BOXSELL Family from Salehurst and Robertsbridge

[jrg_from_oz]

Thomas BOXSELL (bapt. Salehurst 1799) m. Mary PUXTED (bapt. Ewhurst 1802) in 1821 at Salehurst. They had 7 children in the 1821-1837 period, all baptised either Salehurst or Robertsbridge.

In 1839, Thomas and Mary, with the four youngest children, emigrated to Australia.

It appears the three eldest remained in England. These were:

Mary, born 7 Dec 1821 Robertsbridge
Thomas, born 22 Mar 1824 Salehurst
William, born 2 Sep 1826 Robertsbridge

(dates are from the IGI, but user-submitted, not from the PR)

When the family arrived in Australia in 1839, they stated they were farm labourers, from Robertsbridge.

I have a lot of detail on the Australian side, but the fate of the three eldest children is a mystery.

Can anyone help?

John Graham
(g3-gs of Thomas BOXSELL)

[Koromo]

Hi John

Welcome to RootsChat!

1841 shows one Boxsell/Boxell/Boxall/etc living in Salehurst (indexed as Boxsett):

1841 HO107/1108/7/13/19
Salehurst, (Henhurst Hundred), Sussex
Mercy Boxsell, 75, independent, born in county

I haven't picked up Thomas' children yet. They could be anywhere and unless they or the enumerator wrote down Salehurst or Robertsbridge as the place of birth, there is no way of identifying them.

Cheers
Koromo

[Koromo]

The only other Boxsells from Salehurst I've found are these:

1841 HO107/1109/10/42/6
Dag Lane, Ewhurst, (Staple Hundred), Sussex (it does say Dag!)
Benjamin Boxsell, 60, saddler, yes born in county
Charlotte Boxsell, 50, yes

1851 HO107/1635/245/19
80 High St, Hastings St Clement, Sussex
Lucy Croft, head, wid, 54, proprietress of houses, b. Salehurst, Sussex
Matilda Middleditch, u, 19, companion, b. Newmarket, Suffolk
Sarah Blayson, serv, u, 25, servant, b. Lydgate, Suffolk
Benjamin Boxsell, wid, 74, formerly saddler, b. Salehurst, Sussex
Eleanor Wright, visitor, u, 60, b. London
Rebecca Wright, visitor, u, 45, b. London
Mary Holloway, visitor, u, 44, b. Reading, Berkshire
(next page)
Anne Holloway, visitor, u, 42, b. Reading, Berkshire
Robert H Hurst, visitor, widr, 63, landed proprietor, b. Deptford, Kent

According to this map, Salehurst, Robertsbridge & Ewhurst are clustered together. East Sussex Map

I did see a William Buxted in Ewhurst, but Puxted as a name doesn't seem to exist.

Not much help really! 

K.

[jrg_from_oz]

Thanks Koromo.

I know that area around the Kent/Sussex border reasonably well, having visited there twice on ancestor-hunting expeditions. I have other lines from Sandhurst and Ewhurst.

Mercy BOXSETT (BOXSELL) is a mystery - I don't think she's connected, because Mercy has never been used in the family since, and it's a family which carries its christian names in perpetuity. Ditto with Benjamin.

The PUXTED family seems to be concentrated in these border parishes. There are 10 references in the 1881 census, and 13 in the IGI (including issue to Mary's brother Elhanan PUXTED, who came to Australia and changed his name to PUXTY.)

The two missing sons are, as you say, difficult to trace. No standouts by age and location on FreeBDM or the IGI. No obvious marriage for Mary. I've checked pretty thoroughly in the death records in NSW and they don't appear to have followed the rest of the family, hence my search in England.

Ah well, another brickwall waiting to be demolished <g>

John   

[Koromo]

Hi John

You're right!  I checked back through the censuses and found a Puxted from Ewhurst.

Indexed as Buxton
1841 HO107/1109/10/41/5
Shoreham, Ewhurst, Sussex
Isaac Bovis, 45, Ag Lab, yes
Mary Bovis, 45, yes
William Buxted, 30, Ag Lab, yes

(further down same page)
Prawls, Ewhurst
Henry Burgess, 30, farmer, yes
Elizabeth Burgess, 25, yes
Ann Burgess, 5, yes
Charles Gouch? 15, Male Serv, yes
William Bovis, 20, M.S. yes
Sarah Sanders, 20, F.S. yes

Indexed as Perxted.
1851   HO107/1636/221/13
Shoreham,  Ewhurst, Sussex
William Puxted, head, 41, farmer 72 acres, 3 labourers, b. Ewhurst, Sussex
Mary, wife, 55, farmer's wife, b. Battle, Sussex
William, son in law, u, 33, Ag Lab, b. Battle, Sussex

Indexed as Pakted
1861 RG9/564/28/6
Brafaw? Ewhurst, Sussex
William Puxted, head, 51, farmer 71 acres employing 1 boy, b. Ewhurst, Sussex
Mary Puxted, wife, 64, b. Battle, Sussex
William Bovis, son in law, un, 42, farmer in Co ? b. Battle, Sussex
Lydia S(inkspot)ter, serv, 11, house servant, b. Brightling, Sussex

1871 RG10/1035/33/16
Brapes/Brasses?, Ewhurst, Sussex
William Puxted, head, 61, farm bailiff, b. Ewhurst, Sussex
Mary Puxted, wife, 74, domestic, b. Battle, Sussex
William Bovis, lodger, unmar, 53, Ag Lab, b. Battle, Sussex
Louisa Playford, servant, unmar, 18, general servant domestic, b. Worthiam? Sussex

Unfortunately I can't see a William Puxted on the IGI so don't know if/how he might fit into Mary's family.

I take it that Mary Puxted's mother was Eleanor Goodsell? There are quite a few Goodsells in Ewhurst on the 1841 census.


Koromo

[jrg_from_oz]

Some interesting spelling variations, aren't there? Any wonder we can't find people from the distance of 150 years!

Yes, Eleanor GOODSELL was Mary PUXTED's mother. The GOODSELLs of Ewhurst have been studied in detail by some Australian descendants (there are two distinct lines in Aus - one settled in Sydney and established a brickworks, the other farmed in the Shoalhaven area. Both lines originate in Ewhurst.)

John

[allyb1]

     Hi John

                        My 4g grandfather was Thomas Boxsell and 4g grandmother was Mary Puxted. My 2g grandmother was Eva Matilda Boxsell. She was born in Kangaroo Mtn  Australia in 1875. Her father was Joseph Boxsell born in nelsons plain 1844 five years after they arrived in Australia.  I have only been doing this side of the family for a short while and don't know alot so far. Sadly I don't know anything about the three older children yet but they are there somewhere you might have already found them. Love to here from you and exchange information.
                                                                                 Regards Alison Brown

[jrg_from_oz]

Alison, good to hear from you.

There is more info (plus contact details) at my website, www.rootsweb.com/~nswgdhs/ under the "Gerringong Pioneer Family Index" link.

I look forward to hearing from you.

John

[allyb1]

       Hi John

                    I have already explored the Gerringong site many times. That is where I have been able to find most of my information which has been great. I would like to know what the family did for occupation and so forth. I know they were farmers most of them. I have a photo of George Thomas Boxsell from 1889 he was in gaol then and found the photo on line at the state  records. He was Eva's brother he was gaoled for 5 years for horse stealing. You proably know all this anyway but just in case. Do you know if Thomas Boxsell father was william and mother was ann as I am not sure on that. I was on family research.org and some of the info on there is not correct . So just wanting to know if I have the right info. Thanks for getting back to me hear from you soon.

                                                               Alison