Benjamin BOURNER (1846-?)
and Ruth HONEYSETT (1848-?)
Benjamin
Bourner
and Ruth Honeysett married
in the third quarter of 1867 in the Hailsham, Sussex registration
district. (They were not my direct ancestors, but they were the 2x
Great Grandparents of my cousin Julie Willard.)
Benjamin Bourner was born in the third quarter of 1846 in
Dallington, Sussex and baptised there on 16 August 1846. He was the
son of William Bourner
(1822-?) and Eliza Tedham
(1819-?). At the time of the 1851 census he was 4 years old and living
with his parents at Red Pale House Farm in Dallington. In 1861 he was
a 14 year old agricultural labourer and living with his parents.
Ruth Honeysett was born in the second quarter of 1848 in
Warbleton, Sussex. She was the daughter of David Honeysett
(1818-?) and Hannah Burgess (1820-?). At the time of
the 1851 census she was 3 years old and living with her parents in Warbleton.
Her father was then an agricultural laboruer.
(For more details about David Honeysett and his ancestors
please see:
http://www.hunnisett.org.uk/tree/david1792.php.) (Hannah
Burgess was the daughter of Michael Burgess and
Ruth Barton.)
When the 1871 census was recorded the couple and 2 daughters were living in
Bodle Street, within the parish of Herstmonceux. Benjamin was a 24
year old agricultural labourer and Ruth was 23.
In 1881 the family were still living in Bodle Street. Benjamin was a
34 year old agricultural labourer and Ruth was 33. With them on census
night were 4 of their children.
At the time of the 1891 census the couple and 4 sons were living at Boship
Cottage in Hellingly, Sussex. Benjamin was a 44 year old agricultural
labourer and Ruth was also said to be 44.
In 1901 the couple and 2 of their sons were living in Churchyard, Hellingly.
Benjamin was then a 55 year old ordingary agricultural labourer and Ruth was
54. The family also had 3 boarders living with them.
When the 1911 census was recorded the couple together with their sons
Charles and Arthur, and his wife, were living in Hawks Road,
Hailsham/Hellingly. Benjamin was a 64 year old farm labourer and Ruth
was 63.
Benjamin Bourner and Ruth
Honeysett had 8 known children:
-
Ruth Rebecca Bourner was born in the first quarter of
1868 in Warbleton. She was 3 years old in 1871.
-
Naomi Ann Bourner was born in the first quarter of 1870
in Warbleton. She was a year old in 1871. In 1881 she was an
11 year old scholar.
-
William John Bourner was born in the second quarter of
1872. He was an 8 year old scholar in 1881.
-
Elizabeth Bourner was born in the second quarter of 1874
in Hailsham. She was a 6 year old scholar in 1881.
-
James Bourner was born born in the third quarter of 1876
in Herstmonceux or Warbleton. In 1881 he was 4 years old. He
was a 14 year old agricultural labourer in 1891 and the eldest of his
siblings living at home.
-
Joseph Bourner was born about 1882 in Warbleton. He
was a 9 year old scholar in 1891.
-
Arthur Bourner was born in the fourth quarter of 1888 in Hellingly.
In 1891 he was 2 years old. He
was a 12 year old worker in the rope factory when the 1901 census was
recorded. He died on 28 September 1916 and was buried in the
Connaught cemetery, Thiepval, France.
Arthur married Florence Kathleen Foord on 7 January 1911
in Hellingly.
(Please see:
http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/5359207/person/-1464883610)
Florence was born on 12 June 1887 at Starnash in Upper Dicker, Sussex and
baptised in Upper Dicker on 17 July 1887. She was the daughter of
John Foord (1867-1907) and Elizabeth Ellen
Mitchell (1866-1896). She died on 3 June 1952.
Arthur and Florence may have had the following children:
-
Florence E. Bourner was born in the
fourth quarter of 1911 in the Hailsham registration district. She
may have married Albert Angel in the third quarter of
1932 in the Hammersmith registration district.
-
Rosanna Maud Bourner was born on 30
April 1913. She died on 16 or 24 June 1986.
Rosanna married Hubert Lawrence Streeter
in the fourth quarter of 1937 in the Hailsham registration district.
-
Lilian Rose Bourner was born on 16
April 1915 in the East Grinstead registration district.
-
Dorothy Rose Bourner was born on 16
March 1917 in the Hailsham registration district. She died on 6
February 1995.
Dorothy married Ernest J. Doggett and
Henry Dawson.
-
Charles Bourner
was born in 1891 in Hellingly. He married
Alice Cooper in
1913. (They have their own page.)
1901 census (RG13/891, folio 55, page 1)
Churchyard, Hellingly, Sussex
Benjamin Bourner, Head, M, 55, Ordinary Agricultural Labourer, worker, born
Sussex Dallington
Ruth Bourner, Wife, M, 54, born Sussex, Warbleton
Arthur Bourner, Son, S, 12, Rope Factory Pulling down, worker, born Sussex,
Hellingly
Charles Bourner, Son, S, 10, born Sussex, Hellingly
Bert Pettitt, Boarder, S, 20, Journeryman Baker, worker, born Sussex Upper
Dicker
Edward Dodd, Boarder, S, 22, Bricklayer, worker, born Sussex, Steyning
James Crawley, Boarder, S, 37, Bricklayer, worker, born London, Whitechapel
1911 census (RG14PN4881 RG78-N211 RD72 SD2 ED10 SN96)
Hawks Road, Hailsham/Hellingly, Sussex
Benjamin Bourner, Head, Married, M, 64, Farm Labourer, born Sussex,
Hollington
Ruth Bourner, Wife, Married 45 years, F, 63, born Sussex, Warbleton
Charles Bourner, Son, Single, M, 20, Farm Labourer, born Sussex, Hellingly
Arthur Bourner, Son, Married, M, 22, Cowman on Farm, born Sussex, Hellingly
Florence Kathleen Bourner, Daugther in Law, Married under one year, F, 23,
born Sussex, Hellingly
I have
copied the following from
http://www.ringmer.info/rhsg/warmem/arthurbourner.htm (just in case the
site disappears from the web)
Arthur Bourner, died 28 September 1916
Photograph courtesy of Mark Milton & John Streeter
Although Arthur lived for a time in Ringmer he was born in
Lower Dicker and his parents Benjamin and Ruth
had their home in Hellingly. Furthermore it was to Upper Horsebridge,
Hellingly that Arthur's wife Florence Kathleen moved after
his death. Indeed he is honoured on Hellingly War Memorial as well as
on our own.
Arthur originally enlisted at Lewes into the Royal Sussex
Regiment as a Private with number 10689. He was transferred to the 7th
Battalion of the Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) and given the new
number G/24552. It was not, however, until after 1915 that Private
Bourner joined his unit as part of the 18th (Eastern)
Division in France. This limited his medal entitlement to the British
War & Victory Medals.
A fairly quiet few months passed before the commencement of the Battles of
the Somme. On the opening day, 1st July 1916, the area attacked by
Arthur Bourner's Division near Montauban was one of the few
to be successfully breached and held. The 7th Queen's 159 fatal
casualties, with many more wounded, were considered 'light' when compared to
other units. No real let up occurred and the 18th Division fought
several more desperate battles in July before being relieved during August.
The time was spent in intensive training for a major offensive during
September against the fortified village of Thiepval. The attack
against there on 1st July by the 36th (Ulster) Division had been a costly
failure and many brave Irish lads died in the attempt. Now it was the
turn of the 18th Division with Arthur Bourner in the 7th
Queen's. After two days desperate hand to hand fighting the remains of
Thiepval were taken. The next objective was a German strong point on
the ridge overlooking Thiepval, 1,000 yards to the north, and known as
Schwaben Redoubt. It was a complex interlocking trench system well
fortified for all round defence
The 7th Queen's formed up for the attack under the watchful eye of a German
observation balloon, which rendered all attempts at surprise null and void.
Although supported by the exhausted Division there was only one other
battalion in the first wave. They moved forward at 1pm on 28th
September 1916 and took intermediate defence lines with few casualties.
Inch by inch the ground up to the Redoubt was won and then a furious
struggle took place for possession of the individual posts at the Schwaben
Redoubt. Many machine gun nests were bombed into silence by expert
grenade throwing and sniping of exposed enemy heads. Little by little
the bastion was wrestled from the Germans during the course of that and the
following day
The capture of Schwaben Redoubt cost the 7th Queen's some 395 casualties,
many fatal, including Private Arthur Bourner. He is
buried in Connaught Cemetery, at the foot of the rise, the capture of which
cost him his life at the age of 28.
