The origin of the name Eaton Bray has a very  colourful background. Originally known as EITONE- meaning Island Settlement, is  mentioned in the Doomsday Book. The name refers to the abundant water supply  from the springs that rise at the foot of the Dunstable Downs. Even today the  parish boundary is largely defined by streams. After the Normanconquest William the Conqueror gave the Manor of EITONE  to his half brother Odo - Bishop of Bayeux who led the troops at the Battle of  Hastings and later commissioned the Bayeux Tapestries. However, Odo and William  fell out, Odo committed a crime, exactly what is not known, and William sent him  to jail for 5 years and the Manor of EITONE then returned to the Kings charge. After various disputes about the land it was purchased by the Norman Baron,  William de Cantilupe, who was one of the barons who extorted the Magna Carta  from King John. In 1221 he began to build a large castle at EITONE. The present  Park Farm is close to the site where parts of the moat and traces of earth works  still exist. The Manor of EITONE remained in the hands of descendants of the  Cantilupe family until the 7th Lord John de la Zouche who fought along side  Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field 1485. At that time a certain  Reginald BRAY, a follower of Sir William Stanley, who helped Henry defeat  Richard at The Battle of Bosworth. It was Reginald BRAY who picked up the dead  King Richard's crown at Bosworth, and placed it on Henry Tudor's head declaring  him Henry VII, King of England. Some five years later in 1490 Henry VII  granted EITONE / EATON manor to Reginald BRAY, now a famous man in civil and  military matters. Reginald Bray's head can be seen carved in stone high up  on the exterior of St. George's Chapel Windsor, which owes much to his skill as  an architect. The Bray family coat of arms is displayed here as the backgroung  of this web page. Naturally he turned his skills and attention to the church  of his newly acquired manor and built here at EATON a large tower upon the small  13th century tower. Henceforth Eaton became known as EATON BRAY