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The story is told that his valet had the audacity to interrupt
Sir William Brereton at this dinner. Seeing his master's anger, the
valet fled upstairs, but Sir William Pursued him there, and murdered
him.
Sir William, in fear of the deed, went to London to plead for pardon
with the King. The royal authority was great in those days.
Sir William went on his knees before the King and confessed his
crime. the King refused to pardon him immediately, but offered to
give him a chance. He said he would allow Sir William three days
in which to invent a muzzle to muzzle a bear; if it proved efficacious,
his life would be spared.
For three days he was shut up in the Tower. At the end of that
time he was brought before a bear. The bear was let loose. The  prisoner
flung his newly-invented muzzle over its head and escaped unharmed.
From that time the muzzle bear became the emblem of the Breretons.
(This emblem is part of the crest to the right.)
Source: The Story of Brereton Hall Cheshire,
by Arthur Lowndes Moir, January, 1949
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