Bretby
Encyclopedia
Bretby is a village in the south of Derbyshire
, England, north of Swadlincote
and east of Burton upon Trent
, on the border between Derbyshire and Staffordshire
. The name means "dwelling place of Britons". There is a secondary settlement known as Stanhope Bretby - this was the site of a colliery.
This manor (Bretebi) was in the Domesday Book
in 1086. Under the title of “The land of the King (in Derbyshire” it said:
In 1209, Ranulph de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester
granted the manor of Bretby to Stephen de Segrave
who built a church and a mansion there. There was also Bretby Castle which was destroyed during the reign of King James I of England
to make way for the construction of Bretby Hall.
In 1585, Thomas Stanhope bought the manor house which was known as Bretby Hall
and from then on was the home of the Earls of Chesterfield
. This house had a formal garden that rivalled the garden of Versailles in the 1640s. Lord Carnarvon sold the property in the 1920s to pay for the Tutankanhem expedition.
The school building is a grade 2 listed building.
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England, north of Swadlincote
Swadlincote
Swadlincote is a town and unparished area in South Derbyshire, about southeast of Burton-upon-Trent and about south of Derby. It is the main town of South Derbyshire and the seat of South Derbyshire District Council....
and east of Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
, on the border between Derbyshire and Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. The name means "dwelling place of Britons". There is a secondary settlement known as Stanhope Bretby - this was the site of a colliery.
History
Bretby is believed to be the site of a major battle between the Danes and kingdom of Mercia in AD880.This manor (Bretebi) was 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...
in 1086. Under the title of “The land of the King (in Derbyshire” it said:
In Newton SolneyNewton SolneyNewton Solney is a small village in South Derbyshire, England, located about two miles from the East Staffordshire border, near to Burton upon Trent...
and Bretby Ælfgar had seven carucates of land to the geld. There is land for six ploughs. There the king has one plough and nineteen villans and one bordar with five ploughs. There are 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of meadow, woodland pasture two leagues long and three furlongs broad. TRE as now worth one hundred shillings.
In 1209, Ranulph de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester
Ranulph de Blondeville, 4th Earl of Chester
Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester and 1st Earl of Lincoln , known in some references as the 4th Earl of Chester , was one of the "old school" of Anglo-Norman barons whose loyalty to the Angevin dynasty was consistent but contingent on the receipt of lucrative favours...
granted the manor of Bretby to Stephen de Segrave
Stephen de Segrave
Stephen de Segrave was a medieval Chief Justiciar of England.-Life:...
who built a church and a mansion there. There was also Bretby Castle which was destroyed during the reign of King James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
to make way for the construction of Bretby Hall.
In 1585, Thomas Stanhope bought the manor house which was known as Bretby Hall
Bretby Hall
Bretby Hall is a country house at Bretby, Derbyshire, England, north of Swadlincote and east of Burton upon Trent on the border with Staffordshire. It is a Grade II* listed building...
and from then on was the home of the Earls of Chesterfield
Earl of Chesterfield
Earls of Chesterfield, in the County of Derby, was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for Philip Stanhope, 1st Baron Stanhope. He had already been created Baron Stanhope, of Shelford in the County of Nottingham, in 1616, also in the Peerage of England. Stanhope's youngest son...
. This house had a formal garden that rivalled the garden of Versailles in the 1640s. Lord Carnarvon sold the property in the 1920s to pay for the Tutankanhem expedition.
Today
Today the village is centred by a village green. Overlooking the green is a residential house which records that it was called 'Bradby School' when it was built. A stone records "BRADBY SCHOOL/OPENED FOR THE ADMISSION OF SCHOLARS/OCTOBER 20th 1806."The school building is a grade 2 listed building.
Notable residents
- Major General Frank RobertsFrank Crowther RobertsMajor-General Frank Crowther Roberts VC DSO OBE MC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.Roberts was educated at St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate and the...
DSO MM OBE died in Stanhope Bretby in 1982. He was awarded the VCVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
medal in 1918. - Actor, director and musician Paddy ConsidinePaddy ConsidinePatrick George "Paddy" Considine is an English actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, musician and frequent collaborator with Shane Meadows. Best known to audiences for his portrayals of dark, troubled, morally or mentally ambiguous characters...
had an apartment at Bretby HallBretby HallBretby Hall is a country house at Bretby, Derbyshire, England, north of Swadlincote and east of Burton upon Trent on the border with Staffordshire. It is a Grade II* listed building...
until 2007.