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Before we start, there were some unproven notions within the family about the origins and history of the HASSELL and BRAY names, so let's get them out of the way;

First the HASSELL family; in May 1980, relative Eileen de Mattos wrote to Richard Gilbert; "Bendon Sharvell Hassell (1829-1919) bought Tanner's Manor from the Sackvilles of Sevenoaks, and are descended from the Danes, originally HASTELNOD, distinguished for service abroad, and settled in Yorkshire, Oxford, Cheshire, Horsemonden, and Somerset."
This is not entirely correct. Bendon certainly did buy Tanners Manor, but in 1876 from the Bonnick family, the Sackvilles having vacated the premises some 250 years earlier! It may have been Bendon's wife, Fanny Monkton (1830-1912), who claimed descent from Edward III (1312-1377), and not Mary Bray. See below for more information about descent from Edward III.

The BRAY family claimed to be directly descended from Edward III and from a Sire de Bray of Normandy who was a "General of William the Conqueror in 1066". Relative Iris Adams wrote in 1978 "French 'de Bras' lost arm in battle, hence the name. They escaped to England, Massacre of St.Bartholomew and intermarried with Hassell family (South Saxons), hence the double name which came to the English form of 'de Bray'."
Elileen de Mattos had clearly been reading from the same script. She wrote in 1980 "Bendon Sharvell Hassell is the son of Thomas Hassell and Mary Bray (1897-1975), from Sire de Bray of Normandy, a general of William the Conqueror, 1066, directly descended from Edward III."
The accuracy of some of that is doubtful.
The surname BRAY is usually assumed to mean a family originating from places of that name in Devon, Cornwall, Berkshire or northern France. That includes the older form "de Bray", meaning "of (or from) Bray". "Brea" or "Bray" means "Hill" in Cornish, and "Marsh" in Old French. There were a number of Sir Brays located in various places during the medieval period (probably all of Norman ancestry) and their genealogy is uncertain, but most frequently the name is associated with places in Cornwall.
BRAY as a French surname is common in Normandy and Picardy, and the "Roll of Battle Abbey" mentions that men from that region joined the Norman invasion in 1066 and may have settled in Britain subsequently. I have been unable to find any connection with losing an arm and, according to British geneticist Adam Rutherford, it is virtually impossible for a person with a predominantly British ancestry not to be descended from Edward III. He has calculated that "almost every Briton is descended between 21 and 24 generations from Edward III".
Edward III had 13 children, of which six married and had children.

MONCKTON; as mentioned above, there was a family story that Mary Bray was descended from Edward III. In fact it may have been Bendon's wife, Fanny Monkton (1830-1912), who claimed descent from the Plantagenets, Edward III (1312-1377), and not Mary Bray. Since it can probably be proved that a high proportion of British people are descended from Edward III (as described above), it doesn't really matter either way.

FAMILY MEMBERS ARRANGED IN DATE ORDER

16?? - 1774 ROBERT HASSELL

Born; 16??.
Married; Susan Smith
Children; Robert (1707-1779)
Died; 1779.

1707 - 1779 ROBERT HASSELL

Born; 1707.
Parents; Robert Hassell (16??-1774) = Susan Smith

Married; Sarah Comber (1724-1765), on 31 October 1749, at Waldron ("both of this parish")
Children; Robert (1752-??), Stephen (1757-1837).
Died; 1779.

1724 - 1765 SARAH HASSELL (nee COMBER)

Born; September 1724, Buxted.
Parents; Edward Comber (1695-17??) = Eleanor (16??-1768)

Married; Robert Hassell (1707-1779), on 31 October 1749, at Waldron ("both of this parish")
Children; Robert (1752-??), Stephen (1757-1837).
Died; January 1765, Waldron.

1752 - 1??? ROBERT HASSELL

Born; 1752.
Parents; Robert Hassell (1707-1779) = Sarah Comber (1724-1765)

1756 - 1833 ELIZABETH HASSELL (nee JONES)

Born; 1756
Married; Stephen Hassell (1757-1837) at Waldron 18 November 1783.
Children; Stephen (1784-1857), Thomas (1785-1870), Henrietta (1789-18??), Susan (1790-18??), Harriett (1792-18??), Mary (1795-18??)
Died; 1833

1757 - 1837 STEPHEN HASSELL

Born; 1757, Waldron, Sussex.
Baptised; 3 February 1757, Waldron
Parents; Robert Hassell (1707-1779) = Sarah Comber (1724-1765)

Married; Elizabeth Jones (1756-1833), at Waldron 18 Nov 1783.
Children; Stephen (1784-1857), Thomas (1785-1870), Henrietta (1789-18??), Susan (1790-18??), Harriett (1792-18??), Mary (1795-18??)
Stephen Hassell, shopkeeper of Waldron, surety at a marriage on 5 December 1791.
Stephen Hassell, shopkeeper of Waldron parish is "willing to serve" in the 1803 Militia List - his son Stephen is also listed.
Died; 1837.

1784 - 1857 STEPHEN HASSELL

Born; 1784, Waldron.
Baptised; 22 March 1784, Waldron
Parents; Stephen Hassell (1757-1837) = Elizabeth Jones (1756-1833)
Occupation; Tailor and draper.
Stephen Hassell, tailor of Waldron parish is "willing to serve" in the 1803 Militia List, unmarried, aged between 17 and 30 - his father Stephen is also listed.

Married (1); Susannah Bray (1786-18??) of Waldron in 1805. Marriage licence issued 21 May 1805
Children; George (180?-?), Tom (1808-1842), daughter, Harriett (1812-1891), Sophia (1814-18??, born at Hellingly), Ruth Anne (1816-1895), Charlotte (1817-1895, born at Hellingly), Stephen (1820-?, apparently born at Hellingly), Mary (181?-?)

Married (2); Sarah Sampson (1790-after 1850) born in Ashford, widow of Isfield, in 1830. Marriage licence issued 10 January 1830
Children; John Hassell (183?-18??)

At the 1851 Census, living at 47 George Street, Brighton, aged 67, tailor. With wife Sarah, aged 61.
Died; 1857.

More details of Stephen's family

1785 - 1870 THOMAS HASSELL

Born; 1785, Waldron.
Baptised; 24 October 1785, Waldron
Parents; Stephen Hassell (1757-1837) = Elizabeth Jones (1756-1833)
Shopkeeper of Waldron.

Married; Mary Bray (1797-1875) of Waldron, aged 17, in 1814. Marriage licence issued 25 May 1814.
Children; Harry (1815-after 1880), Caroline (1817-after 1860), Emily (1819-after 1880), Elizabeth (c1822-after 1840), Benden Sharvell (1829-1919), Margaret (1836-after 1855), Laura (1839-after 1880).

A Thomas Hassell, labourer of Waldron parish is "willing to serve" in the 1803 Militia List, aged between 17 and 30, unmarried.
Notes from 1851 census; Thomas Hassell, head of household, married, aged 64 (i.e. born c1787), "Shop House", Waldron, born in Waldron. However, E.S.R.O. baptism records show his Christening as 24 October 1785 in Waldron, which would make him 65 or 66 at the Census.
Mary Hassell, wife, aged 54 (i.e. born 1797), born in Waldron.
Harry Hassell, son, grocer, aged 36 (i.e.born 1815), born in Waldron.
Emily Hassell, daughter, aged 32 (i.e.born 1819), born in Waldron.
Bendon S.Hassell, son, aged 22, assistant in shop, born in Waldron.
Laura Hassell, daughter, aged 12 (i.e.born 1839), born in Waldron.
(Caroline & Margaret had presumably married and moved away by 1851)

More details of Thomas's family

1786 - 182? SUSANNAH HASSELL (nee BRAY)

Born; 1786, probably from Waldron.
Baptised; 15 April 1786, Waldron
Parents; 'W' & 'E' in the ESRO Baptisms index.

Married; Stephen Hassell (1784-1857) as his 1st wife, in 1805. Marriage licence issued 21 May 1805
Children; George (180?-?), Tom (1808-1842), daughter, Harriett (1812-1891), Sophia (1814-?, born at Hellingly), Ruth Anne (1816-1895), Charlotte (1817-1895, born at Hellingly), Stephen (1820-?, apparently born at Hellingly), Mary (181?-?).

Susannah may be a sister of Mary (1797-18??) who married her brother-in-law, Thomas Hassell (1785-18??).
Died; Presumably in the 1820s, as Stephen married again in 1830.

1789 - 18?? HENRIETTA FULLER (nee HASSELL)

Born; 1789, Waldron.
Baptised; 26 August 1789, Waldron
Parents; Stephen Hassell (1757-1837) = Elizabeth Jones (1756-1833)

Married; John Fuller (1785-18??) farmer on 27 May 1810
Children; John, Trayton, George, Edgar, Alfred, Richard (18??-1904), Susan, Anne (1824-?), Elizabeth
Buried; Fordcombe, Kent.

More details of Henrietta's family

1789 - 18?? BENDEN (or BENDON) SHARVELL

Born: 1789
Baptised: 27 April 1789, St.Clement, Sandwich, Kent.
Parents; Benden Sharvell = Mary ??
Married; Mary Hassell (1794-18??) in 1816. Marriage licence issued 22 January 1816.
No children.
Address; "The Old House", on the green, Waldron.

Naval lieutenant of Waldron. Reputed in family folklore to have fought with Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. But Ruth (historyscape@gmail.com) advised in October 2004 as follows;
"First, I've checked with an expert on Trafalgar and I'm afraid Benden Sharvell didn't serve there - very disappointing. My colleague told me: 'I can confirm that Benden Sharvell did not serve at the Battle of Trafalgar. His lieutenant's passing certificate in ADM 107/43 pp456-457 shows that he joined the Navy aged 16, and that he served in the following ships (see details below) prior to taking his lieutenancy examination which he passed at Sheerness on 3 July 1811.
HMS Amiable 28 March 1805-12 August 1805 Volunteer First Class
13 August 1805-24 October 1810 Midshipman and Masters Mate
HMS Horatio 25 October 1810-30 April 1811 Masters Mate
Sharvell's lieutenant's passing certificate also comes with a copy of his baptismal certificate which records that he was born on 27 April 1789 in St Clement in Sandwich and that his parents were Benden and Mary. I have located a document reference to an officer's survey of service, dated 1817, which he compiled in ADM 9/14 page 4975 which I have not checked.
The document references relate to National Archives files, where I work, so I really should be better at finding my own way round them!'"

1790 - 18?? SUSAN HASSELL

Born; 1790, Waldron
Parents; Stephen Hassell (1757-1837) = Elizabeth Jones (1756-1833)

c.1790 - 18?? SARAH HASSELL (nee SAMPSON)

Born; c1790
Married; Stephen Hassell (1784-1857) as his 2nd wife, in 1830. Marriage licence issued 10 January 1830.
Widow of Isfield.
Children; John Hassell (183?-18??)
1851 Census; Stephen was living at 47 George Street, Brighton, aged 67, tailor. With wife Sarah, aged 61.

1792 - 18?? HARRIETT HASSELL

Born; 1792, Waldron
Parents; Stephen Hassell (1757-1837) = Elizabeth Jones (1756-1833)

1795 - 18?? MARY SHARVELL (nee HASSELL)

Born; 1795
Parents; Stephen Hassell (1757-1837) = Elizabeth Jones (1756-1833)
Married; Bendon Sharvell (1789-182?) Naval lieutenant of Heathfield, in 1816. Marriage licence issued 22 January 1816.
He died sometime between his will being written in 1822, and it being proved in 1828.

To later Hassell family members