Frederic Seebohm (1833 – 1912) was born into a wealthy Quaker family of wool merchants from Bradford. His mother was from Hitchin, and the family settled here. The Seebohms’ home, the Hermitage, was a substantial house in Bancroft with extensive grounds. In 1874, Frederic gave some of the garden to the town, enabling the building of Hermitage Road, and shortening the walk from town centre to the railway station by a couple of minutes. He also donated Windmill Hill to the Girls’ Grammar School and the town. A noted, self-taught historian, he published several acclaimed books, most notably The English Village Community of 1883.
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