I am the direct descendant (g3 grandson) of Thomas Launchbury. Thomas was born the second child of John Launchbury (1741 ? September 18, 1804) and Elizabeth Hitchman (c 1753 - April 22, 1813) in 1780. He was born into the small village of Combe, which had been shadowed by Blenheim palace since 1704. Times had changed for his father John, who was descended form the Yeomen farmers of Chaddlington, 6 miles north west of the village of Coombe, away from the big estate of the Marlborough (CHURCHILL) family. The wealth left by his grandfather had long gone, and John seems to have moved to a place half way between his own family, and that of his wife?s Elizabeth?s at Cumnor. Infant mortality at Long Coombe was unusually high at this time, and this may account for the fact that Thomas has only three siblings.

Thomas Launchbury was christened on April 28, 1780 at Long Coombe church. He may have met his future wife through his mother Elizabeth, as Mary Bason was also from the same village of Cumnor (the Bishop's transcripts ? Cumnor- record that she was baptised January 06, 1782). They married at St. Mary Magdalen Church Oxford on December 27, 1802. Mary was the daughter of Henry Bason and Elenner Trinder of Northmoor. His brother William (wife and six sons) stayed at Coomb, and shows up on the 1851 census returns, which was confusing for a while, as there were two Henry Launchburys born in 1820. Luckily, Mary Bason lived to age 90, and I was able to find out which was which on the census returns.

Thomas and Mary themselves had 9 children at North Hinksey
JAMES LAUNCHBURY, b. 1806, North Hinksey m. ELIZABETH HOUNSLOW,
JOSEPH LAUNCHBURY, b. 1807; m. MARY GREENWAY, 1827, Handbrough.
JOHN LAUNCHBURY, b. 1810; m. MARY, Wytham Binsey
THOMAS LAUNCHBURY, b. 1812; d. m. ELISABETH.
MARTHA LAUNCHBURY, b. 1817, North Hinksey m. JOHN PIMM,
HENRY LAUNCHBURY, b. 1820, North Hinksey;d. 1869, Hinksey; m. HANNAH WICKSON, Nov 1842, North Hinksey (my gg g/parents)
CHARLES LAUNCHBURY, b. 1823, Botley; m. SARA ANNE HISCOCK, 1844; Chaddington,
DANIEL LAUNCHBURY, b. 1830, Botley, Berkshire; m. SOPHIA ?; .Wytham Binsey

Thomas Launchbury was a tenant farmer (numbered 48 on my Ahnentafel system) and stayed in the village of Coombe until his September 18, 1804 and the death of his father John. Johns body was returned to be buried at Chaddington, but his wife (Thomas?s mother) Elizabeth Hitchman stayed on at Coomb until her death in 1813. He moved the family to a little village of North Hinksey, just across the Thames from the city of Oxford.

Thomas died aged 63, just after his son?s Henrys wadding in 1843. He is buried at the church in North Hinksey. His wife Mary Bason, lived to the grand old age of 90 with her son?s Henry?s family, living three years longer than Henry her son.