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Liddington and Wanborough lie at the foot of the downs about three miles to the south, South Marston and Stratton St. Margarets are no more than half a mile to the North of the railway, while three or four miles further north lie Highworth and Stanton Fitzwarren, the former on rising ground overlooking the Thames valley. The men of the family in these early days do not seem to have gone far afield for their brides and it is remarkable how many of the latter came from Wiltshire or the neighbouring villages in the North West of Berkshire.
"'Humblie sheweth and complayneth unto your most excellent Maty W. Darell... that whereas in XXI daie of September in the XIX yere of yor Maties reign one Browne and Browne at Marlborough in your Highnes county of Wilts threatened one Thomas Brinde yor Maties subjecte that they the saideBrowne and Browne would kill the saide Tho. Brinde wch Browne and Browne according to theire develishe entent within two daies then next ensuinge (associatinge themselves with 5 other psons of like develshe dipocion, at Wanborough in yor saide county of Wiltes set upon the saide Tho Brinde being at that time wthout all manner of weapon other than a walking staff in his hande and the said riotous and evill disposed persons so cruelly assulting the saide Tho Brinde... the right leg of the saide Tho Brinde was stricken then of by reason of wch mortall wound the said Tho Brinde wthin 4 daies after died. After whose death Darrell as a good subject and also as Lord of the manor and a friend and patron of Brinde tried to bring the murderers to justice....', but he apparently failed.
"A Thomas Brind of Wanborough had bought Stanton Fitz-herbert Manor in 1543 but whether it was he who was murdered by the members of the Browne family in about 1577 is not clear.
"A John Brind of Wanborough was fined 40 shillings for refusing to accept an order of knighthood on the coronation of Charles I.
"The parish records of the villages mentioned above contain the names of many Brinds who were baptised, married or buried during the eighteenth and early part of the nineteenth centuries. One of the last Brinds to reside in N. E. Wilts was 'Squire' John Brind of Liddington Manor, who died there in 1866 at the age of 92, still a bachelor. He must have been a tough old gentleman, for it is said that when over ninety he underwent a major operation without an anaesthetic. There are still many Brind memorials in Liddington church and one on which a Brind is mentioned in Shrivenenham Church.
"The earliest Brind to establish himself in London, so far as we know, was William, the son of John Brind of Great Comberton (5½ miles W by S of Evesham) in Worcestershire, who was admitted to the Freedom of the Goldsmiths' Company as far back as 9th February 1654.
"A Richard Brind, (son of another Richard) was educated as a chorister of St Paul's Cathedral. He afterwards became organist of the cathedral and died a bachelor in 1718. He was buried in the vaults of St Paul's.
"Another branch of the family of Brind lived in South Wales not far from Newport, Mon.
"It seems clear that the branch of the family to which most of those who are likely to be interested in these notes belong, is descended from William Brind of Highworth. How closely or how distantly related this branch is to the old squire of Liddington Manor has not been established. That they both came from the same stock is clear from the similarity of the coats of arms.
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