page_title: Bransford
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Bransford / History
caption_attribution_description: English: A map showing Bransford in the 19th century
context_page_description: Bransford is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills district of the county of Worcestershire, England. It is situated close to the River Teme and the village of Leigh. It is on the primary route between Worcester and Hereford, the A4103 that runs through the centre of the village. According to the 2011 census, Bransford has a population of 389. The parish shares its parish council with Leigh.
  The main church in Bransford is St. Johns the Baptist church, a small Norman building, lit by candlelight. Bransford is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency and its current Member of Parliament is Harriet Baldwin, who is a Conservative representative.
context_section_description: The origins of the name 'Bransford' are uncertain, but it is believed to mean 'hill-top ford' or 'ford at Bragen'. This is derived from 'braegen', old English for crown of the head or topographically a hill and then 'ford'. In the Doomsday Book, Bransford was called Bradnesforde and included information about Urso from the Pershore Church and mill. Bransford was home to Wulstan de Bransford, the Bishop of Worcester from 1338–49. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 Bransford Parish ceased to be responsible for maintaining the poor in its parish, a responsibility transferred to Martley Poor Law Union. In the 1870s, Bransford was described as
  "...a chapelry in Leigh parish, Worcestershire; on the river Teme, adjacent to the Malvern railway, 4½ miles SW by W of Worcester."
caption: A map showing Bransford in the 19th century
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