Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Sussex, England
Surnames/tags: Hucstepp Huckstep

Contents 1 A study of the branch of the Huckstep family which occupied Eastern Sussex from the 16th century 1.1 Eastern Sussex 1.2 Huckstep families of Eastern Sussex 1.2.1 Descendants of Robert Huckstepp and Johane Dunk 1.2.1.1 First generation 1.2.1.1.1 Robert and Johane 1.2.1.2 Second generation 1.2.1.2.1 John and Jane 1.2.1.3 Third generation 1.2.1.3.1 Thomas and Elizabeth 1.2.1.3.2 Francis and Ann 1.2.1.4 Fourth generation 1.2.1.4.1 William and Ann 1.2.1.4.2 John and Anne 1.2.1.5 Fifth generation 1.2.1.5.1 Thomas and Elizabeth (ii) 1.2.1.5.2 John and Elizabeth 1.2.1.6 Sixth generation 1.2.1.6.1 William and Mary 1.2.1.6.2 William and Ann (ii) 1.2.2 Descendants of Joseph Huckstep and Mary Spilsted 1.2.2.1 First generation 1.2.2.1.1 Joseph and Mary 1.2.2.2 Second generation 1.2.2.2.1 Nathaniel and Alice 1.2.2.3 Third generation 1.2.2.3.1 Nathaniel and Mary Ann 1.2.2.4 Fourth generation 1.2.2.4.1 Charles and Sarah

A study of the branch of the Huckstep family which occupied Eastern Sussex from the 16th century

This research page is part of the Huckstep name study.

Eastern Sussex

One of the earliest recorded branches of the Huckstep family is found in Whatlington and Sedlescombe, two Sussex villages a mile and a half apart. The parish registers of Whatlington date back to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1558.

A couple of centuries later, we find Hucksteps in Rye, Iden and Winchelsea, which are around 12 miles east of Sedlescombe. Rye and Winchelsea have a long history, as they were two of the "cinque ports", though the silting up of Rye Harbour has left the town a considerable distance from the sea.

There is no suggestion that these Hucksteps were especially prosperous, but they do seem to have persisted from one century to the next.

Huckstep families of Eastern Sussex

Descendants of Robert Huckstepp and Johane Dunk

First generation

Robert and Johane

Robert Huckstepp married Johane Dunk in Whatlington in 1550. Their children were baptised in Whatlington.

• Dorothy Hucstepp, around 1557 -- Dorothy's existence is poorly attested by surviving evidence
• Margaret Hucstepp, around 1557 -- Margaret was also baptised too early to feature in the register
• John Hucstepp, around 1558 to 1604 -- John's existence is substantiated by his marriage and subsequent family. See John Hucstepp and Jane Bachelor.
• Denise Hucstepp, 1561
• Edward H Hucstepp, 1563 to 1563
• Eleanor Hucstepp, 1564, also known as Elme
• Unnamed Hucstepp, 1567
• Helen Hucstepp, about 1570: evidence is scarce
• Mary Hucstepp, 1571

Second generation

John and Jane

John Hucstepp married Jane Bachelor on 25 August 1590 in Whatlington. John's first wife had been buried in 1589. Their children were baptised in Whatlington:

• Ann Hucstepp, 1591. She married John Ayhurst in 1612, had at least four children and died in 1638 in Uckfield, Sussex.
• Thomas Hucstepp, 1593. It is likely that this is the same Thomas Huckstepp who married Elizabeth Laurence in Sedlescombe in 1617 (see Thomas and Elizabeth).
• Elias Hucstepp, 1595
• Jane Hucstepp, 1596
• Edward Hucstepp, 1601
• Nehemiah Hucstepp, 1602. He married Mary Hosmer in Hawkhurst, Kent, where they raised their family -- see the Hucksteps of Western Kent research page.
• Francis Hucstepp, 1604, later the husband of Ann Brabon. See Francis and Ann.

John died in 1606.

Third generation

Thomas and Elizabeth

Thomas Huckstepp married Elizabeth Laurence on 25 September 1617 in Sedlescombe. Although it is not certain that this was the 24-year-old Thomas Hucstepp from nearby Whatlington, that is quite likely. Their children, who were baptised in Sedlescombe, included

• William Huckstepp, 16 Jan 1619. William married Ann (surname unknown), but died in 1649. See William and Ann.
• Elizabeth Huckesteppe, 14 Apr 1622. She may be the Elizabeth Huxstepp who married Thomas Stoneham in 1655 in Ewhurst, Sussex (about 4 miles from Sedlescombe)
• Thomas Huckstepp, 24 Aug 1625 (buried 2 days later)
• Thomas Huckstepp, 03 Dec 1626 (buried 6 months later)
• John Huckstepp, 03 Aug 1628, who married Anne Oxenbridge in 1657 -- see John and Anne.
• Mary Huckstep, 09 May 1630. Mary married John Tyhurst in Sedlescombe in 1664.
• Anne Huckstep, 07 July 1633
• Thomas Hucksteppe, 22 May 1636
• Lydia Hucksteepe, 18 Oct 1640

The fact that five different spellings of the surname appear in the parish register suggests that the curate just chose whatever orthography appealed to him on the day.

Thomas died in 1656.

Francis and Ann

Francis Hucstepp and Ann Brabon were married on 22 May 1628 in the parish church at Whatlington. Their children, baptised in Whatlington, included

• John Hucstepp, 1630 to 1658
• Francis Hucstepp, 1636
• Thomas Hucstepp, 1639

Fourth generation

William and Ann

William Huckstepp and his wife Ann must have married in the early 1640s. (There is a suggestion, as yet unsupported, that Ann's surname was Stephens.) They had two children baptised in Sedlescombe:

• William Huckstep, 15 Mar 1646
• Thomas Hucstip, 02 Apr 1647. He is probably the Thomas who married Elizabeth in 1674 -- see Thomas and Elizabeth (ii)

Ann died in 1647 and was buried in Sedlescombe on 10 November. Two years later, William died too.

John and Anne

John Huckstepp and Anne Oxenbridge were married in Sedlescombe on 28 June 1657. John was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Huckstepp. Their children were baptised in Sedlescombe:

• John Huckstep, born on 15 May 1660 and baptised 5 days later. He is probably the John Huckstep who married Elizabeth Hider in Sedlescombe in 1687. See John and Elizabeth
• Elizabeth Huckstep, baptised on 12 Jan 1663/4 and buried 5 days later

Fifth generation

Thomas and Elizabeth (ii)

Thomas Huckstep married Elizabeth around 1674. (There is a suggestion on FamilySearch that her surname was Griffin and that the marriage took place in Westfield, Sussex.) They had a child baptised in Sedlescombe:

• William Huckstep, 25 April 1676. William married Mary Sheather in 1701 -- see William and Mary.

Thomas died in 1677.

John and Elizabeth

John Huckstep and Elizabeth Hider were married on 28 April 1687 in Sedlescombe, which is where their children were baptised.

• Ann Huckstep, 02 Dec 1689, died in 1694
• Mary Huckstep, 22 Feb 1691/2, died in 1694
• John Huckstep, 31 Jul 1695, died in 1698
• Thomas Huckstep, 05 Jun 1696
• William Huckstep, 16 Jun 1698, died a month later

In Whatlington, on 04 August 1709, there was a marriage between John Huckstep, widower of Sedlescombe, and Elizabeth Thomas, widow of Whatlington. It is quite possible that the father of this family is the John in question. ^[1]

Sixth generation

William and Mary

William Huckstep and Mary Sheather were married on 19 May 1701 in Sedlescombe. Their children were christened in Sedlescombe:

• Elizabeth Huckstep, 1702; died before her second birthday in 1703
• Mary Huckstepp, 1703. She may be the Mary Huckstep who married Thomas Sweetlove in 1721/2 in Hastings, Sussex.
• William Huckstep, 1706
• Elizabeth Huckstep, 1707. Perhaps she was the Elizabeth Huckstep who married Joseph Tompkins in Sedlescombe in 1733
• Ann Huckstepp, 1709
• Thomas Huckstep, 1712; died at the age of four months
• Henry Huckstepp, 1714

William and Ann (ii)

William and Ann Huckstep were a couple who lived in Sedlescombe from 1718 onwards. It is by no means clear who this William Huckstep was; the most likely possibility is that Mary Huckstep (née Sheather) died some time between 1714 and 1718 and William re-married.

William and Ann's children were baptised in Sedlescombe:

• John Huckstep, 19 Sep 1719; died in 1723
• Jane Huckstep, 22 Sep 1721
• Richard Huckstep, 18 Jun 1724
• Thomas Huckstep, 03 Aug 1727

The William Hucstep who died in Sedlescombe in 1736 was probably the father of this family, and the Ann Hucstep who died in 1743 was probably the mother.

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Descendants of Joseph Huckstep and Mary Spilsted

First generation

Joseph and Mary

On 09 January 1734 Joseph Huckstep married Mary Spilsted, a widow, in Iden, Sussex. The origins of this Joseph are not known. They settled in Iden, where their children were christened:

• Joseph Huckstep, date of birth not known, but buried in January 1736
• Mary Huckstep, 02 Jul 1738, died in October of the same year
• Nathanael Huckstep, 02 Nov 1741. He married Alice Baker in 1767 -- see Nathaniel and Alice

Second generation

Nathaniel and Alice

Nathaniel Huckstep and Alice Baker were married on 15 July 1767 in Tenterden, Kent, but made their home in Iden and baptised their twenty children in the parish church.

• Sarah and Mary Huckstepp, twins, baptised on 21 Oct 1767. Mary died in 1775
• Nathaniel Huckstepp, 13 Apr 1769. Nathaniel married Mary Ann Baker in 1800; see Nathaniel and Mary Ann.
• Susannah Huckstepp, 01 Jan 1771. Susannah married James Wood in 1800.
• Joseph Huckstepp, 21 Feb 1772. Joseph married Elizabeth Cesford in 1799 in Playden, Sussex
• Stephen Huckstepp, 04 Nov 1773
• Ann Huckstepp, 07 Mar 1775, died in 1777
• Hannah Hucsteppe, 16 May 1776, buried a week later
• Hannah Huckstepp, 21 May 1777, died in December the same year
• William Huckstep, 26 Sep 1778, buried five days later
• John Huckstepp, 11 Jan 1780. John married in around 1811 and settled down in Charing, Kent.
• Charles Huckstepp, 20 Sep 1781; died 1789
• James and Hannah Huckstepp, twins, 27 Nov 1782 (Hannah died in 1784)
• Nicholas Huckstepp, 25 Jun 1784
• William and Thomas Huckstepp, 07 May 1786 (both died in April 1787)
• Francis Huckstepp, 20 Nov 1787
• Jane Huckstepp, 11 Jun 1789
• Bett Huckstep, 08 Mar 1791

Alice died in 1826 at the age of 78, and was buried at Iden.

Third generation

Nathaniel and Mary Ann

Nathaniel Huckstep, bachelor, and Mary Ann Baker, spinster of Peasmarsh, were married on 07 August 1800 in Iden, Sussex. Their children were christened in Rye, unless indicated otherwise.

• John Hackstepp, 27 May 1801
• Elizabeth Huckstepp, 15 May 1803
• Nathaniel and Marianne Huckstep, 15 April 1806
• Nathaniel Huckstep, 06 November 1807 (buried 16 December)
• Stephen Huckstep, 10 January 1810, who married Sophia Devonport
• Joseph Huckslepp, 22 March 1812 in Appledore, Kent
• Jane Huckstep, 07 August 1814, at the Wesleyan chapel in Rye
• Charles Huckstep, 09 March 1817 at the chapel. Charles married Sarah Kenward in 1850 in Hastings, Sussex. See Charles and Sarah
• Sarah Huckstep, 03 October 1819 at the chapel

Nathaniel died in 1825 and was buried in Rye in May. They had been residents of Peasmarsh.

Fourth generation

Charles and Sarah

Charles Huckstep, son of Nathanial, and Sarah Kenward, daughter of Thomas, were married on 02 May 1850 in Hastings, Sussex. In the 1851 census Charles was in employment as a grocer's gardener in Battle (near Hastings). However, soon afterwards they settled in Charles' home town of Rye, where their children were baptised.

• Sarah Jane Huckstep, born in 1851 in Mountfield, Sussex, but baptised a year later in Rye with her brother. She married Stephen Crouch in 1877 in Rye.
• Charles Henry Huckstep, born in Battle and baptised on 16 April 1852 in Rye
• Joseph Huckstep, born in Playden, Sussex in 1856

Charles (the father) died in Rye in 1859. When the 1861 census was taken, Sarah was a widow living on Main St, Rye, with Sarah (9), Charles (8) and Joseph (4).

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This page forms part of the Huckstep Name Study.