Bernard B Budden
| Birth: | 13 | May | 1815 | Bridport, Dorsetshire, England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marriage: | 31 | May | 1848 | Bridgewater, Somersetshire, England |
| Death: | 29 | Mar | 1894 | Wakefield, Clay, KS |
| Burial: | Highland Cemetery, Wakefield, KS | |||
| Spouse: | Marianne Peach | |||
| Father: | Robert Budden | |||
| Mother: | Elizabeth Herskins | |||
Biographical Information:
Born in Bridport, Dorsetshire, England on May 13th, 1815. Bernard was married to Marianne Peach in Bridgewater, Somersetshire, England (where she was born) on May 31st, 1848. Their family left England in the late 1850's and sailed to Canada to seek their fortune1. Bernard and his family came to Kansas in 1870 and settled in Republican Township, Clay County. They homesteaded at Wakefield one year after the town had been laid out. The community was largely settled by families from England and Bernard was the first person to establish a grocery store with some drugs.
Family oral tradition is that he was educated at Oxford, and the "Pioneers of the Bluestem Prairie"2 corroborates this, but Oxford University has no record of his attendance there3. He carried on correspondance with author Charles Dickens after coming to America and those papers are still in possession of the family4. The Buddens desired their sons to have a good education, emphasizing literature, books and music. They had five children:
- Christine Emily Budden - 1849 to 1862
- Sidney Sealy Budden - 1855 to 1937
- Herbert William Colfax Budden - 1857 to 1910
- Blanch Louisa Budden - 1860 to 1861
- Ella Harriett Mary Budden - 1861 to 1862
Bernard passed away in Wakefield, Kansas on March 29th, 1894 and was buried in Highland Cemetery in Wakefield, Kansas.
Notes:
- Much of the information about Bernard comes from Pioneers of the Bluestem Prairie. 1st ed. Manhattan, KS: Riley County Genealogical Society, 1976.
- Pioneers of the Bluestem Prairie. 1st ed. Manhattan, KS: Riley County Genealogical Society, 1976.
- According to the Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1715-1886. There is however an Edwin Budden and Richard Budden who are listed. He might be listed under a misspelled name but has yet to be found. In an email response to the question of Bernard's attendance, Meirian Jump, the Archives Assistant said the following. "Thank you for your email. I have checked Joseph Foster's 'Alumni Oxonienses', a printed register of all those who matriculated (ie were admitted to the University) between 1715 and 1886, but found no record of Bernard Budden. It, therefore, appears that he was not a member of the University."
- Being "still in possession of the family" is mentioned in the "Pioneers of the Bluestem Prairie" published in 1976, it is not known if anyone knows exactly who currently is in possession of the letters.