Ah I know this Thomas Smith of Bubwith. He was from an old farming family in the Bubwith area since the 17thC. and he crops up quite often in the 1780s and 90s Bubwith churchwarden's accounts which you can find at the Borthwick Institute, York University, as he was often a churchwarden in the parish. He couldn't sign his name, but had his own distinctive mark!
He didn't come from Bubwith, wed at howden, and then go to Winterton - but returned to Bubwith back to his farm. I know that as he continued to sign off sections of the churchwardens' accounts into the 1790s.
The fact he was wed at Howden the first time round, has no profound signficance as I see his wife was from Howden.... but... Bubwith folk do seem to have used Howden Minster as much as their own parish church, with or without a Howden connection. If the entry says he is Thos Smith of Bubwith, then I'm pretty certain he is the churchwarden, who was widowed and took a second wife - he lived and died in Bubwith but like so many Bubwith folk, wed at Howden. (Locals pronounce it 'Bub-ith' BTW!) He returned to Bubwith with Wife No 1, as he continues to appear as churchwarden and his wife died there.
I am a direct descendant of his second wife, Judith Hepton. He was widowed from this first wife, and married Judith in Bubwith 12.8.1794. Thomas died 20.4.1803, Bubwith. I don't know about children from the first marriage and would be very interested to know if there were any, as my Judith had an illegitimate baby, Paul, ten years before she married Thomas Smith. We have been unable to find any records of who Paul's father was, but somehow doubt it was Smith as Paul did not inherit the Smiths' farm, and ended up a cordwainer, later a labourer. Also Paul retaned the surname Hepton, never using 'Smith' to our knowledge.
It seems he was sent away to Howden and apprenticed out, probably not long after Judith married Thomas Smith. Had he been the natural father, Paul would surly have had a happier ending! The Heptons were another yeoman farming family, like the Smiths. It's worth being aware that Bubwith is a parish made up of several different villages/hamlets, including Gunby, Breighton, and Foggathorpe along with others. Smith and his father, Timothy Smith, appear to have been churchwardens on and off over a long period of time.
Judith died in 1820, in Bubwith.
I should add, there are two Smith families in Bubwith that appear to be unconnected. One is a family of labourers, the other a farming family. So be a bit wary when researching Bubwith you have the right Smiths.
I live fairly locally, and have been unable to locate a grave for 'our' Smiths, although there are plenty of Hepton graves.
Local people often used Howden Minster for ceremonies, no real idea why, they just did. As recently as the 1970s, a relative of mine who lived in Wressle, had her funeral at Howden. It has no real deep significance. I have several ancestors who didn't live in Howden, but were married there.
