Baptism Lookup - BLUNDEN in Hollington for 1793

[sunnylew]

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.

[sunnylew]

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?

[omega 1]

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

[sunnylew]

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

[sunnylew]

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!

[sillgen]

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   

[sunnylew]

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.

[sillgen]

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.

[sillgen]

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