Historical Record of the Village
The Suffolk Historic Environment Record made a record called of the parishes of Suffolk called "A Survey of Suffolk Parish History". It was researched by Wendy Goult in the late 1980s and first published in 1990. The Survey of Suffolk Parish History summarised in a standard form the history of each parish in the county compiled from a variety of printed sources. In doing so it touches upon every part of local history including administration, landscape, social, religious and economic characteristics, and covers a time span from the earliest archaeology to modern times.
The record for Great Bradley is shown and can be downloaded below. For the full collection go to
https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/parish-histories
The record for Great Bradley is shown and can be downloaded below. For the full collection go to
https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/parish-histories
| Great Bradley Archaelogical Report |
Parish: Great Bradley
Meaning: Wide clearing
2. Hundred: Risbridge
Deanery: Clare (–1884), Thurlow (1884–1916),
Newmarket (1916–1972), Clare (1972–)
Union: Risbridge
RDC/UDC: (W Suffolk) Clare (–1974), St Edmundsbury DC (1974–)
Other administrative details:
Risbridge Petty Sessional Division
Haverhill County Court District
3. Area: 2,340 acres (1912)
4. Soils:
Mixed:
a. Slowly permeable calcareous/non-calcareous soils, slight risk water erosion
b. Deep well drained fine loam, coarse loam and sand soils, locally flinty and in places over gravel, slight risk water erosion
5. Types of farming:
1086 Bradley: 23 acres meadow, woodland for 500 pigs, 1 cob,
18 cattle, 53 pigs, 63 sheep, 7 goats, 1 beehive
1500–1640 Thirsk: Wood-pasture region, mainly pasture, meadow,
engaged in rearing and dairying with some pig-
keeping, horse breeding and poultry. Crops
mainly barley with some wheat, rye, oats, peas,
vetches, hops and occasionally hemp.
Also has similarities with sheep-corn region where
sheep are main fertilizing agent, bred for fattening,
barley main cash crop.
1818 Marshall: Wide variations of crop and management techniques
including summer fallow in preparation for corn and
rotation of turnip, barley, clover, what on lighter lands.
1937 Main crops: Wheat, barley, oats, beans, peas, roots, sugar beet
1969 Trist: More intensive cereal growing and sugar beet.
Pig-keeping – major feature of parish (approximately
4,000 pigs).
Main crops: Wheat, barley, oil seed rape and field
beans.
6. Enclosure:
1815 508 acres enclosed under Private Acts of Lands 1811
7. Settlement:
1960 River Stour crosses parish W–S forming small part of eastern
boundary. Parish situated on border with Cambridgeshire which
forms western and part of northern boundaries.
Small but well spaced development. Church and hall slightly
separated from main settlement on Cowlinge Road. Secondary
settlements at Ever Green, East Green and Longacre Green.
Few scattered farms
Inhabited houses: 1674 – 25, 1801 – 52, 1851 – 110, 1871 – 93,
1901 – 62, 1951 – 69, 1981 – 115
8. Communications:
Roads: To Little Thurlow, Brinkley, Cowlinge, Kirtling, track to
Little Bradley
1912 Carrier from Haverhill daily
Water: River Stour: made navigable 1705, last barge to Dedham 1928
9. Population:
1086 – 57 recorded (includes Little Bradley)
1327 – 18 taxpayers paid £2 14s.
1524 – 10 recorded (membrane illegible)
1603 – 60 adults
1674 – 37 households
1676 – 37 adults
1755 – 273 inhabitants
1801 – 395 inhabitants
1831 – 527 inhabitants
1851 – 542 inhabitants
1871 – 455 inhabitants
1901 – 264 inhabitants
1931 – 189 inhabitants
1951 – 212 inhabitants
1971 – 262 inhabitants
1981 – 320 inhabitants
10. Benefice: Rectory
1254 Valued £10 13s. 4d.
1291 Valued £20
1535 Valued £17 1s. 5½d.
Parsonage house with barn, hayhouse, stable, cowhouse,
3 outhouses, orchard, gardens and yard – 1 acre 1R 1709
1831 1 curate, stipend £50 p.a. Glebe house unfit for occupation.
Gross income £426 p.a. Incumbent also holds Prebend in
Cathedral of Lincoln and the vicarage of Eye.
Value £407 1835
Tithes commuted for rent-charge of £626 10s, 52 acres glebe 1843
Value £560 1873
Rectory house built 1876, sold 1965
37 acres glebe. Rent charge of £641 12s. 2d p.a. 1887
1912 Net income £345. 42 acres glebe and residence
Patrons: John Buteturt, Knt (1316-1332) & (1344-1391), John de Hyde
(1400), John Beauchamp, Lord Bergavenny (1422),
Bartholomew Brokesby (1437), Robert Peyton (1576),
Penelope Dynham (1674), William Soame (1675),
Lord Dacre (1831), Trustees W J P Wilder (1873)
11. Church: St Mary
(Chancel, nave, S porch, W tower)
1086 Bradley: Church + 15 acres free land
Norman N & S doors
12th/13th cent.Walls and chancel arch
14th cent. Nave/chancel (east end shortened in 18th cent.) and tower
15th cent. S porch
1841 & 1864 Repairs
1864, 1896
& 1911 Restorations
Seats: 14 appropriated, 29 free (1873)
12. Nonconformity etc:
1676 1 nonconformist
13. Manorial:
Bradley:
1066 Manor of 7 carucates held by Ulf, a thane
1086 Manor of 7 carucates belonging to Robert of Tosney and held by
Robert
Great Bradley
1088 Held by Robert de Todeni, Lord of Belvoir Castle
12/13th cent. Some dispute as to ownership by the Bigot family
early 14th cent. Hugh de Lopham owns
1305 Granted to Sir John Boteturte
c.1390 Sir Hugh Burnell owns
c.1524 Bartholomew Brokesby owns
1609 Sir John Peyton (linked to Wixoe)
1764 Thomas Brand (Lords Dacre) owns
1851 Lordship, by Royal Licence, authorised to take surname and
Arms of Trevor
1909 2nd Viscount Hampden owns
14. Market/Fair:
1844 Formerly held fair on September 29th (obsolete by 1844)
15. Real Property:
1844 – £3,049 rental value
1891 – £3,300 rateable value
1912 – £1,439 rateable value
16. Land ownership:
1844 Land sub-divided
1891 St Johns College holds large portion of parish
1912 Viscount Hampden and St Johns College principal owners
17. Resident gentry:
1690 1 gent
1891 Rev J. Trafalgar MA
18. Occupations:
1550–1599 4 yeomen, 1 tailor
1600–1649 5 husbandmen, 2 spinsters, 1 labourer, 1 tailor, 12 yeomen,
1 joiner, 1 butcher
1650-1699 5 husbandmen, 4 spinsters, 2 labourers, 7 yeomen, 1 clerk,
1 blacksmith, 1 butcher
1831 104 in agriculture, 18 in retail trade, 3 in labouring,
11 in domestic service
1844 Wheelwright/victualler, cooper, joiner/builder, tailor, corn miller,
beerhousekeeper, shopkeeper, shoemaker, bricklayer,
blacksmith, 8 farmers, 2 corn merchants, brick and tile maker,
1912 Sub-postmistress, schoolmistress, 2 farm bailiffs, 6 farmers,
shopkeeper, 2 publicans, beer retailer, gardener
19. Education:
1818 1 Sunday school on National plan (42 attend)
1833 1 Sunday school (44 attend)
1891 National school, average attendance 40
1912 Public Elementary school, average attendance 49,
closed 1967. Children attend Thurlow VC school and
Haverhill Middle and Upper schools 1981
20. Poor relief:
1776 £164 7s. 4d.
1803 £281 18s. 9d.
1818 £971 4s.
1830 £585 3s.
1832 £578 13s.
1834 £479 9s.
21. Charities:
22. Other institutions:
Almshouse restored to occupation of 1 aged person 1907 having become
disused.
1912 Kennels for Newmarket and Thurlow fox hounds
Women’s Institute established 1934
Parish Council formed 1894
23. Recreation:
1844 Fox and Goose public house (16th cent. origins)
Beerhouse keeper
1891/1912 The Crown and The Fox public houses
Beer retailer
The Fox public house (by now the only public house in parish)
due to close 1987
24. Personal:
25. Other information:
Great Bradley Hall: built late 17/early 18th cent. with 19th cent. additions. Earlier hall said to have occupied moated site to rear of churchyard.
School converted into village hall, opened 1973.
Tower Mill: said to have built 1839, badly damaged during storm 1908
The miller, Josiah Nice, had spent all his savings on renovations (which were
almost complete when storm struck). The resulting additional cost of repair
was too much for him and he committed suicide. Mill was never used or occupied again.
Matthews Farm: built c.1686. Can be divided into 4 sections:
a. the barn, b. the Primitive Methodist chapel, c. old farmhouse,
d. single storey wooden building 1981.
Note: There is no other record of a Primitive Methodist chapel in
this village.
Clarendale Estate: built 1966, consists of 40 homes. Increased population
by approximately 50%.
‘History of Gt Bradley’ by B.J. Buchs 1981