William Budgen – my 2nd great-uncle.
Born on 24 January 1873 in Merstham, Surrey, William Budgen was baptised in the church of St Katharine on 9 March that year to parents Thomas Budgen and Maria Dolamore.
He was listed as a clerk in the 1891 census, living with his family in Bell Street, Reigate, but in that year he appeared in court with his brother Edward, charged along with two friends of extinguishing seven lamps in the borough of Reigate. All were described as respectable young men, but PC Turner told the court that he’d seen and heard them late at night in various streets putting the lights out. He had no doubt that the men he saw were the defendants, who’d pleaded not guilty. Another police officer said he’d visited the Budgens at their father’s Bell Street home after the incident, where Edward told him they’d been in the Elm Shades pub until after 11pm on the night. The court convicted all four of them and fined the defendants 2s 6d and 6s costs each.
Ironically perhaps, in 1901 William was working as a solicitor’s clerk and lodging with a family in Farnham, Surrey. On Christmas Day 1909 he married Phoebe Jones at St Augustine’s Church in Croydon while both were lodging with his sister Annie and brother-in-law Walter Finch at 45 Bynes Road, Croydon. Walter was also a witness at the wedding. In 1911 the couple were, however, living at 34 Helder Street in South Croydon with baby Phoebe Mary and William was working as a bread baker, most likely at Walter Finch’s flourishing bakery business.
The death of a William Budgen was recorded late in 1916 in Croydon and it’s likely this was our man judging by his age. In addition, a Phoebe Budgen remarried in the town early in 1917 – just a few months after her husband’s death. What the story was here I’ve yet to discover. Her new husband was Reuben Arthur who’d been living in Upland Road, Croydon, and working as a solicitor’s clerk. By the time of the 1939 Register Welsh-born Phoebe was again a widow and working as a domestic servant in Wandsworth. Her death was registered in Croydon in 1962.