The Troubled Life of Leonard Budd (1877–1947)
By Phillip Kingsland-Budd
The story of Leonard Budd, my great-uncle in our family tree, is a somber one, marked by a pattern of domestic volatility, a stint in the military, and a long life spent within the walls of an institution. While his early years began in the rural landscapes of Surrey and Sussex, his life would eventually be defined by a "morose and gloomy disposition" and a struggle with violence that contemporary records suggest was a recurring battle with mental health.
Early Life and Family
Leonard was born on 7 October 1877 in Redhill, Surrey, to William George Budd, a gardener, and Elizabeth Ann Smith. He was baptised just before Christmas that year at St Matthew’s Church in Redhill. Leonard was part of a large, growing family; he was eventually followed by at least ten siblings, including Caroline, Louisa, William, Mary, Lucy, Thomas, Theresa, Florence, John, and Ralph.
In his early childhood, the family lived in the Reigate area before moving to East Grinstead, Sussex, by the early 1880s. By the age of 13, Leonard was living at Imberhorne Lane and was beginning to find work as a bricklayer’s labourer. It was during his late teens that the first signs of Leonard’s troubled temperament began to appear in the public record.
Military Service and South Africa
In August 1900, at the age of 22, Leonard sought a different path and enlisted in the Scots Guards in London. Physical records from his attestation describe him as a well-built young man, standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 139 lbs, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. He bore a distinctive mark of three dots on his left forearm.
His service, however, was frequently interrupted by the same temperament that plagued his home life.
A Pattern of Violence
Both before and after his military service, Leonard’s name appeared frequently in local police courts. His first recorded offence occurred in July 1894 in Lingfield, where he was charged with assaulting Mary Ann Elizabeth Barnett, hitting her in the face and causing "three black eyes"—one on each eye and one on the temple.
The violence eventually turned inward toward his own family:
Institutionalisation and Final Days
By 1906, Leonard was an inmate at the East Grinstead Workhouse, where his "periodical turns of violence" continued. In August 1906, he was sentenced to a month in prison for an unprovoked attack on a fellow inmate named Trayton Foster, whom he "thrashed" with a broom.
The final recorded criminal incident occurred in May 1909. Leonard attacked another inmate, Henry Coomber, in the Workhouse dining hall, striking him so hard in the face and nose that blood "flowed freely". The Workhouse Master testified that Leonard had been prosecuted for three previous assaults and described him as having a "morose and gloomy disposition". This led to a sentence of two months’ hard labour.
Shortly after this, Leonard was admitted to the East Sussex County Asylum (later the East Sussex County Mental Hospital) in Hellingly. He remained there for the rest of his life, listed as a patient in the 1911 and 1921 censuses and the 1939 Register. While Leonard was institutionalised, his family outside faced further loss: his mother died in 1922 and his father in 1934. Tragically, his sister Florence also died at the same mental hospital in 1931.
Leonard Budd passed away on 20 May 1947 at the age of 69, having spent nearly four decades within the asylum walls. His life remains a poignant example of the complex intersection between family history, military service, and the struggle with mental health in the early 20th century.
Early Life and Family
Leonard was born on 7 October 1877 in Redhill, Surrey, to William George Budd, a gardener, and Elizabeth Ann Smith. He was baptised just before Christmas that year at St Matthew’s Church in Redhill. Leonard was part of a large, growing family; he was eventually followed by at least ten siblings, including Caroline, Louisa, William, Mary, Lucy, Thomas, Theresa, Florence, John, and Ralph.
In his early childhood, the family lived in the Reigate area before moving to East Grinstead, Sussex, by the early 1880s. By the age of 13, Leonard was living at Imberhorne Lane and was beginning to find work as a bricklayer’s labourer. It was during his late teens that the first signs of Leonard’s troubled temperament began to appear in the public record.
Military Service and South Africa
In August 1900, at the age of 22, Leonard sought a different path and enlisted in the Scots Guards in London. Physical records from his attestation describe him as a well-built young man, standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 139 lbs, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. He bore a distinctive mark of three dots on his left forearm.
His service, however, was frequently interrupted by the same temperament that plagued his home life.
- Disciplinary Issues: Shortly after joining, he was convicted of using "insulting language" to a superior and failing to appear at a parade, resulting in 28 days of detention. He later faced further confinement for using "obscene language" in 1901.
- Foreign Service: Despite these issues, he served in South Africa during the Boer War from April 1902 until October 1907. For his service, he earned the South African Medal with clasps for Cape Colony and Orange Free State.
- Discharge: Leonard’s military career ended in March 1908 when he was discharged as "medically unfit for further service". His application for a pension was later rejected by Chelsea Hospital in August 1908.
A Pattern of Violence
Both before and after his military service, Leonard’s name appeared frequently in local police courts. His first recorded offence occurred in July 1894 in Lingfield, where he was charged with assaulting Mary Ann Elizabeth Barnett, hitting her in the face and causing "three black eyes"—one on each eye and one on the temple.
The violence eventually turned inward toward his own family:
- The Assault on His Parents (1900): In July 1900, just weeks before he enlisted in the army, Leonard was charged with a brutal attack on his father, William. The court heard that Leonard had struck his mother twice on the head during a storm. After a summons was served, Leonard became more aggressive, clearing the dinner table onto the floor and later delivering six blows to his father as he lay in bed. He was sentenced to one month’s hard labour.
- The "Brutal Son" (1904): While home on leave or between service periods, he was summoned again by his father for assault. Leonard, who had "not done any work for some time," became violent when questioned about his lack of employment. His father told the court, "We all go in fear of him". Leonard was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment after refusing to pay a surety for good behaviour.
Institutionalisation and Final Days
By 1906, Leonard was an inmate at the East Grinstead Workhouse, where his "periodical turns of violence" continued. In August 1906, he was sentenced to a month in prison for an unprovoked attack on a fellow inmate named Trayton Foster, whom he "thrashed" with a broom.
The final recorded criminal incident occurred in May 1909. Leonard attacked another inmate, Henry Coomber, in the Workhouse dining hall, striking him so hard in the face and nose that blood "flowed freely". The Workhouse Master testified that Leonard had been prosecuted for three previous assaults and described him as having a "morose and gloomy disposition". This led to a sentence of two months’ hard labour.
Shortly after this, Leonard was admitted to the East Sussex County Asylum (later the East Sussex County Mental Hospital) in Hellingly. He remained there for the rest of his life, listed as a patient in the 1911 and 1921 censuses and the 1939 Register. While Leonard was institutionalised, his family outside faced further loss: his mother died in 1922 and his father in 1934. Tragically, his sister Florence also died at the same mental hospital in 1931.
Leonard Budd passed away on 20 May 1947 at the age of 69, having spent nearly four decades within the asylum walls. His life remains a poignant example of the complex intersection between family history, military service, and the struggle with mental health in the early 20th century.