FOUR generations of a well-known Wiltshire family celebrated 150 years of their name on Sunday.

The Rhind-Tutt's gathered 150 years to the day that Thomas Tutt of Wishford married Jane Rhind of Paddington.

Former Amesbury mayor Andy Rhind-Tutt said: "My great grandfather Thomas Tutt was born in Wishford in 1840, the sixth son of a large Wiltshire family.

"He was an apprentice stationer and travelled weekly to London from Wishford Station.

"He first met Jane at Paternoster Row, where she collected stationery for the family shop.

"Their relationship blossomed and in the mid 1860's Thomas asked Jane for her hand in marriage and she accepted with one condition - she was determined to keep the family name in memory of her late father."

For many years Jane's father, Charles travelled the Western World delivering messages on behalf of King William IV and nobility.

After the king's death, he bought a stationery shop in Paddington, known then as 7 Little Sussex Place (later renamed 28 Sussex Place), and enjoyed a new career serving the needs of the wealthy who lived there and around Hyde Park.

In 1840, the year Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, Charles was appointed the first postmaster of Paddington, a role that the family proudly continued to take for 111 years.

The shop became a favourite of both Winston Churchill and Charles Dickens.

In 1842, Charles married Georgianna Castle, the daughter of Sam Castle and secretary to Lady Knatchbull (niece of Jane Austen) and in April 1843 their only child Jane was born.

Charles died prematurely after catching a chill at the consecration of St James Church in 1844 leaving Georgianna with the post office and Jane, a baby in arms.

After the marriage of Thomas and Jane at St James Church on October 23, 1866, Thomas became the new postmaster and the name above the shop changed to Rhind & Tutt and soon six children arrived, four girls and two boys.

As time passed Jane and Thomas looked forward to grandchildren and hoped that the new family name would continue, but one daughter Iny died at just 12-years-old, the other three remained spinsters and the two boys George and Charles were still single when their mother Jane died in 1899.

Andy said: "Jane never knew that her passionate determination to keep her father's name would result in a celebration 150 years later, with more than 30 representatives of 13 grandchildren she never met."

Today the Rhind-Tutt family comprises 159 descendants of which 140 are still living including the actor Julian Rhind-Tutt whose most recent film is Bridget Jones's Baby, and Robin Rhind-Tutt who built the famous Wasp Rhind-Tutt motorcycles which is now the longest continuous motorbike manufacturer in Britain.

The family has also had two mayors, James, mayor of Wilton 1998-9 and Andrew, mayor of Amesbury 2011-2.

And in 2012, Tom Rhind-Tutt, grandson of Thomas and Jane, was awarded an MBE for services to the learning disability community.

On Sunday the four generations of Rhind-Tutt's with ages ranging from 15 months to 89 years visited St James Church for a blessing before a commemorative lunch at Salt and Honey, the latest reincarnation of the shop at 28 Sussex Place which became the family home for nearly 130 years.

Over lunch and while families reconnected a surprise family link was discovered, a cousin through marriage was related to Charles Dickens.