jan 1, 1590 - bruse

Description:

A northern form of ‘browse’, that is the young twigs of shrubs and trees, used mainly for firewood and animal fodder. 1494 <i>moch wood is at this tyme sold … as wel by colour of browsing wood as otherwise</i>, Pickering (NRR1/126); 1499-1500 ‘firewood called <i>browsyngwode</i> … for burning in the said common oven’, Leeds (Th57/30); 1508 <i>de viijs pro gret wod. De ijs pro lez brushment</i>, York (SS53/293); 1572 <i>James Prestley for that his close </i>[clothes?] <i>hedge doth stand too near the common sewer and broshment uncleansed iijs ivd</i>, Doncaster (YAJ35/293).. An early reference to ‘bruse’ links it with ‘brushwood’: 1518 <i>lefull fellynge of hollynge bowes and other bruyshewode at seasonable tyme of the yere callide brusynge for pastour of cattell</i>, Pott (YRS140/147); 1538 <i>brusyng wood, </i>Cayton (YRS140/260). In this last lease the wood was for cattle, firewood or hedging <i>as necessary</i>. Tenants in the Whitby area had similar agreements: 1539-40 <i>et pro brousynge pro catallis suis de lez Hollyes</i>, Eskdale (SS72/764). In parks the ‘brusing’ was for the deer: 1590 <i>yt may and shalbe lawfull to and for the kepers of the saide parke … to fell brusinge within the said groundes … that the deare may quietly have pasturage</i>, Ilkley (YRS76/160). There is an undated but earlier reference in Pickering: <i>a</i>.1568 <i>felled for brusing of the deare</i> (NRR1/208). The variant <i>brosyngwood</i> occurs in a Leeds lease of 1537 (Th57/36) and uncommon alternative 'brushing' in 1726: <i>A paine is laid that noo person … shall carry any brushing from of any fence, </i>Reighton (YRS74/100).

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