half in Hampshire. The village of Bramshaw is stretched out for several miles along the B3079 road, with the church to the north, the hamlet of Brook to the south and Stock's Cross at its centre.
Overview
Bramshaw is a village and civil parish in the New ForestNew Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
National Park. It includes large tracts of land owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, and Crown Land
Crown Estate
In the United Kingdom, the Crown Estate is a property portfolio owned by the Crown. Although still belonging to the monarch and inherent with the accession of the throne, it is no longer the private property of the reigning monarch and cannot be sold by him/her, nor do the revenues from it belong...
administered by the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
. It is located some 10 miles west of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. The parish contains the hamlets of Brook and Fritham
Fritham
Fritham is a small village in Hampshire, England. It lies in the north of the New Forest, near the Wiltshire border. It is in the civil parish of Bramshaw.-History:...
.
Bramshaw Commons, owned by the National Trust, comprise some 575 hectares (1,420.9 acre) of manorial wastes and commons. It is some of the best surviving example of lowland heath in Europe, still managed by the common grazing of ponies, pigs, donkeys, cattle and sheep. The parish also contains the highest point in the New Forest at Pipers Wait, some 129 metres above mean sea level. The site of a 14th-century Royal Hunting Lodge ("Studley Castle"), can be seen nearby. The site of a former stocks
Stocks
Stocks are devices used in the medieval and colonial American times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. The stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by...
and gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
can be seen at Stocks Cross, at the intersection of Furzley Lane and the B3079. The gallows were still in use in 1831, when records show that they were repaired.
The Admiralty Shutter Telegraph Line had a station at Telegraph Hill, near Bramshaw. It was an optical shutter signal station used as a communication link for the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
History
Bramshaw appears twice in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
for Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, when the lands were held by Wulfnoth and a certain Edmund. Odo of Bayeux was overlord of these lands in Bramshaw at the time of the Survey. The name Bramshaw probably derives from an Old English word for "bramble bush wood."
The manor of Bramshaw, together with that of Britford
Britford
Britford is a village and civil parish beside the River Avon about southeast of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. The village is just off the A338 road.-Archaeology:Little Woodbury, southwest of the village, is the site of an Iron Age settlement...
, appears to have been granted by one of the Norman kings to the family of de Lacy
De Lacy
de Lacy is the surname of an old Norman noble family originating from Lassy . The first records are about Hugh de Lacy . Descendent of Hugh de Lacy left Normandy and travelled to England along with William the Conqueror. Walter and Ilbert de Lacy fought in the battle of Hastings...
sometime during the 12th century. By 1284 it had passed by marriage to Thomas de St Omer. The manor passed to his son, grandson, and then a great-granddaughter Elizabeth, who passed the manor on to her daughter Joan who in 1436 conveyed the property to trustees, by whom it was subsequently sold to Robert Lord Hungerford
Robert Hungerford, 2nd Baron Hungerford
Robert Hungerford, 2nd Baron Hungerford , the second but eldest surviving son of Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford, served in the Hundred Years' War, and was summoned to parliament as Baron Hungerford from 5 September 1450 to 26 May 1455. He died 14 May 1459, and in accordance with his will...
and Margaret his wife. Their son Robert
Robert Hungerford, 3rd Baron Hungerford
Robert Hungerford, 3rd Baron Hungerford was son and heir of Robert Hungerford, 2nd Baron Hungerford, and was grandson of Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford . He supported the Lancastrians cause in the War of the Roses. In the late 1440s and early 1450s he was a member of successive parliaments...
was beheaded after the Battle of Hexham
Battle of Hexham
The Battle of Hexham marked the end of significant Lancastrian resistance in the north of England during the early part of the reign of Edward IV....
in 1464 as a supporter of the Lancastrian
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
cause, and by the time of his mother's death in 1477–8 the manor passed to Richard Duke of Gloucester who, when he became king (Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
) in 1483, granted the manor to John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk
John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk
John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman, soldier, and the first Howard Duke of Norfolk...
. John Howard was slain at the Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
two years later and the manor reverted to the Crown. In 1485 Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
granted the manor to Mary Hungerford
Mary Hungerford
Mary Hungerford was the daughter of Sir Thomas Hungerford of Rowden and Anne, daughter of Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland.-Titles:...
, granddaughter of the aforementioned Robert Lord Hungerford, and wife of Sir Edward Hastings
Edward Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings
Edward Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings, KB was an English peer born in Kirby Muxloe Castle, Leicestershire, England to Sir William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings and Katherine Neville. He succeeded to his title on the execution of his father William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings on 13 June 1483...
. It passed to her son George Lord Hastings
George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon
George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon was born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, the son of Edward Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings and Mary Hungerford. George Hastings was created the first Earl of Huntingdon by Henry VIII of England on 3 November 1529. On the same day his son Francis gained a seat at the...
, created Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
in 1529, whose grandson, the third Earl
Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon
Sir Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, KG KB was the eldest son of Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole.-Ancestry:...
, sold the manor of Bramshaw (which from this time seems to have been also known as "Moore Closes") in 1561 to Thomas Dowse. It was sold several times in the next 150 years, until it was purchased in 1713 by Richard Paulet, in whose family the manor remained until 1887.
Saint Peter's church belonged at an early date to the Premonstratensian
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
priory of Britford
Britford
Britford is a village and civil parish beside the River Avon about southeast of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. The village is just off the A338 road.-Archaeology:Little Woodbury, southwest of the village, is the site of an Iron Age settlement...
. In 1158, however, Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
granted the church to Salisbury cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
, when it was appropriated to the resident canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s, and from that date the patronage was in the hands of the Dean and chapter of Salisbury. The current church dates from the 13th century, albeit with many later additions. The earliest part of the church is the west end of the nave, which is of mid-13th-century date, and there is a cambered beam roof of late 15th century date. Much of rest of the church, including the chancel and vestry, are of 19th century construction.
Bramshaw was partly in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and partly in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
until the "County of Southampton Act 1894" placed it all into Hampshire. The county boundary ran through the churchyard, and through the church, which had its nave in Wiltshire and its chancel in Hampshire. There were separate parish councils, one for Bramshaw (Hampshire) and one for Bramshaw (Wiltshire), which survived as Bramshaw (West) and Bramshaw (East) until 1932 when they were unified.