In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Brandon like this:
BRANDON, a small town and a parish in the district of Thetford, and partly in the county of Norfolk, but chiefly in the county of Suffolk. The town stands on the Little Ouse river, adjacent to the Norfolk railway, 6 miles by road, and 7¼ by railway, NW by W of Thetford. It has a head post office,‡ a railway station with telegraph, a banking office, three chief inns, a parish church, four dissenting chapels, a free grammar school, and nine almshouses. ...
The church stands about ¼ of a mile distant; is an ancient quadrangular edifice, of flint and stone; and has a Norman porch, a fine tower, and two cupolas. A weekly market is held on Thursday; and fairs on 14 Feb., 11 June, and 24 Nov. A good grain trade is carried on; and a manufactory of gun flints formed the sole source for the supply of these to government prior to the use of percussion-caps. The town gave name to the Dukes of Suffolk, and the title of Baron to the Earls of Macclesfield; and it gives the title of Duke to the Dukes of Hamilton. Lord Mayor Eyre of London, who built Leadenhall market, was a native. Pop., 2,203. Houses, 512. The parish comprises 6,759 acres. Real property, £7,081. Pop., 2,218. Houses, 519. The property is subdivided. Brandon Park is the seat of H. Bliss, Esq. About 2,400 acres are fen; and there are extensive and productive rabbit warrens. The living is a rectory, united with the rectory of Wangford, in the diocese of Ely. Value, £500.* Patron, T. E. Cartwright, Esq.
Brandon through time
Brandon is now part of Forest Heath district. Click here for graphs and data of how Forest Heath has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Brandon itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Brandon, in Forest Heath and Suffolk | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/7058
Date accessed: 19th April 2024
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