First son, third child of Charles BUCKETT 1654 - 1744 and Mary LANGLEY b.1651.

Born 1699

Died unknown

Married Mary EDGIN 1700 - 1762 m. on 23 Dec 1720 at Brighstone, IOW

John and Mary had six children

Thanks to reliable family historians we have been able to trace the Buckett family back to 1625. However, there is not a large pool of information or ‘paper trail.’ So what did the Bucketts do or specialise in?

Generally, it is thought that collectively they were fishermen with skills in boat building and carpentry. They were the sort of practical people who could turn their hands to anything.

The time honoured practice of smuggling was very much part of island life down the years and this memory is preserved in the family story.

‘Until the late 18th century, the island coasts were only lightly guarded against the attentions of so called ‘free-traders.’ There seem to have been no large gangs on the island, and the free-trade apparently enjoyed the support of many of the inhabitants. To a certain extent this may reflect the fact that many local people despised rule from the mainland — until the end of the 13th century Wight had been an independent principality, and even at this early date, export smuggling of wool was already taking place on the island. Little wonder that the islanders were disrespectful of the customs authorities!’

Smuggling was a major occupation in Brighstone during the 18th and 19th century with some smugglers rowing across to France & the Channel Island in long boats. A barrel of brandy still full was found in recent years down the road from Carrier Stable when the building was being converted. Some stone/chalk buildings have a small old square rig sailing ship designs carved into them, and some say that this was a symbol that these were safe houses to store contraband. Many of these smugglers went on to be crew on the first local lifeboats.

‘Visitors to Brighstone may have seen this and wondered why, old graffiti perhaps! My father explained to me many years ago it was used by the local smugglers to indicate which of various 'safe houses' to use, the method used to indicate the particular safe house was believed to be by placing a small piece of mud somewhere in the carving. He also recalls there were may have been as many as 5 carvings in different locations around the village. Time has taken its toll as even I can remember it in much better condition when I was a child.’

‘Another story was that each carving was done to encourage a ship to come to grief on the rocks and they were carved on certain days in the moon cycle. It was common in the 1800s for the Brighstone shopkeeper to be told 'Mum will pay you next shipwreck!'.’

‘My gran remembered where contraband was hidden as late as the early 1900s in Brighstone and she also used to speak about burning the ropes that held the barrels together! Better not say anymore.....!’ (from Isle of Wight History Facebook group.)

The Needles is a row of three stacks of chalk that rise about 30m out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight.