The OPC is Andrew Marsh
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Keevil – Melksham – Poulshot – Rowde – Semington
Websites of Interest
Seend – Village Website includes the Spotlight News Letter.
The Parish Church of Holy Cross
Church Building
Church Repairs 1858 Chancel Renovation 1876 Church Re-opening 1888 Church Improvement Funding Appeal 2017 Church Improvement Plans 2017
Church Interior
Holy Cross Interior Gallery Organ Dedication Services 1889 Vestry Meeting for Free Sittings 1890 Mural Tablets 1898
Church News
Church Officials
Church Officers
Parish Clerks
William Willshire, Parish Clerk and Charmer of Warts 1819-1892
Vicars
Testimonial to Rev. H. Barnes 1852 Presentation to Rev. Brooks 1855
Church Tithes
Churchyard
Parish Register Transcripts
Please note that some of these files are incomplete
Baptisms
Marriages
Burials
Parish Registers Held at WSHC
Baptisms 1612-1969
Marriages 1612-1996
Burials 1612-1992
Parish History
Civil Registration
1837 – April 1936 Melksham Registration District
April 1936 – Present Devizes Registration District
Village Magazine – Spotlight
Buildings and Land
Conservation
Preservation of Seend Hill 1936
Farms
Farm Owners & Occupiers from 1798 Record Price Paid for Smallholding 1920
Fires
General Items
Old Field Names Land & Building News 1750-1799 Land & Building News 1800-1849 Land & Building News 1850-1899 Buildings & Land News 1900-1949
Landowners
Maps
Ordnance Surveyor’s Drawings 1808-1811
Property Sales and Lets
Property to Be Let or Wanted 1850-1899 Property Sales & Auctions 1900-1999 Sale of Seend Row House 1931
Public Houses
Barge Inn, Seend Cleeve
Bell Inn, High Street, Seend
Brewery Inn, Seend Cleeve
Green Man, Seend
Three Magpies, Sells Green
Railways
Roads and Highways
Lease of Toll Gates West Lavington to Seend 1799
Right of Way Dispute 1921 Proposed By Pass 1938
Crime and Legal Matters
Animal Related Crime
Cattle
Horses
Gelding Taken Without Payment 1789 Horse Thefts 1865 Cruelty to a Horse 1874
Pigs
Charge of Moving Pig Without a License 1910
Sheep
Sheep Stealing 1828 Killing & Injuring Sheep 1878 Cruelty to Sheep 1933
Assault
Attack & Robbery of Mr. Giffard 1818 Attack & Robbery 1842 Assault on Postman 1865 Milking Cows & Assault 1874
Bigamy
Burglary
House Burgled 1836 Prison Sentence for Burglary 1931
Business Crime
Farmers Charged with Selling Inferior Milk 1937 Bath Butcher Fined for Breaking Ration Quotas 1941
Capital Punishment
Death Sentence Reprieve for William Maslen 1818
Civil Matters
Contracts
Alleged Breach of Covenant 1915
Housing Disputes
Slander & Libel
Action for Slander 1860 Libel Case Against Richard Ludlow-Bruges 1881
Courts
Melksham Petty Sessions 1871 Melksham Petty Sessions 1872 Qualified to sit as Magistrates 1886
Cyber Crime
Vicars Friends Tricked by Hacker 2012
Drink Related Crime
Drunk & Riotous Behaviour 1790 Robbed by Drinking Partners 1851 Keeping a Disorderly House 1866 Street Fighting 1890 Beer License Opposed but Granted 1923
Driving Offences
Employment Crime
Servant Refused to Clean Candlestick 1861 Hawking Without A License 1889 Mail Stolen by Postman 1946
Fraud
Con Men 1852 Obtaining Money by False Pretence 1889 Slate Club Embezzlement 1921 Cheque Fraud 1923
General Crime Items
Crime Reports 1700-1749 Crime Reports 1750-1799 Crime Reports 1800-1849 Crime Reports 1850-1899 Crime Reports 1900-1949 Crime Reports 1950-1999
Murder
Trial of Catherine Hill 1779-1780 Suicide or Murder 1833 Wilful Murder 1840 Child Murder 1870
Prisons & Prisoners
Inmates of Gloucester Gaol 1815-1879 Convicts sent to Prison Hulks 1823-1842 Prisoner Cut His Own Throat 1854
Theft
Transportation
Transportation of Prisoners 1827
Vandalism
Trowbridge Highways Board Post Removed Illegally 1872
Witchcraft
Directories
Education
| Private Education 1797 | Education News 1800-1849 | Education News 1850-1899 |
| Corporal Punishment 1871 | Education News 1900-1949 |
Emigration and Migration
Strays Index Visitors to Bath 1910-1928
Employment and Business
Agriculture and Land
Farm Worker Wins Award at Chertsey Agricultural Show 1927
Apprentices
Apprentice records published here may not necessarily mean that the apprentice was from the parish but was apprenticed to a master within the parish.
| Ambrose Awdry 1710 | Robert Bartlett 1724 | William Bartlett 1713 | George Bishop 1752 | Charles Blake 1725 | William Blear 1757 |
| Elizabeth Blizard 1755 | James Bull 1755 |
Community Services
Police
Wiltshire Society Apprentices
Frederick John Brewer 1911 Charles Wigmore 1852
Communications
British Postal Services Appointments 1737-1969 Sunday Postal Service 1850
Community Services
Police Sergeant Reakes Retires 1932
General Employment Items
Employment Notices 1850-1899 James Lampier, Soldier & Toll Collector 1872
Iron Works
Markets and Fairs
Christmas Fare at Devizes 1870
Railway
Great Western Railway Staff Changes 1937
Trades Unions
William James Abbott 1917
Miscellaneous Documents
Blue Tits Made Nest in Post Box 1950 Beer Festival 2014
Friendship
This little ditty was written by R. Robert Paine of Seend on 17th October 1701
Remember well and bare in miend
A trust friend is hard to fiend
When you have fouend one that is trusty and trew
Then do not change him for A Knew.
[Source WHSC 653/32]
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
Seend Wesleyan Methodist Church
Opened by John Wesley on Saturday 4 March 1775, Seend Chapel is still open for services. In 1757 the Wiltshire Circuit Book listed the membership of the Seend Society as 42. Sunday services are at 10am normally on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month. A quarterly United Service is held with the Anglican Church alternating between each site in the benefice and at the Chapel.
| Methodism in Seend | John Wesley Preaching at Bearfield & Seend 1749 | Non Conformist News 1850-1899 |
| Contribution to the Jewish Fund 1851 | Wesleyan Methodist Church Officers 2015 |
People and Parish Notables
Undated Items
Bell Family of Cleeve House William Heald Ludlow-Bruges, MP
1700 – 1799
Family Notices 1700-1749 Family Notices 1750-1799
1800 – 1899
1900 – 1999
Bankruptcy
| Bankruptcies 1800-1849 | Bankrupts 1850-1899 | John Batch Sheppard 1860 | Edward Gough 1862-1863 |
| Charles Hollingsworth Tidbury 1870 | George Hitchcock Blake 1932-1935 | Ronald William Spurgeon 1933-1948 |
Census Returns Transcripts
Associations, Clubs, Societies and Organisations
Speaker at Soroptimist Meeting 1946
The Parish offers a very diverse programme of clubs and activities to suit parishioners of all ages and interests. Further information for current activities may be found on the parish website found in the website links at the top of this page.
| Acoustic Club | Astronomy Society | Book Club |
| Bouncy Club, The Pavilion | Brownie Pack | Bulkington & District Junior Youth Group |
| Bulkington & District Youth Group | Community Centre & Seend Club, Rusty Lane | Cricket Club |
| Fawlty Players, Pantomime Group | Fete Committee | Football Club |
| Gardening Club, The Pavilion | Historic Houses Club | Lye Field Committee |
| Mother’s Union | Other Book Club | Playgroup, The Pavilion |
| Poetry Group | Ramblers Group | Royal British Legion |
| Seend Trust | Short Mat Bowls Club | Skittles Club |
| Summer Playscheme | Tennis Club | Theatre Visits Club |
| Wine Circle | Women’s Institute, Irene Usher Memorial Hall, Rusty Lane | Workers’ Educational Association |
Elections, Politics, Polls & Voters Lists
MPs & Candidates
Liberal Candidate for North Wilts. 1868 New County Councillor Elected 1941 MP Nominations 2015
Parliamentary Petitions
Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Poll Book 1818
Voters Lists
Voters List 1832 Voters Lists Revisions 1843
Entertainment
Halloween Celebrations 1900 – Present Hunt Ball 1929
Funeral Reports
Inquests
Inquest Reports 1800-1849 Inquest Reports 1850-1899 Dispute Over Inquest Evidence 1886
Reports
Obituaries
Parish Notables
Frederick Kempster
Circus Performer and Britain’s tallest man – for further information about Frederick Kempster please refer to the Worton & Marston Parish Page where a more comprehensive section can be viewed. Wiltshire Giant 1916
Paul Martin – Antiques Dealer & TV Presenter
Personal Research Items
Tuck Family Research Burial Extracts – These items were donated by Ken Tuck and contains entries that may or may not relate to the Tuck family however they have been published as such. Many references to Quaker entries may be found from across the county.
Sport
Soccer 1900-1999 Bath Cyclists Wiltshire Trip 1937
Wedding Reports
| Miss Montagu 1881 | Lilly Caroline Gale 1888 | Capt. William Acton & Miss Lorna Bell 1914 |
| Joseph Sturggess & Mabel Perrett 1919 | Alfred Weston & Grace Harris 1924 | James Mayell & Miss Gladys Redwood 1931 |
Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse
Charity
Charity, Donations & Legacies 1800-1849 Poor Law Union Audit 1849 Charity, Donations & Legacies 1850-1899 Charity, Donations & Legacies 1900-1949
Workhouse
Poor Law & Union Workhouse News 1800-1849
Probate
Probate Notices 1800-1849 Probate Notices 1850-1899 Estate Values 1900-1949
Inquisitions Post Mortem of Lands Held
William Jones 1626 Thomas Lambert 1639
Legacy Notices
Parishioners Wills
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Deserters
Military Deserter 1793 Wiltshire Militia Deserters 1812
General Military Items
Militia Stores, Hospital and a New Commission 1854
Napoleonic Wars
Seend Contra Napoleon – 1798
On the 12th April 1798 the curate of Seend made an entry in the churchwardens account book of the village. Here he recorded the names of parishioners who had “Voluntarily Contributed in Aid of the Exertions of Government to resist the Attempts of France, who now Insolently and openly threaten us with an Invasion for the avow’d purpose of Overturning The Religion, The Laws, and The Established Constitution of this Country”. The total of £106 4s., subscribed by 63 individuals, was indeed worthy of being recorded as a lasting Monument to the zeal and loyalty of those who stood forward in Defence of their King and Country at this important and Critical Juncture. Read More about Seend and how it helped raise funds for the cause
The document holds other interests for us as well; for the curate not only entered the names of the donors and the sum which each gave, but in most cases also their occupation, so that the list provides an unusually full outline for a survey of the village community of that time. Search the donors list here
Military News
Service Men & Women
Major Justly William Awdry to Attend Kings Levee 1911 William Henry Ludlow Cale 1867 Lieutenant James Cromwell Bush 1917
WWI
WWI Serving Military Personnel 1914
Casualties
Hospitals & Convalescent Homes
Seend House to Open as Convalescent Home 1914
War Memorials & Memorial Books
Seend Roll of Honour Plaque WWI Soldiers Who Died in WWI Named in Calne & District Casualty List Diocese of Salisbury Memorial Book 1914-1918 Seend War Memorial WWI & WWII
WWII
Casualties
Philip Usher, RAF Chaplain 1941
Service Men & Women
Soldiers Died in Motor Crash 1943
