BROWNE, GEORGE
(fl. from 1520s in England; d. after 25 Nov. 1556 in Ireland). Religious reformer in Ireland. Originally a friar and priest in England, Browne from 1532 advocated annulment of Henry VIII’s marriage. At Easter 1533, during a sermon in London, he revealed Henry’s remarriage (to Anne Boleyn; see GREAT MATTER). He supported royal supremacy over the English Church.
Appointed archbishop of DUBLIN in 1536, Browne went to Ireland where he publicized Henry’s headship of the Irish Church (1538, in prescribed prayers called ‘The Form of the Beads’) and issued injunctions against ‘superstitious’ practices (e.g., pilgrimages to shrines). But he resisted further reforms under Edward VI (1547–53), and was deprived of his archbishopric (1554) by the Catholic Mary I for an earlier marriage (1536–c.1540). Browne obtained a pardon for misdemeanours from Cardinal POLE (1555) and died a Catholic. See also REFORMATION, IRELAND.
BROWNISTSTerm used in England from the 1580s to mid 17th century for members of ‘separatist’ Church congregations (i.e., independent Protestant congregations outside the Church of ENGLAND). They were named after Robert Browne (c.1550–1633), who founded a congregation at NORWICH (E England) in 1581 (transferred to Netherlands 1582). Leaders were usually radical Puritans, and congregations were persecuted. See also PURITANISM, ENGLAND; CONGREGATIONALISTS; NONCONFORMITY AND DISSENT, ENGLAND.BRUCE, EDWARDsee BRUCE INVASION OF IRELANDBRUCE FAMILYA Scottish noble and royal family from NW NORMANDY (N France); descendants of Robert de Brius (now Brix) who received lands in NE England from King HENRY I of England and the lordship of Annandale (SW Scotland) from King DAVID I of Scotland in 1124. In 1291 Robert Bruce (1210–95) claimed the Scottish kingship (as grandson of David, earl of HUNTINGDON; see GREAT CAUSE). His grandson Robert, and Robert's son David, ruled Scotland (see ROBERT I; DAVID II).BRUCE INVASION OF IRELAND
A Scottish attempt to conquer the English colony in Ireland, thereby pressurizing King EDWARD II of England on a ‘second front'; led by Edward Bruce (c.1275–1318), brother of King ROBERT I.
Bruce landed at Larne, NE Ireland, on 26 May 1315 and was crowned king of Ireland shortly afterwards. His main supporter was Domnall O'Neill of Ulster (see O'NEILL FAMILIES), who rebutted papal condemnation with a ‘Remonstrance of the Irish Princes' (1317). Expeditions into English‐held lands (1315–16, 1317, 1318) won little support because the Anglo‐Irish viewed Bruce as an Irish king. He was killed on 14 Oct. 1318 during the battle of Faughart (E Ireland). The invasion permanently reduced revenues received by the English colony's government. See also SCOTTISH–ENGLISH RELATIONS 1290–1357; GAELIC REVIVAL, IRELAND 13TH–15TH CENTURIES.
BRUCE KINGSsee BRUCE FAMILYBRUNANBURH, BATTLE OFFought at an unidentified location in NE England or the E Midlands in 937. West Saxons and Mercians (English), led by King ATHELSTAN, defeated an invading army led by Kings CONSTANTINE II of Scotland, Owain of STRATHCLYDE, and Olaf Guthfrithson of DUBLIN. The invasion was probably revenge for Athelstan's invasion of Scotland (934) and intended to enable Olaf to re‐establish the Viking kingdom of YORK.BRUNEI PROTECTORATEsee BORNEOBRUNEL, ISAMBARD KINGDOM
(b. 9 April 1806 at Portsmouth, Hampshire, England; d. 15 Sept. 1859 at Westminster, Middlesex, England, aged 53). The son of Marc Isambard Brunel (1769–1849), a French royalist émigré civil engineer, Brunel was educated in England and France. In England from 1822, he worked from 1825 as assistant engineer on his father’s Thames tunnel at London, but suffered injury (1828). While recovering at Clifton (near BRISTOL, SW England), he won a design competition for a bridge across the Avon Valley (completed posthumously).
In 1833, aged 27, Brunel was appointed chief engineer of the Great Western Railway, for which he constructed over 1000 mi (1600 km) of ‘broad gauge’ track and innovatory structures (e.g., Saltash Bridge). He also designed three pioneering large steamships: SS Great Western (inaugurated 1838), the first successful trans‐Atlantic steamship (paddle‐driven); Great Britain (1845), the first large iron‐hulled and screw‐propelled steamship; Great Eastern (1859), the first ship with a double iron hull. Brunel was one of Great Britain’s greatest civil engineers. See also RAILWAYS, ENGLAND; ENGINEERING, GREAT BRITAIN.
BRUTON, JOHN
(b. 18 May 1947 at Dunboyne, Co. Meath, southern Ireland). A barrister and farmer, Bruton became a FINE GAEL TD (1969) and served in the governments of Liam COSGRAVE (1973–7) and Garret FITZGERALD (1981–2, 1982–7). In 1990 he was elected party leader, succeeding Alan Dukes with whom Fine Gael TDs had become dissatisfied.
In Dec. 1994, following collapse of the FIANNA FÁIL–LABOUR coalition government of Albert REYNOLDS, Bruton became taoiseach (premier) of a coalition with Labour and the Democratic Left, nicknamed the ‘Rainbow Coalition’ (Ireland’s first instance of a new coalition government formed without a general election). During Bruton’s premiership divorce was legalized by referendum (1995), economic growth accelerated (reaching 10% in 1997), and the Northern Ireland PEACE PROCESS was pursued vigorously. Bruton lost office in 1997 because of Labour’s losses in a general election. He was replaced as party leader in 2001 for fear that Fine Gael would perform badly at the 2002 election. See also SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP; AHERN, BERTIE.
BRUT Y TYWYSOGION(Welsh, meaning ‘Chronicle of the Princes'). A late 13th‐century chronicle, in Middle Welsh; an outstanding source for Welsh history 682–1282. Three versions survive, probably separate translations of a lost version of the ANNALES CAMBRIAE . At least one came from STRATA FLORIDA.BRYCHEINIOG
An early medieval kingdom in WALES (5th or 6th–10th centuries); later a lordship in the MARCH OF WALES (11th–16th centuries) based around the upper R. Usk and encircled by mountainous terrain. It was named after Brychan, a legendary Irish immigrant (5th or 6th century).
An Irish‐style CRANNOG at Llangorse (possibly the seat of Brycheiniog's kings) and Irish OGHAM stone inscriptions give plausibility to the legend of Irish foundation. Brycheiniog is mentioned from the mid 8th century. Around 885 King Elise ap Tewdwr, under pressure from the dynasty of RHODRI MAWR of GWYNEDD, submitted to the overlordship of King ALFRED of WESSEX (SW England). But relations with England were sometimes stormy (e.g., in 916 ÆTHELFLÆD attacked Llangorse, capturing the king's wife and 33 others). The dynasty survived until the 930s: the last known king, Tewdwr, submitted to ATHELSTAN in 934. By the 980s Brycheiniog had fallen to DEHEUBARTH (SW Wales).
In 1093 King RHYS AP TEWDWR of Deheubarth was killed in Brycheiniog by NORMANS – probably followers of BERNARD OF NEUFMARCHÉ, who took over Brycheiniog and founded the lordship of Brecon. It passed to the earls of Hereford (c.1125), to the families of BRAOSE (c.1165) and BOHUN (1241), and eventually (1399) to the duchy of LANCASTER. In 1536 Brecon was combined with BUILTH to form Breconshire. See also IRISH COLONIZATION OF BRITAIN, 4TH–6TH CENTURIES.
B SPECIALSsee ULSTER SPECIAL CONSTABULARYBUCHANAN, GEORGE
(b. Feb. 1506 at Moss, C Scotland; d. 29 Sept. 1582 at Edinburgh, SE Scotland, aged 76). In 1538 Buchanan, a private tutor who had studied at French and Scottish universities, was imprisoned by David BEATON for writing a satire on Franciscan FRIARS (commissioned by King JAMES V). He escaped abroad (1539) and was imprisoned for heresy (Protestantism) in Portugal (1548–51).
In Scotland again from 1561, Buchanan became tutor to MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS. He accepted Protestantism (see REFORMATION, SCOTLAND), and though a layman was moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of SCOTLAND (June 1567). In the MARIAN CIVIL WAR after Mary's forced