James was born in 1848 in Hilperton Marsh. He was the first child of seven siblings

to Thomas Hudd and Elizabeth Pearce. James went on to work as a Florist and Seedsman

for the family business as he grew up.

 

       James married Elizabeth Matthews in 1875 in Trowbridge. Elizabeth was born in 1855,

being eight years younger than James. She was the youngest daughter of Robert and Mary

Ann Matthews. They had eight children between 1876 and 1893. First was Minnie and

following her was Thomas, Gertrude, Henry, Mildred, Mabel, Alec and Kathleen.

 

James entered a lot of horticulture competitions, just like his father did. His name appears

in the Western Gazette and Bath Chronicle in 1888 for winning first place for Gardeners

Attending Trowbridge Market.

 

                This photo was taken at home on the nursery. We

              can see Gertrude, Henry, Mildred and Mabel as a baby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        James had become a strong figure in the community around Hilperton. He became the super intendant to the Hilperton Methodist Chapel Sunday School

in 1906 and helped commission a new organ for the chapel which is now in the Bristol Museum. In 1891 the chapel was rebuilt with seating for 300 people.

On the 25th of April 1891 the Wesleyan Chapel was reopened and a local concert was held. At this time James was a trustee for the committee and his brother Samuel was also a member of the committee with their brother in law Walter Hiscock as Treasurer and committee member. The Sunday school and chapel

closed before 1990 and is now converted into houses. James is listed as being one of the members of the community to be listed as a provider of fruit and vegetables for the village in the event of an enemy invasion on England.

  The organ James helped to

            commision                           Although being quite involved in the Hilperton community, James and his family lived in two adjoining                                          properties in Trowbridge at 10 and 11 Union Street before James inherited the farm. They were also able to keep a                                                       servant.The block of houses where they lived was demolished in the early twentieth century and was the                                                original                                              location

                                                      of the floristry as well. When the building was demolished St James Hall was built, the shop relocated to 21 Silver Street.

                                                      This is now where Silver Street Newsagents is located. It was one of the oldest running shops in the town at the time. 

                                                           James lost his wife, Elizabeth in 1903. She was 47 years old. James never remarried. Fourteen years later James followed

                                                       on the 25th of April 1917. He died of pneumonia and exhaustion. Pneumonia was quite common as a cause of death                                                          in the ninetinth century due to the lack of heating in homes. Exhaustion was also common as a secondary cause                                                                      because it basically meant that the individual died due to loss of strength, occasioned by excessive evacuations,                                                        great fatigue, incapability to take in food, or by disease, which was probably the case here due to the pneumonia.

                                                       On his death certificate it shows James’ occupation as being a farmer and market gardener, also in brackets it shows

                                                        him as being a master which means he was also an employer as well. It was James and Elizabeth’s first son

                                                       Thomas Herbert Hudd who registered the death on the 26th of April 1917. It states on the death certificate that Thomas   

                                                       was present when his father died and that the death occurred at The Chestnuts in Hilperton. James and Elizabeth are      

                                                        buried in the same plot at St Pauls Church Staverton next to the burial site of his parents and grandparents. James left his

                                                        estate to his first son, Thomas Herbert Hudd to the sum of £1903.7s.3d. In today’s money that would come to £40,370,32.