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Thomas BURDETT (1788–1868)
His wife Mrs Mary BURDETT, née Saul (1789–1869)
[With a mention of their son James BURDETT, 1827–1846]
St Mary Magdalen section, Row 25, Grave G54

Thomas Burdett was born in Wicken, Northamptonshire on 8 August 1788 and baptised there on 18 October. He was the son of William Burdett and his wife Sarah.

Mary Saul was born in Byfield, Northamptonshire in 1789 and baptised there on 21 September. She was the daughter of William Saul and his wife Elizabeth.

On 19 December 1819 at Byfield, Thomas Burdett of Wicken married Mary Saul. They had the following children:

• Elizabeth Burdett, known as Eliza (born in Wicken, Northamptonshire in 1820 and baptised there on 16 April)
• Sarah Matilda Burdett (born in Wicken, Northamptonshire in 1822 and baptised there on 7 April)
• Samuel Burdett, (born in Wicken, Northamptonshire in 1824 and baptised there on 7 May)
• James Burdett (born Wicken, Northamptonshire in 1827 and baptised there on 28 October)
• Caroline Burdett (born in Stoke Goldington, Berkshire in 1830 and baptised there on 23 November)
• Mary Burdett (born in Stoke Goldington, Berkshire in 1835 and baptised there on 10 March)

The couple settled in Wicken after their marriage, and Thomas Burdett continued to work as a labourer. By 1830 the family was living in Stoke Goldington in Berkshire.

By the time of the 1841 census, the family had moved to Oxford: Thomas was a milkman, living at George Street with his wife Mary and their four youngest children Samuel (17), James (13), Caroline (8), and Mary (5). Elizabeth (21) and Sarah (18) had left home and were probably out in service.

Their son James Burdett died at George Street at the age of 18 or 19 on 23 April 1846: this was two years before St Sepulchre's Cemetery was opened, and he was buried in St Mary Magdalen churchyard on 29 April. An inscription about him was added to his parents' grave, probably after his mother's death in 1869.

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The first marriage of their son Samuel

Their eldest son Samuel was married in 1849:

• In the third quarter of 1849 in Uxbridge, Samuel Burdett married his first wife Hannah Wise.

Samuel brought his wife Hannah back to Oxford, and they lived in George Street (possibly in the home of Samuel's parents). They had three daughters:

• Phoebe Saul Burdett (born at George Street in 1850 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 22 April)
• Henrietta Burdett (born at George Street in 1852 and baptised at St George-the-Martyr, the chapel of ease for St Mary Magdalen Church, on 5 September)
• Emily Mary Burdett (born at Red Lion Square in 1854/5 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 14 January 1855)

Samuel was described as a servant at all three baptisms.

Samuel's wife Hannah Burdett died at the age of 35 at Black Swan Yard, George Street (the Black Swan pub was on the site of the present No. 39). She was buried on 19 April 1856, probably in St Sepulchre's Cemetery, as the burial is recorded in the register of St Mary Magdalen Church.

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At the time of the 1851 census Thomas Burdett (63) was still working as a milkman, living in one-third of the house at 68 George Street, Oxford with his wife Mary (62) and their daughters Caroline (20) and Mary (10).

His son Samuel married his second wife in 1856:

• On 27 November 1856 at St Mary Magdalen Church, Samuel Burdett (33), described as a groom, married the servant Sophia Kersey (37), a servant, born in Portsmouth, the daughter of the porter Moses Kersey. Both Samuel and Sophia were then living in St Mary Magdalen parish.

In 1861 Thomas Burdett (73), described as a dairyman, was still living in George Street with Mary (72). Three of their daughters were now at home: Sarah (39), Caroline (30), and Mary (25), who was a dressmaker. Their granddaughter Emily Mary Burdett (6), the youngest daughter of their widower son Samuel, was also living with them.

Two of their daughters were married in the first half of the 1860s:

• On 23 July 1863 at St Mary Magdalen Church, Mary Burdett married the gardener Charles Hill, born in Cumnor in 1831, the son of the farm bailiff Joe Hill: both were then living in St Mary Magdalen parish;
• On 26 October 1865 at St Mary Magdalen Church, Elizabeth Burdett married the widower Thomas Webb, the son of the builder Thomas Webb senior: both were then living in St Mary Magdalen parish.

It was reported in Jackson's Oxford Journal that at the City Court on 21 August 1866, “Thomas Burdett was summoned by the Local Board of Health for a filthy piggery and an accumulation of dung on the 21st ult. The defendant promised to remove the nuisance by Friday.”

Thomas Burdett died the following month:

† Thomas Burdett died at George Street at the age of 80 on 19 September 1868 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 24 September (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

Thomas & Mary Burdett's daughter Sarah was married near the beginning of 1869:

• On 28 January 1869 at St Mary Magdalen Church, Sarah Matilda Burdett married the widower Joe Holton, a labourer of Wicken, Northamptonshire and the son of the labourer John Holton.

Mrs Mary Burdett died near the end of 1869:

† Mrs Mary Burdett née Saull died at George Street at the age of 80 on 22 December 1869 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 28 December (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

Her daughter Caroline was married just over a year later:

• Near the beginning of 1870 in Winslow, Buckinghamshire Caroline Burdett married the widower William Gayton, who was born in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire in c. 1821.

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Surviving children of Thomas & Mary Burdett

• Elizabeth (Eliza) Burdett, Mrs Webb (born 1820) and her husband Thomas had no children. At the time of the 1871 census Elizabeth (51) was living at Talbot Road, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire with her husband Thomas Webb (62), who was an unemployed bricklayer. They are hard to identify after that date.
• Sarah Matilda Burdett, Mrs Holton (born 1822) was living at Wicken in 1871 with her husband Joseph Holton (50), who was an agricultural labourer, and her stepson John Holton (21). She and her husband were still there in 1891 when Joseph (70) was still working as an agricultural labourer. In 1901 Sarah (79) was living in Bradwell, Buckinghamshire, with her nephew George Colman and his wife Emily. Sarah Matilda Holton died in that district in 1906 at the age of 84.
• Samuel Burdett (born 1824) was a stableman aged 36 in 1861, living in Black Swan Yard, George Street with his second wife Sophia (40) and his two older daughters from his first marriage, namely Phoebe (11) and Henrietta (8); his youngest daughter Emily (6) was staying with her grandparents. By 1871 Samuel (46) was working as a dairyman, living at George Street with his wife Sophia (49) and his daughter Henrietta (18), who was a dairymaid; his youngest daughter Emily (16) was a patient in the Radcliffe Infirmary on census night. His eldest daughter Henrietta died at George Street at the age of 21 and was buried on 8 Feb 1874, and Samuel himself died there at the age of 51 and was buried on 10 October 1875. Both were probably buried in St Sepulchre's Cemetery, possibly in the grave of Samuel's first wife.
• Caroline Burdett, Mrs Gayton (born 1830) was living in the Tank House, Station Road, Winslow, Buckinghamshire in 1871 with her husband William Gayton, who was an engine man, and her four stepchildren. Her only son George was born near the beginning of the following year. At the time of the 1881 census Caroline (56) and William (58), who was now described as a stationary engine driver, were still living at the Tank House with George (9). The situation was the same in 1891, and George (19) was working as a steam engine fitter. In 1901 Caroline was a widow of 69, living at the Tank House with her son George and his wife. She died in Winslow at the age of 72 in 1906.
• Mary Burdett, Mrs Hill (born 1835) was living at 2 Botley Road, Oxford in 1871 with her husband Charles Hill, who was a florist, and their daughter Annie (1), who was born in Park End Street. Mrs Mary Hill died at the age of 45 in 1880, and was probably buried in Osney Cemetery. In 1891 her husband Charles (47), who now described himself as a nurseryman, was living alone with their daughter Annie (16) at Station Cottage, Oxford.