The Arundel Quins of 1726

The first newspapers in England appeared in the 1660s, but it was not until 1729 that Wiltshire had a newspaper, the Salisbury Journal. However, it seems that the first occasion on which Sutton Benger appeared in the National Press had been in 1726. On the 30th April that year the Ipswich Journal, Suffolk, reported that:

Sutton Benger in Wiltshire. Some days ago a woman, lately married, of upwards of 40 years of age, in this Parish was deliver’d at a Birth of 5 children, three of them alive, who were all brought together to the Font to be christen’d. What’s to be remark’d of this Woman is that she frequently, in her Maiden State, reported her Dislike to a Litter of Brats, as she term’d it, and gave it out for a Reason for her not marrying till she apprehended herself out of Danger of fulfilling that Command.
Increase and Multiply.

It is not clear why this report appeared in Suffolk. The only other newspaper in which it seems to have been published is the Kentish Weekly Post, which carried an almost verbatim reprint on the 4th May.

Mary Palmer of Sutton Benger had married Richard Arundel of Malmesbury in July 1725 when she was nearly 42 years old, and they were now living in Sutton Benger. Peter, John & Richard, the sons of Richard and Mary Arundel, were baptized in Sutton Benger on 1 April 1726.

There were several families called Arundel / Arundell in Sutton Benger and the surrounding area throughout the 1700s / 1800s. At least one of the families seems to have changed their surname to ‘Arnold’.

James Arundel was the village sub-postmaster in the 1850s-1870s, and was succeeded by his daughter, Miss Hannah Arundel, from about 1880 until about 1900. The Post Office at this time was at 58 High Street (‘The Rowans’), but by 1900 it had moved to 24 High Street (‘Bell Hatch’).

Footnote

Richard and Mary continued to have children, after the birth of the quins. As can be seen from the Baptisms Register, daughter Mary was baptised on 5th May 1727.