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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Sussex => England => Sussex Lookup Requests => Topic started by: sunnylew on Saturday 29 August 15 02:19 BST (UK)
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Could some kind person please help me find a baptism for William Henry BLUNDEN in Hollington for about 1793?
He ended up in London 20 odd years later, and I have no idea of how he got there. Thankfully he was still about for the 1851 census, which has given me Hollington as a clue.
Cheers,
Lewis
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I can't see any Blunden/Blundon baptism entries in Hollington at all. Sorry.
There are a couple of marriages there but maybe too late to be his parents though John Blunden of Battle to Ann Sellun is in 1794. What did William name his children?
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I am not convinced that the 1851 census says Hollington as it looks to me as if there is an s in the middle. Can't think what it can be though. Who did he marry? Any clues in the witnesses?
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Looks like Horsington to me. Look at the other H's on the page.
That would be Somerset?
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Yes, I thought the same but it does definitely say Sussex. Worth checking Horsington though.
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Only 1 child I can find;
Sarah Smale Blunden, 11 June 1820. St giles, Camberwell, Surrey
Parents William Henry/Elizabeth
Fathers Occp Tailor
1841 we have in Lambeth, Surrey;
William Blander 45
Elizabeth Blander 40
Sarah Blander 20
Elizabeth Smith 20
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Marriage 27 Dec 1818, St. Mary, Lambeth, Surrey
William Henry Blunden/Elizabeth Smalk
Both Single
(F/S.Org)
Anc has image Elizabethh SMALE, Witnesses Henry/Sarah Smale
So not much help
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2nd Marriage?
1 Sept 1834.St Mary, Newington
William Henry BLUNDEN, Widower
Elizabeth KERRIDGE, Spinster
Witnesses, William Kerridge/Mary Skinner
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Hi Sillgen, thanks so much for having a look for me.
He named his only daughter Sarah, although I know that there was a witness from his wife's family, the Smales, named Sarah, so it may be a red herring.
The parish is very hard to read in the 1851 census, is there another parish that could be mistaken for Hollington?
The only other idea I have is that I have an index for a likely apprenticeship Indenture for him as a draper in 1801 in Horsham. Perhaps he was from there?
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Hi Trish1120 and Sillgen. Sorry I missed your other replies.
Yes, he does marry Elizabeth Kerridge later on. I found their wills and only Sarah Smale Blunden, who married James Ullet Parkinson is mentioned as a child. Her father died 8 or 9 months before her step-mother, and only her step mother makes mention of her. And the marriage to Elizabeth Smale is also correct Sarah, being her daughter.
By that time, daughter Sarah is in Australia.
The only other clue I have apart from the possible apprenticeship I mentioned before is that a William Henry Blunden, and his co-partner, Catherine Hayes, linen drapers of Oxford Street, Middlesex, are listed as bankrupt in 1822, still paying dividends in 1825. From 1839 pretty much up until his death in 1854, he is listed as being at 1 Camberwell Green, London, as a Tailor and Hatter - but that's probably not too helpful for his origins.
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I've had a bit more of a look into the Blundens, and I wonder whether it could be Storrington, and not Hollington?
It's a little bit of a long row to hoe, but William's second wife's will gives a bequest to George SIMMONS, tailor of Twineham. It looks like his mother may have been Gainey BLUNDEN (there's some confusion on online trees), born about 1793 in Sussex, placing her as of the right age to be possibly William Henry BLUNDEN's sister. A grandson of George is named Blunden SIMMONS
There is also a Gainey Blunden who marries Henry Coote in 1833 in Amberley, not far from Storrington, and goes on to live in Thakeham. She is about 20 years younger than the previous Gainey.
It's such an unusual name, that I hope that this may prove to be a family link. Does anyone have access to Storrington PRs that could check for the Blunden's?
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Hello Lewis
Baptised at Storrington
William Henry Blunden,12April 1792,son of James & Sarah.
Possible marriage
At Shiply,7 Apr 1776
James Blunden from Storrington, & Sarah Botting
Hope this helps
Kind regards
omega
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Hi Omega,
That's a brilliant help!
I'm still a little hesitant to place him definitively in my tree due to couple of years age difference and the semi 'hail mary' that turned him up, but I feel like he must be the right person.
I've just come across the PRTSC registers online, so I'm going to have a bit of a hunt for him there and in surrounding parishes - the Blundens seem to be popping up in Pukborough next door at this time as well.
Thanks so much :)
Lewis
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Thanks again Omega - I just turned up Gainney Blunden, daughter of James and Sarah in Storrington in 1796 at the PRTC.
This link to William's widow's will 60 years later clinches it! :)
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Not sure how it fits in but there is also a baptism at Amberley for
Eliza Blunden 16th Jun 1833
Mother Gainey Blunden
Occupation Servant
Abode Rackham
Town Amberley
County West Sussex
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Thanks Sillgen. I think she must be a niece - it's such an odd name.
I've been wondering whether a forebear was surnamed Gainey, but haven't turned any up. This Gainey is the one who marries Henry Coote only a few months later, so I think her child born out of wedlock must actually be his.
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Baptism for Gainney dau of James and Sarah at Storrington 19th June 1796.
No marriages for surname Gainey or variants on the Sussex Marriage Index.
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Various other children for James and Sarah
Sarah 1777
Hannah 1780 died age 2 1783
Hannah 1784
Maria 1786
Jane 1782
Mary March 1788
Ann Nov 1788
Elizabeth 1790
William Henry 1792 as you have
Susannah 1794
Burials
James Blunden age 75 at Storrington 24th Feb 1825
Sarah age 72 20th Aug 1826
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Baptism for James son of William and Hannah at Storrington 29th Oct 1749. That fits with the names of the children later. They also have William in 1744 and Thomas in 1746/7.
There is a possible marriage to Hannah Blinwell at Lancing in 1742 but that is only a guess as a bit out of area. Not too far though.
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Thanks Sillgen,
We seem to be following the trail together, though the Marriage of William and Hannah had me stumped.
Where are you searching for these? Everyone has turned up at the PRTC so far except for Hannah and William's marriage. Is there any more info in the listing, or perhaps a first child Blunden back with Hannah's family in Lancing?
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Sussex Family History Group have online records for members and you can buy a CD of their pre 1837 marriage index which is usually very comprehensive. That marriage is the only one for William to a Hannah in the right time frame.
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Thanks Sillgen.
I've joined the SFHG and am looking forward to checking through their records as well.
Thanks to everyone. I've already found many wills for the family that I think will put everything together for the family back until the late 17th Century.
As far as I can see they were wheelwrights in Storrington for a couple of generations before William Henry, and before that the family was on Rowdell Estate in Washington nearby.
Time to slow down a little and add some flesh to the bones before I get too excited about the Commonwealth period :)
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I am looking for information as well on William Henry Blunden. Our family is descended from Sarah Smale Blunden, first in Australia and then New Zealand. I am happy to share what I have.
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Hi Gale,
You must be following the Parkinsons, which is how I came to first get stuck at William Henry Blunden for so long.
I'd love to share. I'll send you a PM. If anyone comes across this thread and is interested in the Bundens or Parkinsons, please message me as well. I'm happy to share whatever I've found.
Cheers,
Lewis