Josiah Bashford 1823 - 1895

Josiah Bashford 1823 - 1895 

Josiah Bashford was born on June 19 1823 in Sompting, Sussex, where he was baptised at St Mary's on July 20 1823. He was the eldest child of Josias Bashford and Frances Greenyer. 

At the time of Josias's birth his father was working as a labourer and living in Sompting. We next see Josias at the 1841 census where he is living with his family on Sompting Street in Sompting and working as gardeners labourer.

On 22 August 1842 Josiah married Elizabeth Riddles at St Mary's, Sompting. They were married by the vicar James ?ay and the marriage was witnessed by his brother John Bashford and Charles ?. Josiah is a labourer living in Cokeham and Josiah Snr is recorded as a Market Gardener. Obviously the boys had some education as both John and Josiah sign their own name. Elizabeth was born in 1821 and is the eldest child of James Riddles and Harriet Hudson of Cokeham. Elizabeth is not living with her family at the time of the 1841 census.

Josiah and Elizabeth have a total of seven children

• Mary Ann Bashford Born 1842. Died 1925. Married Alfred James Lidbetter 1864
• Emma Bashford Born 1844. Died ?. Married
• Ellen Bashford Born 1847. Died 1897. Married James Anderson Betterton 1868
• James Richard Bashford Born 1849. Died 1876. 
• Fanny Bashford Born 1852. Died ?. Married
• Felix Bashford Born 1856. Died ?. Married Mary Leppard
• Martha Bashford Born 1856. Died ?. Married

The family were living in Cokeham where Josiah was working as a labourer from the time of their marriage until at least 1844 as their first 2 children were baptised there. It appears that the family moved to Worthing some time before April 1847 as their daughter Ellen was baptised there on 11 April 1847. The family are back living in Cokeham in 1849 where their son James is baptised. 

On ? 1851 Josiah was arrested on charges of larceny. He was tried in the Easter session at the Petworth Court and on April 10 1851 he was convicted of larceny and sentenced to 4 months hard labour.

So on 31 March 1851 - the date of the 1851 census - the family isseparated, with Josiah in the Petworth Gaol, and Elizabeth living with her 4 eldest children in a house at Sompting St, Sompting where she is recorded as pauper. We cant be sure whether it is the families pauper status which drove Josiah to theft, or whether James imprisonment is has caused Elizabeth to be dependent on the parish, there is a question why - when Josiah Snr was prospering - Josias parents did not care for the family during his imprisonment. That said Elizabeth is living 2 doors up from Josiah uncle James and his family.

The censuses indicate that the family continues to live in the Lower Cokeham where Josias works as a labourer

• 1861 Census
• 1871 Census
• 1881 Census
• 1891 Census 

Financial troubles seem to plague him, and one can only assume that his family may have disowned him, as it appears there was no relief or assistance from either them or Elizabeths family. This appears to have lead him to continue this brushes with the law thru poaching activities and general larceny which results in at least x convictions and x months of hard labour over the next 20 years, including:

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