- Brigham, Cumbria
infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 54.658
longitude= -3.416
official_name= Brigham
population = 1065 (2001 census)
shire_district= Allerdale
shire_county =Cumbria
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Workington
post_town= COCKERMOUTH
postcode_district = CA13
postcode_area= CA
dial_code= 01900
os_grid_reference= NY085303 The village of Brigham, near the town ofCockermouth ,Cumbria ,England has existed as a settlement since neolithic times.Brigham was an early centre of Christianity in Cumbria. The church, dedicated to St Bridget, was originally a Norman building, and is situated at the far north of the village, known as Low Brigham; it contains several fragments of pre-Norman crosses and other early carved stones. A disused quarry is situated in the centre of the village, above which runs the main street of High Brigham. Newer housing estates known as High Rigg and The Hill are at the west and east of the village.
Until the closure of the
Cockermouth and Workington Railway in 1966, Brigham had a railway station. At one time there was also a second station serving the hamlet of Broughton Cross, 1km west of the main village.The village gave its name to
HMS Brigham , aHam class minesweeper . Theship's bell from this vessel is now in St Bridget's Church of England primary school in the village. Until a more modernfire alarm system was installed, this bell was rung as the fire alarm for the school.The family of "Bounty" mutineer Fletcher Christian are buried in the graveyard at St. Bridget's. Fletcher himself, born and raised in the township of Eaglesfield within Brigham parish, and christened at St. Bridget's, is thought to be buried on Pitcairn Island, though some have claimed that he returned secretly to England.
Further reading
David Bradbury (compiler), "Pages From Brigham's History" Whitehaven, Past Presented (2008) ISBN 9781904367338
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