BRIDGE FAMILY PAPERS

A collection of deeds and papers lent to the Wellington Museum by Mr Howard Bridge of Newbury, co. Berks., in 1983, relating mainly to the Bridge family of Westonzoyland, Cossington and Wellington, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The collection also contains small, apparently unrelated groups of documents relating to two prominent Wellington families, namely, the Were and Langley families, as well as the Berry family of Fulland, Wilton. In addition, there are a number of miscellaneous deeds and leases for Wellington, together with isolated documents for the parishes of Broomfield, Runnington and Somerton.

The Bridge family were yeoman farmers during the eighteenth century, the evidence of family wills (DD\WEL. 8) indicating the ownership of property in Westonzoyland, Bridgwater, Middlezoy, Cossington and Chedzoy during this period. By the final quarter of the century two members of the family, Stephen Bridge and Franklin Sealy Bridge (sons of William Bridge of Cossington), were practising as surgeons in South Petherton and Wellington, respectively. In 1787 Franklin Sealy Bridge formed a partnership with another Wellington surgeon, Richard Bovet, for a term of ten years (DD\WEL. 7). However, an apprenticeship indenture of 1777 binding one Sydenham Frampton Vere to them in the profession of a surgeon and apothecary, would suggest a partnership of greater longevity. Franklin Sealy Bridge's son, Stephen Franklin Bridge, also established himself as a surgeon in Wellington during the nineteenth century. The Were family documents consist almost wholly of the marriage settlements relating to the children of Thomas Were of Wellington, merchant.

In listing this collection the original artificial arrangement of the documents in bundles consisting of specific types of document has been dispensed with, the aim being to reorganise this material on a family basis, with a separate section for the various miscellaneous deeds, leases and so forth.

S/2201