John Butchin (1605?-1672) and Sarah Stevens (1609-????).
My 9th great-grandparents.
The data about the Budgens/Butchins is thin in the 16th and early 17th centuries. I don’t know the exact date or place of my 9th great-grandfather John Butchin’s baptism but it’s likely that he was descended from a long-standing Surrey family that came from Bletchingley and Nutfield. He must’ve been born in or before 1606 because his grandfather William Butchin left him a ewe in his will dated that year. In fact, several of his grandchildren were granted a similar gift. The will notes that John’s father was John Butchin but his mother’s name is unknown.
The baptism records for his own children mention Sarah as his wife and a John Butchin married Sarah Stevens at nearby St Katherine’s Church in Merstham, Surrey, on 23 November 1632. Sarah was born in the village in 1609 to William Stevens and was baptised there on 18 June of that year.
According to his will, John was a carpenter by trade.
The Protestation Returns for 1641 show a John Butchin resident in the village. The returns were the result of an order of the House of Commons, which called on all adult men to swear an oath of allegiance to the Protestant religion. Their names were duly inscribed in a list in each parish, and the list sent back to Parliament at a time when relations between it and the King were at a low ebb, caused in part by concern over his commitment to the faith. The Civil War would break out not long after.
The Hearth Tax records for 1663 record a John Butchin from Bletchingley. Again, this is probably my ancestor. Each liable householder had to pay one shilling, twice a year, for each fire, hearth and stove in each dwelling they owned. A number ‘3’ is written alongside his name, suggesting perhaps that he had three hearths. It was also noted that he was a surveyor of highways, along with several other men in the parish. This position dated from Tudor times, when the government switched responsibility for highway maintenance to the parishes. The surveyors had to inspect the roads and organise any repairs, with parishioners expected to give up a number of days each year to carry out maintenance work. Surveyors could also take material from landowners, such as stones and clay, without permission or compensation to complete repairs. This all meant surveyors weren’t particularly popular with the locals!
John died in June 1672 and was buried at St Mary’s Church in Bletchingley on the 19th of the month. In his will dated 13 June 1672 he left his son William Butchin £15, his son John £10 and his grandchildren Sarah Butchin, John Butchin, William Butchin and Robert Butchin a lamb each. The rest of his estate went to his wife Sarah, the executor of his will.
The witnesses to the will were William Hampton and Mary Laurence and it was proved on 11 July 1672.
I’ve not found a burial record for Sarah.
The couple had at least two children:
- William Butchin (c1640-1712), my 8th great-grand uncle. I’ve yet to find a baptism record for William but he was mentioned in his father’s will receiving £15 – more than his brother John – so was certainly one of his children and perhaps the oldest. He married Sarah Alchin in St Mary’s Church, Bletchingley, Surrey, on 3 January 1670 and baptised several children in the village. Sarah was probably a relative, even a sister, of his brother John’s wife Ann Alchin. William Butchin Snr was buried in Bletchingley on 21 August 1712 while a Widow Butchin was buried on 24 April 1713 and I assume these were my ancestors. Another William Butchin was buried in the village on 22 February 1722 and his will led to legal protests over his decision to leave a significant portion of his estate to a Katherine Brigstock, who the family clearly believed had forced the aged William into changing his will. This was dismissed by the courts. I don’t believe this man, who was a wealthy yeoman, was my ancestor in part because of the names mentioned in the will not matching my known family. He may be the William Butchin born in nearby Nutfield in 1637.
- John Butchin (1645-????), my 8th great-grandfather. He was baptised in Bletchingley and married Ann Alchin.
Sources: BMDs at Ancestry.co.uk, Findmypast.co.uk, Surrey Parish Records at Surrey History Centre, Centre for Hearth Tax Research. Parliamentary archives for Protestation Returns. Roads in the 17th century. 1722 will dispute National Archives record PROB 11/593/14.