A-Z Challenge 2025: Reflections

It was a case of “Once more unto the breach” and before I knew it I had planned to take part in the #AtoZChallenge for a second time.  Again, I decided to do it on my #OnePlaceStudy of Cuckfield, West Sussex, England.

Last year I chose topics for each day quite randomly but this year chose the Theme of People Connections with thanks to Liz Craig @willsmanonename.bsky.social , my #OnePlaceStudy buddy.  You can find her blog and One Place Study of Sudborne using this link. https://sudbourne.wordpress.com/list-of-posts/

I took onboard some of the ideas I reflected on last year and started scheduling posts earlier and having a spreadsheet of possible topics that I have unashamedly cribbed from other #AtoZChallenge bloggers or even just general reading of genealogy through magazines, social media and newsletters I subscribe to.  This year I have added Theme suggestions to the spreadsheet and will be thinking of those throughout the year.  It makes it sound like I have enjoyed doing it and have plans for next year; I certainly hope too.

The theme of People Connected to Cuckfield gave me a different range of topics I could blog about from buildings, organisations, census, occcupations to name a few.  In more detail they were:

A for anniversaries

B for baptisms

C for Cuckfield Parish Church Vicars

D for Death

E for Earning a Living

F for First World War

G for Gamekeepers

H for Hatchlands

I for Isaac Leeney

J for Journeymen

K for Kings Head

L for Literary Connections

M for Marriages

N for Nurse

O for Obituaries

P for Postmaster/Mistress

Q for Quassilarious

R for The Rose and Crown

S for Schooling

T for Tentercroft

U for Union Workhouse

V for Volunteers

W for The White Harte

X for X marks on documents

Y for ???

Z for zigzagging

Thank you to all those who have followed my journey during April and also to those who made comments.

A-Z Challenge 2025: April 30th : Z for Zigzagging

We have zigzagged across a lot of topics during this #AtoZChallenge to find people who have connections with Cuckfield and we have finally reached the last day.

Today I have done a random general search on Find My Past and Ancestry transcriptions for Z connections to Cuckfield.

Zacharias Berry birth registration 1844

Zuholmi Sanders probate 1731

Zilph H Pearman death registration 1923

Zipporah Allcorn death registration 1925

Zacharias Harden burial 1775

Zipah Nye burial 1679

Zechariah Holford baptism 1699

Zillah Alfey married William Vaughan 1776

Zachariah Smith hadd the banns read for his marriage to Patricia Saunders 1763

Zilpah Henty married 1844

Zilpa Harmer married 1866

Zilpah Harriet Kenward married 1876

Zoe Elizabeth Payne married 1900

Zephinah Thomas Smithers married 1871

Zilpha Bear birth registration 1848

Charles Edward Zee married 1891

Harold Spencer Zasson baptised 1899

Richard Zaan baptised 1715

Agnes Zeal married 1898

Mary S Zachary death registration 1925

My blog: Cuckfield Compendium

My website: Cuckfield Compendium 

A-Z Challenge 2025: April 29th : Y for ????

Yes, why?  What better day to ask questions.

Why or how are you connected to Cuckfield and if you aren't might you visit it at some point?  

Do take a look at my website (link below) where you can see a wealth of information about the village.

Why or how am I connected to Cuckfield?

I am connected to Cuckfield by attending Holy Trinity Church, although we don't live in the parish.  I sang in the church choir for nearly 30 years as an alto and both my children sang in the choir also.  My husband and I are readers at the morning service and I was a member of Cuckfield Mothers Union for many years. Twice now we have sponsored and decorated a tree for the Christmas Tree Festival and I have helped decorate the Mothers Union and Choir trees.  We still attend the church periodically although more frequently connect via Zoom for the Sunday services.

Holy Trinity means a lot to us; it is a place of peace and prayerfulness where you can't help but think back to it's ancient origins and all that has happened since.

My blog: Cuckfield Compendium

My website: Cuckfield Compendium 

AtoZChallenge

A-Z Challenge 2025: April 28th: X for X marks on documents

I was viewing the online parish register images at Familysearch and have transcribed these as an example of who signed with an "X".

Marriage: John Voice and Jane Fielders married in Cuckfield Church by banns on 12th day of November 1793.  Both of them made their mark on the marriage entry in the register. 

Marriage: James Harland and Susannah Holford married in Cuckfield Church by licence on 17th day of December 1794.  Susannah Holdford made her mark on the marriage entry in the register. 

Marriage: Christopher Denman and Ann Lee married in Cuckfield Church on 16th day of July 1795.  Both of them made their mark on the marriage entry in the register.

Marriage:  Henry Isted and Ann Oram married in Cuckfield Church on 11th April 1813.  Both of them made their mark on the marriage entry in the register as did both of their witnesses, Stephen and Elizabeth Oram.

Marriage: James Weller and Sarah Starley married in Cuckfield Church on 15th day of May 1814.  Both of them made their mark on the marriage entry in the register as did one of the witnesses, Charlotte Starley.

Marriage: Thomas Brand and Jane Vaughn married in Cuckfield Church on 19th day of May 1817.  Both of them made their mark on the marriage entry in the register as did one of the witnesses, William Vaughn.

These will be entered on my website.

My blog: Cuckfield Compendium

My website: Cuckfield Compendium 

A-Z Challenge 2025: April 26th : W for White Harte

The White Harte is an inn on the corner of South Street in Cuckfield. Parts of the White Harte have been dated at the beginning of the 13th Century. It has an imposing three-pronged chimney stack which sits above a timberframed, fish scale-tiled frontage. Below its pitched roof is an image of a white deer flanked by the numbers ‘1881’. Lettering also around the old sign includes ‘H’ and ‘W’ for the associated brewery (Hall and Woodhouse) and ‘Ye White Harte Inne’, its ancient and locally loved name. It is believed to be the oldest building now used as a public house.

These are census entries from Find My Past listing the publicans/innkeepers/licensed victuallers and their families living with them. 

1921

Caroline Mary Roffey, Head, aged 50. Licensed Victualler
Lillian Mary Roffey, Daughter, aged 23, Barmaid
Dorothy Alice Roffey, Daughter, aged 20, Cashier at Smith & Co Butchers

1911

Charles Roffey, Head, aged 50, Licensed victualler

Caroline Mary Roffey, Wife, aged 40, Assisting

Constance Roffey, Daughter, aged 18,| Assisting

Lilian Mary Roffey, Daughter, aged 13, School

Dorothy Alice Roffey, Daughter, aged 10, School

1901

William Hare, Head, aged 44, Publican
Ann Hare, Wifem aged 33

Dorothy Hare, Daughter, aged 3

Sylvia Hare, Daughter, aged 1

Jessie Butcher, Servant, ahed 17, General servant domestic

1891

Peter Gard, Head, Aged 49 Inn Keeper
Elizabeth Gard, Wife, Aged 53
Mildred Gard, Daughter, Aged 25
Walding Robinson, Boarder, Aged 37, Ropemaker
George Headman, Boarder, Aged 64, Labourer agriculture

1881

Peter Gard, Head, Aged 39 Inn Keeper
Elizabeth Gard, Wife, Aged 40
Mildred Gard, Daughter, Aged 15

Thomas Dyke, Boarder, Aged 58, Carpenter
George Headman, Boarder, Aged 56, Labourer 

1871

George Miles, Head, Aged 45, Publican

Mary Miles, Wife, Aged 31

Charley Miles, Son, Aged 2

Harry N Miles, Son, Aged 0

Elizabeth Brown, Servant, Aged 18, Domestic Servant

1861

Esther Weller, Head, Aged 45, Inn Keeper

George Huggett, Nephew, Aged 15, General Servant to a Whitesmith

1851

John Weller, Head, Aged 50, Licensed Victualler

Esther Weller, Wife, Aged 40

James Comber, Lodger, Aged 63, Annuitant

Amelia Dancey, Servant, Aged 13, House serv

My blog: Cuckfield Compendium

My website: Cuckfield Compendium 

fe, aged 33

Dorothy Hare, Daughter