Braibuf

From the castle of Brebeuf in Normandy; "not the name of a fief, but simply of the locality."—Sir Francis Palgrave. No trace of this castle now remains. It stood near Conde-sur-Vire, in the district of Torigny, and a considerable domain was formerly attached to it, of which the only remnant, the Great Park and Little Park of Brebeuf, were sold about one hundred years ago by one of the last Seigneurs of the name. Nicholas de Braiboef is cited among the nobles belonging to the Viscountcy of Bayeux in 1272; and Jean de Brebeuf had a grant of main-levee from Henry V. in 1419. The translator of Lucian's Pharsalus—better known from Boileau's satires than from his own works—belonged to this family.—M. de Gerville. Their coat of arms sounds formidable: D'azur au boeuf furieux de sable accorne et ongle d'or.

Hugues de Brebeuf is entered on the Dives Roll, and appears in Domesday as Hugo de Braiboue, holding Otringeberge (now Watringbury) in Kent under Bishop Odo. He must be the same Hugo de Braybeof that witnesses Ivo Tailboy's charter to Spalding Abbey (Mon. Angl.); and in the next century we find the name in Lincolnshire. "Radulf de Braiboef debet servicium three militum Willelmo de Romare in Co. Lincoln."—Liber Niger. Ralph de Braibuef (probably the same) is mentioned in the Great Pipe Roll of 1189-90, and "Rad' de Brayboft de Claxby," in the time of Edward I. was a benefactor to Newsom Abbey.—Rotuli Hundredorum. Claxby is four miles from Alford.

A branch of the family was seated in Hampshire as early as the twelfth century, and "were of some note in the county." William de Braibof is mentioned there in 1194-1198 (Rotuli Curiae Regis): and another William, in 1272, had the custody of Porchester Castle, and was Sheriff of Hants in 1279 and 1280. Hackwood Park owes its origin to him; for in the first year of his shrievalty he obtained the King's license to impark "his wood of Hagwood with its timber," which at that time formed part of the forest of Eversley. In the following year he was summoned, with some others, to "show his title to free chase of the cat, the hare, and the fox, within the hundred of Basingstoke, and showed to the satisfaction of the jury that his ancestors had enjoyed the right from time immemorial, that is to say, from the time of Richard I."—Woodward's Hampshire. He died in 1284; seized of Cranborne, Freshwater in the Isle of Wight, the hamlet of Likputt, Eastrop, &c. His son was probably the William de Brayboef of Aldersbury in Wiltshire, who held Crofton (East Grafton?) in that county in 1316: and another of his descendants, Hugh, was the owner of Eastrop at the close of the same century. This must have been the same Sir Hugh, the last heir of the house, whose daughter married Sir Hugh Camoys, and left an only child, Elizabeth, who became the wife of Sir John Hamelin.—Dallaway's Sussex.

Dallaway styles him Sir Hugh Brebeuf of Surrey, where he undoubtedly had property, and Brabeuf's manor retains his name. It was acquired in 1231 by Geoffrey de Brabeuf, whose posterity held it for more than one hundred and thirty years. Andrew de Brabeuf died in 1362, leaving Agnes his heiress, married first to Robert Danhurst, and secondly to Robert Loxley.

-- Cleveland