Brereton Hall

This Grade 1 listed Elizabethan house is now a private family home which is no longer open to the public.

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The story of the Muzzled Bear (Version 1)

For three days Sir William was shut up in the tower. At the end of that time he was brought before a bear. The bear was let loose. The prisoner flung his newly invented muzzle over its head and escaped unharmed.

From that time the muzzled bear became the emblem of the Breretons.(In olden days, bear baiting was a popular form of sport and the bear wore a leather muzzle to prevent it from biting the dog.)

The story of the Muzzled Bear (Version 2)

This was kindly provided by a Brereton family member Rosemary Jewers.
It is based on a book ‘The Breretons of Cheshire 1100 - 1904’ by Robert Maitland Brereton
Dates: 2 January 1834 – 7 December 1911.
Robert M Brereton was a Civil Engineer who was born at Little Massingham, Norfolk England and died in Oregon USA. Robert’s parents were Charles David Brereton and Frances Brereton nee Wilson.
See also R M Brereton’s Wikipedia entry.
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‘Family tradition has preserved the following interesting fact as to the origin of the muzzle upon the bear's head in the Brereton arms: Once upon a time in a battle, of uncertain date, the Brereton of the day, a stalwart knight, was guilty of an excess of ardour, and pushed an advantage too far, in the Prince Rupert style. The king who witnessed the brave fault, and thought it called for a mild rebuke, exclaimed: "I shall put a muzzle upon that bear,” and directed it to be notified to the Herald's college.’

The Lover of a Queen

The Queen accidentally dropped her handkerchief, and a chivalrous knight picked it up on the point of his lance and handed it to the Queen.

King Henry saw this act; he left the royal stand, where he and Anne Boleyn were sitting, and his furious temper was plain to see. He ordered that the knight, Sir William Brereton, and four companions should be arrested immediately, and carried off to the Tower of London, to be charged with High Treason as lovers of the Queen. Anne Boleyn was arrested a few hours later and never saw the king again.

A jury of Henry's choosing was impanelled and the five prisoners were hastily tried. Though they pleaded "Not Guilty" they were sentenced to death and beheaded on Tower Hill on May 17th 1536. They were:- Lord Rochford (Anne Boleyn's brother), Sir William Brereton; Sir Henry Norris; Sir Francis Weston and Mark Smeaton, a mere boy. The hapless Queen was beheaded two days later at a scaffold within the Tower.
The following day the King was betrothed to Jane Seymour, and the marriage took place ten days later at York Place.

There is some confusion about the identity of this Sir William Brereton. Apparently he was Sir William Brereton of Aldford, the 7th son of Sir Randle of Malpas Hall. He had presented Anne Boleyn with a greyhound named 'Urian'. Also the details about the tournament may be an embellishment of the deeds of Norris and not Brereton. Sir William had previously accompanied the King and Anne Boleyn on a visit to check on the inventory of Cardinal Wolsey's goods and chattels shortly before the latter's death. This may have inclined George Cavendish, Wolsey's secretary, to testify against him.
(Adapted from the booklet by Arthur L. Moir)

The following is taken from RM Brereton’s book.
It gives some detail of who were the parents and siblings of William Brereton who was accused of adultery with Queen Anne Boleyn and was executed along with her brother and other accused men.
Most historians are now of the opinion that Anne Boleyn, Brereton and their co-accused were innocent.

Sir Randle Brereton IV., of Ipstone and Malpas ; Chamberlain of Chester 1506 to 1532; Knight of the Body to Henry VII. and Henry VIII. ; made a Knight Banneret by Henry VIII., at Boulonge, for Terrouenne and Tournay ; built the Brereton Chapel in Malpas Church in 1522, in which he was buried in 1532.
He married Eleanor, daughter of Sir Piers Dutton, of Halton Castle, Cheshire. By her he had nine sons and three daughters: 1, Randle, his heir; 2, Richard, founder of the Tatton branch ; 3, John, founder of the Norfolk branch ; 4, Thomas ; 5, Peter ; 6, Roger, founder of the Halton branch ; 7, William, succeeded his father as Chamberlain of Chester ; was beheaded by Henry VIII. with Queen Anne Boleyn, in 1536; 8, Robert; 9, Urian, founder of the Handford branch.
The daughters were : I, Anne, wife of John Harcourt ; afterwards was wife of John Pershall, of Hordesley ; 2, Elizabeth, wife of Richard Cholmondeley ; afterwards was wife of Randle Mainwaring, of Over Peevor, Cheshire; 3, Jane, wife of Sir Thomas Hanmer, of Hanmer, Flintshire. (See Burosham branch).

Brereton Girls' School - see also Brereton Hall School

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