Hope you are feeling better now, Susan. To go back to the start, Findmypast have the actual birth/baptismal record 1846/47 for Benjamin BUNCh jnr and from that that Benjamin snr is a Grocer although the 1851 census record shows him as a Servant, aged 42 and born in Hampshire. The census record corresponds with his marriage record (post 13) where he is described as a Butler, doesn't it and also the address shown on the baptism fits in very well with the 1847 Electoral Roll address shown for Benjamin BUNCH in post 11.

I wonder if Benjamin snr was enumerated twice in the 1851 census, once in Hampshire and once in Marylebone, given that the 1851 census of the Benjamin BUNCH in Warnford (HO107/1676, folio 162, page 16) shows that this Benjamin was married (no sign of a wife) and surprise, surprise is shown as a Butler. Could be that Benjamin snr was in the process of moving jobs from London to Hampshire and thus enumerated twice. I would think that the combination of a Benjamin BUNCH and a Servant/Butler who is married with a Hampshire connection is rather a coincidence!

You know that the marriage record for Benjamin BUNCH & Sarah MEAD is correct and related to your ancestors and on that it shows that Benjamin's father is Thomas BUNCH a Smith, so we are looking for the baptism of a Benjamin BUNCH c1805 give or take a few years in Hampshire whose father is recorded as Thomas and is a Smith of some description. There are 2 1841 census records for Thomas BUNCH in Binsted, both shown in post 3 above, Thomas BUNCH snr is shown as a Blacksmith so would appear likely to be the father of Benjamin the Butler who married Sarah MEAD. John & Thomas BUNCH jnr are both Carpenters and are the children of George & Mary BUNCH from baptismal records on Ancestry. The only likely baptism for Benjamin both on FMP & Ancestry records is one on 12 February 1800 at Binsted son of Thomas & Mary BUNCH - no other baptisms to this couple that I can find. The only other likely Thomas BUNCH/BURCH in Hampshire in 1841 is one in Andover and he is shown as a Sweep, so unlikely to be your Thomas.

I still cannot find Benjamin snr on the 1841 census record nor can I find any newspaper announcements of his death nor the death of his probable father Thomas. There is a likely death notice for Benjamin jnr in the Hampshire Advertiser dated 10 September 1887 which states "on 4th inst at York Street, Bevois town, Benjamin BUNCH aged 40".

Unfortunately, I think the only way of really solving this problem is to look at the original parish records of Binsted and try to trace the line of the Benjamin born c1800 to Thomas & Mary to see if he is indeed your Benjamin. The only other baptism in Hampshire for a Benjamin BUNCH that I have come across so far, is one in 1817 at Yateley, son of William & Elizabeth, which does not seem to fit the facts you already have.

Janet