COMPLETED - BAX Cuckfield or Slaugham, 1794-5

[StephenBax]

A census record for William BAX says he was born in 'Slaugham district' in 1794 or 1795.

Does anyone have access to Slaugham parish records, or nearby Cuckfield? Can anyone find his birth recorded in that area?

Many thanks and happy new year!

Stephen Bax

[Eyesee]

Are either of these your William

From the Sussex Marriage Index
Newick, East Sussex, 16 Oct 1817
William BAX, bach
Sophia HOBBS, sp botp (B)
Extra Info: w: Edwd HOBBS Eliz HALL

From the Sussex Marriage Index
Slaugham, West Sussex, 15 May 1832
William BAX, Newick
Ruth STANDEN, otp (B)
Extra Info: w: Wm KENSETT Kezia TUSLER

Only marriage in Cuckfield

From the Sussex Marriage Index
Cuckfield, West Sussex, 8 Apr 1792
Richard BAX, bach otp (B)
Mary WELLS, sp otp
 
Spouse surname could be WILLS also

Ian C

[coombs]

Hi

If you have William on the censuses, what was his wifes name? Did he have any children. This will help in finding his marriage.

Ben

[Roy G]

Hi Stephen
It may help to know (if not now but later) that the Bax family seemed to have connections with the Quakers that worshiped in the Cuckfield/Slaugham area.  I recall them as witnesses on a Quaker marriage in my own Betchley line.  Unfortunately, the Quakers do not seem to have any records regarding baptisms, so you may draw a blank there, but the compensation is that their wills and declarations of, "Taking a Friend" in marriage, are usually very comprehensive, running into several pages.  If you find one of these, you should be able to glean a lot about them, their lives, family and friends. 

You may also find that although the Bax's were local to central Sussex, Quakers initially worshiped in secret and records from the 1700s that relate to events around Cuckfield are equally likely to be found just over the Surrey border in Capel.   The 1732 Quaker marriage of Nathaniel Betchley to Sarah Steyning of Cuckfield for example, has numerous witnesses, including Phillip Bax, Richard Bax, Margaret Bax, Ann Bax, and Daniel Bax.
Roy G

[sillgen]

I am not at home at present but can check the C of E records for Cuckfield and Slaugham when I return at the weekend.
Andrea

[coombs]

Hi

I have found William on the 1841 census with his wife Ruth Bax. Makes it likely that the 1832 marriage to Ruth Standen is the correct one.

Ben

[swebby]

Re the Quaker connection

www.bmdregisters.co.uk has records of quaker baptisms etc. You can search for free but to see the image you need to pay.
I searched for William Bax and there is a record for one born in Sussex in 1795, so for a little fee this might turn out to be the right one.

Sean

[StephenBax]

Hi again and thanks to everyone for your amazing detective work.

Yes, Ian and Ben are right - our William was married to Sophia (in Newick) and then to Ruth (in Slaugham), as you say. Our problem is that he says in the 1851 census that he was born in the Slaugham district.

We have located a William Bax born in 1795 (the one Sean spotted) and the date is right, but the location is not in Slaugham, but in Itchingfield and Horsham (recorded in the Horsham General Baptists), to parents William and Martha  who were married themselves in Itchingfield...... so we fear this William may not be the right one.

We have long felt that he might be linked back to the Capel Bax Quaker family, as Roy suggests - and thanks a lot Roy for the other really great tips on Quaker research - but we just can't make the link.

 That is why we are trying now to see if there might not be another William Bax (or Box or Bex??) hidden in the Cuckfield or Slaugham records...  Especially as his second marriage was in Slaugham and (as Ian noted) there is that tempting Bax marriage between a Richard and Mary in Cuckfield at the right date...

Thanks a lot for your ideas and help so far... any inspiration very gratefully received. My poor dad has been trying to make the link for twenty years, and his dad before him, so we have been stymied for a LONG time....

Stephen Bax

[Eyesee]

There are only 30 BAX marriages on the SMI, 9 with the surname BEX, and 137 with BOX. No BEX in Cuckfield or Slaugham and only three BOX marrying in Cuckfield.

Itchingfield, West Sussex, 21 Jun 1791
William BAX
Martha KNIGHT, botp  (B)
wit:  KNIGHT My;  BAX Jn

Itchingfield, West Sussex, 10 Nov 1783
John BAX
Sarah LUTTER, botp  (B)
wit:  BAX Jn;  BAX Wm

Itchingfield, West Sussex, 27 Nov 1787
John BAX
Susan JUPP, botp  (B)
wit:  BAX Wm;  GABLE Jn

 
Ian C