Brokenborough

Brokenborough is a small, pleasant village one and a half miles north west of Malmesbury. It sits on the banks of streams which form the Bristol Avon. The village lies close to the Roman Fosse Way. It is located off the main road between Malmesbury and Tetbury, so you are not obliged to go through it.

The name Brokenborough is believed to mean 'Broken Hill'; referring to the hill on which it sits.

King Edwy handed Brokenborough to Malmesbury Abbey in 956. Nearby Corston and Rodbourne were included in this estate. It is believed the west-Saxon king, King Athelstan, had a valuable palace in Brokenborough, belonging to the monastery. Plans from 956, which were drawn up in the next century reveal the estate included: Ashley, Long Newton, Crudwell, Malmesbury and Westport.

In 1086, Brokenborough was part of Malmesbury's large estate. It almost certainly had its own lands. The name, Brokenborough, is not known to have been used before the 11th century, as detailed in a charter of 956. Malmesbury Abbey claimed that an estate of 100-mansae (dwelling house with land) was granted to it by King Edwy in 956, this was confirmed to be a 50-hide estate by King Edward in 1065. At this time, the abbey, which held the estate until the dissolution, claimed it included Bremilham, Corston, Cowfold, Grittenham, Rodbourne and Sutton Benger.

St. John the Baptist church in Brokenborough was first built in the 12th century. Since this time there have been additions to the church in the 14th and 15th century. From 1341, or possibly earlier, it was a chapel of Westport church, up until 1879, at which point it was a chapel of Charlton church, up to 1984. In 1248 the church may have been served by Malmesbury abbey

In 1249, the Lord of Bremilham held 36 acres in the open fields of the estate. Seven years previous to this, William Le Theyn had held an estate there. During the 12th century, the Brokenborough estate was the Abbey's most valuable asset.

A monk once wrote in the late 14th century that there was a royal residence and its manor that King Athelstan had inhabited. During this time, there were 120 poll-tax people aged over 14 years) payers in the parish. Malmesbury Abbey had reglian rights in the late 14th century. Brokenborough grew area in 1478, with land on the north side of the Tetbury Avon being ascribed.

When the 16th century arrived, the parish was of average wealth. During which time, the King gave the manor, minus a meadow and some woodland, to John Dudly, Duke of Northumberland. He sold the manor to Sir James Stumpe, the owner of the Charlton Manor, in 1553. Stumpe found it imperfect which led him to leasing the manor to the Stafford's. In the early 16th century, the abbey held view of frankpledge, with a manor court being held twice a year. These court records survive from this date to the early 19th century.

In 1676 there were75 adults in residence in Brokenborough. During this time, the ruins from the 10th century royal palace were still standing. In 1671, two men were presented for not attending church, the first non-conformists. A Papist and a Protestant dissenter also lived in the parish at this time; 1676.
In 1706, St. John Baptist church began to receive a grand total of £1 per year from the Lady Frances Winchcombe Charity. The money was used to purchase Bibles and prayer books for the church. The parish had to spend other finances during this time, by relieving its own poor. The cost of doing so was £61 in 1775, although this figure decreased to £55 in the early 1780s.

Brokenborough saw a great deal of change throughout the 19th century. At the turn of the century, in 1801 the population of the parish was 211, this rose to 283 in the following thirty years. In 1841, there were 429 people living in the parish, 131 of these lived in the union workhouse, which is found in the western corner of the estate. The average cost of relieving the poor amongst this population was between £200 and £300. The parish became part of Malmesbury poor union in 1835. The estate was 2,634 acres in 1889, though this all changed as the century neared its close, in 1897. At this point, Brokenborough within was merged with Westport St. Mary Within. Brokenborough Without was to be known as just Brokenborough. The St. John the Baptist church saw its restoration come in the 19th century, in 1883. Not all attended this church, however. In 1815, and 1816, meeting houses for independents were certified, in 1815 to Abraham Smith and in 1816 to William Mills. A small chapel for Primitive Methodists was also constructed in 1873, which saw service until c.1963. Education began in Brokenborough in 1825, with a day school. This was attended by 17 boys and 5 girls. The Elizabeth Hodges Charity donated £2 for three boys to be educated. This day school was held in a cottage, until moved to a room adjoining the post office where it was held until the 1920s. In the mid 19th century a school was held in the union workhouse that at that time was in Brokenborough parish.

The 20th century saw Brokenborough become a civil parish. The church was dependent on Westport and Charlton churches until 1984. This century saw a population rise from 317 in 1901 to 532 in 1981. In 1974 the parish became part of the North Wiltshire District. In 1987, Charlton Park Estate, which had held the estate since 1598, owned 1,548 acres in Brokenborough parish.

In this modern day, the village is home to 173 people. It's a small place, home to farms, a pub and a church, also providing a peaceful environment for its people to live.