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It's impossible with this kind of research to say, that's it, job finished! The more one looks, the more one finds, and I know that there are undoubtedly other family members (both recent and not so recent) to add to the Ashurst tree. The problem in Ashurst especially is that their baptisms and marriages appear in registers in many of the surrounding areas and it's very difficult to keep track of them. Indeed several Ashurst Muzzells, walked a mile or so across the fields to Henfield, where they became Muzzalls, confusing the picture completely. However, I have gathered more detailed information on some of the family members, and a selection from this information is given here.
At the top of the tree, are William and Mary Mussell. They were married in 1618, and from his will at his death in 1625, it is evident that Mary was not his first wife: he had 3 adult sons, John, Robert and Thomas. I believe that Thomas continued the Hurstpierpoint line (and is my direct ancestor), while John established the Bolney/Horsham line, and Robert may have established the branch at Cuckfield/Lindfield. At present this is only conjecture, but hopefully future research might clarify this point.
Abel (c1653) seems to be the first family member to settle in the Steyning/Ashurst area. Steyning is situated on the River Adur and at that time would have been a port and thriving market town. Archive material (to be included in full at a later date) indicates that this Abel (or, less likely, his son, also Abel) owned a freehold tenement building known as the Kings Arms at the southern end of Steyning High Street. Unfortunately, this property no longer exists.
John Muzzall ( 1688 - 1762), Abel's son, seems to have been quite an important person with unfortunately very little written about him. He is first mentioned in Ashurst in 1718 when he may have appraised a probate inventory there, and in 1724 he gave 10 shillings towards the construction of a gallery in the church. His tomb in Henfield churchyard is the most impressive of the Muzzall memorials. I cannot trace any offspring from John and his wife Jane.
Thomas (c 1709) and his wife, Sarah, settled in Ashurst sometime between 1731 and 1741. Thomas was the parish clerk at the local church at least from 1755 until his death and was responsible for completing the church registers. The churchwarden reported in 1762 that he was "not as sober as he ought to be", and that "he cleans the church sometimes". By 1775 matters were better: he kept the church clean and did his duty. Thomas was an Overseer of the poor, and around 1760 was involved in a scheme to purchase a Parish House for the poor. His charitable nature was also evident when he put himself forward as surety for several marriage licenses. Thomas's sister, Sarah, married William Jeffery of Ashurst in 1735, and these are believed to be the parents of James Jeffery who is a trustee in Isaac Muzzall's will dated 1787. (Thomas Muzzall is my maternal ggggg-grandfather, while James Jeffery is my paternal ggggg-grandfather.)
The following is a legal statement, dated 1824, concerning William Muzzall (c 1748). "William Muzzall set out on the 22nd day of June to Billingshurst on purpose to pay his respects to his daughter Elizabeth Duffield but unluckily he never reached the place of her dwelling on his way lost his road and got into a cornfield at Patman's Farm and fell into a ditch and was not found for 16 days though great search was made after him, at last was found by Chas Elliott, but in a shocking condition. Coroners Inquest was held on his body on the 9th day of July at the Inn on Coolham Green in the Parish of Shipley in the County of Sussex. Jury returned a verdict Accidental Death. He was brought to Ashurst and his remains was there by the side of his wife intered neath the large elm in the Church Yard 1824. And thus died the said William Muzzall."
Ironically, Jesse (b1786), lived in the Parish House which his grandfather had helped found. Perhaps we can understand a little of the the way Jesse spoke by the fact that the 1841 census gives his name as Jefrey, obviously misheard by the enumerator! Over a long period, he worked at Northover Farm, and in 1844 was sufficiently highly regarded to help the Surgeon, Mr. Morgan (from Henfield), administer 'clisters' ('clisters' is an historian's interpretation of the writing, a medical interpretation is 'oysters' - if anyone wishes to know what they may have been administered for, contact me by e-mail!) to Mr. Heasman, the occupant of Northover Farm. In his later life, Jesse (b 1786) lived with his daughter Rebecca Hills, who was described in the 1881 census as a Laundress of Henfield Common. Her husband, Henry, was described as a labourer/market gardener also of Henfield Common. Jesse died a pauper in Henfield , aged 88, and was buried at Ashurst. Jesse's eldest son, John, emigrated to Utah with his family; Jesse's second son, Peter, became a Life Assurance Agent and moved to Yorkshire.
In 1832, Jesse's brothers, Joseph and Moses, both worked for Wiston Estate and were paid two shillings for planting. In 1814, Moses was balloted and subsequently enrolled in the Sussex Militia, which involved training at Chichester. Fortunately, the Napoleonic Wars were drawing to a close and it is unlikely that he was ever engaged in anything serious. Unlike his father and grandfather, Moses, was unable to write as both he and his wife, Mary Ann Carter, made their mark 'x' in the marriage register. I am sure it is no coincidence that this is the point at which the Ashurst family started spelling the name Muzzell rather than Muzzall.
Moses' daughter, Mary Ann (b 1813), married at the young age of 12, had 4 children, and died aged 30. Her 3 sisters and youngest brother all died during the winter of 1830/31.
The 1881 census for Henfield, shows Charles Muzzall, c 1859 (son of William Muzzell, c 1817) as a Coachman/Domestic Servant at Springhills, Henfield. His employer, Beatrice Frost, gave Charles and Sarah a Bible on their marriage. Charles' father-in-law, Allen Davey, was Bailiff at Holedean Farm on Henfield Common. A two-headed lamb believed to have been born at Holedean Farm was given to Walter Potter (a taxidermist/naturalist of Bramber), and is still exhibited in Potter's Museum (now situated in Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall). Walter Potter was married to Anne Stringer Muzzall of Henfield (see Henfield Family Tree).
The 1881 census also shows Charles' brother Edmund Muzzell living in Edburton, where his fifth child, Frank was born. Edmund and his wife Mary were living in Henfield at the time of Frank's death at Ypres in 1914, and for many years it has been assumed that Frank was descended from the Henfield Line. Research has been hampered because Frank's military records mistakenly give his father's name as Edward.
Between 1915 and 1919, my Grandfather, James Edward Muzzell, served with the 4th Cavalry Corps of the Territorial Army at Somme, Ypres and the Rhine. His brother, Frederick Thomas Muzzell, served in the Canadian Infantry and was awarded the Military Medal and the French Medaille Militaire (equivalent to the British VC).
Charles Muzzell, b 1913, (Cousin Charlie - see photo album) was a very popular and much loved member of the family, and although he had at least five siblings, two of them died in infancy, and the first born son died aged 19 years. Charlie was Leading Stoker on HMS Esk, and lost his life on 1st September, 1940, in the English Channel not far from home, some 9 months after his marriage.
And finally ... George Muzzell (b 1891), who lived in Cowfold with his wife Kitty, always believed his middle name was Sidney, but when he applied for his pension he was astonished to find that it was in fact John, and when he died in the 1960s it was discovered that he kept his money in his wooden leg!
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