1) A northern form of ‘browse’, that is the young twigs of shrubs and trees, used mainly for firewood and animal fodder.
1494 moch wood is at this tyme sold … as wel by colour of browsing wood as otherwise, Pickering
1499-1500 ‘firewood called browsyngwode … for burning in the said common oven’, Leeds. An early reference to 'bruse' links it with 'brushwood': 1518 lefull fellynge of hollynge bowes and other bruyshewode at seasonable tyme of the yere callide brusynge for pastour of cattell, Pott
1538 brusyng wood, Cayton. In this last example, from a lease, the wood was for cattle, firewood or hedging as necessary. Tenants in the Whitby area had similar agreements: 1539-40 et pro brousynge pro catallis suis de lez Hollyes, Eskdale. In parks the 'brusing' was for the deer: 1590 yt may and shalbe lawfull to and for the kepers of the saide parke ... to fell brusinge within the said groundes ... that the deare may quietly have pasturage, Ilkley. There is an undated but earlier reference in Pickering: a.1568 . The variant brosyngwood occurs in a Leeds lease of 1537.