Brownsover
Encyclopedia
Brownsover is a small village about 1½ miles north of Rugby, Warwickshire
in England
. Since 1960, it has been further absorbed by the suburban expansion of Rugby.
"Leicester Road", where Brownsover Hall
is situated. This country house was rebuilt in the Victorian era
by the Ward-Boughton-Leigh
family, county landowners who still today own land in the area and who donated to Rugby School
the ground where William Webb Ellis
first ran with a football
. Brownsover is also where Frank Whittle
developed the jet engine
in the 1930s. The hall has now become a large hotel and conference centre. The hamlet also contains an old house which is where it is believed Lawrence Sheriff
(c1510-1567), the founder of Rugby School, was born.
The old (C of E) parish church
of St. Michael & All Angels
was founded in the 12th century as a chapel of ease
, and was almost entirely rebuilt by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1876 for Allesley Boughton-Leigh
. The church has an interesting collection of English and foreign carved woodwork, including a splendid organ
case, made in 1660 for St John's College, Cambridge
. There is one armorial
monumental inscription
in the floor of the church, the grave
of John Howkins
(1579-1678), a wealthy lawyer who owned the estate of Pinchbank in South Mimms
, Middlesex
. He was either the nephew or great-nephew of Lawrence Sheriff. The church is now closed to regular use and has been replaced by a modern place of worship - Christchurch in Helvellyn Way, new Brownsover. Brownsover is mentioned in Tom Brown's Schooldays
.
There are three local schools: Boughton Leigh Infants and Boughton Leigh Junior, which share a campus, and there is also the newer Brownsover Community School. The local church, Christchurch in Helvellyn Way, is an ecumenical project involving Anglicans, Methodists and Baptists. Brownsover has a number of green spaces as well as the canal
.
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Since 1960, it has been further absorbed by the suburban expansion of Rugby.
'Old' Brownsover
The original hamlet of Brownsover still exists, to the west of A426A426 road
The A426 road is a road in England which runs from the city of Leicester to the market town of Southam in Warwickshire via the towns of Lutterworth and Rugby.-History:...
"Leicester Road", where Brownsover Hall
Brownsover Hall
Brownsover Hall is a 19th century mansion house in the old village of Brownsover, Rugby, Warwickshire which has been converted for use as a hotel. It is a Grade II listed building.-Early History :...
is situated. This country house was rebuilt in the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
by the Ward-Boughton-Leigh
Boughton Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Boughton and Rouse Boughton family.The Baronetcy of Boughton of Lawford was created in the Baronetage of England on 4 August 1641 for William Boughton of Lawford Hall, near Newbold upon Avon, Warwickshire...
family, county landowners who still today own land in the area and who donated to Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
the ground where William Webb Ellis
William Webb Ellis
Rev. William Webb Ellis was an Anglican clergyman who is famous for allegedly being the inventor of Rugby football whilst a pupil at Rugby School....
first ran with a football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
. Brownsover is also where Frank Whittle
Frank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
developed the jet engine
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
in the 1930s. The hall has now become a large hotel and conference centre. The hamlet also contains an old house which is where it is believed Lawrence Sheriff
Lawrence Sheriff
Lawrence Sheriff was an Elizabethan gentleman and grocer to Elizabeth I who founded Rugby School.Not much is known about Lawrence Sheriff's early life, but it thought that he was born near St. Andrew's Church in Rugby, Warwickshire...
(c1510-1567), the founder of Rugby School, was born.
The old (C of E) parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St. Michael & All Angels
St Michael and All Angels Church, Brownsover
St Michael and All Angels Church, Brownsover, is a redundant Anglican church in the former village of Brownsover, which is now a suburb of the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England...
was founded in the 12th century as a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
, and was almost entirely rebuilt by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1876 for Allesley Boughton-Leigh
Leigh Baronets
There have been six Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Leigh, two in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Ireland, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
. The church has an interesting collection of English and foreign carved woodwork, including a splendid organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
case, made in 1660 for St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
. There is one armorial
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
monumental inscription
Monumental inscription
A monumental inscription is an inscription, typically carved in stone, on a grave marker, cenotaph, memorial plaque, church monument or other memorial....
in the floor of the church, the grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
of John Howkins
Lawrence Sheriff
Lawrence Sheriff was an Elizabethan gentleman and grocer to Elizabeth I who founded Rugby School.Not much is known about Lawrence Sheriff's early life, but it thought that he was born near St. Andrew's Church in Rugby, Warwickshire...
(1579-1678), a wealthy lawyer who owned the estate of Pinchbank in South Mimms
South Mimms
South Mimms, sometimes spelt South Mymms, is a village and civil parish forming part of the Hertsmere district of Hertfordshire County Council in the East of England although geographically and historically is in the County of Middlesex.-History:...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. He was either the nephew or great-nephew of Lawrence Sheriff. The church is now closed to regular use and has been replaced by a modern place of worship - Christchurch in Helvellyn Way, new Brownsover. Brownsover is mentioned in Tom Brown's Schooldays
Tom Brown's Schooldays
Tom Brown's Schooldays is a novel by Thomas Hughes. The story is set at Rugby School, a public school for boys, in the 1830s; Hughes attended Rugby School from 1834 to 1842...
.
'New' Brownsover
The new part of Brownsover, to the east of Leicester Road, contains modern housing estates built mostly during the 1960s and 70s. More recently, several building programmes have been completed, specifically in the areas referred to as 'Strawberry Fields' and 'Rectory Gardens', in the 1990s, with two other projects nearing completion.There are three local schools: Boughton Leigh Infants and Boughton Leigh Junior, which share a campus, and there is also the newer Brownsover Community School. The local church, Christchurch in Helvellyn Way, is an ecumenical project involving Anglicans, Methodists and Baptists. Brownsover has a number of green spaces as well as the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
.