This postcard of Bramber shows how little the centre of the village has changed in the last hundred years. The remains of the castle can be seen in the background.
The village, which was named for the broom which once must have covered this area, was the centre of the rape of Bramber which William the Conqueror gave to William de Braose after the Norman Conquest. The Braose family built the church of St Nicholas as well as the castle which is on the site of an earlier Saxon stronghold. The castle was badly damaged in the 17th century during the civil war and little remains of it today.
The parish is closely connected with the nearby settlement of Botolphs and has been since the 16th century.
Parish registers date from 1601, the bishops transcripts from 1591. They can be seen at the West Sussex Record Office.
Jan 19th [1800] Emma Moon [buried]. Died in Child Bed. This Woman had four Children in the space of a Year and two Weeks
This burial is recorded in the Frant registers and that Emma had four children in such a short space of time is confirmed in the baptism register.
May 19 [1799] John Son of John & Emma Moon. twin
May 19 [1799] Joseph Son of John & Emma Moon. twin
March 2 [1800] Emma and Mary Daughters of John and Emma Moon. Twins
There is only 9 months and 11 days between the two baptisms; it is likely that Emma and Mary were born on the 19th January 1800 meaning that John and Joseph were born early in January 1799. John Moon had married Emma Adams in Wadhurst on the 21st October 1798, which is about two months before they were born. Emma must have been pregnant most of her short marriage.
Sadly mum Emma's death was followed by that of daughter Emma who was buried on the 7th May 1800 and Mary who was buried on the 6th May 1801. Both John and Joseph appear to have survived childhood.
