Bray is a district of Normandy

Bray is a district of Normandy, now the southeastern part of Seine-Inferieure, famous for its cattle and dairy produce.

Brazos

Brazos, a river of Texas, U.S., rising in a tableland called the Staked Plain, in the NW. of the state, and running 950 miles south-eastward to the Gulf of Mexico, 40 miles SW. of Galveston.

Brazza

Brazza, the largest and most populous of the Dalmatian islands of the Adriatic, with an area of 152 sq. m., and a pop. of 25,000. It rises to 2578 feet, and is richly wooded. San Pietro is the chief town.

Breadalbane

Breadal'bane, a district of NW. Perthshire, among the Grampians, giving the title of earl to a branch of the Campbells.

Brechin

Brechin (Bree'hhin), a town of Forfarshire, on the South Esk, 8 1/2 miles W. of Montrose. With Montrose, etc. it returns one member. Linen and paper are manufactured, with bleaching, distilling, and brewing. David I. founded a bishopric here about 1150. Part of the cathedral is now the parish church, at whose south-west angle rises the Round Tower (c. 983, 87 feet high) of a Culdee college, similar to the Irish ones, and to the one at Abernethy, the only other example in Scotland. Brechin Castle, the ancient seat of the Maules, and now of the Earls of Dalhousie, was taken by Edward I. in 1303 after a twenty days' siege. The town itself was burned by Montrose in 1645; and near it Huntly defeated the rebellious Crawfords in 1452. Dr Guthrie was a native. Pop. (1851) 6638; (1901) 8941.

Brecknock

Brecknock, or Brecon, the capital of Brecknockshire, at the confluence of the Usk and Honddu, 183 miles W. by N. of London by rail, and 40 NE. of Swansea. It lies in the midst of fine mountain scenery, and has beautiful public walks, the triple-peaked Brecon Beacons (2910 feet) rising to the south. From 1536 to 1885 Brecon returned one member to parliament. Flannels, coarse woollens, and hats are manufactured. Bernard de Newmarch founded the town, and built a castle here in 1094. Henry VIII. in 1541 converted a Dominican friary into a college, which was rebuilt in 1864; the priory, now the parish church, was restored in 1862. Mrs Siddons was a native. Pop. (1881) 6372; (1901) 5875.

Breda

Breda, a town of Holland, at the confluence of the navigable Mark and Aa, 60 miles ENE. of Flushing by rail, and 30 NNE. of Antwerp. Its Gothic cathedral (1510) has an octagonal steeple 311 feet high; whilst the castle (1350) received its present shape from William III. (1696), and in 1828 was converted into a military academy. There are manufactures of carpets, linen, hats, soap, leather, etc, and dyeworks, breweries, and rope-walks. The population is about 30,000. Fortified until 1876, Breda was captured by the Spaniards (1581), by the Dutch under Maurice of Orange (1590), by Spinola (1625), again by the Dutch (1632), and twice by the French (1793-95), who were finally driven out in 1813.

Bredfield

Bredfield, a Suffolk parish, Edward Fitz-Gerald's birthplace, 3 miles N. of Woodbridge.