BRON1LEY, a market town of England, in the county of Kent, is situated on the river Revensbourn, 10 miles south-east from London. It is a clean, well-built, strag gling town, but containing nothing worthy of notice, ex cept the hospital erected by Dr Warner, Bishop of Ro chester, in the reign of Charles II., for twenty' poor clergymen's widows. It was the first endowment of the kind in England, and has been considerably augmented by several additional charitable bequests. In 1756, Mrs Betenson of Bradbourne left 10,0001., for the purpose of erecting ten additional houses ; and since that time, Mr Pearce has bequeathed 12,000/. for a similar purpose. So that by these means the number of houses is now doubled, and the annual allowance to each of the widows on Bishop \Varner's foundation is 301.10s. with coal and candle ; and 201. to each of the others; with a salary of 861. to the chaplain, who must belong to Magdalen Col lege, Oxford. The church of Bromley is a spacious edifice, consisting of a nave, chancel, and aisles ; with an embattled tower at the west end, surmounted by a cu pola. Its north aisle was rebuilt in 1792, to the expence
of which Bishop Thomas contributed 5001. Bromley has also a charity school, for educating and clothing thirteen boys and as many girls. Its market-house is a large old building, standing on wooden pillars ; and its fairs are on the 14th of February and the 5th of August.
Near the town is the palace of the Bishop of Roches ter, which was first erected in 700, in consequence of his having received the manor of Bromley as a gift from King Edgar ; and it has continued to be the residence of the bishops of that see till the present time. The old building was pulled down by the late Bishop, and a plain brick mansion erected in its stead about the year 1777. In the vicinity is a spring, which is said to possess the same qualities as the water of Tunbridge wells, and which was much frequented in monkish times, and held in high estimation. Bromley contains 424 houses, and 2700 inhabitants. See Wilson's History of Brom ley, and Beauties of England and Wales, vol. viii. p. 1353. (L)