Braughing
Encyclopedia
Braughing is a village
and civil parish
, between the rivers Quin
and Rib
, in the non-metropolitan district
of East Hertfordshire
, part of the English
county of Hertfordshire
, England. Braughing was a rural district in Hertfordshire from 1935 to 1974.
, Neolithic
and Bronze Age
, but settled habitation began in the Iron Age
, around the 3rd century BC. It was probably a trading post, situated on the navigable extreme of the Rib, providing a route to the larger River Lea. In the late pre-Roman period it may have been the capital of the Trinovantes
and the seat of such kings as Addedomarus
and Tasciovanus
.
times, situated close to several major Roman roads, including Ermine Street
(now the A10), Stane Street (now the A120
) and the Icknield Way
, and covering at least 36 hectares. The town was a Roman industrial centre for the manufacture of pottery.
When the River Rib is in full flood, bricks, tiles and other more interesting artefacts from the Roman settlement are washed from its banks.
The Latin name of the town is, as yet, unknown.
: the earliest form of the name Braughing is Breahinga, Old English
for the people of Breahha, who was probably a local leader. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book
(1086) at Brachinges.
.
Matthew's fiancée and other mourners were deeply distressed. He was only a young man. As they made their way to the funeral service, one of pallbearers slipped on the damp autumn leaves and they dropped the coffin - waking young Matthew, from what was simply a deep sleep. Confused and wondering wherever he was, he began frantically hitting the inside of the wooden case with his fist. The mourners removed the lid and were overjoyed to find him alive and well.
Matthew had been in a coma and had been suffering from what is believed to be a form of epilepsy
. A year after this strange event he married his beautiful fiancée and lived many more years. When eventually he did die in 1595, his will made financial provision for Fleece Lane to be swept each year, after which the funeral bell, and then a wedding peal, were to be rung. The money, invested in Braughing Parish Charities also paid for his grave to be pegged with brambles to prevent grazing sheep from damaging it.
The 2nd October is, to this very day, known as Old Man's Day. The tradition still continues and schoolchildren now sweep the leaves from the lane, the bells are rung, and a short service is held at Matthew Wall's graveside.
St Margaret's - Buntingford branch
which closed in 1964.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
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...
, between the rivers Quin
River Quin
The River Quin is a small watercourse which rises near Barkway in north east Hertfordshire, England. The river is fed by a number of sources including springs from Biggin Moor, Great Hormead Brook, Little Hormead Brook and various field ditches, including the Braughing Bourne - the site of a former...
and Rib
River Rib
The River Rib originates near the East Hertfordshire village of Buckland and runs parallel with the A10 through Buntingford, Westmill, Braughing, Puckeridge and Standon until it reaches its confluence with the River Lea near Hertford.-History:...
, in the non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England. Its council has offices in Bishop's Stortford and Hertford ....
, part of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England. Braughing was a rural district in Hertfordshire from 1935 to 1974.
Prehistory
There is some evidence of human activity in the MesolithicMesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
, Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, but settled habitation began in the Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
, around the 3rd century BC. It was probably a trading post, situated on the navigable extreme of the Rib, providing a route to the larger River Lea. In the late pre-Roman period it may have been the capital of the Trinovantes
Trinovantes
The Trinovantes or Trinobantes were one of the tribes of pre-Roman Britain. Their territory was on the north side of the Thames estuary in current Essex and Suffolk, and included lands now located in Greater London. They were bordered to the north by the Iceni, and to the west by the Catuvellauni...
and the seat of such kings as Addedomarus
Addedomarus
Addedomarus was a king of south-eastern Britain in the late 1st century BC. His name is known only from his inscribed coins, the distribution of which seem to indicate that he was the ruler of the Trinovantes....
and Tasciovanus
Tasciovanus
Tasciovanus was a historical king of the Catuvellauni tribe before the Roman conquest of Britain.-History:Tasciovanus is known only through numismatic evidence. He appears to have become king of the Catuvellauni ca. 20 BC, ruling from Verlamion...
.
Roman times
At Ford Bridge, near Braughing there was a significant town in RomanRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
times, situated close to several major Roman roads, including Ermine Street
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is the name of a major Roman road in England that ran from London to Lincoln and York . The Old English name was 'Earninga Straete' , named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington, Cambridgeshire and Royston,...
(now the A10), Stane Street (now the A120
A120 road
The A120 is an important trunk road in southern England. It follows the course of Stane Street, a Roman road from Standon, Hertfordshire at its western terminus to Colchester...
) and the Icknield Way
Icknield Way
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
, and covering at least 36 hectares. The town was a Roman industrial centre for the manufacture of pottery.
When the River Rib is in full flood, bricks, tiles and other more interesting artefacts from the Roman settlement are washed from its banks.
The Latin name of the town is, as yet, unknown.
Saxon times
After the Roman period it was settled by the Anglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
: the earliest form of the name Braughing is Breahinga, Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
for the people of Breahha, who was probably a local leader. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
(1086) at Brachinges.
Gatesbury
Little remains of this hamlet, which lies to the east of the B1368 close to the Puckeridge junction. Originally part of Westmill parish, Gatesbury is now firmly within the parish of Braughing. Its name originates from the Gatesbury family, who held the manor from the late 12th century up to the 15th century, when it was passed to the FitzHerberts.Pork sausages
The village is famous for the Braughing Pork Sausage first made in 1954 by Douglas White and his wife Anna. The recipe has remained the same and the sausages are still made in the shop using the original recipe.Old Man's Day
On 2 October 1571, as the funeral bell was being tolled, the coffin of a local farmer, Matthew Wall, was being carried down Fleece Lane towards the village Church of St Mary the VirginSt Mary the Virgin
-Churches:* St Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury* St Mary the Virgin, Blackburn Hamlet* St Mary the Virgin, Brighton* St Mary the Virgin, Barnes* St Mary the Virgin, Bathwick* St Mary the Virgin, Gillingham, Dorset* St Mary the Virgin, Henbury...
.
Matthew's fiancée and other mourners were deeply distressed. He was only a young man. As they made their way to the funeral service, one of pallbearers slipped on the damp autumn leaves and they dropped the coffin - waking young Matthew, from what was simply a deep sleep. Confused and wondering wherever he was, he began frantically hitting the inside of the wooden case with his fist. The mourners removed the lid and were overjoyed to find him alive and well.
Matthew had been in a coma and had been suffering from what is believed to be a form of epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
. A year after this strange event he married his beautiful fiancée and lived many more years. When eventually he did die in 1595, his will made financial provision for Fleece Lane to be swept each year, after which the funeral bell, and then a wedding peal, were to be rung. The money, invested in Braughing Parish Charities also paid for his grave to be pegged with brambles to prevent grazing sheep from damaging it.
The 2nd October is, to this very day, known as Old Man's Day. The tradition still continues and schoolchildren now sweep the leaves from the lane, the bells are rung, and a short service is held at Matthew Wall's graveside.
Transport
At one time there was a station on the ex-GERGreat Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
St Margaret's - Buntingford branch
Buntingford Branch Line
The Buntingford Branch Line was a railway in Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. It ran between the village of St Margarets and the town of Buntingford...
which closed in 1964.
Famous residents
- AddedomarusAddedomarusAddedomarus was a king of south-eastern Britain in the late 1st century BC. His name is known only from his inscribed coins, the distribution of which seem to indicate that he was the ruler of the Trinovantes....
, a king of south-eastern Britain in the late 1st century BC, moved the Trinovantian capital from Braughing to CamulodunumCamulodunumCamulodunum is the Roman name for the ancient settlement which is today's Colchester, a town in Essex, England. Camulodunum is claimed to be the oldest town in Britain as recorded by the Romans, existing as a Celtic settlement before the Roman conquest, when it became the first Roman town, and...
(ColchesterColchesterColchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, Essex).
- John BrograveJohn BrograveSir John Brograve was an English lawyer and politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Preston on several occasions, and once for Boroughbridge.-Life:...
, (1538–1613), a lawyer and politician, was the Member of Parliament for Preston, and was custos rotulorumCustos rotulorumCustos rotulorum is the keeper of an English county's records and, by virtue of that office, the highest civil officer in the county...
, keeper of the county records of Hertfordshire for thirty years.
- Brigadier Richard Hanbury was High Sheriff of HertfordshireHigh Sheriff of HertfordshireThe High Sheriff of Hertfordshire was an ancient High Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years...
in 1960.
- Brodie Henderson (engineer)Brodie Henderson (engineer)Sir Brodie Haldane Henderson was a British civil engineer. Henderson was primarily a railway engineer who worked for many railroad corporations across South America, Australasia and Africa. He was the consultant for the Dona Ana Bridge which, when it was built in 1935, was the longest railway...
, (1869 – 1936), was in charge of railway lines used to transport Allied troops and supplies during the First World War and worked for many railroad corporations across South America, Australasia and Africa. He was High Sheriff of HertfordshireHigh Sheriff of HertfordshireThe High Sheriff of Hertfordshire was an ancient High Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years...
in 1924.
- George MeritonGeorge MeritonGeorge Meriton was an English churchman, Dean of Peterborough in 1612 and Dean of York in 1617.-Life:He was born in Hertfordshire, probably at Braughing. His father was a tenant of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, who inherited estates in Hertfordshire from his mother, and Meriton himself was...
(born in Braughing, circa 1564 and died 1624) was a churchman who became Dean of Peterborough in 1612 and Dean of York in 1617.
- Ivor Spencer-ThomasIvor Spencer-ThomasIvor Spencer-Thomas was an inveterate inventor and improviser, in the forefront of developing agriculture and market gardening as a commercial enterprise...
, an agricultural inventor and entrepreneur, who lived and farmed in Braughing from 1934 until 1973, made a major impact on the prosperity and working practices in the village during the economic depression of the 1930s.
- Owen Spencer-ThomasOwen Spencer-ThomasOwen Robert Spencer-Thomas MBE is perhaps best known as a television and radio news journalist over three decades, but he has also undertaken a wide range of philanthropric work as volunteer charity fundraiser, pioneer and campaigner for people with autism and other disabilities...
, (born in Braughing in 1940) was a television and radio news journalist, pioneer and campaigner for disabled people.
- Charles Ward (born in Braughing in 1875) was an English cricketer. He died in 1954.
- Matthew Wall had a brush with death on 2 October 1571, when pallbearers, believing him to be dead, dropped his coffin on the way to his funeral and woke him up.
- Sally WentworthSally WentworthSally Wentworth was the pseudonym used by Doreen Hornsblow , a British romance writer of 70 romance novels in Mills & Boon's from 1977 to 1999.-Personal life:Doreen and her husband, Donald had a son, Keith...
, the pseudonym used by Doreen Hornsblow (1930s –2001), was a romantic novelist and writer of seventy novels in Mills & Boon's from 1977 to 1999.