| 13th Century | Font in church (kes47) |
| c.1222-1251 | Bridge built at Brandon. The Ely Coucher Book (1251) records the 15 "bridgemen" responsible for the bridge's upkeep. |
| 1327 | Number of taxpayers - 39 (paid £4. 13s. 10d.) |
| 1344 | The abbot of Bury St Edmunds received 3s 4d from Brandon because false weights and measures had been found there. (BMR1380) |
| 1345 | Brandon constables "arrested a felon at neighbouring Elveden, and took him to Brandon. There nine Brandon men .. John FELLYS, Stephen the Clerk, John GYBON, John STYWARD, John CHAPMAN, Simon TALIOR, John WATERMAN, John MILLER and William LE DEYE took the felon out of the constables' hands and carried him off to the bishop of Ely's gaol at Dereham in Norfolk" The king's court later found this action to have been illegal and the men had to " bind themselves in £30 not to repeat their illegality, and they also paid the abbot £10 in two equal instalments as compensation". (BMR1380) |
| 1385-6 | Reginald CHAPMAN, a local man, appointed "collector of the king's fifteenths" by the lord of the manor, the Bishop of Ely (BMR1380) |
| - | There were 88 "householders" in Brandon (BMR1380) |
| 1420 | Church had assumed form and dimensions of 1870s (wsd74) |
| 1445 | Simon EYRE becomes Mayor of London (wsd44) The son of draper John Eyre, Simon was born in Brandon in about 1395. After serving as an apprentice upholder he then underwent further training to become a journeyman draper.
In 1418 he married Kathleen Millington, daughter of John Millington, a brewer and was admitted a freeman of the Draper's company a year later at the age of 24. |
| He was made Sheriff in 1443 and a year later became an alderman and was instrumental in the financing of the Leaden Hall city granary. He became Mayor of London in 1445
He died on 18th September 1459 and is buried in the church of St. Mary Woolnorth, Lombard Street, London. In his will he left a remarkable 5000 marks for charitable uses. |
| - | Bishop William instructed his bailiff, John Pepper to install John Herryman in the hermitage on Brandon Bridge. He succeeded Richard Paskelowe (deceased) and it was his duty to carry out the priest's role in the bridge's own chapel of the Blessed Virgin. |
| 16th Century | Screen at church (kes47) |
| 1500-1549 | Occupations - 1 smith, 1 mercer |
| 1514-1551 | BRANDONs Dukes of Suffolk (wsd44) |
| 1550-1599 | Occupations - 1 shoemaker, 7 husbandmen, 1 carpenter, 2 yeomen, 1 blacksmith, 1 tallow chandler, 1 draper, 2 beer brewers, 1 weaver, 2 shepherds, 2 labourers, 1 mercer, 1 ploughwright, 1 woollen draper |
| 1579 | Edmund ALMEARE "left £60 to the poor of Brandon, Foulden, Northwold, Feltwell, and Weeting, to be laid out in land, and the rent to be distributed in clothing in annual succession in each parish." (wsd44) |
| 1600-1649 | Occupations - 1 shoemaker, 1 baker, 1 inn holder, 7 husbandmen, 1 carpenter, 5 yeomen, 2 blacksmiths, 1 weaver, 1 clerk, 1 parish clerk, 1 shepherd, 1 labourer, 1 baker, 1 joiner, 1 bricklayer, 1 boatwright |
| 1624 | Stephen ASHWEL(L) bequeathed to the poor yearly rent-charge of 30s out of Maid's Head Close (wsd44) |
| 1643 | Thomas BA(R)KER "charged all his lands and messuages in Brandon with the yearly payment of two coombs of good barley, ready ground into meal, for distribution in equal moieties, among the poor of Brandon and Westrow." (wsd44) |
| 1645 | Charles GERARD created Baron Gerard of Brandon (wsd44) |
| 1645-7 | East Anglian Witch Hunt - Trials were held in Bury St Edmunds (abt. 17 miles away) and many "witches" were hanged - none from Brandon as far as I can tell. |
| 1646 | Bequest of £767 by Robert WRIGHT to found Free School (wsd44) |
| 1650-1699 | Occupations - 2 labourers, 4 yeomen, 1 clerk, 1 carpenter, 1 cordwainer, 2 millers, 1 weaver, 1 clerk, 1 shepherd, 3 labourers, 1 woolcomber, 2 bakers, 1 warrener, 1 knacker |
| 1664 | School House purchased with money from Robert WRIGHT's will (wsd44) |
| 1665 | The Great Plague - I have yet to research the impact this had on the people of Brandon but it is unlikely that any busy town enjoying trade connections with London and other major cities could have remained unaffected. |
| 1665-1670 | Years of great sandstorms which silted up the reiver between Brandon and Thetford |
| 1673 | A Brandon maltster by the name of William Brewster calls a meeting at the Ram Inn to raise money for the building of a workhouse. |
| 1674 | Inhabited houses - 85 (128 households) |
| 1675 | Ann CURTIS gives 5-room cottage & garden in trust for use of poor of Brandon (wsd44) |
| 1676 | Population - 400 adults |
| 1678 | Enclosure of the Small and High Fens (wsd44) |
| - | 5a. 2r. (5a. 3r. 15p. (wsd74))of marsh in Small Fen (High Fen (wsd74))bought with £80 given by Robert WRIGHT - let out and the rents distributed amongst the poor at Christmas (wsd44) |
| 1679 | Charles GERARD made Viscount Brandon and Earl of Macclesfield (wsd44) |
| 1702 | Death of Charles GERARD's 2nd son - titles become extinct (wsd44) |
| 1711 | Duke of Hamilton made Baron Dutton and Duke of Brandon by Queen Anne (wsd44) |
| 1772 | "Mrs
ANN WILDER of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk, and born in this Parish of
Brandon; has given the Yearly Sum of fifty Shillings for ever, to be paid upon
St. Thoss Day, for to keep in repair the Tombs of NICHOLAS DIGGON
Senr her Father, Margaret his Wife, her Mother and NICHOLAS DIGGON
Junr her brother: the overplus Money to be distributed to such poor
Widows who do not take the Parish Collection: as the Clergyman and Church
Wardens shall think proper objects: three Shillings to each Person. 1772" (Wooden notice board in St Peter's Church, Brandon) |
| 1789 | A devastating fire wipes out much of Ferry Street (B1789) |
| 1801 | Population 1148 (wsd44) |
| - | Inhabited houses - 201 |
| 1806 | Thomas BAKER'S "two coombs of barley meal" not paid out from this time - lands sold to J. J ANGERSTEIN, Esq. (wsd44) |
| 1807 | Enclosure Act (wsd44) |
| 1812 | Wesleyan Chapel built (wsd44) |
| 1816 | Bread riots in High Street |
| 1825 | The estates &c. belonging to the Free School conveyed to new trustees following expensive suit in Chancery (wsd44) |
| 1826 | Poor's Allotment (at Lingheath) let on 21 years lease at annual rent of £16 (wsd44) |
| - | Trustees of Poor's Allotment re-possessed 10.5a. of land at Feltwell when mortgagee fell into arrears (wsd44) |
| 1830 | Balance of £50 from rent of re-possessed land at Feltwell laid out in purchase of stock (wsd44) |
| - | Mausoleum at North Court Lodge erected by Thos. C. KENYON, Esq. (wsd74) |
| 1831 | Occupations - 54 in agriculture, 154 in retail trade, 60 in manufacturing, 24 professionals, 126 labourers, 28 in domestic service, 6 others |
| 1834 | Market Day changed from Friday to Thursday - held at Ram Inn (wsd74) |
| 1835 | Rectory valued at £584 (or £560 (wsd74))(including Wangford) (wsd44) |
| 1838 | Brandon gun flint company formed (wsd44) |
| 1838 | Primitive Methodist Chapel erected (wsd44) |
| 1840 | Curtis Almshouses rebuilt (wsd44) |
| 1841 | Population 2002 (wsd44) |
| 1842 | Chancel of St Peter's Church re-roofed (wsd44) |
| 1843 | Old workhouse converted into a National School (wsd44) |
| 1844 | Approx 200 people (mostly women) employed in fur trade (wsd44) |
| - | Occupations - 2 gun flint manufacturers. Furriers (dressing of rabbit skins), large steam saw mill, 3 whiting mills and a large brewery. Coachman, bookseller/stationer, music teacher, brewer/maltster, game dealer, gamekeeper, coach proprietor, 2 book-keepers, solicitor, poulterer, 3 lightermen, leather cutter, 2 surgeons, conveyancer, auctioneer, mason/bricklayer, old clothes dealer, travelling tea dealer, postman, china/glass dealer, timber merchant, excise officer, 6 fire and life officers, 10 publicans, 5 teachers, 6 bakers, 2 basket makers, 6 beerhouses, 5 blacksmiths, 9 boot/shoemakers, 2 butchers, 2 cabinet makers, 2 chemists, 3 coopers, 4 corn/coal merchants, 1 corn miller, 6 farmers, 1 brick kiln owner, 5 lime kiln owners, 7 furriers, 3 gardeners, 4 milliners, 2 painters/plumbers, 2 saddlers, 4 shopkeepers, 2 straw hat makers, 5 tailors, 2 watchmakers, 2 wheelwrights. |
| 1845 | Station on Great Eastern Line (Ely-Norwich) opened (wsd74) |
| 1851 | Inhabited houses - 473 |
| 1854 | Baptist Chapel built (wsd74) |
| 1868 | Gas Works erected (wsd74) |
| 1869 | Brandon lighted by gas (kelly1883) |
| 1870 | Elementary Education Act (wsd74) |
| 1871 | Population 2248 (wsd74) |
| - | Inhabited houses - 573 (Suffolk), 6 (Norfolk) |
| 1873 | New church roofs of higher pitch erected and buildig thoroughly restored inside and out. (wsd74) |
| - | School Board elected: "Rev. W F CROCKER (Chairman); Mssrs. C. W. GOODSON (vice-chairman); Edward BALDING, Wm OWLES and John WOOD; Mr. W. R. ROLFE is clerk" (wsd74) |
| - | National School premises let to the School Board for 3 years by rector, churchwardens and overseers. (wsd74) |
| 1874 | Approx 300 people (mostly women) employed in fur trade (wsd74) |
| - | St Peter's church in "the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. William Foord CROCKER, M.A. who has a good residence, and now receives a yearly rent-charge of £707 in lieu of tithes." (wsd74) |
| - | Baptist Chapel under ministry of Rev. J. SAGE (wsd74) |
| 1877 | Free Grammar School demolished |
| 1878 | Board School built on site of old Grammar School |
| 1891 | Population 2,334 (kelly1900) |
| 1897 | Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee - In Brandon a commemorative avenue of lime trees is planted along the path known as Church Walk - now Victoria Avenue |  |
| 1901 | Inhabited houses - 514 |
| 1912 | Occupations - Dressing of hare and rabbit skins (used for felt and hat making, size and glue manufacture)
Trade in malt and timber
Flint (ornamental purposes) and gun-flint
Whiting mills, extensive steam saw mill
Sub-postmaster, public offices, station master, bootmaker, 3 fishmongers, 2 banks, professor of music, painter, 2 photographers, 8 publicans, scoutmaster, 3 coal merchants, town crier, 2 hairdressers, millwright, 7 grocers, pork butcher, organist, draper, 3 bakers, 3 apartment house owners, 4 hotel owners, 3 insurance agents, confectioner, fancy repository, 2 farmers, 2 watchmakers, 2 harness makers, chimney sweep, gamekeeper, 5 boot/shoemakers, 3 hatter/furrier/skin merchants, tailor, 6 beer retailers, tobacconist, 2 builders, 3 butchers, game dealer, 2 laundresses, printer, monumental mason, drill instructor, motor car depot, corn merchant, chemist, 2 shopkeepers, outfitter, 3 gardeners, 2 nurserymen, cycle agent, police officer, winemerchant, whiting manufacturer, dairyman, plumber/painter, dressmaker, steam threshing machine owner, carpenter/undertaker, newsagent, gun flint maker, milliner, Gas & Oil Engine Co., wheelwright, 2 carters, blacksmith/wheelwright, timber merchant, solicitor, ironmonger, greengrocer. |
| 1922 | The Forestry Commission begins aforestation of the area around Brandon |
| 1950's | GLC Overspill |
| 1960's-1970's | Industrial Estates built |
| July 19th 2002 | After more than 300 years of continuous educational use on one site the Forest County Primary school, Market Hill Brandon will move out of the 1878 building and into a new one built onto the side of the old infants school within its grounds. Plans are underway to transform the old school building and adjacent car park area into a community resource centre of some kind.
|
Sources:-
kelly1883 = Kelly's Directory For Suffolk 1883
kelly1900 = Kelly's Directory For Suffolk 1900
kes47 = The King's England, Suffolk, Ed. Arthur Mee, 1947
wsd44 = White's Suffolk Directory 1844
wsd74 = White's Suffolk Directory 1874
B1789 = Brandon 1789 - a village fire
BMR1380 = Brandon Manor Rolls of the 1380's
|
