Overseal is situated 3 miles south of Swadlincote, in South Derbyshire. The village was once part of the district of Seal, which included quite a few settlements, many of which form Netherseal and Overseal in modern times. The “Seal” suggests the area was once heavily forested and Nether means ‘lower’ and Over means ‘upper’. The busy A444 passes straight through it.
"Over Seal, called also Little and Spital Seile, was one of the lordships given, in the reign of Henry III, by William de Meisham, in marriage with his daughter, to Wm. de Appleby, together with a park, a wood, and a mill, called Woodlandes. The services of this and another manor, the same Wm. de Meisham, about 1250, gave to Merevale Abbey, Warwickshire. A third manor was afterwards held by Lucian de Deserto, and a fourth by the Vernons, of Haddon, Derbyshire. But in the early part of the 13th century, all these manors were held under Wm. de Ferrariis, Earl of Derby. In 1205, a curious agreement was made between Lucian of "Scheyl Minor" and the rector, respecting the maintenance of a resident chaplain, on his estate, to celebrate mass in the chapel there, three days a-week. In the 16th century, Sir Wm. Gresley, of Drakelowe, bought this manor, and in the following century, it passed to the Morewoods, of Netherseal."
The church of St Mathew was built in 1840-41 by Thomas Johnson. It is an aisleless, stone building with west tower, lancet windows and a five light east window with Late Geometrical tracery.
There is a village primary school, a community centre and a pub called the Robin Hood Inn.
Of interest to visitors is Grangewood Garden Centre, situated in the Walled Garden of Grangewood Hall. In addition to garden products, the centre houses craft rooms, pine furniture, aquatics and a tea room.
See http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com for more history.
