Well I'm sure you've come to a good place to ask! You will find a lot of Buffin info in the Parish records including the marriage of William and Mary in 1771 (look for Bufing).
As for Ruardean - there's a good summary in this reference
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23261
which covers geography, economic history, agriculture and the various mining industries common in the Forest.

-Colin