Hunnisett Family History

Thomas Honneysett (1786 - 1875) labourer of Bexhill

Thomas, the elder son of David and Mary, was baptised at Heathfield Independent Church on 14 February 1786, but was probably brought up near Warbleton.

His first marriage was to Charlotte Matthews in Herstmonceux on 12 October 1807, witnessed by Richard and Mary Matthews (but written Mathis in the register!). Charlotte appears to have been the daughter of Richard and Mary Matthews baptised in Crowhurst on 23 September 1787.

Thomas and Charlotte are known to have had two children baptised:

Charlotte Honeysett, aged 30, was buried at Bexhill, St Peter, on 1 December 1817.

Thomas Honeysett, widower, married Sarah Mitten (1802-1869) in Bexhill on 2 April 1823. They seem to have had four children baptised in Bexhill although the register appears to give Charlotte's mother as Jane:

In 1841 Thomas, an agricultural labourer, his wife and three youngest children were at Sheepwash, Bexhill, and staying with them were three lodgers including William Butchers who married Charlotte the following year.

On 17 March 1849 Thomas was having alterations to his house in Little Common. An old copper boiler, worth 20 shillings, was standing in the yard while a new base was constructed for it when it was stolen during the night by 20-year-old James Thomas, a labourer who lived nearby. He cut it up and tried to sell the pieces to John Sargent, who had a shop in Bourne Street, Hastings. However, the shopkeeper became suspicious and informed the police, who arrested James. He was later sentenced to four months hard labour. It is clear from the quarter session records (ESRO QR/E 939) that William and Charlotte Butchers were still lodging there at the time.

Sarah died in 1869 and in 1871 Thomas was staying with his daughter, Sarah, and her husband, George Butchers.

Thomas died in 1875.

Of Thomas' children:

• George and his wife, Sarah, lived in Hastings with their children.
• Charlotte married William Butchers in Bexhill on 30 July 1842 and lived at White Hill Cottage, Bexhill, with their children. George Butchers and Sarah were their witnesses.
• Sarah Anne married George Butchers, William's brother, in Hooe on 7 October 1843 and they also lived in Bexhill.
• James married Mary Barker and lived in Bexhill and later, with their 5 children, in Battle where he became a postman. After Mary died in 1859 he married a widow, Mary Walker, and had 4 more children.
• Ellen, a dressmaker, was a visitor staying with Ford Brown, a retired coastguard, in Dover in 1861. Later that year she married his son, Benjamin Brown, a mariner.