Josiah Bashford ~1720 - 1808

Owned by Liz Hardie
Last updated: Nov 12, 2019

Josiah Bashford ( abt 1720 - 1808) 

Josiah Bashford was most likely born Sussex or Kent, some time between 1720 and 1730. We have been unable to confirm baptismal information or parentage, see below for a discussion of potential parentage.

Josiah Bashford marries Sarah Boniface on 9 Octobert 1749 at Southease, Sussex. Sarah was baptised on 23 March 1721 in Edburton, Sussex one of six children of Henry Boniface and Sarah Davies. 

It appears that the couple had at least 6 children

  • Ann Bashford Born ?. Died Dec 2 1751
  • Thomas Bashford Born 1752. Died ?
  • James Bashford Born 1755. Died ?
  • Josiah Bashford Born 1758 Died 1758
  • Josiah Bashford Born 1760. Died 1835. Married Sarah Moone
  • John Bashford Born 1760. Died 1821. Married Jane Baker

Sarah died in Shoreham by Sea, Sussex in 1778. Whilst there is a death registered for Josiah at New Shoreham 1808.

Potential Parentage

There are a couple of potential candidates as the parents of Josiah

  • There is record of a Josiah Bashford as is the son of Thomas who was apprenticed to a Samuel Parratt - a bricklayer - aged 11 in 1731 in Pembury Kent. Many researchers attribute this Josiah to Thomas Bashford and Ann Burtenshaw of Cuckfield . We know that Thomas and Ann had a son Joseph who was baptised in Cuckfield in 1713, but that doesnt line up in terms of apprenticeship age. We also know that this Joseph marries Sarah West in Cuckfield in 1745. We do find a Josiah Bashford who is buried in Charing Kent on 2 May 1796, this is the likely candidate for this line. it appears that he marries an Elizabeth and has a number of children baptised in Rolvenden between 1742 and 1760. But he is NOT the child of Thomas and Ann of Cuckfield.
  • There is a Simon Bashford who is baptising children in Sompting between 1716 and 1721. It could be that the names Simon and Josiah are intermingled we see both this Josiah and his son use Si, Sigh or Syth in records. In terms of this Simon there are the following potential records
    • Symen Basford who marries Elizabeth Greenfield in Broadwater in 1708
    • Simon Bashford who was married to Mary Demond in Steyning in 1715 - aligns with baptisms
    • Simon Bashford marries Ann Lyon in Itchingfield in 1719 - aligns with baptisms
  • There is a Widow Bashford who is buried in Broadwater in 1757 - who could be the mother of Josiah.
  • There is a Simon Bashford - brother to Thomas Bashford of Cuckfield who is likely born around 1690 in Cuckfield. This is a candidate for our Simon.

Related Documentation