James Wilmot Bussey and Ellen Jane Munday

Saint Mary's Church, Alverstoke
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Mike Parsons - geograph.org.uk/p/628752

James Wilmot Bussey (bap. 24 Mar 1824), son of Benjamin Bussey and Elizabeth Bowen, married Ellen Jane Munday, (bap. 7 Dec 1824 in Bishop's Waltham), daughter of Jane Munday on 27 Jul 1845 in Alverstoke. 

James and Jane Bussey had 12 children:

1. Sarah Ann Munday b. 2 Apr 1845 (1845 J Quarter in DROXFORD UNION Volume 07 Page 64), bap. 31 Jul 1853 at St Mary's Church, Portsea as Sarah Ann Bussey Munday. However, listing only her mother's name, Ellen Jane Munday, despite her mother having married, strongly suggests that James Wilmot Bussey was her not biological father.
2. Hannah Jane Bussey b. 1847 M Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 07 Page 131, bap. 31 Jul 1853 at St Mary's Church, Portsea
3. Caroline Bussey b. 1849 J Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND UNION Volume 07 Page 137, bap. 27 Nov 1853 at St Mary's Church, Portsea
4. James Bussey b. 1851 J Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 07 Pg 143
5. Ellen Bussey b. 1853 S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Pg 310
6. Benjamin Bussey b. 27 Feb 1855 J Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 328, bap. 7 Oct 1855 at St Mary's Church, Portsea
7. Susan Rhoda Bussey b. 1857 M Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 02B Pg 371
8. Francis Henry Bussey b. 1859 J Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 02B  Pge352
9. Alice Bussey b. 1861 J Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 360. Died 1861 S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 229
10. Elizabeth Bussey b. 1862 S Qtr in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B 324
11. Richard Bussey b. 1864 S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B 370
12. Mary Agnes Bussey b. 1867 S Quarter in PORTSEA Vol 02B Pg 387

The mother's maiden name on the civil registrations include: Munday, Monday, Mundy and even Munslay [iv]. Such variations are nothing unusual.

In 1851, James Bussey (26) Butcher, in Landport View, with Jane Bussey (25), Sarah Bussey (6) and Caroline Bussey (2). Hannah Jane Bussey (4) was staying with Thomas Churcher (52) a Sawyer from Titchfield, Hampshire, and his wife Ursula (53), in Church Lane, Botley, Hampshire, described as their niece. One surmises that these are relatives of Jane Munday's.

In 1861, at 213-215 Commercial Road, were James Bussey (36) Pork Butcher, Ellen Jane (35), James W (10), Benjamin (6) and Francis (2), but none of the girls. [Portsmouth Local History, Butchers, Meat Dealers (PDF)]

James Wilmot Bussey, butcher of Arundel Street, Landport, died, aged 47, on 10 Jun 1870 (1870 J Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 318) and was buried, on 12 Jun 1870 at Mile End Cemetery, Portsea, Hampshire (possibly later reburied in Kingston cemetery, although there's at least an equal chance that he was just concreted and Tarmaced over when the city council converted the cemetery into a car park for the ferry port).

In 1871, at 81, Arundel Street, Portsea, Jane Bussey (46) Widow, is listed as a Pork Butcher, with son James (19) Assistant, Ellen (17), Benjamin (15), Susan (13), Frank (11), Elizabeth (9) and Minnie (4).

In 1881, Ellen J Bussey (55) widow, Formerly butcher's wife from Bishop's Waltham, was again at 81, Arundel Street, Portsea with her son Benjamin Bussey (26) Pork butcher employing 1 man and his wife Emily J (21).

Ellen Jane Bussey died, at 72, in 1897 J Qtr in PORTSEA Vol 02B Page 305.

Houses at corner of Shadwell Road and Gladys Avenue
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Martin - geograph.org.uk/p/5165865

Gideon Baker (b. 1854 in South Petherton, Somerset), son of John Baker and Jane White, married Susan Rhoda Bussey (b. 1857), listed as Susan Aurora Bussey on the marriage record, daughter of James Wilmot Bussey and Ellen Jane Munday, at the second church of St Mary's Church, Portsea in 1876.

In 1881, Gideon Baker (25) was a Refreshment House Keeper at 37, North Street, Portsea, with Susan Baker (23), Richard Bussey (17) Brother-in-law, Butcher; Caroline Bussey (31) Sister-in-law, Housekeeper; William Shotter (5) Nephew (son of Susan's sister Hannah Jane); Thomas Beckford (30) Dockyard labourer, Visitor from Devonport, Devon and three Seamen, Boarders: George Matthews (21), John James (23) and William Madgarrick (25), so presumably were also running this as a boarding house.

Twenty years earlier, in 1861, Gideon's father, John Baker, who had come to Portsmouth between 1854 and 1861, was also a Refreshment House Keeper in North Street, Portsea, so we can presume he is carrying on this business.

"Towards the end of the 19th century the temperance movement [a social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages] gave rise to a lot of establishments which didn't sell alcohol and were known as tea rooms or refreshment houses. They weren't the old coffee houses, more like modern tea shops." [Source]

Moderation or abstinence didn't help, however, as Gideon Baker died, aged 34, on 22 Mar 1889 and was buried at Kingston Cemetery, Portsmouth.

By the time Probate was granted on 10 Dec 1890, Susan Aurora Baker had already remarried to William James Leese, son of John Leese and Caroline Bussey, who was her first cousin. (William James Leese' mother, Caroline Bussey, was the sister of Susan Rhoda's father, James Wilmot Bussey.)

Neither of these marriages produced any natural children, however.

In 1891, William James Leese (31) and Susan A Leese (33) (William, 12 years younger than his wife, made himself 10 years older) were living in London Avenue, Portsmouth with Jane Hayward (21) Boarder from Sussex. William James Leese' occupation was listed as Dockyard Writer. His appointment as a Dockyard Boy Writer had been announced in The London Gazette in 1884 and, in the same periodical in 1895, his elevation to 'First Class Writer in the Expense Accounts Department of Her Majesty's Naval Yards'. In 1919, 'Assistant Expense Accounts Officer in H.M. Naval Establishments'.

In 1901, William J Leese (31) Clerk Civil Service and wife Susan R Leese (39) - she was 43 - were living in Gladys Terrace, Gladys Avenue, Portsmouth.

In 1911, there was a record of a William J Leese in Gibraltar.

In 1921, William Leese (51) Civil Servant (Clerk) for the Admiralty, from Newhaven, Sussex, was at 25, Trafford Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon, Surrey with Susan Leese (63) and Winifred Dugan (21) Adopted Daughter.

Susan Rhoda Leese died, aged 65, on 9 Jul 1922 S Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 269. Probate was granted to William James Leese.

In 1939, William James Leese (b. 7 Oct 1869), Civil Servant (Retired), Widowed, was listed at 1 Lavant Cottages, Hurgas Hall, Lurgashall, West Sussex, living in the household of Winifred May French (b. 25 Dec 1899) and her two children. Winifred May Dugan of 25, Trafford Road, daughter of William Duggan, Builder (her biological father), had married Stanley French, Draper, on 14 Jun 1923, at Christ Church, Croydon. William J Leese had been one of the witnesses at this marriage of his adopted daughter.

William James Leese died, aged 83, in 1953 S Quarter in CROYDON.