Thomas MUGRIDGE

                   CHRISTENING: Church of England "PARISH REGISTER TRANSCRIPTS"; 1559-1615; Parish Church of Cuckfield, Microfilm #1364167; Page 105; FHC/Mesa; Note ceremonies performed at Slaugham that are in the Cuckfield register.

PROBATE-SPOUSE-CHILDREN-GRANDCHILDREN-SONINLAW: Church of England, PROBATE RECORDS; 1732-1738; Microfilm of original records at the Lewes Probate Calendar, VA34-VA55,1732-1738,Film #0097258; Page168; FHC/Mesa.

BOOK-TRADE-SPOUSE-CHILDREN-GRANDCHILDREN: Hugh Matthews BURGESS HILL;;;pp58-60; FHC Salt City, British Section, 942.25/B8H2m. The following is quoted from the above book.
     The fourth shopkeeper was one Thomas Mugridge who lived in London Road on the plot of land, part of which was later to become the site of Norman and Burt, the well-known local builders who flourished in the 19th century through to about 1975 Thomas died in 1736 having also acquired the 'Cottage and work house' originally erected by Henry Peckham.  Since both his will and inventory have survived quit a lot is know about Thomas Mugridge or Muggeridge.
      By trade he was a fellmonger, a dealer in animal skins; not just any old rabbit and cattle skins obtained from local butchers and farmers but also buckskin and 'beaver scins'.  His 'shop goods' in addition to the beaver skins included 'men's and boys' briches (buck and doe) and ship briches',  which could possibly refer to breeches made of sheepskin.  There were 31 pairs of these garments and some gloves in the shop when he died.  Upstairs in the 'Chichern Chamber' were '98 brocken buckscins', which must mean broken buckskins (pound28), along with a 'bead and stettle and healing [bed, bedstead and coverings of hangings]' a small flock bead and stettle and all thereto belonging, a pair of andirons, three cheeses, some linen and oher small things', in all vallued at 34pounds 19s. 0d.  There were three other bedrooms each of which contained a bed: the 'Chanber ore stayers [over the stairs]' also contained three chest and there was a'clock on the stair case' valued at 1 pound 1s. 0d. The 'Chandber ore the shop' had four chairs valued at a shilling apiece, whilst 'in a smale room ore ye stayr and a closet' there was in addition to the  'wool bead and a small stettele', a side saddle and pillion another saddle, a chest, and 'some pocket scins' worth 2pounds.  The latter had probably once been offcuts, left over from the making of breeches, now carefully salvaged and set aside for making pockets.
      He and Mary his wife, like so many of their contemporaries, brewed their own beer in the 'Brewhouse' which contained keelers, tubs, barrels, a copper and 'and old brass kettele'. In the 'Chichern' were dishes and plates of pewter, 'a dusen trenchers', four brass skillets, a couple of iron porridge pots and the usual cooking utnsils and fire irons; there was also a worming pan to take the chill  of the coarse sheets during the winter months. Curiously, the assessors made on reference to a table though they recorded seven chairs; perhaps it was included in 'Things unseen and forgot - 9s. 0d'.
       The outdoor stock comprised: two 'meres' [mares] worth 8 pounds the pair; some hay (3 pounds) a grindstone (2s. 8d.) and 'an ingen and allom in tubs' valued at 1 pound 10s. 0d. 'Ingen' was the current spelling for 'engine' which was almost certainly used in the process of tanning, possibly a kind of mill to grind bark,.  Alum was used to make leather hard and stiff when it was called 'tawed leather'.
      In his will Thomas left to Mary his wife 'all the rents of my houses, lands and premises during the term of her natural life and all my goods and chattels except my wearing apparel and ... the residue ...after my debts and legacies and funeral expenses are paid'.  She was also appointed executrix.
      They had two daughters: Sarah, married to John English, who was bequeathed 'my Great Coat'; and Mary still unmarried and 'now dwelling with me'.  Two grandchildren, Mary and Thomas English, were to have a guinea apiece when they attained the age of 21, and after the death of their mother the two women were each to have a half share in the estate. Mary died in 1744, about eight years after her husband,  and the two daughters duly inherited. Mary the daughter was now married to Nicholas Dunton, a local carpenter, and since he had been one of the witnesses to old Thomas's, one cannot escape the impression that he may have been aware of Mary's prospects and begun paying her court from then on.
       Some twenty years before his death Thomas had taken on an assistant, John copper, who in 1717, along with Thomas himself, was summoned to give evidence at the next Quarter Sessions at Lewis against Anraham Clement of Wivelsfield, who had been charged with assaulting Roger Davis of Cuckfield and of biting off his ear,  It seems that Abraham Clement, formerly 'an officer for the duty on leather', had gone to Thomas's shop to have some work done when he heard that his successor, Roger Davis, was due to visit Thomas that very day and that he (Davis) had an old score to settle, In due course Roger appeaared and Abraham was instructed to wait upstairs whilst Thomas and Roger completed their business; but abraham came down before his enemy had gone and they at once began quarrelling, in the course of which Abraham took Roger 'by the neck cloath' and blows were exchanged.  Thomas did his best to separate the two men but Roger would have none of it. He 'strip'd of his cloths' and challenged Abraham who didn't really want to fight, but the battle continued and Thomas, in a sworn statement before a magistrate, declared that he saw Roger's ear drop down between the two fighting men.  The case was heard at nest Quarter Sessions in July when the court decided that since Roger Davis had apparently started the fracas he should put up with the consequences, and that Abraham Clement should be exonerated and discharged.

Burial: Church of England, Parish church of Clayton (Susses);
1601-1840;Part of the Michael J. Burchall Collection, film #1364150 Item 11; FHC/Mesa AZ.

BURIAL: Church of England, parish register of Clayton Sussex; 1601-1895; copy of the original Parish register, film #1068522; Items 2-14; MFHC.