Description
Haselbury Bryan, a parish in Dorsetshire, near an affluent of the river Stour, 5 miles SW of Sturminster Newton station on the Somerset and Dorset railway, and 120 from London. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Bland-ford. Acreage, 2415; population, 648. Most of the land is in pasture. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Salisbury; value, £367 with residence. Patron, the Dnke of Northumberland. The church is of the 15th century, has a square tower with a peal of five bells. The chancel was restored in 1893. There are a Primitive Methodist chapel, an alms-house, and an estate of 21 acres in the hands of trustees, letting for about £60 yearly, the donor of which is not known. The Kent is applied for the relief of persons needing help, but not in receipt of poor-law aid. The Dnke of Northumberland takes from this place the title of Baron Bryan.
Parish Church
The church of St. Mary and St. James, dating from 1397, but erected on the site of a much earlier structure, is an edifice of stone, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, and an embattled western tower with pinnacles containing 5 bells: there is some extremely ancient and interesting stained glass in the windows of the north aisle and chancel, and on the chancel roof are shields bearing the arms of the families of Bryan, Montacute, Neville, Lucy and Percy: the chancel was restored and fitted with new seats in 1895, and in 1904 the church was restored at a cost of £2,000: there are 340 sittings. The register dates from the year 1562.
