Chapter 7: JOHN SEVIOUR of WANSTROW, SOMERSET

John Seviour started his working life as agricultural labourer, but before 1871 joined the army. He served in India before returning to Wanstrow to live with his widowed mother, and again work as an agricultural labourer. When his mother died he moved to the nearest town to his home parish, Shepton Mallet. From the mid-18th century, Shepton Mallet, like many rural towns, had begun to decline. Riots broke out in 1746, 1748, 1749, and 1775. As the Napoleonic wars played havoc with trade, the gap between rich and poor began to widen, and further rioting broke out in 1813, 1815, 1816, 1819, and 1823. Modernisation was treated with indignation, as it was seen to lead to unemployment and bigger profits for the rich.

As the economy continued to decline, mill owners simply shut their mills and craftsmen packed their bags and left. In the space of just a few years, from 1830-1840, the population of Shepton Mallet halved, and the once proud factories and mills were either burned by gangs of disgruntled navvies or were left to crumble into bleak ruins.

Recovering from the decline of the Georgian era, a number of alternative industries grew up in Shepton Mallet, including the manufacture of cheese, lace, velvet, silk and crepe - the silk for Queen Victoria's and Queen Mary's wedding dresses was made here. Brewing flourished here, and the Anglo-Bavarian Brewery was the first place in Britain to brew lager. The prosperity this brought the town led to a program of extensive civic improvement.

John married Wiltshire born Louisa Yeoman née Carpenter in Shepton Mallet in about 1885. According to family recollection he had known her from before the time of her previous marriage. Possible siblings of Louisa were still living in her home parish, Longbridge Deverill, in 1881, where they all worked as agricultural labourers. Carpenters will still much in evidence in the parish in the early 1900s. "The Deverills", as a group, are situated along the valley of the river Wylye near to Warminster. The Domesday Book of 1086 records at least nine villages: today there are five, with three fine churches, which stand on the sites of ancient Saxon chapels. Longbridge Deverill’s church is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. It was founded by a Charter of King Athelstan in AD 930. The Altar stone was discovered in 1858 under a path in the churchyard, when the chancel was being rebuilt. Tradition says that it was used by Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury 1162-72, when he came to consecrate the church, and that in 1662, when Cromwellian soldiers were advancing on Longbridge Deverill, the Vicar, the Rev William Parry, concealed it for safety.

Louisa Yeoman née Carpenter had lived in Frome with her first husband John Yeoman before moving to Shepton Mallet in about 1874. She was widowed in the later summer of 1878, a matter of weeks before the birth of her fifth child. Three years later she was living in Leg Street in Shepton Mallet with her children and a boarder, Clara Fowler who worked as a silk warper (weaver). Louisa was a needlewoman, probably working in one of the town’s textile factories.At that time two additional children were under her guardianship, namely Charles and Ada Buckland, aged seven and five years respectively. Both were born in Banbury, Western Australia. One can only guess why they were so far away from their birthplace and living with Louisa as there is no direct evidence that they were related to her. They were the children of (George) Fredrick Buckland and Louisa/Anna Craig/Gregg who were married at Pinjarra in Western Australia in 1871. Louisa is a Seviour family name, so perhaps Louisa/Anna Craig/Creeg was related to her children's Somerset host.

Louisa Seviour née Carpenter

John and Louisa had six children of their own. In 1891 the family were living at 13 Garston Place whilst John worked as a general labourer. Two of Louisa’s sons were errand boys, the others worked with horses; one as a gentleman’s groom, one an under groom and the other a stable boy. After 1891 John possibly became a cooper, perhaps in the Anglo-Bavarian Brewery.

13 Garston Place

In later years John and Louisa moved first to Neath then on to Abergavenny. Taking at least one child, their youngest son Percival Edwin (Chapter 9) with them.

Percival Edwin Seviour

             

             John SEVIOUR  b.1844 d.1918 m.Louisa YEOMAN née CARPENTER
                  Ethel Louise SEVIOUR b.c1886 d.>1891 m.William SEVIOUR(Chapter 8)
                  Reginald J. SEVIOUR b.c1887 m.Emmy -   
                      Elizabeth SEVIOUR m.- - 
                      Norah M. SEVIOUR b.c1889 d.>1891 m.Patrick CLARKE   
                         Maureen CLARKE m.- SCHUMACHER   
                      George Stanley SEVIOUR b.1890 d.>1891 m. Lilian -
                      Donald SEVIOUR m.Stella -   
                          children SEVIOUR   
                      Horace SEVIOUR m.Bettie -   
                          children SEVIOUR   
                      Percival Edwin SEVIOUR b.1894 d.1971(Chapter 9)