it from Bury or Bere, old English for the Lord's court or dwelling, &c. ; if you consider the soil, you may call it Barren sted." In (A.D. 1291) this place is written "Berwestede," which rather militates against Collins's origin of the name. Philipott (description of Bersted) deems that parish, not Brasted, to be the "Briestede" of (D. B.); from which opinion I must, with deference, dissent. The manor appears to be given as in the hundred of Axtane, that immediately preceding "Briestede" being Orpington; of which last manor, however, a portion occurs elsewhere under the hundred of Rokesley, to which it now belongs, while Brasted is in that of Codsheath, a name not occurring in (D. B.) Very probably the estate, spoken of under the title of Orpington in the hundred of Axtane, was Nockholt (which see), close to Brasted; while the Orpington in the hundred of Rokesley, where the two churches are given, was the existing parish, and one of the others its dependents. The surveyors would hardly jump from Orpington, or Nockholt, to Bersted; though certainly there is a difficulty with regard to the place next mentioned in the Domesday record. See the Note on Olecumbe below.
23. Bethersden. There was once a chapel at Hacchesden, now called Eytchden, in the north-east part of this parish, which is mentioned in a document temp. K. Richard I. The name was anciently written Haccesdene, Hechindenne, Hatchwelden, and Hathwoldindene. Brasses: Wil. Lovelace, citizen of London, 1459; Thomas, son of William Lovelace, 1591, ætat. 28. The figure being that of an old man, it must have been originally intended for some one else. (Hasted.) See the note on Godeselle. (Val. Eccl.) describes a chantry at Bethersden, of the clear yearly value of £6 10s. 8d.
24. Betshanger. Over the south door of this church is a circular arch, with a figure of our Saviour in the spandril. (Hasted.)
25. Bexley. Brass: Tho. Sparrow, 1513; and an alabaster effigy of Sir John Champenee's wife, Meriell, 1556. (Reg. Roff.) For an early mention of the church of Bexley, see end of Note on Rochester.
26. Bicknor. See the Note on Frinsted.
27. Bidborough. This church, it is stated, was founded A.D. 1219, because the parishioners of Leigh, residing in the hamlet of Bidborough, were inconvenienced by their distance from Leigh church, as well as the "frequent inundations," by
