292 Notes on the History of Great Somerford. 
Smiths from fishing in the river, which he considered to be an 
infringement on his royalty. The Brunings began to part with their 
property towards the end of the 17th century. In 1670 Edmund 
Bruning sold to William Grinfield, Esq., of Marlborough, “ all 
that capital messuage in Somerford Boles a/s Broad Somerford, 
called ‘ Andrews Place,’ late in the occupation of William Mayo, 
deceased, or John Mayo, together with that farm called ‘ The 
Farm of Broade Somerford,’ ” altogether about 275 acres. In 1693 
three other farms were sold, the messuage called Blanchards, &c., 
to William Alexander, gent., of Broad Somerford; that called 
““Mayo’s Farme” to Michael Wicks, Hsq., of St. Mary Axe, London; — 
“The Grove,” to Thomas Evans, of Malmesbury, mercer. In 17138 
the son, Richard Bruning, sells “‘ Boardlands”’ to Richard Serjeant, 
the tenant, for £112—a messuage with 23 acres of land and two 
beastes leazes. In the deed of sale Richard Serjeant is said to 
have held this farm “by coppy of Court Roll of the said Richard — 
Bruning as of his manor of Broad Somerford.” Another farm 
called “‘ Rummings” and another called “ Lee’s living ” formed 
part of the Bruning estate. The former, I think, carried with it 
the Somerford Bolles manorial rights, and was the one sold by the 
executors of Richard Serle, Esq., to Mr. William Randell in 1775. — 
Whatever Mr. William Randell’s manorial rights might be, he — 
was, in the Enclosure Act, recognised as lord of the fee of certain 
cottages, the occupiers being his tenants, he claiming the reversion 
of the cottages “ granted and duly entered in the court books of the 
said manor or based on lives or by copyhold of court roll.” The 
Brunings were a staunch Roman Catholic family. Their later | 
‘pedigree is given in the ‘“ Herald and Genealogist,” vol. ili. 
in connection with an article on ‘The English Ladies of 
Pontoise.” Anthony Bruning, of Woodcot, in the parish of 
Bramdean, Hants, whose name occurs in several Somerford deeds, 
had a family of nine sons and four daughters living at the time of 
his death in 1663; of the sons six were priests (S.J.) and two 
daughters became nuns (O.8.B.) at Pontoise. His brother, Edmund, 
of Hambledon, was with his wife Elizabeth excommunicated 13th 
April, 1671, for not attending their Parish Church, and many of 
