BREMILHAM
Bremilham, (fn. 1) which in 1731 consisted of a main
part 3 km. WSW. of Malmesbury and of five
detached portions, was one of the smallest of Wiltshire parishes. In 1731 it measured, excluding
roads, water, and waste, c. 440 a. Three of the
detached portions, Brokenborough field and two
fields called Hankerton Corner, a total of 97 a.,
were virtually encompassed by Brokenborough;
the other two, New leaze, 5 a. SSE. of Brokenborough field, and 8 a. called the Light in the
19th century were encompassed by Westport parish, and the Light was very near Malmesbury.
About 1840 New leaze was considered part of
Westport, but a field of 2 a. north of Brokenborough village and encompassed by Brokenborough
parish was considered part of Bremilham. (fn. 2) In 1871
Bremilham parish was c. 458 a. (fn. 3)
The main part of the parish was separated from
Brokenborough to the north by the Sherston
branch of the Bristol Avon. That river was a
boundary c. 1100 marking the southern edge of
Malmesbury abbey's estate called Brokenborough, (fn. 4) which Bremilham was thus apparently
outside. A tributary of the Avon was part of Bremilham's boundary with Foxley to the west. (fn. 5) To
the south Bremilham parish adjoined Malmesbury
common: the boundary between them had possibly been made by the early 13th century when
the lord of Bremilham manor had hedges apparently marking his boundaries to the south. (fn. 6) A
grant of Bremilham's tithes in 1179 (fn. 7) either reflected or led to its status as a parish. The detached
portions presumably joined the parish because
they and their tithes belonged to the lord of Bremilham manor. (fn. 8) In the early 13th century the lord
of that manor had land and pasture rights apparently north of the Avon, (fn. 9) which may have led
to a later lord's ownership of the detached portions; the lord of the manor owned them in the
17th century. (fn. 10) The parish was dissolved in 1884.
Four detached portions were added to Brokenborough, the fifth to Westport; the main part was
added to Foxley parish (fn. 11) and, as part of that, was
added to Norton parish in 1934. (fn. 12) From the 16th
century the principal farm in Bremilham parish
was called Cowage. (fn. 13) That name became an alternative name for the parish, (fn. 14) and after the parish
was dissolved the name Bremilham was little used.
The main part of the parish made an arc mostly
south of a southwards bend of the Avon. Two
tributaries cross it from west to east, the southern
being the stream which separated Foxley and
Bremilham. It is nearly flat, below 76 m. beside
the Avon. Kellaways Clay outcrops in the slightly
higher southern part, Cornbrash nearer the Avon.
In a small area in the north-west corner more Kellaways Clay outcrops, there partly covered by sand
and gravel. The Avon and both the tributaries have
exposed narrow bands of clay of the Forest Marble
and deposited alluvium. (fn. 15) Bremilham had much
meadow for so small a parish. Its other land is
suitable for arable and pasture. In the 17th and
18th centuries the Cornbrash was favoured for
arable, the Kellaways Clay for pasture. Cowage
Grove, 11 a. in the south-west corner, is apparently ancient woodland. (fn. 16)
The east—west Malmesbury—Sherston road
through Foxley crosses the former parish: it was
part of the main Oxford—Bristol road in the late
17th century (fn. 17) but was superseded in importance
by a road north of the parish turnpiked in 1756. (fn. 18)
So small a parish had few inhabitants, although
in 1377 the number of poll-tax payers, 31, was
higher than that for either Foxley or Norton. (fn. 19)
From the 16th century or earlier there was apparently no more than a single farm in the parish, (fn. 20)
and in 1811 there were only 14 inhabitants. (fn. 21) By
1841 the number had risen to 47, of whom 14
lived at the Light. (fn. 22) The population had fallen
to 25 by 1881, but in 1891 the main part of the
former parish had 27 inhabitants, the Light 17. (fn. 23)
Earliest settlement in the parish may have been
in the timber buildings, short distances east and
south of the present Cowage Farm, revealed by
air photography in 1975 and afterwards partly
excavated. Among the eastern buildings one,
apparently apsidal, was possibly a church. (fn. 24) Bremilham church had apparently been built on its
present site on the Cornbrash between the Avon
and the southern tributary by the late 12th or the
late 13th century. (fn. 25) Its proximity to the house and
buildings of Cowage, formerly Bremilham, Farm,
suggests that it was built when there was already
a farmstead on the site, and the sites of earlier
settlement had presumably been deserted by the
time that church was built. In 1731 the church
and those of Cowage Farm were the only buildings
in the main part of the parish. Cowage Farm is
an 18th-century L-shaped farmhouse which was
altered and extended in the 19th century. It apparently replaced a larger house which was standing
in 1731. (fn. 26) The extensive farm buildings include
a large barn, which may also be 18th-century, and
an enclosed stockyard. North of them the Avon
is crossed by an 18th-century three-arched stone
bridge. A pair of cottages was built at the east
corner of Cowage Grove between, 1773 and 1828: (fn. 27)
it was demolished between 1921 and 1956. (fn. 28)
Another pair was built beside the Malmesbury–
Sherston road near Cowage Farm between 1885
and 1897, (fn. 29) and another pair beside them c. 1945. (fn. 30)
On the detached parts of the parish there were
buildings only at the Light on the edge of Malmesbury. Most of the Light was bounded to the north
by the Malmesbury—Sherston turnpike road. It
was crossed by the lane called Dark Lane in 1987. (fn. 31)
A messuage may have stood there in
1699. (fn. 32) A dwelling house there in 1731 stood on
the south side of the Malmesbury—Sherston road. (fn. 33)
Buildings south of Dark Lane were used
for tanning in the 18th and 19th centuries and
incorporated a dwelling house. (fn. 34) By 1884 a few
other buildings had been erected on the land,
including, north of the Malmesbury—Sherston
road, a school for Westport and Malmesbury parishes; (fn. 35) after 1884, as part of the built-up area
of Malmesbury, more of the land was used for
housing and commerce and some for quarrying
stone. (fn. 36) The dwelling house standing in 1731,
later called the Light, was replaced by or incorporated in a much larger house in the later 19th century. In 1987 that house was used as a nursing
home. Few of the tannery buildings survive.
Manor.
Malmesbury abbey claimed to have
held BREMILHAM before the Conquest as part
of its estate called Brokenborough, and very likely
did so. Bremilham was apparently the 2 hides of
its land, granted to one of its knights after 1066,
which were held by William in 1086. (fn. 37) The abbey
was overlord until the Dissolution. (fn. 38)
Bremilham may have belonged to Miles of
Dauntsey in the mid 12th century. It passed from
Miles's son Miles to the younger Miles's son
Richard, to Richard's son Matthew of Bremilham
(fl. 1199–1208), and to Matthew's son Richard
of Bremilham (d. s.p. before 1249). (fn. 39) In 1249
Agnes, daughter of another Richard of Bremilham, conveyed the estate to Roger Dauntsey, (fn. 40)
the grandson of the younger Miles Dauntsey; (fn. 41)
Agnes was presumably Matthew's sister and
Roger's cousin. In 1257 Bremilham was conveyed
to Roger's brother Gilbert (d. by 1282) for life
and, if another brother Richard (d. by 1275) survived Gilbert, to Richard in tail. (fn. 42) Until 1656 Bremilham belonged to the owners of Dauntsey. (fn. 43)
It was held by Richard's son Richard (fl. 1292),
Sir Richard Dauntsey (fl. 1349), Sir John Dauntsey (fn. 44) (d. 1391), Sir John Dauntsey (d. 1405), and
Sir Walter Dauntsey (fn. 45) (d. 1420), passed to
Walter's sister Joan (d. 1457), (fn. 46) her son Edmund
Stradling (d. 1461), John Stradling (fn. 47) (d. 1471),
and, presumably, Edward Stradling (d. 1487) and
Anne Stradling (d. 1539), wife of Sir John
Danvers, and was held by Silvester Danvers (d.
1551), (fn. 48) Sir John Danvers (d. 1594), and Sir
John's relict Elizabeth (d. 1630), wife of Sir
Edward Carey. (fn. 49) By 1625 Bremilham had passed
to Sir John's son Henry, (fn. 50) from 1626 earl of
Danby (d. 1644), (fn. 51) and in 1628 was settled on
the marriage of Henry's brother Sir John
Danvers (fn. 52) (d. 1655), a regicide. (fn. 53) In 1656 Sir
John's trustees sold it to Thomas Estcourt, (fn. 54)
knighted in 1661, (fn. 55) of Sherston Pinkney. (fn. 56)
Estcourt (d. 1683) (fn. 57) in 1669 settled Bremilham
on his marriage with Anne Kirkham. (fn. 58) It passed
to their son William (fn. 59) (d. 1727) and to William's
son Charles, who in 1731 sold it to Robert Holford,
a master in Chancery. (fn. 60) Holford (d. 1753) (fn. 61) was
succeeded in turn by his son Peter (d. 1803) and
Peter's son Robert (d. 1838), each also a master
in Chancery: Robert's heir was his brother George
(d. 1839), who was succeeded in turn by his son
R. S. Holford (d. 1892) and R. S. Holford's son
Sir George Holford. (fn. 62) In 1897 the manor was
called the Cowage estate and consisted of 459 a.,
nearly all the old Bremilham parish and 49 a. of
adjoining land in Brokenborough and Westport
parishes. (fn. 63) Sir George Holford sold the estate in
1915 to Tom Rich, who in 1928 sold 137 a. north
of the Avon and in 1942 sold Cowage farm to
Mrs. D. Hartman. In 1950 Mrs. Hartman sold
the farm to H. I. Coriat, and in 1955 Coriat sold
it to Mr. W. L. Collins who owned it in partnership
with Mr. K. L. Collins in 1987. (fn. 64)
Economic History.
In the early 13th century villeins may have cultivated some Bremilham
land, but most was apparently demesne. Richard
of Bremilham, then lord of Bremilham manor, and
Malmesbury abbey agreed to change, or to confirm
new, agrarian practices on the open fields of
Brokenborough and of Burton Hill in Malmesbury
parish. Men of Corston and Rodbourne were given
a right of way over Bremilham land, but it seems
that none but Richard and his villeins might cultivate it or keep animals on it. They, on the other
hand, retained pasture rights on temporarily
inclosed arable apparently north of the Avon and
on land tilled by the men of Corston and Rodbourne, and Richard was granted wood each year
from Hyam wood and elsewhere. (fn. 65)
There is no later evidence of villeins or customary tenants at Bremilham, and Bremilham farm,
later called Cowage farm, was apparently the only
farm in the 16th century. (fn. 66) In the early 17th century it was leased for years on lives and sublet.
In 1647 it consisted of nearly all the main part
of the parish, the farmhouse and farm buildings,
68 a. of arable, c. 52 a. of meadow, and 138 a.
of pasture, and of 84 a., arable and pasture, of
the detached lands. (fn. 67) The farm was possibly in
hand while William Estcourt lived in Bremilham
in the early 18th centurv, but from 1716 to 1915
was held by tenant farmers. (fn. 68) In 1731 Cowage
farm measured 402 a., 144 a. of arable, 43 a. of
meadow, and 215 a. of pasture: it included the
detached parts of the parish called Brokenborough
field and New leaze, a total of 84 a., all pasture,
and 318 a. in the main part of the parish. Cowage
Grove, 11 a., and the detached lands called Hankerton Corner, 10 a. of arable and 8 a. of pasture,
were not part of the farm. (fn. 69) In 1739 c. 7 a. in
Westport parish were added to the farm, (fn. 70) which
they adjoined, (fn. 71) and later c. 64 a. in Brokenborough north and south of Brokenborough field
were added to extend the farm north to the
Malmesbury—Sherston road. (fn. 72)
About 1839 Bremilham parish included c. 141
a. of arable, c. 269 a. of grassland, and 20 a. of
woodland, of which a total of 389 a. was in Cowage
farm. (fn. 73) In 1867 there were less than 100 a. of
arable in the parish: cows, pigs, and particularly
sheep were kept. (fn. 74) Cowage farm was 459 a. in
1897 when it included a total of 80 a. in Brokenborough and Westport parishes: it included only
71 a. of arable. (fn. 75) It was worked with land in Foxley
in the earlier 20th century (fn. 76) when sheep and cows
were kept on it. From 1928 it was a farm of 323
a. south of the Avon, nearly all the main part of
the old Bremilham parish. Between 1942 and 1955
the farm was used first for dairying, later for tillage. From 1955 to 1984 it was a pig, beef, and
arable farm, from 1984 beef and arable. (fn. 77) A brick
kiln stood in the east part of the old parish in the
late 19th century. (fn. 78)
The Light, the detached land near Malmesbury,
was held by members of the Lyne family, tanners,
from 1730 or earlier. (fn. 79) A tannery stood on it in
1731. (fn. 80) In 1815 the tannery incorporated a bark
mill, a tanyard, drying sheds, a leather house, and
a counting house. (fn. 81) Matthew Thompson tanned
there from 1848 or earlier to the 1880s when it
was apparently closed. (fn. 82)
Local Government.
There is no record
of a court of Bremilham manor, and, because it
was so small, there was little government of the
parish by itself in the 18th century. In 1724 the
tenant of Cowage farm was expected to do in
Bremilham what churchwardens, overseers of the
poor, surveyors of highways, and tithingmen
would do elsewhere. (fn. 83) Between 1775–6 and
1835–6 expenditure on the poor varied from £10
in 1775–6 to £65 in 1823–4. Occasionally the
figures seem high for so small a parish: several
times they exceeded those of Bremilham's larger
neighbour Foxley. In 1802–3 and 1814–15 three
adults were relieved permanently. The parish
joined Malmesbury poor-law union in 1835, (fn. 84) and
became part of North Wiltshire district in 1974. (fn. 85)
Church.
An early apsidal church may have
stood at Bremilham. (fn. 86) It is likely that a church
stood there in 1179 when Amesbury priory was
granted the tithes of Bremilham, (fn. 87) and from then
the priory possibly had the duty to provide chaplains to serve it. Although re-issues of the charter
confirmed the grant to Amesbury priory, (fn. 88) in 1298
the lord of Bremilham manor held the advowson,
there was a rector, (fn. 89) and, as he was later, the rector
was almost certainly entitled to the tithes of the
parish. In 1298 and the 14th century the use of
the word chapel to describe Bremilham church (fn. 90)
perhaps looks back to the earlier arrangements to
serve it. The living remained a rectory. Under
agreements of 1873 between the ordinary and the
owner of Cowage farm and between the owner
of Cowage farm, the patron of Foxley, and the
patron of Bremilham, and by an Order in Council
of 1874, Bremilham church became a mortuary
chapel and in 1893, when the rector of Foxley was
appointed rector of Bremilham, Foxley and
Bremilham rectories were united. (fn. 91) Bremilham
churchyard was last used for a burial in 1904. (fn. 92)
The united benefice was united with the benefice
of Sherston Magna with Easton Grey and Luckington with Alderton in 1986. Bremilham was to
remain a separate parish under the Order in Council of 1874, but in 1986 Foxley with Bremilham
was considered one parish. (fn. 93)
The advowson of Bremilham belonged to the
lords of the manor from 1298 or earlier to 1629. (fn. 94)
In 1406 the king presented because Walter
Dauntsey was his ward, but his candidate was
denied admittance because there was an incumbent rector. The king presented, successfully, for
the same reason in 1411. (fn. 95) In 1417 and 1420 feoffees presented, in 1430 and 1433 Joan Dauntsey's
husband Sir John Stradling presented, in 1439,
1444, and 1445 her husband John Dewale presented, and in 1465 Edmund Stradling's relict
Elizabeth and her husband William Lygon
presented. (fn. 96) The Crown presented in 1559, possibly by lapse, (fn. 97) and in 1594, (fn. 98) again possibly by
lapse. From Henry, earl of Danby (d. 1644), the
advowson passed to his nephew Henry, son of Sir
John Danvers (d. 1655). It was among estates settled by Henry (d. 1654) to pay his father's debts
and the Crown took it from, and returned it to,
Henry Danvers's trustees in 1661 when Sir John
Danvers was attainted. (fn. 99) The trustees presented
in 1666 and 1675, and in 1681 Sir Thomas Estcourt, lord of Bremilham manor, presented, presumably by grant of a turn. (fn. 100) The advowson passed
to Henry Danvers's niece Anne (fn. 101) (d. s.p. 1685),
wife of Thomas Wharton (d. 1715) who, as Baron
Wharton, presented in 1703 and, as earl of Wharton, in 1713. (fn. 102) In 1729 it was presumably among
the estates forfeited for treason by Thomas's son
Philip, duke of Wharton. (fn. 103) It was acquired, presumably by purchase with other of Wharton's possessions in 1743, by Sir John Rushout, Bt., who
presented in 1760. Rushout was succeeded as
owner by his son Sir John Rushout, Bt. (cr. Baron
Northwick 1797, d. 1800), whose relict Rebecca
presented in 1804 and son the Revd. George Rushout-Bowles presented in 1838, 1839, and 1840. (fn. 104)
The advowson apparently passed with the Northwick title to Northwick's son John, Baron Northwick (d. 1859), and to George's son George, Baron
Northwick (d. s.p.s. 1887). That last Northwick's
relict Elizabeth, Baroness Northwick (d. 1912),
presented in 1893 and afterwards had the right
to present at the second, and thereafter at every
third, vacancy of the united benefice. (fn. 105) No later
presentation by that right is known, and at those
turns, in 1946 and 1963, the university of Oxford
and the Crown presented respectively. (fn. 106) No representative of Lady Northwick was apparently on
the board of patronage set up in 1986 for the benefice of Sherston Magna, Easton Grey, Luckington, Alderton and Foxley with Bremilham. (fn. 107)
Valuations at £4 2s. in 1535, (fn. 108) c. £3 c. 1561, (fn. 109)
and c. £16 in 1649 (fn. 110) show the living to have been
no richer than might be expected from the smallness of the parish. In 1766 it was augmented by
lot with £200 from Queen Anne's Bounty. (fn. 111)
Further augmentations by lot in 1807 and 1812
were set aside in, respectively, 1808 and 1813. (fn. 112)
The income of £121 c. 1830 was low, but the parish
was very small and the curate's stipend no more
than £25. (fn. 113) In 1704 the rector was entitled to all
tithes from the whole parish. The augmentation
of 1766 was apparently used to buy tithes arising
from land in Brokenborough parish: the rector
owned such tithes in 1786 when all his tithes were
worth c. £23. (fn. 114) The tithes from Brokenborough,
valued at £34, were commuted in 1840, those from
Bremilham, at £106, in 1841. (fn. 115) The rector claimed
c. 1561 that he was being deprived of the glebe
by the tenant of Bremilham farm who had held
it by lease for 24 years, in 16 of which there had
been no incumbent. (fn. 116) There was no glebe in 1704
or later. (fn. 117)
No rector is known to have lived in the parish,
and few held the living for life. Richard le Dean,
presented in 1298, was licensed to study for three
years. (fn. 118) Between 1411 and 1445 incumbencies
averaged three years. (fn. 119) William Clarke, rector
1465–1514, (fn. 120) was in 1478 licensed to hold another
benefice. (fn. 121) From c. 1543 to 1559 none would
accept the rectory because it was so poor. (fn. 122) From
1595 most rectors were pluralists: Richard Jeane,
rector 1595–1627, was rector of Foxley; (fn. 123) Edward
Bridges, rector 1627–66, was rector of North
Wraxall and vicar of Seagry (fn. 124) and preached at Bremilham four times a year; (fn. 125) John Stumpe, rector
1675–81, was rector of Foxley and vicar of Norton; (fn. 126) Edmund Wayte, rector 1681–1703, (fn. 127) was
vicar of Norton and rector of Great Somerford
where he lived; (fn. 128) John Harris, rector 1703–13, (fn. 129)
was vicar of Norton and rector of Easton Grey; (fn. 130)
Simon Crook, rector 1729–60, was rector of Foxley. (fn. 131) Daniel Freer, rector 1760–93, (fn. 132) was described to the bishop as a madman: (fn. 133) in 1783 he
held no other cure and held a weekly service in
the church. There was then no surplice, no plate,
and no register, and communion had been celebrated only once since 1760. Freer was in conflict
with his principal parishioner, John Bennett, the
tenant of Cowage farm, whose farm buildings were
very near the church. Bennett would not attend
services and Freer complained that he 'made a
pigsty' of the rectory house: (fn. 134) since no rector is
known to have been resident and Freer lived in
Westport the claim perhaps justifies the description of Freer. John Britton commented that the
tenant of Cowage farm was inconvenienced
because his landlord did not own the advowson
and c. 1801 recorded monthly services. (fn. 135) John
Nicholas, rector 1804–36, was vicar of Westport
and rector of Fisherton Anger (fn. 136) and during his
incumbency curates usually took monthly services
at Bremilham. (fn. 137) A congregation of 35 attended
the service held on Census Sunday in 1851. (fn. 138) From
1899 to 1946 the united benefice of Foxley with
Bremilham was held with Norton vicarage, from
1951 to 1983 with the vicarage of Corston with
Rodbourne. (fn. 139)
Bremilham church was undedicated. In 1731
and 1809 it consisted of a nave 25 ft. by 13 ft.
and a chancel 13 ft. by 11 ft.: the side walls were
10 ft. high. (fn. 140) In 1809 it had a western timber
bellcot, the chancel had two 13th-century lancet
windows in the south wall, and the nave had a
round-headed south doorway and 16th-century
windows in the south and west walls. (fn. 141) Between
1839 and 1886, (fn. 142) presumably c. 1874, the church
was demolished and a small chapel with a western
bellcot was built on the site of the chancel. Under
the agreements of 1873 which led to its closure
Cowage farm was charged with the maintenance
of the chapel. (fn. 143)
At the single communion service held between
1760 and 1783 Foxley's plate was used. (fn. 144) Bremilham had a chalice and two patens in the earlier
20th century. (fn. 145) The single bell, cast by Roger
Purdue at Bristol in 1677, was hung in Foxley
church after 1874, possibly in 1923, and Foxley's
bell, which was cracked, was placed in Bremilham
mortuary chapel. (fn. 146) The oldest register to survive
begins in 1814. (fn. 147) Transcripts of the 17th and 18th
centuries show that in many years there was no
burial, marriage, or christening in the church. (fn. 148)
Nonconformity.
William Estcourt, lord of
Bremilham manor 1683–1727, lived at Cowage
Farm until 1723–4 (fn. 149) and was a Roman Catholic. (fn. 150)
The tenant of Cowage farm would not attend
church in the late 18th century, (fn. 151) but there is no
evidence of formal protestant nonconformity in the
parish.
Education.
In 1858 a school for 16 children
of Bremilham and Foxley was being held in a cottage beside Cowage Grove by a woman who lived
in Norton. (fn. 152) It may have been closed in the 1880s,
when a school was held in Foxley, or in 1894 when
a new Foxley school was built. (fn. 153) The Malmesbury
and Westport school at the Light was built c.
1850. (fn. 154)
Charity for the Poor.
None known.