Brereton, Cheshire

infobox UK place
official_name= Brereton
map_type= Cheshire
latitude= 53.174437
longitude= -2.334632
os_grid_reference= SJ777642
population = 1,012
civil_parish= Brereton
shire_district= Congleton
shire_county = Cheshire
region= North West England
country = England
constituency_westminster= Congleton
post_town= SANDBACH
postcode_district = CW11
postcode_area= CW
dial_code= 01477

Brereton is a civil parish, containing the hamlet of Brereton Green in the Borough of Congleton, Cheshire, England. It also contains the hamlets of Brereton Heath and Smethwick Green. According to the 2001 census, the population of the entire civil parish was 1,012. [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=792530&c=Brereton&d=16&e=15&g=427829&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 Official 2001 Census Figures.] Neighbourhood Statistics website, Retrieval Date: 23 August, 2007.] Brereton is mentioned in the Domesday book as the Manor of Bretune.

It also contains Brereton Hall, a Grade I Listed Elizabethan House that is in private ownership and not open to the public. This hall used to be the family seat of the Lords Brereton, but the Lordship ended in 1722 when Lord Francis Brereton died a bachelor. [http://www.alsager.com/tour/area/hall.htm Brereton Hall Information.] Alsager and Area Online Guide. Retrieval Date: 23 August, 2007.]

History

The civil parish was created in 1936 by uniting the civil parishes of Brereton cum Smethwick and Davenport. Brereton cum Smethwick was an Ancient Parish in Northwich Hundred. Davenport began as a township in Astbury Ancient Parish (which has had no separate civic identity since 1866. [Youngs, F. A. (1991). pages 6 - 7.] ) Davenport was created a separate civil parish in 1866 which existed until the merger in 1936. [Youngs, F. A. (1991). page 17.] Both these "parent civil parishes" of Brereton had similar administrative histories: both were in Northwich Hundred, and they both later became members of Congleton Poor Law Union and Rural Sanitary District. Later still, they became part of Congleton Rural District, in which they remained until they merged. [Youngs, F. A. (1991). pages 10, 17.]

Culture

The parish council ebraces the heritage of the area from the legend of Lord Brereton and the bear, in which for his punishment from the King for murdering a man, was to have three days to invent a muzzle for a bear. After three days a bear was let loose on the lord, and luckily for him, the muzzle proved to be successful, and so the emblem for the Brereton's from this day has been a muzzled bear. In more recent times, the council has orgaised a 'bear' hunt in the area, with local residents putting out teddy bears throughout the area during the summer months, in an event entitled 'The Brereton Bear Festival'.

References

Notes

Bibliography

*Youngs, F. A. (1991). "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Volume I: Northern England". London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0861931270.

ee also

*St Oswald's Church, Brereton
*Brereton Hall