THOMAS BOURNE was possibly baptised on 18th November 1716
in Salehurst, Sussex, as Thomas BOURN, in which case his parents were JOHN BOURNE (1680 - ?) and MARY ? (source :
Mandy Willard and BVRI 2nd edition). He was a farmer (source : David Packham and Mandy Willard).
He married SARAH FRENCH on 4th February 1743/4
in Brightling, Sussex (source : Bishops Transcripts).
She appears as SUSANNAH on several of their children's baptisms,
but this appears to be a mistake
(source : David Packham and Mandy Willard). She may have been baptised on 25th February 1721/2 in Warbleton, Sussex,
in which case she was the daughter of JOHN FRENCH and ANN BRAND (source : Mandy Willard).
Thomas had settled in Brightling by at least the time of his marriage (source : Mandy Willard).
At least one of his crops (like many of his neighbours) was hops (source : tithe accounts,
courtesy of Mandy Willard - which also show that he left off paying his
tithe to the last minute!) (Ref ESRO PAR 254/6/3 Account of Tythes of Brightling, original doc from the strong room).
Apart from the tithe, Thomas also paid the poor relief tax (source : Mandy Willard).
He occasionally employed boy labourers from the workhouse,
for which he made payments to the overseers of the parish (source : Mandy Willard).
From 1773 - 1780, he was assessed for tax on three properties : Home Farm/Land (varied from year to year,
assessed at 12 pounds), Stonehouse (close to where the Brightling Needle now stands) (assessed 20 pounds)
and Piddlehurst (assessed 15 pounds). He was also assessed at 2 pounds for Woods - probably
in respect of his entitlement to collect fire wood and graze animals. Piddlehurst went to Edward Buss sometime
between 18th March 1779 and 9th September 1779 and Home Land and Stonehouse went to William Grigson
between 9th September 1779 and 10th March
1780. (Ref ESRO PAR 254/30/1, Rates of Brightling 1773-1807, on microfilm)
(source : Mandy Willard). A William Grigson was also a witness to the Will of Thomas Bourne's son Thomas in 1801
(source : Mandy Willard).
Sarah died in 1762, a year after giving birth to William and
just a few months before her 10-year-old daughter Ann (did they have the same illness? or did she die as a result of her
pregnancy/childbirth)
and was buried on 16th July 1762 in Brightling,
Sussex (source : David Packham). Her youngest child was only a year old at her death, so Thomas, aged around 45,
found himself
a widower with young children to look after. He does not seem to have remarried, so perhaps his eldest daughter
Sarah, aged around 18 at the time of her mother's death, took over caring for the
(up to seven) children and the house.
Thomas died in 1789 and was buried on 22nd November 1789
in Brightling, Sussex (source : David Packham). He seems to have "hung around" just long enough to see
his last son married,
before going to be reunited with his wife.
Although they were not 'gentry',
they clearly had some status since their
tombstones occupy an important site in Brightling churchyard (source : David Packham).
Thomas left a will dated September 30th
1788, which was proved on 20th December 1789, in which he was described as a
Yeoman of Brightling and in which he requested
"to be Decently buried in Brightling Church Yard near my wife Deceased " (which was granted)
(source : will transcription, courtesy of Mandy Willard, available at
http://www.mandywillard.co.uk/surnames/bourne/will_thomas_1789.htm ). He appears to be a very religious man
and clearly retained all of his mental faculties, describing himself as "being of Perfect mind
praised be God for the same " (source : will). He bequeathed "five pounds to Sarah Bourne living at
Boship in Hellingly at this Time Servant with my son Henry Bourne" and split the rest fifty-fifty
between John and William
- "all the rest of my Effects and Worldly Estate of what kind and Nature soever
and wheresoever they are Item I give and Bequeath to my sons John
Bourne and William Bourne to be Equally Divided Between them share and share alike by my Executor herein"
(source : will). His other offspring seem to have been bequeathed nothing ???
He named his Executor as Henry Bourne (his son ???) , bequeathing him
" five pounds for his Trouble ", and named his Witnesses as John Lambe and Nicholas Bartlett senior (source : will).
His estate was valued at "not amounting in Value unto One Thousand Pounds" (source : will).
The Children of THOMAS BOURNE and SARAH FRENCH:
SARAH BOURNE was born circa 1744.
She was baptised, as daughter of THOMAS BOURN (no mother's name given), on 10th March 1744 in
Brightling, Sussex (source : BVRI 2nd edition). She may have married THOMAS HILDER of Mountfield, Sussex,
on 18th December 1764 in Brightling, Sussex (source : Mandy Willard). She may have died before 1788,
since she was not mentioned in her father's 1788 will, but not all of his offspring were bequeathed something.
THOMAS BOURNE was born
circa 1746. He was baptised, as son of THOMAS BOURNE (no mother's name given), on Boxing Day, 26th December 1746
in Brightling, Sussex (source : BVRI 2nd edition).
HENRY BOURNE
was born circa 1748. He was baptised, as son of THOMAS BOURNE (no mother's name given), on 19th June
1748 in Brightling, Sussex (source : BVRI 2nd edition).
MARY BOURNE
was born circa 1750. She was baptised, as daughter of THOMAS BOURNE (no mother's name given),
on 29th April 1750 at Brightling, Sussex (source : BVRI 2nd edition).
ANN BOURNE was born circa 1752. She was baptised, as daughter
of THOMAS BOURNE (no mother's name given), on 2nd May 1752 in Brightling, Sussex (source : BVRI 2nd edition). She died,
aged 10, and was buried, just a few months after her mother, on 12th October 1762
in Brightling, Sussex (source : Mandy Willard).
JOHN BOURNE was born circa 1754. He was baptised, to parents THOMAS
BOURNE and SUSANNAH, on 27th December 1754 in Brightling, Sussex (source : BVRI 2nd edition).
In his father's 1789 will,
he was left a half share with his brother William of the family estate, valued at approximately
£500 (source : Thomas's will, http://www.mandywillard.co.uk/surnames/bourne/will_thomas_1789.htm).
He married ? (possibly Henrietta) circa 1776 (source : David Packham). He died before 1825
(source : his brother HENRY BOURNE's 1825 will). He had two children -
HENRY BOURNE who died after 1825
(since he was left Nineteen pounds and nineteen shillings in his uncle Henry's 1825 will) and who may have married SARAH ALFREY on 26th
September 1810 in Brighton, Sussex
(source : Mandy Willard) and
SARAH BOURNE who died after 1825,
since she was was left Ten pounds in her uncle Henry's 1825 will and
was probably unmarried at this time (source :
David Packham). There are two ther children, to parents JOHN BOURNE and HENRIETTA, who may belong to this family :
JOHN BOURNE was baptised on 25th May 1776, to parents JOHN BOURNE and HENRIETTA, in Ticehurst, Sussex (source :
Mandy Willard) and MARY ANN BOURNE was baptised on 21st April 1778, to parents JOHN BOURNE and HENRIETTA, in Ticehurst, Sussex (source :
Mandy Willard). If John and Mary Ann did indeed belong to this family, they both died before 1825 (source : Mandy Willard).
JAMES BOURNE was born
circa 1758. He was baptised, to parents THOMAS BOURNE and SUSANNA, on 29th March 1758 in Brightling, Sussex (source : BVRI
2nd edition). This was a private baptism (source : David Packham). He died in 1758 and was buried, within his first year
of life, on 18th April 1758 in Brightling, Sussex (source : David Packham).
ELISABETH BOURNE was born
circa 1759. She was baptised, to parents THOMAS BOURNE and SUSANNA, on 9th May 1759 in Brightling, Sussex (source :
BVRI 2nd edition). She died aged 2 and was buried on 13th July 1761
in Brightling, Sussex (source : David Packham).
WILLIAM BOURNE was
born circa 1761. He was baptised, to parents THOMAS BOURNE and SUSANNAH, on 24th
July 1761 in Brightling, Sussex (source : BVRI 2nd edition).