SEVERNE, THOMAS, son of John Severne, Powick, Worcs., and Mary, dau. of Richard Langley, The Abbey, Shrewsbury, Shropshire; bapt. 28 Apr 1620; adm.; KS 1635; elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1638, matr. 23 Nov 1638, aged 17, Westminster Student; BA 1642; MA 1645 (incorp. Cambridge 1651); although an order was made on 15 May 1648 for his removal from his Studentship on account of his non-submission to the Parliamentary Visitors, he was not ejected until Jul 1650, and a few weeks afterwards he was restored by the Committee (Burrows, 296, 300, 301); formally reinstated 1660; ordained; “an eminent tutor and venerable divine”; does not seem to have held any ecclesiastical preferment; a quaint letter of his to his “ever-honoured master” Richard Busby (qv), dated Worcester 21 Oct 1689, in which he describes himself as “your first-beloved scholar”, is printed Nichols, Literary Illustrations, iv, 406; d. unm. 6 Oct 1698.

SETTLE, ELKANAH, son of Josias Settle, Dunstable, Beds., and Sarah ---; b. 1 Feb 1647/8; adm.; KS 1663; Trinity Coll. Oxford, matr. 13 Jul 1666; his first play, Cambyses, King of Persia, was performed at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in 1666; his bombastic plays became so popular that Dryden’s jealousy was aroused and a fierce literary warfare ensued between them; at first a violent Whig, but afterwards an equally violent Tory; City Laureate 1691; writer of drolls for Bartholomew Fair; a Poor Brother of the Charterhouse from 1718; author, Minervae Sacellum, or the Muses’ Address to the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Burlington, on the erecting the New Dormitory for King’s Scholars at Westminster, 1722; author, numerous dramatical and poetic works; m. 28 Feb 1673/4 Mary Warner; d. 12 Feb 1723/4. DNB.

SERCOMBE, RUPERT THEODORE WALTON, only son of Rupert Clampit Sercombe, Fairpark, near Exeter, Devon, merchant, and Louisa, third dau. of William Henry Smith, London, and Walton House, Bournemouth, Hampshire, founder of W. H. Smith & Son, newsagents; b. 3 Jan 1861; adm. 4 Jun 1874 (James'); QS Dec 1875; left Feb 1879; Exeter Coll. Oxford, matr. 22 Jan 1880; BA 1883; adm. Middle Temple 28 Oct 1881, called to bar 17 Nov 1885; emigrated to New Zealand by 1901; m. 8 Aug 1893 Sophia Maria Eleanor, widow of Charles Ernest Lavie, Ceylon, and dau. of Rev. Walter Maude Cosser, Vicar of Titchfield, Hampshire; d. Mar 1944.

SENIOR, THOMAS, of London; b.; adm.; KS 1641; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1646, adm. pens. 19 Jun 1646, scholar 1647, matr. Mich. 1646; BA 1649/50; MA 1653 (incorp. Oxford 10 Jul 1655); BD 1660; Fellow, Trinity Coll. 1650 –1662, Tutor 1653-8; Lecturer, Trinity Church, Cambridge; removed from Fellowship and Lecturership on refusing to conform; became a dissenting lecturer at Hackney, Middlesex; licensed as Presbyterian preacher, Clapton, Middlesex 12 Apr 1672; lic. to m. 31 May 1671 Anne Johnstone, Hackney, widow; will dated 18 Dec 1680, proved PCC 17 Feb 1680/1.

SELWYN, WILLIAM, brother of Charles Jasper Selwyn (qv); b. 14 Jun 1732; adm. Mar 1739/40; KS 1745; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1749, adm. pens. 25 May 1749, scholar 11 May 1750, matr. 1749; adm. Lincoln’s Inn 5 Jul 1749, called to bar 6 Nov 1754, Bencher 10 Nov 1780, Treasurer 1793; KC 1780; [perhaps Counsel for Colonial Business, Home Office Jul 1782 – Apr 1783, Dec 1783 – Feb 1796]; MP Whitchurch 17 Mar 1783-90; m. 15 Sep 1763 Frances Elizabeth, dau. of John Dod, Woodford, Essex; d. 21 Aug 1817.

SELWYN, CHARLES JASPER, eldest son of Henry Selwyn, Westminster, and Ruth, dau. of Anthony Compton, Gainslow, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland; b.; adm. (aged 8) Jan 1735/6; KS 1741; elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1745, matr. 12 Jun 1745, Westminster Student 24 Dec 1745 – res 13 Dec 1750; BA 1749; MA 1767; ordained deacon 2 Jun 1751, priest 24 May 1752 (both Oxford); Curate, Blockley, Worcs. (now Gloucs. ), 1755-61, Vicar from 22 Oct 1761; Rector of Beverstone with Kingscote, Gloucs., from 1767; Prebendary of Salisbury from 24 Feb 1775; Chaplain to his brother-in-law, Lord Boston; JP Gloucestershire, Worcestershire; m. 9 Jun 1750 (IGI) Elizabeth Coxeter, Bampton, Oxfordshire; d. 10 Sep 1794.

SELLON, WILLIAM, son of John Sellon, Marlow, Bucks.; b.; adm. (aged 10) Feb 1739/40; KS 1745; Capt. of the School 1749; elected head to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1750, adm. pens. 14 Jun 1750, scholar 26 Apr 1751, matr. 1751; ordained deacon (Lincoln) 14 Mar 1756; Curate, St. James’s, Clerkenwell 1756-8, Vicar from 1758; alternate evening preacher at the Magdalen Hospital from 13 Nov 1777; alternate afternoon lecturer at St. Giles in the Fields from 1758, and of St. Andrew’s, Holborn, from 1762; Chaplain to Earl of Pomfret 1763; proprietor and preacher, Portman Chapel, Baker Street, London; a popular preacher of the time; lic. to m. 4 May 1753 Sarah, sister of Baker John Littlehales (qv); d. 18 Jul 1790.

SEIGNIOR, GEORGE, son of George Seignior, Fleet Street, London; b.; adm.; KS in 1656; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1659, aged 18, adm. pens. 10 May 1659, scholar 1659, matr. Easter 1659; BA 1662/3; MA 1666; BD 1673; DD 1678; Fellow, Trinity Coll., from 1664; signed for deacon’s orders (London) 16 Dec 1664; Chaplain to Dr. George Wilde, Bishop of Derry; Domestic Chaplain to Earl of Burlington; Vicar of St. Michael’s, Cambridge; a liberal benefactor to Trinity Coll. and assisted many of the students “so as to enable them to remain resident at the College, free from the distractions of poverty”; an account of his life, written by James Fawket (qv), was published in 1682; d. 16 Oct 1678.

Secker Walker, David, son of Geoffrey Secker Walker BM, of Farnborough, Hants, and Joan Alice, d. of William John Hubert Diplock, solicitor, of Croydon; b. 10 June 1932; adm. Sept. 1945 (KS); left July 1950; St John’s Coll. Oxf., matric. 1952, BA 1956; coxed the men’s pairs in London 1948 Olympics; worked for The Financial Times, The Times and The Sunday Telegraph 1957-63; dir. N. M. Rothschild & Sons 1963-83; founder Causeway Group Ltd. 1983-97; man. dir. Cayzer Gartmore Ltd.; m. 7 Sept. 1957 Lorna Margaret, d. of William Elmer Lea of Hampstead; d. 24 Mar. 2014.

SEARLE, EDWARD; b.; adm.; QS; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1604, adm. scholar 1605; BA 1608/9; MA 1612; Fellow, Trinity Coll. 1610 – c. 1618.