Bristol_and_Somerset-L Archives

From: Terry Silcock <>
Subject: ROAD in SOM & WILTS
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2000 06:05:05 -0400

Hi this is an oft repeated problem.

There are two distinct villages:

a) ROWDE which is in Wiltshire near to DEVIZES
this has always been in Wiltshire.

b) ROAD of which the name was changed to RODE sometime around 1920
at the request of Royal Mail.

This village WAS in both Wiltshire & Somerset.

The part which was in Somerset had/has the parish church of St Lawrence.
The part in Wiltshire was within the parish of North Bradley.

The county border was changed at some time, date not to hand
from c1861 a new parish was established for that part of ROAD in Wiltshire.
This was ROAD(RODE) Hill, this church,last year was in porr condition
and up for sale.

This division does have some advantages:

Since at the time of the Poor Law acts, if a family strayed across
the dividing street within the village, they could be subject to a
settlement examination, certificate or removal. Many of these
documents survive at the Trowbridge or Taunton record offices
and since the applicant" had to justify his settlement in the parish,
he would often list, parents, grandparents, wife and children.

Certainly I have found several for my SILCOCKS families in the area.

Be warned about ROWDE entries in the IGI, there are several there for
my families which are clearly erroneous, since they are also recorded
in the ROAD parish registers. Which have been transcribed and Indexed.
copies at Taunton and Uk Society of Genealogists
The Baptisms and Burials for North Bradley up to 1837
have been transcribed by the Wiltshire FHS.

One problem with researching this area is that the registers for the
neighbouring
parish of Wolverton, prior to 1800, were stolen in about 1965.

Also be aware of the many non-conformist churches,
but ROAD baptist church registers have been transcribed and indexed
these are at both Trowbridge & Taunton ROs.
Baptist records are useful because they normally record
births, with details of parents including mother's maiden name,
since baptism,, usually by immersion, was an adult procedure.

Hope this helps

Terry Silcock

Researching SILCOCK(S) variants in Wilst and Somerset
and where ever they spread to around the world

This thread:

• ROAD in SOM & WILTS by Terry Silcock <>