Brede

The interesting background variety of this village ranges from - Great beauty, Royal influence and wealth; a glittering array of authors,playwrights,art and sculpture. For those with more macabre tastes there is murder, hidden treasure and even rumoured cannibalism. 

How the name Brede was derived has been the subject of many conjectures. John Crook, who wrote the current church guide alludes to various fanciful ideas  but one fact is indisputable; the first mention of Brede was in 1017 when King Canute granted a gift of land to the Abbey at Fecamp that included an area called Brede. The Benedictine monks then built the original church in 1180 or thereabouts.

Frequently I find a brief stop at a village church will introduce names of historic local families that have little meaning or interest to most touring visitors. However those that take time to read the church guide (if available) are often rewarded with a well-written historical synopsis of the church and village personalities of the past. Such is the case with Brede and the church of St. George. The two names most prevalent in the guide spanning the era from the 15th century to the present day (Oxenbridge and Frewen) piqued my curiosity, and started my quest to learn more about this ostensibly inconsequential village and its people.

Robert Oxenbridge bought a property then known as Forde (Brede Place) in the 15th century as the family home. However it was one of his sons, Goddard Oxenbridge born about 1478, who was to have the greatest impact on the village both in his lifetime and after.

He was a devout man and benefactor of the church; and when he inherited Brede Place he immediately set about enlarging and improving the property into one of the best in the county. He was a very tall and strong man of considerable wealth and well connected in Royal social circles, a Knight by Henry V111. He married twice to daughters from two influential Sussex families; Elizabeth of Etchingham and Anne Fiennes a niece of Lord D’Acre. His status was such that he was chosen along with Cardinal Wolsley, to receive the Emperor Charles.

That he was proud of his position was manifest in the instructions of his will that directed how his effigy and tomb were to be built. He wished that his coat of armour and other things appertaining to his Knighthood be placed over his place of

His daughter Elizabeth married well and also had very close links with the Royal family; she was Lady in Waiting to Queen Catherine Parr and later governess to Princess Elizabeth. Like her father she was very devout and wrote a number of psalms, hymns and prayers. One of her more famous publications was “Morning and Evening Prayer” that was a favourite of Elizabeth who had it gold bound; it is now in the British Library.

When Ursula,  daughter of a later generation married into the Monson family the Oxenbridge male line failed and the name faded out. That was until the 19th century when a malicious rumour was started, probably by smugglers, that is to this day why many people think of Brede as the home of

The Cannibal Giant Of Brede.

When the family sold off Brede Place in three separate lots the House became dilapidated. Its remote position in a wooded and eerie position interested the smuggling fraternity who wanted to keep away curious people and use the house to stash their booty. To this end they made up this tale.

Sir Goddard was a giant cannibal of mystical powers who could not be slain by ordinary weapons. These powers were derived because he loved nothing more than a good meal of young children. However due to his wealth and power and his philanthropy to the church, adults didn’t believe the stories and the children decided to protect themselves. They discovered that no ordinary weapons harmed him and sawing in half by a wooden saw was the only way he could be killed.

He liked a glass of beer so they placed a drugged barrel where he would easily find it, and when he was drugged they led him to a nearby place known as Groaning Bridge where they carried out the grisly task. The story goes on to say that his blood stained the bridge (rusty water) and his ghost can be heard treading the stairsin Brede Place.

The Frewen Family.

When in the 17th century this family bought the house, they only wanted the land and the house became uninhabitable probably being used by smugglers. Eventually in 1872 a lease was granted to Mr. Benjamin Marriott who started to restore it but died before completion.

Moreton Frewen who inherited the house was a handsome charmer who spent most of his time in America. He was well connected but known as a gambler on the racecourse and in his wild aspirations to make a fortune, particularly in Wyoming with his brother Dick; such were his disasters that he earned the nick-name Mortal Ruin. On one occasion he bought a herd of cattle from a drover who then managed to sell the same herd to him again. However he was always able to raise money usually by flaunting his family connections and associations with famous people. Fool he may have been but he did attract the notice of a young high society lady Clara Jerome one of the three illustrious Jerome sisters of New York whose family were fabulously wealthy at the time. They were married in 1881.

Stephen Crane an author who wrote an acclaimed epic “The Red Badge of Courage” about the American Civil War was a friend of Moreton Frewen and asked that if Brede Place wasn’t being used could he rent it? This was agreed despite the stone property having little furniture, no electricity or heating and Crane suffering TB. Brede Place then began a new but short-lived lively era while the Cranes were living there; famous authors of the time including H.G.Wells, J.M.Barrie, Joseph Conrad often visited this young (26yr old) man whom they considered a superb writer and courageous war correspondent.

Crane had the idea of getting some his writer friends to each contribute a section to a musical play he was about to write about Brede Place being haunted by Sir Goddard Oxenbridge called “The Ghost by Diverse Hands”. On completion it was performed just once on Dec 28 1899 in a classroom of Brede School. The contributors included Wells, Barrie, Conrad, Edwin Pugh, and A.E. Mason some of whom played parts themselves. Unfortunately very few pages of this unique manuscript survive. A year later Crane had succumbed to his illness having died in The Black Forest – Germany where he had sought a cure. Soon afterwards the Moreton Frewens returned to Brede Place and restored to a magnificent mansion once more.

By virtue of the Frewens marrying one of three Jerome sisters they derived some illustrious family connections. The two other sisters married well, one to an Irish Baronet (Leslie) and the other Jennie, probably the most beautiful and shocking, married Randolph Churchill and gave birth to Winston our Prime Minister. However none of the families achieved great wealth to match the social circles they craved. Clara who married Moreton gave birth to another family member to achieve considerable status as a Sculptor and travel writer.

Clare Sheridan was first cousin of Winston Churchill whose mother was sister of Clara. She carved a bronze bust of him that is now on show in Chartwell; in addition she also carved busts of Lenin, Trotsky and Ghandi. In St Georges Church there is a beautifully carved statue of the Madonna and child carved out of a solid oak tree trunk from Brede Place in memory of her son Richard Sheridan, a descendant of the poet, who died tragically aged twenty-one. She lived at Brede Place until her death in 1970 and is buried in the churchyard. The Frewen family still own and live at Brede Place but unfortunately it is longer open to the public.

Another artistic feature of the church are the Stations of the Cross paintings that are quite startling and possibly not to everyone’s taste; nevertheless they are superb quality and painted by Sir Thomas Monnington a past President of the Royal Academy. Donated by the parishioners in 1960.  Opposite are two of them.

Finally to end this short profile I will paraphrase an interesting story I read in the Sussex County Magazine by Edmund Austen about buried treasure. It seems two labourers were digging out a ditch in 1881 at the bottom of an old ladies’ cottage when they discovered a hoard of Gold sovereigns. They thought the lady should know, and to their surprise found that she knew all about them and indeed had buried them herself.

She said she had buried them after her son who was living in America had visited and given them to her. He had told her he was running a gaming club, was making a fortune and wanted to help her. She thought he was more probably running a brothel and wanted nothing to do with them and so buried them. What was worse she later e read  an excerpt from an American newspaper about a big bank robbery and convinced herself her son was involved. It transpired he genuinely had made a fortune.