BRENTWOOD'S FAMOUS LANDMARK THEN AND NOW

Since my latest book BRENTWOOD IN 50 BUILDINGS was launched in the Borough of Brentwood, Essex, England last year, I've enjoyed requests for more historical information from readers - many of them expats living in other Brentwoods around the world.  Did you know that there are numerous  places in America, possibly the most well known are New York and California, and more listed below - all carrying our original Brentwood name; plus colleges, schools and other buildings in Long Island and Texas, oh,  and a few more in Alberta and British Columbia in Canada.  And we mustn't forget the notable Brentwood in Australia.   

Brentwood - Virginia
Brentwood - Tennessee
Brentwood - South Carolina
Brentwood - Pennsylvania
Brentwood - Ohio
Brentwood - North Carolina
Brentwood -   Oregon
Brentwood - New Hampshire
Brentwood - Missouri
Brentwood - Maryland
Brentwood - Kentucky
Brentwood - Indiana
Brentwood - Georgia
Brentwood - Florida
Brentwood - Massachusetts
Brentwood - Arkansas
Brentwood - Alabama

I'm wondering if local historians in those far off places around the world  are interested in the origin of the Brentwood name which was first recorded  in a Pipe Roll of the Exchequer 1176. Here we find a reference to a character named Reginald "de Bosco Arso" (of the 'burnt wood') within a list of outlaws whose goods had been forfeited to the king (Henry ll). 

We know that the parish of South Weald was a very important part of out area in earlier times and was mentioned in the Domesday Book survey compiled in 1068 at the request of William the Conqueror. Once you begin studying the many local books delving into our history, you will find many fascinating buildings and places of interest.   

At the top of the town in the late 1880s, the residents welcomed Brentwood’s own departmental store, Wilson & Company, which became known throughout the south-east as the ‘The Great Eastern Stores’. 

In September 1909 a devastating fire burned the Wilson building almost to the ground, despite the attendance of several local fire brigades. The famous clock tower collapsed within a few hours and the building was still smouldering five days later. However, there was no loss of life recorded. Rebuilding began in earnest and within a year the store – with a brand new clock tower – was back in business. The 1861-erected Hunter Memorial, which stands in front of the store, cracked due to the heat and the wax models in the window of a dress shop opposite melted. Although the store no longer exists in its original form, the building provides a well-known landmark and is still referred to as Wilson’s Corner.