BUDGETT, SAMUEL (1794–1851), merchant, son of a small tradesman, was born at Wrington, Somerset, on 27 July 1794. After moving to one or two of the neighbouring villages his parents, in 1801, took a provision shop in Kingswood, near Bristol. At the end of two years they gave up this business to their eldest son, and took a ‘general’ shop at Coleford. From early childhood Budgett thoroughly enjoyed a bargain, and by the time that he left home in his fifteenth year to be apprenticed to his step-brother at Kingswood he had accumulated 30l. by petty dealings. This sum he gave to his parents. As a lad he was somewhat weakly, and in June 1812, when he had served about half his apprenticeship, his master dismissed him ‘for want of ability.’ He soon obtained another situation, and earnestly sought to improve his education. At the end of his apprenticeship, when he was just twenty-two years of age, he entered into partnership with his brother as a dealer in provisions, and about five years after married Miss Ann Smith of Midsomer Norton, by whom he had four sons and two daughters. He started a wholesale business, and in spite of many discouragements was wonderfully successful. After about twenty years his brother retired from the partnership, and soon afterwards Budgett's place of business at Kingswood, which by that time had become large, was burnt to the ground. This led him to transfer his business to Bristol. He died on 29 April 1851 at the age of fifty-six, having succeeded in founding the greatest house in the provision trade in the west of England. His success was due not merely to his commercial ability, but in at least an equal degree to his invariable uprightness in his dealings. He was a very religious man, and did much for his poor neighbours. For some time before his death he gave fully 2,000l. a year in charity. He belonged to the society of Wesleyan methodists, and contributed largely to its funds. At the same time his charity was not limited by sectarian distinctions.
[Arthur's Successful Merchant, a book that has passed through many editions, and has been translated into several languages; Noel's Memoir of S. Budgett is taken from it; Bristol Times of 10 May 1851; private information.]
BUDWORTH, JOSEPH, afterwards Palmer, antiquary and poet (d. 1815). [See Palmer.]
BUDWORTH, WILLIAM (d. 1745), schoolmaster, was the son of the Rev. Luke Budworth, vicar of Longford, Derbyshire, and afterwards rector of the parishes of Tillesham and Wellingham in Norfolk. He was educated in the free grammar school at Market Bosworth under the famous Anthony Blackwall [q. v.], and thence proceeded to Christ's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1720, M.A. 1726). Soon after graduating he was appointed master of Rugeley school in Staffordshire, and on the death of Dr. Hillman he became head-master of the free grammar school at Brewood. He obtained the vicarage of Brewood on the presentation of the dean of Lichfield, and he was presented to the donative chapel of Shareshill, near Brewood, by Sir Edward Littleton, bart., who entrusted to him the education of his nephew and presumptive heir. In 1736 he would have engaged the celebrated Samuel Johnson as an assistant in this school had he not been apprehensive that the paralytic affection under which the great philologist laboured through life might have made him the object of ridicule among the scholars. One of Budworth's pupils was Richard Hurd, afterwards bishop of Worcester, who says he ‘possessed every talent of a perfect institutor of youth in a degree which I believe has been rarely found in any of that profession since the days of Quinctilian.’ He died in 1745.
[Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, iii. 332–55, 759, vi. 469, 470; Carlisle's Grammar Schools, ii. 476; Kilvert's Life of Bishop Hurd; Boswell's Life of Johnson.]
BUGG, FRANCIS (1640–1724?), writer against quakerism, of whose life no authentic account remains, is only known from his own writings or those of his opponents. His father was a wool-comber at Mildenhall in Suffolk, who died when his son was about fifteen, leaving him the business and some property, which Francis declares was worth 30l. per annum, but which his aunt, Anne Docwra, estimates at only 7l. While quite a young man he joined the Society of Friends, among whom he soon obtained an unenviable notoriety.
About 1675 Bugg was persuaded to go to a meeting which was interrupted by soldiers, and, together with several other quakers, was arrested and fined 15l.; in default of payment his goods were distrained. Rumours soon began to circulate among the Suffolk Friends that Bugg had given information of the meeting and had received money for his treason, and it is certain that a third of his fine was returned to him. He insisted on holding the preacher, Samuel Cater, who had persuaded him to attend the meeting, liable for the fine, and dunned him till Cater referred the matter to twelve arbitrators, who unanimously held that he was not liable. In 1677 Bugg attended the yearly meeting of the
