The Wood and Bourne families
Bourne headstone inside the south door
badly worn and barely readable
Frances Bourne headstone at Hothfield
Daughter of Daniel and Bethulia
Thomas Bourne headstone
St.Margaret's Church, Hothfield
Headstone of Dorcas and Daniel Bourne 1742 and 1774
Headstones photographed by Chris Rogers
Headstone for Daniel Wood
St.Margaret's churchyard, Hothfield
Catherine wife of Thomas Bourne
Almost hidden in the grass
Two prominent families but no longer in the parish
By Chris Rogers
Hothfield History Society is often contacted to see if we can help with family history research. Our late Committee member, Bob Rivers, and his wife Barbara painstakingly transcribed the entire church registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials and so we can sometimes add a little detail.
The most requested families that we're asked to search for are the Wood and the Bourne families, who inter-married. There are also some interesting and readable headstones in the churchyard for these two families (amongst others), plus two laying on the church floor inside the south door. Their inscriptions are barely readable:
Bourne headstone:
“Sacred to the memory of Felix Bourne late of Ashford who departed this life June the 18th 1813 Aged 32 years. He left here surviving by Charlotte his Wife, one Daughter (viz) Elizabeth-Ann Also of Charles brother of the above named who died at Bapchild September the 26th 1824 Aged 55 years also here interred [unreadable]”
Wood headstone (right hand side of headstone is badly worn and illegible):
“WOOD
Who departed 1801
They left issue one son and
Two daughters (viz) John, Dorcas and Elizabeth
....
Our lives a burden was worn out with ….
We die to day and you … to …
With Christ our Lord we hope to also …..
Free from all sickness sorrow death and …..
?????”
We have a growing number of email contacts who have traced the families back to the 1600s and who know so much more than our own records could ever reveal. If you are researching the Wood or Bourne families then please email us at hothfieldmemories@hotmail.com and we will pass your details to our contacts to share information with you.
One of the Bourne relatives is Jane Cox who kindly summarised some of the key family records:
BOURNE FAMILY
Visitation of 1573 Somerset shows many generations - I will show them but note that they have not been proven (and probably never will be proven due to lack of records, etc.).
I. John Bourne (not proven)
II. William Bourne (not proven)
III. John Bourne (not proven)
IV. John Bourne and ________Gilbert (Somerset) (proven by "Inquisition Post Mortem of
William Bourne, Bridgewater, 10 Nov 1552"). John B. held a manor in Long Sutton
(Sutton St. Cleer) in Somerset.
V. William Bourne - married in April 1528 to Maria Curzon (Walter Curzon & Isobel Saunders).
Maria Curzon had 1st marriage to John Poure (Power). Wm. B.'s will probated in 1552 -
will states that he was living in Edgcott in Buckingham - to be buried there.
5 children. (Curzon or Curson)
VI. Matthew Bourne b. c 1538 - burial 27 April 1600, Hinxhill. Married 21 Feb 1565 in Wye to Agnes (Ann) Sharpe (Thomas Sharpe & Margaret Foster). Matthew B. was a demy at Magdalen College, Oxford with B.A. in Nov 1558, rector of Brook 1574, Hinxhill 1578 & Brenzett 1579. 9 children. One source states that he is 'buried in the church' (Hinxhill) but there are no current church records (I am told) to prove this - one way or the other.
Note: it was a 'Visitation of London, 1633.1634.1635' under name of 'Borne' that gave us the connection back to Somerset. It states that this family was of the lineage of Secretary Borne (Sir John Bourne, sec of state to Queen Mary) but our research cannot prove this fact.
VII. Francis Bourne bapt. 07 Jan 1576, Wye. Burial: 09 Dec 1638, Hothfield. Married c. 1604 to Judith _______ (1 child). 2nd marriage on 12 Oct 12 1607 to Faith Wilmot, Hothfield.
5 children.
VIII. Richard Bourne bapt. 22 Feb 1617/1618 Hothfield. Burial: 7 November 1674, Hothfield. Married 01 June 1645 to Elizabeth Mathews (7 children).
IX. Richard Bourne bapt. 21 Oct 1655 Hothfield. Burial 26 Sept 1727, Hothfield. 1st marriage
circa 1678 to Margaret Savage (John Savage & Margaret ______). 8 children. 2nd marriage
on 06 Oct 1702 to Elizabeth Shorter. 3 children.
X. Daniel Bourne bapt 08 April 1688 Hothfield. Burial 10 April 1774, Hothfield. Marriage on
17 Nov 1720 to Dorcas Attaway, Bethersden (Thomas Attaway & Susannah Skeere).
4 children.
XI. Thomas Bourne bapt 28 Jan 1728 Hothfield. Burial 04 Sept 1789 Hothfield. Married on
07 Feb 1765, Hothfield, to Catherine Tong (John Tong & Elizabeth Ramsden). 14 children.
XII. Attaway Bourne bapt 07 Nov 1773, Hothfield. Burial 08 April 1849, Hothfield. Married on
24 May 1800 to Frances Mills (she had 1st marriage to Daniel Wood). 5 children.
XIII. James Bourne bapt 18 Dec 1808, Hothfield, died 25 July 1890 in Tazewell, Virginia USA.
Married on 07 May 1831 to Martha Gillett, Hothfield (William Gillette & Lydia Swaine,
Brenzett). 12 children - last 4 born in Virginia. (see note below)
XIV. Felix Bourne & Elizabeth Sprinkle Young (Virginia)
XV. Laura Ann Bourne & Frank Haller Cox (Virginia)
XVI. Hugh Earnest Cox & Margaret Louvicie Hager (Virginia)
XVII. Mary Jane Cox (Virginia)
Note to James Bourne - we know that James B. was a 'parish constable' in St. Margaret's Church in 1845. Sometime in 1846, as the family story relates, James was caught 'poaching'
and was sentenced to life in Australia. He (James) someway left England around Sept/Oct of 1846 and made his way to America (not Australia) and on to Virginia (have found a parish record - 1847 -of St. Margaret's Church in Hothfield that shows the parish giving money to Mrs. Bourne and family - also a J. Wood - for their voyage to Australia). While I have not found a ship record for James B. and his arrival in America - I do have a record of the ship 'Mediation' with arrival on 19 Jan 1848 in New York for Martha Bourne, her children and a John Wood (he lived with the Bourne family in VA until his death - have yet to determine any family relationship).
Extracts of births, marriages and burials of the Wood and Bourne families can be accessed below.