Esther Bailey (1757-1826). My 5th great-grandmother. Esther Bailey was the first of the Baileys to join my family tree, when she married John Weston of Banham in Norfolk on 29 September 1781. She had been born to James Bailey and Sarah Cob and baptised on 11 April 1757 and was sometimes known as Hester. John […]
Yeoman
Sarah Comber and my other Comber ancestors
Sarah Comber (1682-1758).My 7th great-grandmother. The Combers were a long-established Sussex family, some prospered as landowners and sheep farmers, and family pedigrees were presented at the Heralds’ Visitations of Sussex in 1634. The surname probably derived from the occupation of combing wool, although a ‘combe’ refers also to a valley. Curiously, some members of the […]
Thomas Finch (1686-1755) and a family of Sussex yeomen
Thomas Finch (1686-1755), Elizabeth Greenfield (1695-1715) and Mary Hobbs. My 7th great-grand uncle and aunts. Thomas got off to a rough start in life but married into a prosperous Sussex family. He was born in the village of Slinfold to carpenter John Finch and his wife Sarah Richardson but he was clearly very ill as […]
William Budgen (1707-1782), successful yeoman
William Budgen (1707-1782). My 6th great-grand uncle. William Budgen was baptised in St Margaret’s Church in West Hoathly on 25 September 1707, the son of Thomas Budgen and Sarah Comber. He married Elizabeth Farmer in the village on 1 June 1736 and raised a family with her. Elizabeth is most likely the girl baptised at […]