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Seend House – controversial origins of an untouched Wiltshire mansion

Posted by: Blog Administrator on Aug 10, 2011

One of our latest jobs has been to look at Seend House, a grade II* asymmetric villa based the on the Doric order in the centre of Seend, adjacent to the church. It was built between 1807 and 1815 for Thomas Bruges, a Melksham maltster and estate agent to Katherine Long of South Wraxall. 


He was born in 1751, the son of Thomas Bruges senior, a well-to-do farmer of Semington. The younger Thomas became rich as a Melksham maltster and also by acting as land agent for Miss Katherine Long of South Wraxall. He was a Justice of the Peace, and a Commissioner of both the Canal and Turnpike Trusts. Miss Long relied on Bruges’ friendship and advice. With her financial assistance, he bought Craysmarsh and Green Lane farms in Melksham Without, and built, just to the north of the church, the mansion later called Seend House. The Bruges’ family coat of arms is carved on the central pediment on the front elevation of the house, and the drive entrance on each side is flanked by a pillared lodge. Niklaus Pevsner in Wiltshire (the buildings of England series) calls it one of the two best houses in Seend, the other being the Manor House.

 The Bruges' coat of arms
The Bruges' coat of arms





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The Long and the short of it: South Wraxall Manor and the Longs

Posted by: Blog Administrator on May 6, 2011

Tagged in: writer , Wiltshire , William Wellesley-Pole junior , widow , wealth , Vol. IX , Visitors Book , Thomas Larkins Walker , Thomas Critchley , Stag’s Horn , St. James’ Palace , South Wraxall Manor , son , Sir Walter Long , shooting , school , Samuel Sneade Brown , Rood Ashton and Draycot , Rev. Jackson , Rev. Dr. F. , retirement , reputation , relation , pupils , prosperous , property , poet , plaisaunce , Pedigree , partridge , pamphlet , owned , notorious , nephew , Mrs Knight , Mr Thomas Knight , Motto , Miss Knight , Miss Katherine Long , Medlicott , Long family , Long , letter , Kilvert , John Taylor , inherit , infatuated , India , horseracing , Gentleman’s Magazine , Gateway of South Wraxall Manor , frontispiece , fortune , folly , family , extravagance , Exeter , events , Etching , estates , Envy will lye , egotism , Duran Duran , Duke of Wellington , Draycot House , diary , destitute , debts , Dan Cruickshank , clothiers , clergyman , Charter House , Charlotte Anna Long , Catherine Tylney-Long , Bradford on Avon , bookseller , Bath , bass guitarist , Aubrey , article , Archives

Dan Cruickshank has just taken a fascinating look at South Wraxall Manor, and to supplement his visit I thought I’d have a look in our archives for any quirky or unusual information on both the manor and Long family who initially made their fortune as clothiers.


P40652
South Wraxall Manor

A. C. Martin restored the gardens at South Wraxall Manor for Richardson Cox between 1900 and 1902. He laid out the gardens whilst restoring the manor. By 1968 a geometrical island and sundial had found their way into an earlier circular swimming pool.


 Gateway, 1860s
947/1787/1 Gateway of South Wraxall Manor, 1860s

 
 Letter from Medlicott to Walter Long
947/1062, 1878
Letter from Medlicott to Walter Long















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Local History and the art of serendipity

Posted by: Blog Administrator on Jul 9, 2010

Tagged in: Yorkshire , Wiltshire Weather Proverbs , Wiltshire shepherd , Wiltshire Libraries , Wiltshire Independent , Wiltshire Council , Wiltshire Archaeological Society , William Camden , Westmorland , weather , Wales , verdict , Titchborne Claimant , Times Digital Archive , The Preston Guardian , The Lancaster Gazette and General Advertiser for L , Terry Bracher , Swindon Libraries , Swindon Borough Council , subscribe , stories , Sir Roger Titchborne , Shrewsbury , Shoulder of Mutton , serendipity , search terms , Rev. C. H. Smith , researchers , relieving-officer , records , Public House , prison , poor man , Poor Law , online , observations , Nineteenth Century Newspapers Online , newspapers , Malmesbury Union Workhouse , local history , libraries , landlord , keywords , jury , John Matthews , John Aubrey , Jacksons Oxford Journal , information , Inclemency of the Weather , http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisureandculture/libr , http://www.swindon.gov.uk/leisuresport/libraries/2 , History Centre , heir , family fortune , eureka moment , distraction , Devizes prison , Death , court case concerning , Coroner’s , computers , clergyman , browsing , Bromham , Brinkworth , astrological , articles , Arthur Orton , art , antiquarian , 1873

Like many researchers, when I am browsing newspapers and other records I am often distracted by other interesting stories or snippets of information. When searching for articles online, there is less distraction as you are already narrowing your search terms to produce that eureka moment. But what online research does provide for, something that should be in every Local Historian’s toolkit, is what I call the art of serendipity, or more bluntly putting in a couple of keywords and see what happens, with surprising results! (You see, we have all done it).
The Titchbourne Claimant 
The Titchborne Claimant

In the spirit of research on behalf of our faithful blog readers I thought I would search two online resources to which both Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council subscribe on your behalf. These are the Times Digital Archive and Nineteenth Century Newspapers Online. These are available 24/7 to Wiltshire Libraries and Swindon Libraries members respectively, through the following links: http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisureandculture/librarieshome/libraryonlineresources.htm. To find out which other Wiltshire stories were discovered, please 'read more'... 

 

http://www.swindon.gov.uk/leisuresport/libraries/24hourlibrary.htm



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