The derivation of the Wilton Rawlence Road is probably the Rawlence family who lived in Wilton.
I have found several mentions of Rawlences who have lived in the area.
James Rawlence
Thepeerage.com lists both James Edward Rawlence ‘who lived at The Chantry, Wilton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England’ and his son, Leonard Curtis Rawlence who died on the 7 Dec 1957 1
An article in ‘The Agriculture History Review’ says that the work of William Humfrey, a leading sheep-breeder was
‘continued by James Rawlence who farmed at Bulbridge near Salisbury in Wiltshire. Rawlence provided the foundation stock for many famous pedigree flocks of Hampshire Downs as well as helping to establish a flock book in 1890′2
Presumably the same James Rawlence is mentioned in ‘A History of the County of Wiltshire’:
In 1887 James Rawlence, of Bulbridge, gave £1,000 to the trustees of the Wilton Municipal Charities to be invested for the maintenance of a parish nurse for the sick poor. This gift was increased by £400 from the children of James Rawlence3
Frederick Rawlence
There was a Frederick Rawlence (1886-1909) who painted water colours and made furniture in the style of the ‘Arts and Crafts Movement’4. Frederick Rawlence started a craft guild in Wilton.
Guy Rawlence
Finally, another Rawlence with a slightly tenuous Salisbury connection was Guy Rawlence. Guy Rawlence wrote several books 5, including one published in 1945 called ‘The Enchanted Village’, an ‘Uncommon childrens fantasy, set in England, somewhere west of Salisbury’, illustrated by Mary Shillabear6. He also seems to have published a book called ‘Knighton’, which is a hamlet and a manor house close to Broad Chalke 7.
Perhaps Broadchalke is his ‘Enchanted Village’?
Rawlence Road
The Rawlence Road in Wilton must be derived from the Rawlence family, some of whom are described above.
I would guess that the Rawlence Road in Salisbury might be derived from the same family – it’s on the Wilton side of Salisbury.
Footnotes
- thePeerage.com – Person Page 23788 [↩]
- ‘New Sheep for Old-Changes in Sheep Farming in Hampshire, 1792-1879′, GGS Bowie, The Agriculture History Review, 1987 [↩]
- Wilton – Schools and charities | British History Online [↩]
- The Art Fund – Coffer [↩]
- Guy Rawlence (Open Library) [↩]
- Guy Rawlence books on Aucott & Thomas [↩]
- Wiltshire County Council – Wiltshire Community History Get Literary Association Information [↩]
Just to fill in a few gaps to the comprehensive information above. in fact 2 Rawlences lived either side of the road named after them in Wilton. James Rawlence who lived in Bulbridge House and his son Edward living in The Chantry. The Rawlences were tenant farmers of the Wilton Estate farmimg Bulbridge Farm, land on which later Rawlence Road was built. In 1853 James Rawlence founded a surveying and land agency business that eventually became Rawlence and Squarey and then Humberts. He was Mayor of Wilton and a local benefactor.
Rawlence Road Salisbury was named after Maurice Rawlence, grandson of the above James and Mayor of Salisbury in 1937.
Leonard and Guy were in fact the sons of Edward Rawlence and both had a local connection. Leonard having the UK disributorship for Oldsmobile based on Churchfields and raced against the greats Massimo Ferrari etc in the gand prix of the 1920s. Guy was an author and lived in Wishford House.
Simon
Can you identify for me, Major M Rawlence DSO, who was, I believe, Chairman of Wilts County Council during WW2?
Was he the same Maurice Rawlence tat you mentioned above?
Ian
Ian apologies it has been a while since I visited this site. yes spot on, one and the same. I did not know that he had been Chairman of WCC. He was a retired Indian Army officer with private means. He never let his investments get above 100,000 pounds, which he considered sufficient for his needs. Any excess he gave away, in the process buying up land for the park and school in Lower Bemerton and giving it a heavy endowment for its upkeep still worth a substantial sum today and land for the school in Highbury Avenue. These are the only ones that I have been involved with. As Mayor together with my Grandmother, his sister in law, he was the focus of the local celebrations for the coronation in 1937.