John Bunstone

A small piece taken from my upcoming book - Bunston Family Revisited

The youngest child of George Bunstone and Ann Patten was born in West Chinnock likely in December 1847.  His birth was registered in January 1848, and he was baptised there on January 16, 1848.  Like his sister, Sarah, John is listed in the 1851 census with a T in his surname (Bunston) where his parents and brother do not.  He was three years old at the time, with 12 years between him and his sister.

In 1861, 13-year-old John is listed as living with his parents and sister at 30 Higher Street, West Chinnock.  He was working as a yarn bleacher. Ten years later, John is the only one of the children still living at home with his parents.  Like his father, John is now employed as a carpenter.

On May 11, 1880, John married Anna Warry in West Chinnock.  Anna was a local of West Chinnock, being born there to George Warry and Elizabeth Norman on June 30, 1854.  She was baptised a month later in Mosterton, Dorset here her mother hailed from.  Some records list her name as Hannah.  The couple had seven children, though only six were found: William, Joseph, George, Elizabeth, Florence and John.  The seventh child likely was born and passed away between census’ being taken and I haven’t been unable to find birth or death records.  It should also be noted that the two eldest children were born several years before they married.

At the time of the 1881 census, John and Anna with their three eldest children were living in South Street, West Chinnock.  John was a carpenter in a sail cloth factory.  Anna had just given birth to their son, George, 19 days before the census was taken.  John’s widowed mother, Ann, was also living there at the time.  By 1891 the family had moved to Merriott, Somerset.  John was now 43 years old.  He still worked at a sail cloth factory as a carpenter.  His wife still lived with him as did the six children. 

The family was living at the sail mill at West Crewkerne when the 1901 census was held.  John was the foreman carpenter at the mill.  His wife is listed as Hannah, rather than Anna.  Only the three youngest children were still at home with their parents.  They still lived here in 1911 with 63-year-old John now listed as an invalid, with his occupation still as a carpenter.  Their daughters still lived with them and their granddaughter, Hilda, was also at their home at the time of the census.  Anna and John had been married 31 years by this time and this is where the record states that one of the seven children was no longer living.

John passed away nine years later, around March 1920, likely in Chard.  Anna lived in Lower Street, Chard with their daughter Elizabeth when the 1939 register was taken.  Anna also died in Chard, two years later around March 1941.