Thomas Budgen (1675-1757) and Sarah Comber (1682-1758)

Thomas Budgen (1675-1757) and Sarah Comber (1682-1758).
My 7th great-grandparents.

Budgens crop up regularly in the parish registers of West Hoathly in Sussex from the 18th century onwards but family researcher John Howes in the Sussex Family Historian says Thomas was the first to settle in the village.

But where did he come from?

  • East Grinstead, Sussex: Numerous Butchins / Butchings appear in the records of nearby East Grinstead throughout the 17th century – and a couple were actually baptised in West Hoathly – but no Thomas Butching / Budgen was baptised at the right time. So unless a record is missing, this branch is hard to favour.
  • Frant, Sussex: According to the age given in the register at his burial in West Hoathly on 1 May 1757, he would’ve been born in about 1675. Two Thomas Budgens were baptised in Frant, on the Sussex/Kent border in 1679 and 1681. One died as an infant while Frant would’ve been a 17-mile trip.
  • Horne, Surrey: A Thomas Budgen was christened on 23 February 1676 in Horne. His parents were Thomas and Sarah. A Thomas Budgen was buried in the village in 1717 – the only one by this name in the relevant time-frame. If this was the father, where did Thomas Jnr go? I consider him a likely candidate but I cannot find a marriage for his parents other than in Wadhurst, Sussex, more than 20 miles from Horne.
  • Bletchingley, Surrey: John Howes favours a Thomas Butchin baptised at St Mary’s Church in Bletchingley on 9 January 1675 to John Butchin and Anne Alckin. His argument is that there were good road links between Bletchingley and West Hoathly, along which Thomas could easily have travelled. It’s also notable that Thomas’s second son was called John. However, Horne is closer to West Hoathly than Bletchingley.

Wherever he came from, Thomas married Sarah Comber at St Margaret’s Church in West Hoathly on 5 May 1706 and had a large family, but there’s little indication what he did for a living.

The Combers were a venerable West Hoathly and Sussex family. Sarah was baptised on 25 June 1682 in West Hoathly to parents Thomas and Sarah Comber. Her father wasn’t from the wealthiest branch of the family, descending from younger sons of younger sons and therefore those who received much less money and property in their parents’ wills.

Thomas Budgen was buried on 1 May 1757 at West Hoathly. The burial record says he was 82 years of age. Sarah survived for a few months after his death and was buried in the village on 11 January 1758.

The couple had at least nine children:

  • William Budgen (1707-1782), my 6th great-grand uncle. Baptised in St Margaret’s Church in West Hoathly, Sussex, on 25 September 1707, William married Elizabeth Farmer in the village on 1 June 1736 and was buried in West Hoathly on 30 April 1782. He’d obviously been reasonably successful in life as he left a will dated 29 January 1780 in which he was described as a yeoman (a term usually used to refer to a farmer who owned his own land) and bequeathed a significant amount of property. Curiously William left the majority of it to his youngest son rather than the eldest. In fact his eldest son William and his daughter Anne, wife of George Holman, both only received two shillings and six pence. His son-in-law and widower, John Young of West Hoathly, a hoop-maker who’d married his daughter Elizabeth, received the same amount. He left his youngest son Thomas his freehold messuage and appurtenances – in effect his home and grounds – in West Hoathly. Thomas also received “that piece or parcel of freehold land containing by estimation one acre and a quarter more or less, adjoining to the lands of Sir Joseph Peake … and to the King’s Highway leading from Turners Hill to Horsted Green … now in my own occupation and which I purchased off my brother Richard Budgen and is situated lying and being in the parish of West Hoathly…”. Finally, William’s son Thomas received all of his father’s other goods, clothes and stock. John Howes, who has researched the Budgen family, believed that William lived at a property called Winhams. The couple’s children were:
    • William Budgen (1737-1820) was baptised in West Hoathly and married Jane Mitchell in the village in 1756. They had children and William inherited a relatively small 2s 6d from his father after his death. Jane died in 1811.
    • Elizabeth Budgen (1737-1762) was baptised in West Hoathly on the same day as William although it’s not stated that they were twins. She married hoopmaker John Young in 1761 and died just a year later. John was granted 2s 6d in his father-in-law’s will.
    • Sarah Budgen (1739-1740) was baptised with her twin Mary in West Hoathly.
    • Mary Budgen (1739-1739). Sarah’s twin was born and died in July of 1739.
    • Anne Budgen (1744-????) was baptised in West Hoathly and married George Holman in the village in 1764. They had children and Ann inherited 2s 6d from her father in 1783.
    • Thomas Budgen (1751-1795) was baptised in West Hoathly, married Mary Peckham in the village in 1776 and inherited the majority of his father’s money and property in the 1780s. The couple had a number of children.
  • Sarah Budgen (1709-1772), my 6th great-grand aunt. Baptised on 15 April 1709 at St Margaret’s Church in West Hoathly, Sussex, Sarah’s baptism record had ‘East Grinstead’ alongside her name, which suggests the family was living in the neighbouring parish at the time of her birth. She married Thomas Blaker in West Hoathly on 16 April 1730. He was from Bolney in Sussex, where he was baptised on 21 August 1703. I suspect Sarah was buried at West Hoathly church on 19 April 1772, although it’s stated that she was from Worth. Perhaps the couple had moved there for work… Thomas Blaker was buried in West Hoathly on 26 February 1788 aged 84. The Blakers had a big family including:
    • Sarah Blaker (1730-????).
    • Mary Blaker (1731-1731).
    • Mary Blaker (1732-????).
    • Thomas Blaker (1735-1747).
    • Richard Blaker (1738-1815). He lived and died in West Hoathly, marrying Hannah Creasy in the village in 1767.
    • John Blaker (1739-1810). He was buried in Ardingly, Sussex.
    • Jane Blaker (1742-????).
    • William Blaker (1745-????).
    • Hannah Blaker (1747-1800) was baptised in West Hoathly and married Thomas Previtt in nearby Horne, Surrey, in 1766. They had children while he worked as a farmer. They were buried in Worth, Sussex – Thomas in 1818 after remarrying.
    • Nancy Blaker (1751-????).
    • Elizabeth Blaker (1753-????).
  • Elizabeth Budgen (1710-1741), my 6th great-grand aunt. Elizabeth was baptised at St Margaret’s Church in West Hoathly, Sussex, on 20 December 1710. She married William Payne in the village on 27 March 1731. He was a local man, baptised on 4 July 1707. They had several children but Elizabeth was buried a young woman in West Hoathly on 18 April 1741. William lived until 1788 and was buried on 7 January that year. Their children included:
    • Thomas Payne (1732-????).
    • Elizabeth Payne (1734-????).
    • William Payne (1736-1810). Baptised in West Hoathly, William went on to be a successful farmer. A will he left on his death mentioned two farms, one in West Hoathly and another in nearby East Grinstead, that he left to his wife Ann nee Dench, his children and other members of his family.
    • John Payne (1738-1747).
  • John Budgen (1713-1784), my 6th great-grand uncle. John was baptised on 11 December 1713 at St Margaret’s in West Hoathly, Sussex, and married Elizabeth Hams or Hames at the same church on 14 October 1742. Two girls by this name were born locally who could be this Elizabeth, one in Ardingly and another in Balcombe, but I’ve not been able to narrow down further. John was buried in West Hoathly on 5 January 1784. I suspect his wife was buried on 1 January 1802, described as Elizabeth Budgen, widow aged 80. Their children included:
    • John Budgen (1743-????).
    • Thomas Budgen (1745-????) married Ann Carter in her home village of Ardingly, Sussex, in 1768.
    • Sarah Budgen (1746-????).
    • Benjamin Budgen (1749-1830). He died at the poor house in East Grinstead, Sussex.
    • Richard Budgen (1751-1796).
    • William Budgen (1754-????).
    • Elizabeth Budgen (1758-1781).
    • Mary Budgen (1760-????).
    • Jane Budgen (1762-????).
    • Ann Budgen (1766-????).
  • Thomas Budgen (1715-1715), my 6th great-grand uncle, was baptised on 17 April 1715 at St Margaret’s in West Hoathly, Sussex, and was buried in the village just days later on the 25th.
  • Richard Budgen (1716-1790), my 6th great-grand uncle. He was baptised in at St Margaret’s in West Hoathly, Sussex, on 14 September 1716 and married Elizabeth Burly at St Mary’s Church in nearby Balcombe, Sussex, on 23 June 1748. I’m unsure where she came from but based on her age at death it’s likely she was the Elizabeth Burley baptised on 19 September 1725 to William and Mary Burley. She had children with Richard but died in 1754 and was buried in West Hoathly on 5 April. He remarried at St Margaret’s in West Hoathly on 30 September 1755, his bride being Mary Poste, and had five further children. Richard died in 1790 and was buried in West Hoathly on 24 February 1790. He must’ve been reasonably successful as he had had land that he sold to his brother William at some point during his life. William’s will mentions “that piece or parcel of freehold land containing by estimation one acre and a quarter more or less, adjoining to the lands of Sir Joseph Peake … and to the King’s Highway leading from Turners Hill to Horsted Green … now in my own occupation and which I purchased off my brother Richard Budgen and is situated lying and being in the parish of West Hoathly…”. Richard’s burial record mentioned ‘of Langridge’, which must relate to Langridge Farm in West Hoathly, described on the British Listed Buildings website as a small L-shaped 17th century or earlier timber-framed building refaced with red brick on the ground floor and tile-hung above, with a tiled roof, casement windows, two storeys and an attic in the gable. It may well have been named after the Langridge family who lived locally. Richard described himself as a farmer in his will, dated 17 October 1788, in which he left his estate to his wife Mary. After her death, he ordered that £15 be paid to his son Benjamin and £5 to his daughter Jane, the wife of James Grayland (sometimes Gayling in the records). The rest was to be divided between his children. His wife Mary and his brother Benjamin were his executors. I suspect Richard’s widow was the Mary Budgen who was buried in West Hoathly on 25 September 1804, aged 82, but I’m not certain of this. Richard’s children were:
    • Sarah Budgen (1749-????) was the daughter of Richard’s first wife Elizabeth.
    • Mary Budgen (1754-1754), also a daughter of Elizabeth. Died an infant.
    • Elizabeth Budgen (1757-????), Mary’s first daughter with Richard.
    • Richard Budgen (1759-), a son of Richard and Mary.
    • Ann Budgen (1761-????), daughter of Richard and Mary.
    • Jane Budgen (1764-1799), daughter of Richard and Mary. She married James Gayling or Grayland of Ringmer in Sussex in 1787 and was mentioned in her father’s will.
    • Benjamin Budgen (1767-????).
  • Thomas Budgen (1717-1718), my 6th great-grand uncle. Thomas (the second son to carry the name) was baptised on 22 March 1717 at St Mary’s in West Hoathly, Sussex, but was buried there just a year later on 26 March 1718.
  • Benjamin Budgen (1719-1794), my 6th great-grandfather. He lived, worked and raised his family in West Hoathly.
  • James Budgen (1723-1737), my 6th great-grand uncle. Baptised on 11 October 1723 at St Mary’s in West Hoathly, Sussex, he was buried as a teenager on 11 January 1737.

Sources: Sussex Family History Group online records, including wills. John Howes’ Budgen family research featured in September 2008 and December 2012 editions of Sussex Family Historian. St Margaret’s, West Hoathly parish church website.