Page 19 - ‘A Blaker Family History’ The family history of Joseph Blaker (1916-2007; ‘Joe’)

© The Blaker Society
© The Blaker Society

Extensive restoration work took place in about 1870. St. Margaret’s church is
rich in historic features, amongst which is the Font. It stands near the entrance,
symbolising the admission of the newly baptised Christian to the congregation.
Believed to be made in 1180, unusually enough, of ‘Paludina’ limestone,
sometimes called ‘Sussex marble’ or ‘Winklestone’.

The contemporary plan of the burial ground lists 2 Blaker graves – Alfred Blaker,
d. 1949 and James Blaker, d. 1950. Neither is of direct relevance to the current
study.

Worth
Reason for Interest
Various Blaker family members were baptised, married or were buried in the
church of St. Nicholas, Worth. The first members in the lineage in which we have
interest were:
• William Blaker (1717-1791) married Elizabeth Allingham
(1712-1775): 27 September 1744
• Mary Blaker (1714- ) married Thomas Charrington: 2
October 1744
• James Blaker (1738-1779) married Elizabeth Easton : 7
April 1768

The earliest record for a ‘Blaker’ in the surviving church registers is for the
marriage of William Blaker and Elizabeth Allingham.

Location
Worth is located 13 km. north of Cuckfield and 11km. west of East Grinstead,
near the main Forest Ridge that borders the forests of Forth, Tilgate, and
Balcombe. It is close to the M23 motorway and has largely been absorbed into
Crawley New Town. A sense of Worth and the surrounding area before the
arrival of the railway, motorways or urban development is shown below:

1816 O. S. Map of Worth, Sussex
History
Worth is a Saxon name meaning 'clearing’ or ‘enclosure’. The place appears
under Surrey in the Domesday book, with the old spelling ‘Orðe’. During Saxon
times, Worth was a high clearing in the ‘Great Forest of Anderida’ – a name taken
from the Roman word for ‘Pevensey’. This forest was one of the favourite
hunting grounds of the Saxon Kings, and they would often entertain guests to the
very best of Royal hospitality. King Edward (Edward the Confessor; 1003-1066)
decided that he and his guests needed a place to worship in the area, and, using
his best masons, architects and builders, he commissioned St. Nicholas church at
Worth. The church is a remarkable example of a pre-Conquest building of cross-
plan, dating practically from one period. Whether it can be assigned to an earlier
date than the first half of the 11th century is doubtful. It has rightly been called
the finest church in all England - it is certainly the largest with Saxon
foundations, and, for centuries, Worth was one of the largest rural parishes in
th
Sussex. It is thought to be the 4 oldest surviving church building in England.