Porter and Abigail’s son Porter left Sherborne at some point and went to London. He purchased a Freedom of the City of London on Thursday 5^th June 1760, paying 46 shillings and 8 pence, which helped to ‘discharge the debt of the City.’ Porter Jr joined the Livery Company of Cordwainers where he was said to be ‘son of Porter of Sherborne, farmer.’ On the 19^th April 1761, he married Elizabeth HUGHES, a widow from Duke’s Place, Aldgate; Porter was from St Katharine Cree, a parish nearby. The couple married at St James’s Church in the bride’s parish and the next year Elizabeth had a son Jeremiah who was baptised at Duke’s Place on the 11^th June 1762. Perhaps as a consequence of the birth, Elizabeth died a few weeks later; there is an administration of her estate to Porter dated 28^th September 1762. Having found a will for Elizabeth’s first husband Thomas Hughes (prob. 1759), a distiller and ‘coffeeman’ of Duke’s Place, it seems probable that this is how Porter came to Aldgate, took over ‘Tom’s Coffee House’ and stayed there for the next two decades.

Porter married a second time to Elizabeth MORRIS, a young spinster from Barking in Essex. An allegation was made and signed at St James’s on the 26^th November 1764 and the couple married a year later, on the 17^th November 1765 at St James’s, Duke’s Place. I have found no children of this marriage.

From 1763 to 1784, Porter is shown in Land Tax records for London, paying variable amounts in tax for his property at Duke’s Place, usually about £2 12s 0d. An entry for 1784 gave his address more specifically as ‘Broad Court’. Comparing tax entries across these years, it seems that Porter had stayed at this same address throughout his time in the area. Perhaps his life was for the most part straightforward and untroubled but one night things were to change very drastically.

On the 20^th October, 1784, Porter Ridout was indicted “that he, not having the fear of God before his eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devil, on the 7th of October, in the 24th year of his Majesty’s reign with force and arms, at London, in the parish of St. James’s, Duke’s-place, upon Moses Lazarus, in the peace of God and our Lord the King then and there being, did make an assault, and with a certain gun, value 1 shilling, then and there loaded with gun-powder and leaden shot, which he held in both his hands, to, at and against the said Moses, feloniously, wilfully, and of his malice aforethought, did shoot and discharge, and him the said Moses in and upon the right breast, and in and upon the right side of the body, near the upper part of the belly, did then and there feloniously, wilfully, and of his malice aforethought, strike and wound giving to him the said Moses in and upon the said right side of the breast, one mortal wound of the depth of four inches and of the width of one half quarter of an inch, and in and upon the right side of the body near the upper part of the belly, another mortal wound of the depth of three inches and of the width of one half quarter of an inch, of which he instantly died: and the Jurors say that the said Porter Ridout, him the said Moses Lazarus did kill and murder. He was likewise charged on the coroner’s inquisition with the like murder.”

Great Tabernacle, Duke’s Place

Porter’s coffee house was in the Jewish quarter; the Synagogue was not far away. On this day in October, the locals were celebrating the Simchat Torah, marking the conclusion of the Feast of the Tabernacles; the men and boys were always rather rowdy during this festival and Duke’s Place was very crowded. Apparently, Porter had attempted to remonstrate with some men who were throwing squibs and fire crackers at his house. In so doing he was set upon by the crowd, had his pocket picked and sustained several minor injuries. Managing to break away, he fled to his house hotly pursued by the angry mob. He and his servant, Ann Hibditch, managed between them to close the door against the rioters and Porter was seen moments later, standing at an open upstairs window holding a gun which he fired randomly into the crowd below. The shot comprised some small lead pellets normally used to scour the insides of glass bottles but, unfortunately, they penetrated the flesh of a thirteen year old boy who subsequently died.

Defended by Mr William GARROW, a very eminent barrister of the day and, after many character witnesses had spoken in his favour, Porter was found innocent of wilful murder and set free. The full transcript of the case can be seen at the ‘Old Bailey Proceedings’ online. Anti-Semitism was never suggested as a motive for this killing; on the contrary, Porter seemed to have many friends in the neighbourhood, some of whom gave evidence of his good character. He had also worked as a Peace Officer in the community and had learnt to speak Hebrew.

William Garrow

However, the last tax record for Porter in Duke’s Place in 1784 indicates that, not surprisingly, he could no longer stay in the area and so moved away. He died and was buried at Bunhill Fields, a non-conformist cemetery in London on the 4^th April 1793. His will, dated 2nd March 1793 and proved the 8^th April, shows that, now a self styled ‘gentleman’, Porter had been living in the quiet suburb of Camberwell in Surrey. He bequeathed £2,000 to Ann Hibditch, his kinswoman along with many household goods. He also gave money to his married sister Ann (surname illegible) and left the residue of his estate to ‘my loving son Jeremiah’.

Jeremiah Ridout, born in ~1762 at Duke’s Place was still a young man when his father died. On the 25^th September 1788, he married Martha MEDLEY at St Andrew’s by the Wardrobe, her parish, whilst his was said to be ‘St Magdalen & St Gregory’. Clearly he had not stayed at Duke’s Place either. A description states: ‘…the church of St Mary Magdalene Old Fish Street with St Gregory by St Paul is situated on the north side of Knightrider Street at the west corner of the Old Change’ (very close to St Paul’s Cathedral). Jeremiah was listed in the London Poll Book 1796, under the Liverymen, in the Company of Cordwainers, as ‘Jeremiah Ridout, cordwainer of Little Knight Rider Street.’ I have not found any children of this marriage and presumably Martha died as, on the 22^nd December 1794, Jeremiah married a second time to Sarah SMITH. The wedding took place at the bride’s parish in Stoke Newington; she was a spinster and he was ‘a widower of St Mary Magdalen, Fish Street’.

J G Ridout attends the birth

Jeremiah and Sarah had two daughters, Sarah, bp. 26^th Jul 1800 at St Clement Dane’s Church, Westminster and Mary bp. 22nd May 1802 at St Stephen’s Exeter. Clearly, the family moved around quite a bit! Both of these baptisms were recorded retrospectively at Dr. William’s Library of Nonconformist Registers. Helpfully, a record of the bride’s birth in 1762 added her parent’s names as Reuben and Sarah Smith. Reuben was a soap boiler and shopkeeper from Bilderstone, Hadleigh in Suffolk; his family were ‘Independents.’

Jeremiah moved to Birmingham at some point; an examination of British Newspapers showed the sale of many properties belonging to him in the Hagley-Row (probably now Hagley Road) area of Edgbaston, also the marriage of Jeremiah’s daughters and then the death of his wife Sarah in 1830 (Coventry Herald, 24^th Dec) aged sixty-four years; all in the same area. Finally, Jeremiah’s death appeared (Coventry Herald, 25^th Feb 1842), the entry reading: “In his 81st year, Jeremiah Ridout Esq. of Edgbaston who for many years carried on a business as an American merchant.” And hence this line, having no male Ridout descendants, could not be traced by yDNA testing, but both daughters made good marriages, of which much is written. Sarah married William WILLS and Mary married Henry William Gardner WREFORD (see Wikipedia).

It is not clear just what goods Jeremiah may have sold. A fire insurance policy for the Sun Company, dated 31st July 1811 was taken out for ‘Messrs Ridout and co, Knight Rider Street, merchant’ and looking again at insurance records, I found that the earliest one was dated 1785 for Porter Ridout’s premises at No. 9 Knight Rider Street. So, the business had been running for nearly thirty years but I can find no references or advertisements of relevance.

One interesting thing about this investigation so far is that ‘present at the birth’ of Sarah Ridout in Norfolk Street in 1800 was a ‘J G Ridout’. The only Ridout man that I know from my records with these initials was Dr John Gibbs Ridout (1575-1823) who lived near Blackfriars Bridge, quite close to Knight Rider Street; he was the son of George Ridout (1701-1779) and grandson of Christopher (1669-1743). Does this imply that the Nethercombe Ridouts belong to this part of the Sherborne tree? Not necessarily; Dr Ridout was trained in midwifery and may well have attended the birth quite by coincidence.

Even after leaving London for Birmingham, Jeremiah retained his right to vote in the City of London; the 1838 Poll Book for the Parish of St Lawrence Cheapside and others show that he qualified by having a freehold property at 27 King Street, a thoroughfare that runs from Cheapside to the church of St Lawrence Jewry.

Knowing that Jeremiah Ridout had died in 1842, I looked for his will, which I found, dated 3rd March 1841. It ran for several pages and mentioned his daughters, their husbands and children. There were no helpful references to other Ridouts but Jeremiah did mention his freehold properties in Knight Rider Street, Duke’s Place and Edgbaston. I noticed that there was another will listed under ‘Jeremiah Ridout’ dated 14^th July 1786 and so, out of curiosity, I read it. The contents were very interesting but rather confusing!

“I Jeremiah Ridout, Citizen and Cordwainer of London do make my last Will and Testament in manner following Videlecit I desire my Body may be interred at the discretion of my Executor herein after named in my family vault in Bunhill ffields Burial Ground and as touching other Worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me I dispose of the same as follows and first I give and devise all and every my ffreehold Messuages Tenements and Hereditaments situate in King Street Poor Jewry Lane and Duke’s Place London and all other my real Estates whatsoever and wheresoever unto Edward Jefferies of Lothbury London Blackwell hall factor and his heirs To the use Use Intent and purpose that Mary How my servant in case she shall be living at the time of my decease…..”

The annuity was to be paid from the rents of his various properties and, after a number of other bequests to Grace, widow of cousin Thomas CRAY (deceased), Edward JEFFERIES, Stephen LOWDELL, William PATFUL and his wife Rebecca, cousin Ann Cray, Elizabeth SOUTHWARD, daughter of cousin Richard Cray (deceased) and sons of Robert PLIMPTON (deceased) his brother-in-law, the remainder of his properties were to be given….

“….. to the use of my Cousin Porter Ridout of Knight Rider Street London Gentleman and his assigns during the term of his natural life. He the said Porter Ridout and his assigns keeping the said ffreehold premises during such time in Tenantable repair and from and immediately after his decease subject and chargeable as aforesaid To the use of Jeremiah Ridout son of the said Porter Ridout his Heirs and assigns for ever….“

Porter received a great many personal items from his ‘cousin’ too, for example a gold watch, walking cane, tobacco pouch, framed prints of King William and Queen Mary, Bible, a tea service and others; these were to be passed on to his son Jeremiah after his death.

Cloth Fair

So, who was Jeremiah Ridout that died in 1787? He was buried ‘in the family vault’ at Bunhill Fields’, as was Porter. Jeremiah had called him ‘cousin’. If this was to be taken literally then it would imply that Jeremiah’s father was a nephew of Porter’s father, John Ridout. I set out to find this man in the available online records but, unfortunately, without knowing his age at death, this was not easy. Since Robert Plimpton was said to be Jeremiah’s brother-in-law, I was not surprised to find the marriage of Jeremiah to Mary Plimpton, a spinster and daughter of Robert and Mary. The ceremony took place at All Hallow’s Church in Tottenham on the 19^th May 1737. The groom was from the parish of St Bartholomew the Great (West Smithfield) and the bride was from Christchurch (Middlesex). There was also an entry in the 1750 Poll Book for London which listed members of the Liveried Companies and under ‘Cordwainers’ was ‘Jeremiah Ridout, woollen draper, Cloth-fair.’ Jeremiah had mentioned this messuage later in his will which confirms that he is the right man.

I found the granting of the Freedom to the City to Jeremiah on the 30th August 1733 through patrimony (his father, named as Thomas Ridout, cordwainer, had apparently been granted Freedom on the 6^th March 1694/5). In order for a son to achieve Freedom by this route, the boy had to be born after the father had become a Citizen. Since Freedom could not be granted until a man was twenty-one, Jeremiah must have been born between 1695 and 1712. He had served an apprenticeship with William Johnson, a draper of St Bartholomew’s, the duty for which was paid by Mr Johnson in 1720. Although most apprenticeships began when a boy was about fourteen, this tax could be paid at any point during the apprenticeship, or even afterwards, and so this does not help in the estimation of Jeremiah’s birth year.

Freedom of the City of London

Jeremiah Ridout appeared in numerous Land Tax, Directory and Poll Books, invariably as a woollen draper of 22 Cloth Fair, an aptly named street where in medieval times, merchants would trade cloth during the fair of St Bartholomew’s. Great St Bart’s Church is close by and the whole area is in the London Borough of Farringdon Within, not far from Smithfield market. The Land Tax entries for Jeremiah run from 1734 to 1786, the year that he died; he didn’t appear to have left the area throughout his life. He left a will and he was buried in Bunhill Fields: ‘Mr Jeremiah Ridout, Cloth Faire, buried 5^th December 1786; in a vault, cost 14s 0d’ (ref: RG4/3986/127).

Jeremiah’s father, as stated, was Thomas Ridout, a cordwainer. I found his will, dated the 26^th October 1732 (probate 8^th June 1734) which, after the customary salutation, continues …

“In the Name of God Amen. I Thomas Ridout Citizen and Cordwainer … whereas I have in my life advanced and paid unto my loving son Jeremiah Ridout the sum of one thousand pounds of lawfull money of Great Britain in setting him up in the Trade and business of a Woollen Draper which he now useth, therefore I do by this my will bequeath unto my said son Jeremiah Ridout only the sum of ffive pounds of like money for Mourning. I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Ridout and unto my daughter Ann ffox the wife of james ffox and my son John Ridout and to each of them ffive pounds apiece of like money for Mourning. Item I give and bequeath unto Jeremiah Cray of Bishop Stoffod in the county of Hertford Upholsterer twenty pounds of like money. I give and bequeath unto my son in law William Cray Citizen and Cordwainer the like sum of twenty pounds of like money. All the rest residue and remainder of my money stock in Trade goods chattels and personall Estate whatsoever and wheresoever (my debts and Legacies herein before given being first paid and satisfied) I will shall be divided into three equal parts or shares and third part whereof I give and bequeath unto my loving son the said Thomas Ridout and other Third part or share I give and bequeath unto my daughter the said Ann now wife of James ffox to be paid her within twelve months next after my decease by my executor herein after named and the other remaining third part or share thereof I give and bequeath unto my said loving son John Ridout to be paid him by my executor herein after named att his age of twenty and one years.”

Thomas listed various freehold properties he had in London: including King Street, St Lawrence Lane, the Crown Coffee House, Poor Jury Lane and Dukes Place which he gives to Thomas with provisos to share the rental proceeds with his siblings such that they were treated equally. The London Magazine (vol 3 p. 328 1734) reported his death on the 3rd June as: ‘Mr Thomas Ridout, shoe-maker, near Aldgate, reputed to be worth 10,000L [£].’ Thomas also mentioned in his will Mr William Cray, Citizen and Cordwainer and Mr Thomas Cray, Citizen and Apothecary, sons-in-law.

So, Thomas Ridout appears to have at least four children alive at the time he made his will in 1732: Jeremiah, Thomas, Anne and John, but he made no mention of a wife and therefore it is probable that she had pre-deceased him. Thomas (a bachelor) had married Mary CRAY (a spinster) on the 14^th April 1695 at St James’s, Duke’s Place; she was the daughter of Richard Cray. I found Thomas’s burial in Bunhill Fields: ‘Mr Ridout, Allgate, buried 6^th June 1734; in a single grave, cost 13s 6d’ (ref: RG4/3978/102).

Since Thomas had been granted his Freedom of the City on the 6^th March 1694/5 and the minimum age at this could be attained was twenty-one, he could not have been born later than 1674. Having been unable to find baptisms for Thomas and Mary’s children it was only possible to work, using a bit of logic, to calculate a rough idea of likely birth years.

Shoes by Thomas Ridout now in the US Met. Museum

A document, dated 1728 showed that Thomas Ridout, son of Thomas Ridout, cordwainer, had qualified for Freedom by virtue of having signed on as an apprentice with his father for a term of seven years from the 7^th May 1712. If Thomas had been fourteen when he began his apprenticeship, and had to be at least twenty-one in 1728, he must have been born between 1698 and 1706. Thomas was listed as a shoemaker in Shoemaker Row in 1750 as was another shoemaker, James DAVIS. Together the men had a very successful business and I was surprised to see photographs of some of their fancy ladies shoes on the Internet; amazing to think that some pairs have survived nearly three centuries! Interestingly, Shoemaker Row was renamed Duke Street and later, Duke’s Place, the same street on which Porter Ridout lived a few years later. Thomas died in 1768 and left a will; I also found his burial in Bunhill Fields: ‘Mr Thomas Ridout from Shoreditch, buried 10^th October 1768; in a vault, cost 14s 0d’ (ref: RG4/4633/91)

Thomas’s son John was under the age of twenty-one when Thomas made his will in 1732, therefore he could not have been born earlier than 1711. John died in 1741, a young man; he left a will and was buried in Bunhill Fields: ‘Mr Ridout from Bishopsgate buried on 30th November 1741; in a vault, cost 14s 0d’ (ref: RG4/3980/22).

In contrast, by 1732 Thomas and Mary’s daughter Anne was married, to James Fox; their wedding was on the 19^th August 1728 at St Saviour’s Church in Denmark Park, Southwark. Unfortunately, the parish records gave no details other than names and so this reveals nothing of the bride’s age but, supposing at the youngest she was eighteen, Anne would have been born in ~1710 or before. As there was more than one entry for Anne or James Fox amongst the non-conformist burials at Bunhill, I cannot identify the years of either of their deaths.

How this family and that of John Ridout and Elizabeth are connected was not clear at first. Thomas Ridout (d. 1734) made no mention of Porter Ridout in his will but his son, Jeremiah called Porter ‘cousin’ and mentioned Porter’s son Jeremiah as well. Looking at all the ages and dates, it would be virtually impossible for Thomas’s son Jeremiah and Porter Ridout to actually be first cousins, but it was common practice in the 17th and 18th centuries for ‘cousin’ to sometimes mean ‘nephew’ or ‘niece’, according to many genealogical references. Given the level of property, both real and personal, that Jeremiah gave to Porter and his son, one might infer that the relationship was fairly close. Oddly, just as I was reaching the end of this piece of research, I unexpectedly came across a page in Boyd’s ‘Inhabitants of London and Boyd’s Family Units’ found on an online genealogical pay site. The image is reproduced below (click to enlarge):

This record, made by Percival Boyd (1866-1955), a prodigious indexer, suggests that Thomas Ridout, the father of Jeremiah (‘Jeremy’), Thomas and John by Mary Cray had first married Susan PRITCHARD on the 7^th September 1686 in St James’s Duke’s Place. I had seen this marriage in the parish register previously and wondered briefly whether this was the same Thomas but I dismissed the idea because in the Cray marriage Thomas was recorded as a bachelor. Now, I think what is more likely is that Thomas did marry Susanna in 1686 and fathered three female children Sarah, Edith and Elizabeth, all baptised in St Clement’s Church, Eastcheap. Perhaps they and their mother died and Thomas started a new life nine years later when he married Mary. His marital status could have been a genuine oversight by the recording clerk, a lie on Thomas’s behalf, or maybe even bigamy if Susan had not died! If Thomas had married as a young man, say about 20 years of age then, rather conveniently, this could easily be Thomas Ridout, baptised on the 22nd January 1665/66, son of John and Alice, brother to John Ridout (husband of Elizabeth Porter) which would mean that Thomas’s son Jeremiah was a first cousin once removed of Porter Jr.

STOP PRESS ….. 10th May 2013.

Yesterday I had a bit of a breakthrough. As I wrote in the previous paragraph, I had the feeling that Thomas Ridout the cordwainer, father of Jeremiah, was a son of John Ridout and his wife Alice but I had no proof. I wondered how Thomas had gained his own Freedom of the City of London in 1694/5 but I could find no entry for him in the index to the Freedom Admission papers, and so I methodically looked at each record in turn. After a few hours, I was rewarded by seeing a copy of Thomas’s’ apprenticeship indenture; he started a seven year term with his master, Joseph PARSONS, Citizen and Cordwainer, on the 23rd November 1682. Better still was how Thomas was described: “the Sonne of John Ridout, late of Sherbourne in the County of Dorsett, husbandman, deceased.” So this man was indeed who I had thought he was!

A sweet moment but… if Thomas had started an apprenticeship in 1682 at the usual age of about 14, his birth year would be ~1668 and he would have been just 19 on his marriage to Susanna in 1686. If Thomas had gained his Freedom when he was first able to, at 21, this would have happened in 1689 (not 1695).  So, it seems that Thomas waited for six years until applying for his Freedom after finishing his apprenticeship. Why? A possibility is that, as Thomas and Susanna’s first child was born on the 30^th October,  less than two months after their wedding, the marriage had taken place, during Thomas’ apprenticeship, in order to legitimise their daughter. Thomas may have finished his indentures but worked at more casual labour to earn money and keep his family before finally applying for his Freedom, allowing him to develop his shoemaking business, after Susanna had died; perhaps he had received some financial assistance from his new in-laws, the Cray family.

(a) Sherborne Militia Ballots List. November 1798, Westbury tithing [Dorset Local History Centre]

Record number LA/3/9/16 at the Dorset Local History Centre showed the following entry on a militia ballot list of 1798 for the tithing of Westbury in Sherborne:

Name, Height and Notes

Ridout, John ‘co/sv’ [crossed out/served]

The 1757 Militia Act directed that militia regiments be re-established in England and Wales. Since it was unlikely that sufficient volunteers would come forward, a type of conscription was introduced by which means parishes made lists of adult males and held ballots to choose those for compulsory service. Militia Ballot Lists contained the names of all men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five eligible for the ballot. By the early 1760′s the majority of counties in England and Wales held annual ballots requiring yearly lists of names to be compiled. The Dorset lists contain variable information, in some cases the name of the man, height, marital status, number of children, infirmities or previous service, any of which might allow exemption.

The Westbury tithing of Sherborne included Hyle Farm, West Mill and other fields and houses in the area including Acreman Street. John Ridout would have been between 18 and 45 years to have been included in this list and clearly he had served in the militia before, which exempted him for further service. My x4 great grandfather, John Ridout was baptised in about 1753 – he would have been about forty-three. Could this have been him?

Having found these two references, I was encouraged to look for any history of Ridouts in the Nethercombe/Westbury area and see if I could trace back from John. I found a few much older items in the Dorset Record Centre relating to ‘John Ridout of Acreman Street’. On a modern map, this long thoroughfare, west of Sherborne town centre, runs from north to south starting at the junction with the A30 Yeovil road, becoming Lower Acreman Street after the junction with Trendle Street/Horsecastles and then merging with Westbury (which runs past Hyle Farm). At its northernmost point, Acreman Street was within the old parish of Nethercombe. Here are details of the records:

(b) 1677 Sherborne Manor Survey

Manorial surveys, conducted periodically for the benefit of the Lord of the Manor, listed his tenants with the acreage of the properties that they leased and the three ‘lives’ upon them. This document shows, in the homage of Nethercombe:

Tenant: John Ridout of Acreman Street for 99 years if [he should live so long]
Estates in being: He 20. Elizabeth his wife & John Parker son of Rich’d Parker of Sutton
Tenements: Parcell of a tenement. Late Banwells. A barne & backside
Acres: Meadow 3½; Arable 20½; Total 29.
Yearly rent: 14s Quarterly. Yearly value besides the rents: 10li
Herriot: Best beast or goods

So, John Ridout, aged twenty (born ~1657) was married to Elizabeth, who may or may not have been related to the other ‘life’ John PARKER, son of Richard Parker of Sutton. John and Elizabeth had probably not been married that long but I couldn’t find any record in the Sherborne parish records or elsewhere, detailing this marriage.

(c) 1687 Roll 41 1683/4 Articles of agreement

“3 June 1687. John Ridout of Akeman Street yeoman. The Earl of Bristol* agrees to let him have an Estate granted to him by lease in reversion after his own life for 99 years in Elizabeth the daughter of Richard Porter & John the son of same Richard Porter of Sutton in the County of Somerset do so long live. i.e a barn, 29 acres of ground belonging now in occupation of said John Ridout. John Ridout makes his mark it is witnessed by William Ridout who can write.”

This agreement was made ten years later than the manor survey above. John Ridout of Acreman Street would now be about 30 years old and it is apparent that he is one of three lives on a lease for 29 acres of land, sharing with two children of Richard PORTER of Sutton: Elizabeth and John.  The acreage is the same as that of ‘Banwell’s tenement’ and therefore this seems to be referring to the same John Ridout and the same tenancy. Is it a coincidence that the other lives are still named as Elizabeth and John, as in 1677? Does this infer that Richard Porter of Sutton and Richard Parker of Sutton are one and the same? Maybe but in 1687 Elizabeth is not named as John’s wife this time, only as Richard’s daughter.

Happily for me, I found an entry for a marriage licence in the names of John Ridout of Sherborne, Dorset, yeoman, and Elizabeth Porter, of Sutton Montis, spinster, aged 23. The father apparently consented (it was not stated whose father!) and the marriage was to take place at Wells Cathedral or Wells St. Cuthbert on the 20^th June 1687.  Sutton Montis is a village in the parish of South Cadbury, Somerset, five miles south of Sherborne. I was also intrigued to find the baptism of a son Porter, named for his mother no doubt, to John and Elizabeth Ridout at Sherborne in 1698.

These entries imply that in 1677, John’s wife was a different Elizabeth, a woman who died before 1687. There is a burial for an Elizabeth Ridout as early as December 1677 but this may not be her.  It was interesting to see that John could not sign his name, although William Ridout could.                         *Earl DIGBY of Sherborne, the Lord of the Manor.

 (d) Sherborne Estates Leases document (1709-1806)

This details a fine (fee) of £21.10s imposed for changing the ‘lives’ on a leasehold property, dated 5^th July 1710 where Morgan LODGE was the tenant. A third life, Thomas Oliver, son of Thomas Oliver of Castletown, was added to that of Elizabeth RIDOUT and John PORTER.

The property was described as: “his estate in the tenement of late John RIDOUT in Acreman Street. LODGE is to have the Liberty to dig Quarr and dispose of stones in about 3 yards of the premises lying on Old Quarr, of wch stones my Lord reserves to himself the power of raising and carrying away so many as his Honour shall think fitt for his own use.”

From this document it appears that by July 1710, John Ridout Jr of Acreman Street had died, leaving his widow Elizabeth. There is a burial record at Sherborne Abbey for John Ridout on 23^rd August 1709. The two remaining lives on this lease were Elizabeth Ridout and John Porter, identical to those in both earlier documents. John’s ‘life’ was to be replaced by that of Thomas Oliver.

(e) 1677 Sherborne Manor Survey

Tenant: Thomas Ridout assignee of John Ridout his father decd. for 99 years if.
Estates in being: William Ridout 17 his brother and the same Thomas 11. Cary Boucher son of Sam.
Tenements: A rovelesse tenement with appurtenances called Swynes Well, formerly ffosters.
Acres: pasture 1, meadow 8, arable 29. Total 33
Yearly rent: 1li 7s ½d Quarterly. Yearly value besides the rents: 10li
Herriott: best beast or goods.

Thomas is said to be eleven years old and William seventeen; these are John Ridout’s sons and it seems that he is ‘deceased’.

Summarising, a man named John Ridout, who lived in Nethercombe and had died before 1677, had two possibly three sons: John born in about 1657, William in 1659/60 and Thomas in 1666.  John Sr may have leased one or both of ‘Banwell’s’ and ‘Wyne’s Well’ (sometimes described as ‘Swyne’s Well’ or ‘Swingwell’) tenements. From available records, I believe that this John Ridout left a will, written on the 15^th February 1671/2 (probated on the 18^th May 1672) in which he referred to his son John, to whom he leaves ‘part of Banwell Tenement lying in Sherborne’ and also says:

“Whereas my brother Thomas Ridout deceased did by his will give my son Thomas a legacy of one hundred pounds, which said legacy I used in the buying of an estate and tenement called Swingwell in Sherborne aforesaid I do therefore give and bequeath the said tenement Swingwell and the appurtenances unto my said son Thomas.”

John mentions names his five children as John, William, Thomas, Mary and Elizabeth, all of whom are under the age of 21 in 1672. I found appropriately dated baptisms of the above named children to parents John and Alice (sometimes ‘Alse’) Ridout. In his will, John did not mention Alice but bequeathed the sum of £10 to ‘Sister Elizabeth Toogood, for her care of my children’ implying that he was a widower. In due course, John’s son William, who wrote his will in 1682, mentioned his ‘Aunt Elizabeth Toogood, spinster’ and also his Uncle William Toogood’. This suggests that John Ridout’s wife was formerly Alice Toogood. A burial record exists: ‘Alice, wife of John Ridout, buried on the 17^th May 1670’; John was buried as ‘a widower’ on the 23^rd February 1671/2. Apart from naming his late brother Thomas, John also mentioned a brother William.

The most likely candidate for Thomas Ridout, John’s elder brother, seems to be this man, who dictated his last will and testament on the 13^th May 1668, which went to probate on the 5^th December of that year:

“That upon or about the thirteenth day of may in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty and eight Thomas Ridout late of Leigh in the County of Dorsett being sicke of the sickness whereof he afterwards died but of perfect mynd and memory and having an intention to settle and dispose of his estate did make and declare his last will and testament … or by word of mouth as following or to the like effect. Viz I will or I do give me wife my …. And all my goods within doores and without and one hundred pounds in money and I give her my meads at Holwell during her life and after her decease I give the meades to John Ridout during the terme of yeares or estates that I have in it. I give also one hundred pounds to John Ridouts younger sonne Thomas. I give Anne Hole, the eldest daughter of Edward Hole twenty pounds. John Ridout shall be my executor and he shall have all the rest. And he the deceased did further will and desire that John Ridout the executor should not sue any person that owed moneyes on bond to him the said deceased till halfe a yeare after his death nor … any interest for that halfe yeare with an intent that what he soe declared should stand for and be his last will and testament in the presence and hearing of credible witnesses.”

I also found the will of a lady that some researchers believe was Thomas’ wife, Marjorie or Margery Ridout (misspelt ‘RIDEON’), which was was proved in August 1669. Margery mentioned no children only her siblings and she left money for the ‘poor of Holwell’ and asked to be buried in Holwell churchyard. Thomas, on the other hand, was buried at Sherborne Abbey on the 18th May 1668. I found it unusual for a married couple to have been interred separately and so, in my opinion, the identity of Thomas’s wife is still perhaps open to question.  Unfortunately, Thomas did not name his wife in his will but, it is true that he left her ‘my meades in Holwell’. Both Thomas and Margery were ‘of Leigh’ which is a village about six miles south-west from Sherborne; Holwell is a village about six miles south-west from Sherborne.

Victorian genealogist, Arthur George Ridout, had recorded Thomas Ridout ‘of Leigh’ (1634/5-1668) as a great grandson of William Ridowte of Hyle, grandson of Thomas Ridout & Edith Oldish and son of Thomas & Eleanor. But Arthur also recorded Thomas’ brother John as the John Ridout (1632-1678) who married Elizabeth Oliver, Christopher Ridout the baker’s parents. I have shown here that this cannot be true as Thomas Ridout of Leigh’s brother was John (d. 1672) who married Alice Toogood and fathered John, who married Elizabeth Porter! I am fairly confident that the Nethercombe line herein described is correct but I do not know, at the moment, quite where these men fit into the larger tree… watch this space!

Wherever John Ridout and Elizabeth Porter belong, further research revealed some interesting new characters that belong to this Sherborne family, men who spread their wings to London!

The genetic material in the Y chromosome (yDNA) changes (mutates) very little from grandfather to father to son and indeed very little down the entire male line in a family. However, there are small mutations which occur at specific areas of the Y chromosome called STRs (single tandem repeats) or, in the world of comparative yDNA testing, markers. In order to arrive at a working hypothesis on the relatedness of two males with the same surname, it is valuable to compare 37 of such markers in each man’s yDNA. Since the mutation rates for each STR are fairly constant, one would expect that second cousins should show a perfect match of 37/37 markers; their common ancestor being as close as their great-grandfather. However, the greater the number of generations away from a common male ancestor two male descendants are, the more likely it is that their yDNA sequences will mismatch slightly. So, for example, two men with a x6 great grandfather in common might match only 36/37 markers. Hence, a statistician will compare two yDNA sequences and, taking mutation rates into account, determine the probability that two men with the same (or similar) surname are related and will offer a very broad estimate of when their common ancestor probably lived. This is especially useful when those two men have each researched their family history and can compare notes.

My own research indicates that my family have the same origins as the descendants of Christopher RIDOUT of Sherborne. My cousin Tom had also submitted a saliva sample to a UK company called Oxford Ancestors in 2004. This was only tested for 10 markers but we were delighted to find that we had an exact match with many other descendants of Christopher and so I knew that my research was at least on the right track.

Many people in the US and Canada will know of their ancestors George Ridout the baker (1701-1779) and his father Christopher the miller (1669-1743). I have written about these folk extensively elsewhere on this blog. With luck, many Ridouts will have a family tree indicating just how they are related to George and Christopher but I am not so lucky, even though my family actually lived in Sherborne as recently as 1827. My own family tree peters out at my x4 great grandfather who I know simply as John Ridout of Sherborne, born in approximately 1750-3. It’s not much to go on!

So, what did yDNA testing reveal? For a start, there are only two other Rid(e)out men on Family Tree DNA’s results database who come close to matching Tom’s 37 marker results. One man is called ‘Dick’ and the other ‘Harry’. Tom and Dick shared 34/37 markers in common and, as Dick is a x7 great grandson of Christopher Ridout, I was rather disappointed as I had hoped our connection with that family was closer – in fact, Tom and Dick’s common male ancestor probably lived ‘within the past 1,680 years’ which, genealogically speaking, is not much use to someone whose known family doesn’t stretch back further than 1750!

The match between Tom and Harry, 35/37 markers, was much more interesting. Harry’s earliest known ancestor was William Thomas Rideout (1839-1885) of Virginia. There are a dozen or more public family trees on Ancestry.co.uk all suggesting that William Thomas Rideout was probably a grandson of Elijah Rideout (1768-1862) and possibly great-grandson of a John Rideout, although opinion seems to be divided on John Rideout’s origins. I don’t think anyone quite knows for sure just who it was in this family that first left England in the eighteenth century and sailed across the Atlantic to settle in America. Anyway, Tom and Harry share a common male ancestor within twelve generations, a man who lived roughly 300-360 years ago (about 1652-1712). This time frame equates to a Ridout male who was alive at a similar time to Christopher (1669-1743) or George (1701-1779).

The most interesting result amongst all this yDNA confusion is that Dick and Harry are more closely related to each other than either of them is to Tom! They share 36/37 markers, meaning that there is a 90% probability that their common male ancestor walked the earth as recently as eight generations ago (roughly 1772-1812). We know that Dick’s x6 great grandfather was George Ridout and Harry’s x6 great grandfather was the father of John Rideout. But their common male ancestor is unlikely to be George Ridout himself since he probably didn’t father another boy named John, in addition to two other sons named John (one was christened John and the other John Gibbs). So, Dick and Harry’s common male ancestor might be one generation back from George i.e. Christopher Ridout. So, who was John Rideout’s father? Here’s a wild guess … how about John Ridout, Christopher’s son, born in Sherborne in 1699 and about who very little seems to have been written other than that he left England and sailed to America at some point in his early life? Just saying

Interested Ridouts and Rideouts, from all over the world, are cordially invited to join our RID(E)OUT yDNA project.

STOP PRESS! Family Tree DNA have a special offer on 37 markers which extends to the 14th January… !!

The Ridout Collection
This collection is the work of the genealogist Arthur George Ridout (1852-1939), who along with his wife Beaujolois and son Lionel, carried out extensive research into the origins of his family. Like most genealogical research carried out in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, (ie before the advent of a county record office network), the bulk of the material consists of primary source material and correspondence, rather than notes taken from sources (such as parish registers and the International Genealogical Index) as is the case with more modem research. Those hoping for careful, systematic notes and a comprehensive pedigree chart will, therefore, be disappointed, but the lack of research notes is more than made up for by the original material relating to the family, which dates from the sixteenth century to the twentieth. The main names covered are Ridout (mainly from Dorset and Somerset) and Dowell (Bristol). There is a small but significant collection of title deeds relating to property in Shafton (now Shaftesbury) Dorset (16th-17th centuries). The collection has been arranged into names and within each name in into research and primary source material. There is a separate section for letters and notebooks that covers all names. The dates given are the dates of creation for original material (such as letters and title deeds); and centuries covered by the research in the case of pedigrees and research notes. Some of the Collection was transcribed by William Ridout in 1998. His transcriptions have been bound and can be found in the Library (The Ridout Collection, shelf mark FH7RID). This list is more detailed than most so that the originals of material that has been transcribed can be readily identified. The title deeds in the Collection have been fully described and summarised.

Research notes and pedigrees
1. 13th-17th centuries. List: ‘Early Records of the Ridout Family’
2. 16th – 20th centuries. Research notes: pedigrees; some research notes; lists of parish entries (Somerset and Dorset) and Chancery Proceedings; miscellaneous inquisition post mortem extracts and newspaper cuttings. For Ridouts mainly in Dorset and Somerset, but also covering London and Canada
3. 17th – 20th centuries. Research notes: Mainly pedigrees; notes and newspaper cuttings
4. 18th – 19th centuries. Research notes (indexed) into the Ridouts and related families
5. 16th – 19th centuries. Research notes on the Ridouts of Canada and the USA

Documents
Deeds relating to Shafton, Dorset:
6. a) Walter Ridout of Shafton, Dorset, gentleman
b) Thomas Perrye of Shafton St James, burgess
Concerning the following: messuage, tenement or burgage in the market place by the Fish Crosse, in St Peter’s Shafton aforesaid; one tenement (where Margaret Bum dwells) in the comer of the butcher’s shambles; one garden in Copstreet and one close of pasture containing about one acre in Salisbury Street, all in St Peter’s Shafton. All of which are in the tenure or occupation of Thomas Bames.
Mortgage of the above lands by a) to b). 19th January 1618/9

6. a) Thomas Pitt of Blandford Farm, Dorset, gentleman and John Cooke of Westminster, Middlesex, gentleman
b) Walter Ridoute of Blandford Farm aforesaid, grocer
c) John Ridoute of Banningham, Norfolk, gentleman
Concerning the following: one messuage, tenement or burgage in the parish of St Peter, Shafton, Dorset, situated in or near the market place and by the Fish Crosse (formerly occupied by John Everres and Thomas Bames); one tenement (sometimes a stables) in the comer amongst the Shambles, next to the Biyndehouse in the marketplace at Shafton aforesaid (late in the tenure of Peter Kinge); one garden plot in or near Copstreet, Shafton; one close of pasture containing 1 acre in or near Salisbury Street, in St Peter aforesaid (now in the tenure of Peter King); one shop or butcher’s shambles adjoining the aforesaid stables (late in the tenure of John Forde and now in the tenure of William Lane) and one messuage and garden, also in Salisbury Street, St Peter’s aforesaid (late in the tenure of Robert and Richard Dole).
One year lease of the above by a) to b). 31st January 1639
Citing an agreement between b) & c) dated 7th September 1638

6. a) Walter Ridout of Blandford Forum, Dorset, grocer
b) John Dampney of Shafton, Dorset, victualler
Concerning the following: one small tenement, sometimes a stable, next to the Blindhouse in the Shambles, Shafton (lately occupied by Peter Kinge and now occupied by Robert Matyard); and one shop or butcher’s shambles next door (now in the possession of William Lane).
Release by a) to b) of the above property. 20th September 1642
Citing a two month lease of 19th September of the same property from a) to b).

6. a) Walter Ridout of Blandford, Dorset, grocer and John his son and heir
b) George Savage of Blandford, gentleman and Anne his daughter.
Concerning the following: One messuage, tenement or burgage in the parish of St Peter and
borough of Shafton, Dorset, situated in or near the market place and by the Fish Crosse, now occupied by John Pike (formerly occupied by John Everres and Thomas Bames); one garden plot and messuage in Copstreete, Shafton (lately occupied by Samuel Rivette); one close of pasture in Salisbury Street in the parish and borough aforesaid (occupied by John Painter); a messuage and garden plot in Salisbury Street (formerly occupied by Robert and Richard Dole) and seven acres of land known as Gyles Broke or Whitinges, in the parish of St James, liberty of Alcester and borough of Shafton.
Settlement of the above by Walter Ridout on his son John and Anne Savage, prior to their marriage. 7th July 1662

6. a) Jane Bayleye of Wimbome Minster, Dorset, widow of Thomas Bayley
b) Walter Ridout of Bedester, Dorset, husbandman
Concerning the following: three closes of arable land known as Gyles Breke, containing 5 acres, lying in the parish of St James and liberty of Alcester, Dorset (now in the tenure of John Foyle). Grant and release of all interest in the above property by a) to b) on the payment of £30. With appointment by a) of Roger Lovell and Robert Burte as her attorneys. 25th March 1562.
Citing the will of Thomas Bayley, dated the 5th October 1560 in which the property was granted to b) on the condition that he pay a) the sum of £30.

6. a) Edward Foyle of Shafton, Dorset, gentleman and John Ridout, son and heir of Walter Ridout of Shafton, deceased
b) Thomas Pitt of Blandford Forum, Dorset, gentleman and John Cooke of Westminster, Middlesex, gentleman
Concerning the following (all in Shafton):
• one messuage, burgage or tenement and garden plot; one house, shop kitchen and two butcher’s shambles (now or late in the occupation of John Evered, Thomas Bames and [blank] Clarke alias Kellwaye)
• one close of meadow or pasture containing 2 acres belonging to the said messuage
• one messuage or tenement (newly built by Robert Dole, blacksmith)
Bargain and sale of the above by a) to b). 10th July 1620

6. a) John Ridout of Shafton, Dorset, gentleman
b) Thomas Pitt of Blandford Forum, Dorset, gentleman and John Cooke of Westminster, Middlesex, gentleman
Concerning the following: 7 acres of land, sometimes called Gyles Breke and now called Whiteinge, parish of St James, liberty of Alcester, or borough of Shafton, Dorset, with all tenements, edifices, gardens etc on the land (now or formerly occupied by John Combe).
Bargain and sale by a) to b) of the above land. With short note on the seal. 17th July 1620

6. a) Jane Ridout, widow of Walter Ridout of Shafton, Dorset
b) Thomas Pitt of Blandford Forum, Dorset, gentleman; John Cooke of Westminster, Middlesex, gentleman and John Ridout, son and heir of the said Walter.
Concerning the following:
• all the closes or pieces of land known as Gyles Breake and Whitinge, containing 7 acres and situated in the parish of St James, liberty of Alcester or borough of Shafton (late in the occupation of John Combe).
• one messuage, burgage or tenement in Shafton appertaining to the above.
• one messuage, shop, kitchen and two butcher’s shambles in Shafton (late in the occupation of John Evered, Thomas Bames and one Clerke alias Kelwaie).
• one close of meadow or pasture containing 2 acres, belonging to the above messuage.
• one messuage in Shafton newly built by Robert Dole, blacksmith.
Quitclaim by a) to b) of the above lands. 30th May 1621

Deeds relating to other Dorset properties
7. a) William Short of Tarrant Hinton, Dorset, clothier
b) Walter Ridout of Blandford Forum, Dorset, grocer
Concerning the following:
• one messuage, burgage or tenement in West Street, parish of St Trinity Wareham, Dorset (then in the possession of Widow Ludby;
• a parcel of land or garden 4 yards wide and 6 yards long in the same parish;
• a parcel of land 4 yards long and 1 Vi yards wide in St Michael, Wareham
• land 6 yards long and 1 yard wide in St Michael
• land 6 yards long and wide in St Michael
• land 6 yards long and 1 Vi wide in St Michael
• land 8 yards long and 1 Vi wide in St Martin, Wareham
• 3 acres of meadow known as Portlam Meadow, near Wareham Common, Wareham Lease of the above property by a) to b) for 99 years, determinable on the death of William Short and his son John and daughter Agnes.
Citing a lease dated 20th February 1631 in which Roger Newborough leased the above property to William Short for 99 years, to begin on the expiry of a 99 year lease granted to William Ludby and determinable on the death of William and his brothers Thomas and John.

7. Abstract of title relating to the lands of Mrs Elizabeth Blanchard in Iwerne Minster, Dorset
(later purchased by Walter Rideout). 1658-1770

7. a) Thomas Brancker of the parish of Stalbridge Dorset, yeoman; Thomas junior his son and heir
b) Thomas Weston of (illegible), parish of FoIke, Dorset, yeoman.
Bond of a) to b) to keep the terms of two indentures of the same date. 12th May 1676 Writing badly faded and illegible in parts.
Deeds relating to Bermondsey Property
7. a) William Butterfield of the parish of St Mary Magdalene Bermondsey, Southwark, Surrey, mariner
b) Joseph Ridout of the same parish, surgeon; and Theophilis Ridout of the parish of St Brides, London, surgeon.
Citing the intended marriage of a) to Mary Votear, widow of Charles Cornelius Votear, mariner, daughter of Joseph and sister of Theophilis. And the entitlement of Mary Votear to two brick messuages or tenements and one timber warehouse on the north side of Mill Street, near St. Saviour’s Dock Head, parish of St Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey.
Bond of a) to b) providing Mary Votear with property to be held after his death; or to be willed by her to whomsoever she chose, should she die first. 27th April 1720

7. a) Joseph Ridout of St Mary Magdalene Bermondsey, Surrey, surgeon and Theophilis Ridout of St Brides, London, surgeon
b) William Butterfield of St Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey, mariner
Marriage settlement of b) and and Mary Votear, widow of Charles Cornelius Votear, mariner.
Citing the entitlement of Mary Votear to two brick messuages or tenements and one timber warehouse on the north side of Mill Street, near St. Saviour’s Dock Head, parish of St Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey. 27th April 1720
Two copies; one discoloured

Probates, trusts and settlements
8. a) Philip Ridout of Famham, Dorset, Clerk
Declaration of trust regarding money left in the will of Philip Ridout, clerk, of Iweme Minster, Dorset, deceased. 28th May 1770

8. a) Richard Brickdale Ward of Bristol, gentleman; Jane his wife (nee Ridout); Mary Randolph Ridout of Hastings, Sussex, spinster; Susan Fortune Ridout of the same place, spinster; Charles Vie Ridout of Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury Square, Middlesex, gentleman and Thomas Ridout of the East India Company, First Battalion of the Third Regiment of Native Infantry, Bombay.
b) Richard Brickdale Ward and Charles Vie Ridout, trustees of the marriage settlement of John George de Michele of Famham, Surrey, surgeon and Elizabeth Ridout
c) John George de Michele and Elizabeth his wife
d) John Ridout of New Bridge Street, Blackfriars, London, surgeon. Release of trusts made under the marriage settlement of the late Charles Ridout and Miss Jane Smith. 20th October 1828

8. a) Reverend George Ridout of Newland, Gloucester
b) Reverend John Dowell Ridout, Fellow of Christ’s College, Cambridge
c) Reverend George Ridout the younger of Montague Street, Russell Square, London.
d) Eliza Holmes Ridout of Newland, Anne spinster
e) Mary Ridout of Newland, spinster
f) John Ridout of Montague Street, esquire and George Moxon, late of the City of London, hat manufacturer
Release from trusts and trust property by a) and his children to the trustees of Mr Ridout’s settlement; together with declaration of trust by a) and his children. 2nd June 1848
Citing the marriage settlement of George Ridout and Mary Ann Dowell, dated 27th April 1816.

8. Declaration of Thomas Gibbs Ridout of Toronto, Canada, in the matter of the administration of the estate of Elizabeth Scudamore of Dartmouth Devon, deceased. 24th August 1860

8. Probate of Miss Eliza Holmes Ridout of Newland, Gloucestershire. 27th November 1866

8. Probate of the Reverend George Ridout of Newland, Gloucestershire. 20th February 1871

8. a) Lionel Arthur Christopher Ridout of 72 Philbeach Gardens Earls Court, London, electrician
b) Beaujolois Theresa Constance Wodehouse of 5 Norman Road, Winchester.
Mortgage of assurance policies

Ridout v Ridout, Court Case
9. Documents relating to the 1912 court case Ridout 1885, 1912-1913 versus Ridout, concerning the estate of the late Reverend George Ridout. Other Material

Reverend George Ridout senior
10. Account of Thomas Ridout of his capture by the Shawanese Indians of the River Ohio, North America, and his life with them during spring and summer 1788. Dedicated to his nephew, George Ridout. 1818

Copy of 1811 original, completed by MA Ridout.

11. Ordination certificate of the Reverend George Ridout at Gloucester Cathedral. 2nd August 1812

11. Licence appointing the Reverend George Ridout to the Lectureship of the parish of Newland, Gloucestershire. 23rd October 1814

11. Appointment of the Rev. George Ridout to the Rectory of the parish church of Lamiatt, Somerset (2 copies) 11th February 1825

11. Account book, presumably of one of the sons of the Reverend George Ridout of Newland, Gloucestershire. Reverend George Ridout junior 1827-1833

12. Certificate of Rev George Ridout’s ordination as deacon. At the Chapel Royal, St James Westminster. 11th June 1843

12. Licence to the curacy of St George BIoomsbury 11th June 1843

12. Certificate of ordination as priest at St Paul’s Cathedral, London. 2nd June 1844

12. Certificate of conformity and assent to the Articles of the Church of England. 28th March 1849

12. Certificate of conformity to the liturgy of the Church of England. 28th March 1849.

12. Licence to the perpetual curacy of Ash, Kent. 28th March 1849

12. Certificate of assent and agreement to the Book of Common Prayer and conformity to the Church of England and Ireland. Taken at Ash and witnessed by Austen Gardener and John Thorp, churchwardens; John Godfrey, JP and JC Tyiden Patterson, clerk in orders. 6th May 1849

12. Ticket of admission of the Rev. George Ridout to the funeral of the Duke of Wellington, St Pauls Cathedral. 1852

12. Appointment to the Rectory at Sandhurst, Kent. 23rd July 1857

12. Deed of collation of the Rev. George Ridout to the Rectory of Sandhurst (predecessor Rev. Alfred Chamley). With covering letter. 23rd & 24th July 1857

12. Mandate for the induction of the Rev. George Ridout into the Rectory and Parish of Sandhurst with instructions re: induction. 24th July 1857

12. Acknowledgement by Thomas Paine of the right of the Rector of Sandhurst, Kent to right of way across his property 17th March 1811

12. Architect’s declaration re: repairs at Sandhurst Rectory, Kent 18th September 1857

12. List of repairs at Ash Parsonage. 24th September 1857

12. Certificate of Sanction to act as Chaplain in connection with the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Rigi-Sheideck and Murreu. 3 items Gaspard Ridout 1871; 1872

13. Miscellaneous papers relating to Gaspard Ridout (1898-1918), son of Arthur and Beaujolois Ridout, who was killed on the Western Front during the First World War. 1909-1920s. Includes:
1. Letters and postcard from, to his mother, while at Eton and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
2. Subjects include his accident and an air raid on Woolwich. 4 items 1909; 1st & 23rd October 1916; 7th September 1917
1. Death certificate 24th September 1918
2. Letters of administration 9th August 1918
3. B/w photographs and sketch of grave and memorial. 1920s

Miscellaneous

14. Letter and scribers to Silver Salver to mark Arthur Ridout’s testimonial at the Northumberland Lawn Tennis Association. 1885.

14. Letter from the Bank, Newcastle upon Tyne, to mark Arthur Ridout’s retirement. 24th September 1918

14. Bill to Henry Ridout for the preparation of a debenture by Messrs Smith and Son of Basinghall Street, London. 24th September 1806

14. Certificate of thanks and notification of discharge from the Special Constabulary for Lionel Ridout. 1926; 1941

14. School and examination result lists for Aysgarth School, Yorkshire, Sherbourne School, Dorset (Ridouts only) and unnamed school. 16th – 19th centuries 1879-1880; 1898-1901

14. Miscellaneous invitations and service cards. 1915-1947

Photographs

15. B/W photograph of an E. Fairfax Lucy January 1916

15. B/W photograph of an U Luftwell 1916

15. B/W photographs of Hugh ?Ridout. 2 items 1916; 1917

15. Two b/w photographs of Lionel Ridout. 1900s

15. Two b/w photographs of unnamed schoolboys at school sports day. 1900s

15. B/W photograph of Dudley Ridout. January 1923

15. B/W photographs of portrait of Elizabeth Frances Tumor (1783) 2 items

Research notes and pedigrees. 1920s
Dowell
16. General research notes for Dowell, including:
1. Dowells of Over, Cambridgeshire and Bristol 16th I9th centuries
2. Dowell pedigree 18th-19th century
3. Ward/Dowell pedigree 16th-19th century
4. Bakers of Kent and Dowells of Bristol 16th-18th centuries Dowells of Bristol -notes and pedigree. 16th-19th centuries

16. Dowell family births and deaths, as copied from the family prayer book.1718-1833

16. Note of Dowell births marriages and deaths. 18th – 19th centuries

16. Bristol Burgess Oath Certificate for John Dowell the younger, hatter. 26th July 1777

16. Excerpt from the will of James Dowell of Aston, Warwickshire. 1829

16. Copy marriage certificate of the Reverend George Ridout and Mary Anne Dowell, in the parish church of St Paul, Bristol. 30th April 1816

16. Appointment of the Rev. George Dowell as curate to the parish of Buloe, Cornwall. 18th January 1838

16. French passport issued to the Reverend George Dowell, Rector of Werrington, Devon. 26th April 26th April 1846

16. Papers regarding Major Richard Dowell: reports concerning his death in Geneva; burial register 1846. Extracts from the cemetery at Plain Palais, Geneva and various bills.

16. Mandate for the induction of the Reverend George Dowell, clerk, to the vicarage and parish of Llanigon, Brecknockshire (made vacant by the of death of Walter de Winton).7th April 1852

16. Accounts for the parish of Gladestry, Radnor. 1878-1880

16. Declaration of the Bishop of St Davids stating pension and vacancy of the benefice of Gladestry, Radnor, on the resignation of the Reverend George Dowell. 6th November 1880

16. Bill to the Reverend George Dowell from John Barker, relating to the arrangement of his resignation November 1880.

16. Bill from Clarke Woodcock and Ryland to the Rev. JD Ridout for arranging the certification of George Dowell as a lunatic. January 1882

16. Accounts for the estate of the Reverend George Dowell.1882-1884

16. Schedule of debts of (he late Reverend George Dowell.1882-1884

16. Telegram to the Reverend George Ridout of Sandhurst Rectory informing him of his uncle’s (Reverend George Dowell) death.25th December 1883

16. Death certificate for the Reverend George Dowell. 1st January 1884

16. Obituaries for the Reverend George Dowell. From The Knighton Gazette and Radnorshire Chronicle 8th January 1884

16. Accounts of the estate of the late John Dowell. July-November 1888

16. Dowell coat of arms (small print) nd

Other Names
Daniell
17. Pedigrees, coat of arms, research notes and newspaper cuttings re: Daniell of Cheshire.

Miscellaneous
18. Brief pedigrees and notes for the following names: 15th-19th centuries Britton; Courts; Dickinson; Fanshawe; Rambouillet; Scudamore; Whistler; Williams; Wren. With brief fragments on unidentified families and cutting from the London Gazette 29th November 1699. Also with signatures and coats of arms Fanshawe, Frewer, Hawke, Meade, Powell, Ridout and Robinson. 20th April 1816

General Correspondence
To the Reverend Stephen Dowell Brother of Mary Anne Ridout
19. From the Rev. George Ridout Re: request to officiate at his forthcoming wedding
with Mary Anne

19. From Anne Dowell his mother. Re: family affairs. (2 items) not dated, but written
just prior to her death in 1843

To Lieutenant William Dowell Assistant surveyor of the 26th Regiment Native Infantry, Rhutnaghurry, India.

19. From George Dowell, brother of Lt. Dowell, of 11 July 1829 The Frythe, Welwyn Herts. Re: family matters. (1 item) 24th January 1829; 27th February 1830

19. From Mary Anne Ridout, sister of Lt Dowell, of Newlands, Gloucestershire. Re: family matters. (2 items)

To Arthur George Ridout
20. From Eleanor L Black-Hawkins, writing from the Hotel Vanderbilt, South Kensington, London and the Malvem Hotel, Malvem Re: Jordan Wren, possible commander at Culloden (1697-1784) and the Ridout pedigree. With enclosures and letter from AG Ridout. 4 items 1st & 3rd October 1925; 27th July 1930

20. From Mary Burgess (later Hulbert) of Braclcnell, Berkshire. Re: general news and family history, including the family of John Ward of Hamilton, USA. 4 items 27th August; 5th September & 28th October 1891. One dated 10th October no year given.

20. From Mrs Prudence Ridout Dugan (Mrs C Nelson Dugan) of Annapolis, Maryland.
Re: her family history research. With excerpts from the family Bible. 3 items 17th & 24th September; 11th Decemeber1935

20. From ? A Hawkins (nee Young). Re: Henry Bellaiss, Canon of Worcester, and authors’ grandparents. Captain Cranstown Ridout and Miss Heath, daughter of Dr George Heath. 29th May 1936

20. From Charles F Hill of Kensington, London. Re: photograph of portrait of their shared great grandmother (missing) and general news. 8th June 1908

20. To unknown recipient (presumably Arthur Ridout) from R Hovinden of Croydon, Surrey
Re: the origin on the name Ridout. 29th April 1890

20. To unknown recipient (presumably Arthur Ridout) from Constance Knight (a cousin) of Upton Pyne Parsonage, Exeter. 3 items Re: his family history research. 18th 28th December 1926; 15th January 1927

20, From Frank Montiesor of Wimbledon, Surrey & Hampton, Middlesex. Re: Ridouts of Kent and research in general. Attachments missing 2 items 27th December 1919 & 15th December 1924

20. From Robert Rawley of Ashford, Middlesex. Re: offer of Ridout indenture from 1770. 2 items 20th December 1933; 9th January 1934

20. From GL Read of Brighton, Sussex. With replies. Re: family and history of John (b 1/10/1725) & Theophilis Ridout. With reply. 6 items 17th, 23rd, & 25th April; 17th, 27th, 30th & 31st May & 2nd June 1934

21. From General AK Ridout of Crabbet Park, Three Bridges, Sussex. Re: the Ridouts of Sussex and Rochester, Kent. Including grandfather. Rev. John Rideout of Woodmancote, Sussex; grandmother Anne Wood of Wenfield, Sussex. 5 items 25th April 1895 – 3rd February 1908

21. From AM Ridout of Sutton, Surrey (possibly Alice Maud Ridout, a cousin). Re: general and family news. 2 items 3rd January 1931 & 6th April 1934

21. From AW Ridout of NE County School Barnard Castle, Durham. Re: the Ridouts of Wiltshire and a John Christopher Ridout of Kent and Hampshire, d 1817. 2 items 2nd May 1891 & 4th February 1901

21. From Dudley Ridout of Singapore and Richmond, Surrey. Re: John Gibbs Ridout, member of the Society of Apothecaries 1815; details of his Canadian family; loss of the recipient’s son Gaspard in 1918 and general news. 6 items 21st October 1918; 31st December 1919; 21st January 1923; 1st January 1926; 2nd July 1931 & ; nd (?1931)

21. From DU Rideout of Southsea, Hampshire. Re: his family history. 13th May 1888

21. From Edith M Ridout of Philbeach Gardens, London SW. Re: her family history. 6 items 22nd November; 13th December 1904; 5th & 12th January; 6th February 1906; 31st October 1912

21. From Emily Ridout (his sister) of Cambridge. Re: general news. 5th January 1927

21. From Colonel Francis Goring Ridout of Southsea, Hampshire. Re: his own Ridout family in Sussex. 5 items 17th May – 15th July 1888; 10th December 1893; 16th & 30th November 1902

22. From George Ridout of Leeds. Re: the Ridouts of Bristol and Somerset (including Milton Clevedon). 13 items 26th July 1887 – 17th March 1891

22. From his father the Rev George Ridout jnr. of Sandhurst Rectory, Kent. Re: family history research (Ward and Dowell branches); general family matters. 7 items, one written on the back of a letter from recipient’s mother; another one incomplete. 4th August 1887; 11th & 16th April & 5th July 1888; 25th May 1896 (in pencil) & 14th November 1898 1 nd

22. From Isla Ridout of Montreal, Canada. Re: details of her own family, all in Canada. 2 items 1st August (no year); March 1907

22. From John Bertram Mais Ridout (a cousin) of Swanage, Dorset 3 items, including photograph. Re: his (largely unsuccessful) research into Ridouts in Dorset; Ridout Coat of Arms; portrait of Dr John Gibbs. 4 items 15th November 1912; 4th July 1924; 21st November 1928; 22nd September 1930

22. From Colonel Joseph Bramley Ridout of Chatham, Kent (cousin). Re: his own Ridout family in Canada and other matters. 19 items 15th April 1887 – 27th January 1900

22. To unknown recipient (presumably Arthur Ridout) from Colonel Julian Ridout (A cousin) of Kingston Hill, Surrey. Re: invitation to visit. nd – after 1925

22. From his brother, Leonard of Regent Street, London. Re: Family trusts and investments. 26th September 1900

22. From his son, Lionel of Yelverton, Norfolk. Re: research into Dorset registers. 7th November c. 1921

22. To unknown recipient (presumably Arthur Ridout) from his sister Mary Sophie Ridout. Re: general family news First page missing nd – 1900s

23. From Mary Joyce Sedgwick (nee Ward) of Skipton, Yorkshire. Re: the Ridouts of Sherbome, Dorset 2 items nd but added later in pencil 4th March & 1st June 1888

23. From his sister, Mabel K Smith of St Albans Vicarage, Bristol Re: general and family news. First page of second letter and last of third missing. 3 items. 1923; 27th November 1922 & 16th December

23. From Mrs Edwin Taylor of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. With reply. Re the descendants of Abraham, Nicodemus and John Gibbs Ridout. 4 items. 12th & 24th July; 12th September both 1934

23. From FR Ward (brother of MJ Sedgwick) of Hyde Park Street, London. Re: the Wards and Ridouts of Sherborne. 2nd March 1888

23. From Frances Ward (a cousin) of Diverill Re: general family history. 3 items. 10th July 1884; 14th September 1885 & 31st January 1888

23. From Susan Ward (a cousin) of Over Stowey, Somerset Re: her grandmother, Elizabeth Ward (nee Ridout) of Sherbome, Dorset (b 1740) and other family members 7th January 1915

23. From EN Wanklyn of Stanmore, Middlesex Re: Wanklyn family history. 24th June 1933

23. From Constance Welman of Rugby, Warwickshire. Re: Ridout seals and bookplate. 2 items. 2nd November & 29th December 1927

23. From Mary Witherby (a cousin) of Morella Road, London SW12 Re: their grandfather. Rev. George Ridout snr. 3rd January (year not given probably c 1914-1918)

23. From MA Witherby of St Paul’s Rectory, Old Charlton, London. Re: the Ridout families of Sherbome, Dorset and Canada 15th November 1897

23. From unknown cousin (signature undecipherable) of Frome, Somerset.Re: visit of Constance Knight 16th December 1926

To Beaujolois Ridout

24. From H ?Denisons of?Berkhamstead Hertfordshire. Re: general news, including correspondent’s health and 90th birthday. Date difficult to read – 14th February 1916 added in pencil

24. From Sybil Disraeli, daughter of Benjamin. Re: her recent marriage. 12th January 1888

24. From H Fanshawe of Earls Court, London. Re: the end of the War and the death of Gaspard Ridout 14th November 1918

24. From RAL Fanshawe (a cousin) of Famham, Surrey. Re: the death of Gaspard Ridout. 25th December 1918

24. From TI Gunn of the Harrow Association. Re: careers of S Ridout and I Bradley in the 18th & 19th centuries 4th December 1930.

24. From Mrs Walter E Houghton jnr., of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA- Re: the Ridouts of Annapolis, Maryland, USA 15th October 1934

24. From Edward Field Ridout of Abergavenny. Re: death of recipient’s son, Gaspard, killed in action on the Western Front. 15th April 1918

24. From John Bertram Mais Ridout of Swanage, Dorset Re: photograph (missing); Sherborne School registers and general news. 23rd December 1930

24. From Lilian H Ridout (her husband’s cousin) of Sutton Surrey. Re: the death of Beaujolois’s son, Gaspard, killed in action on the Western Front. 17th April 1918

24. From Hugh Ryder of Westminster, Middlesex. Re: Gaspard Ridout (a school friend) and general news. 2 items. 7th December 1921 & 4th February 1923

24. From George Sherwood, record searcher of the Strand, London. Re: searches for the names Fanshawe and Ridout in Chancery records (18th & 19th centuries). 6 items 12th July & 25th October 1922; 5th & 10th April 1924; 25th & 28th October 1932

24. From Mary Witherby of London SW18. Re: general news. 12th July 1917

24. From Guillamore (unidentified) re: her (the author’s) daughter Barbara and the progress of the War. 28th February 1918

To Arthur and Beaujolois Ridout
24. From Mary ?Coventry (grandmother of Beaujolois) Re: their marriage and the birth of their son Arthur. 3 items nd, but labelled later in pencil 1887 & 1888; 6th April 1888

24. From their son, Lionel of Shaftesbury Dorset and Sutton, Surrey. Re: family history research – into the Ridouts of Dorset, and general family news. 4 items 17th May; 3rd; 15th; 18th & 22nd June 1923

To Lionel Ridout
25. To unknown, presumably Lionel Ridout, from the Keeper of the Department of Oriental Antiquities and Ethnography, British Museum. Re: gift of a Native American woven belt. 4th July 1942

25. From Algernon Ridout of Quebec, Canada. Re: his father Joseph Bramley Ridout and the Canadian branch of the family. 21st April 1943/7 (?)

25. From his father, Arthur George Ridout Re: general matters and the progress of his research into the Ridout family. 6 items 16th February 1921; 15th March 1921; 19th & 28th May; 17th & 24th June 1923; 31st July (no year)

25. From his mother Beaujolois Ridout Re: advice on his research. 6 letters; 3 fragments 19th; 23rd & 26th May; 5th June; 1st July 1923 (1 nd)

25. From Edward Field Ridout of County Wicklow, Ireland. Re: problems with recipients business; the health of his father and general news. 15th October 1935

25. From Frederick Ridout of Liverpool. Re: origin of the name Ridout and information on Ridouts mentioned in Notes and Queries, 19th February 1898

25. From Mary F Ridout of Sutton, Surrey Re: family Bible (extracts missing) and general news, including bomb damage from air raids. 31st December 1940

25. From Muriel Ridout of Tytherington, Gloucestershire Re: the death other mother and other family news. 2nd June year not given

25. From Perceval F Ridout of Toronto Re: family matters 4 items. nd; 13th February 1944; 7th October & November 1945

25. From his aunt, Mabel Smith of Trumpington House Re: the Wanklyn branch of the Ridout family. 12th December 1941

25. From unknown author, possibly his uncle, the Rev Sidney Smith (husband of Mabel) at the Army &. Navy Club. Re: alterations to the house nd

25. From an unknown aunt or uncle (son or daughter of Rev George Ridout, jnr) Re: general matters 21st November 1944

25. From ? of Great Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire Re: plants.16th August 1916

25. From ? at the Park Plaza, Toronto and of Thornton Hall, Jersey Re: The death of the author’s father and other family matters.13th January 1945 & 28th December 1946

To Charles Ridout
26. From his brother Arthur George of Condercum Benwell, Northumberland. Re: finance, insurance and family history. 2 items, 10th March 1915; 22nd January 1916

To Eliza Holmes Ridout
26. From Matilda Ridout of Toronto, Canada Re: general family news. 22nd November 1869

To George Ridout, jnr (with one from)
26. From his brother and sister in law. Rev. John Dowell and Alicia Maria Ridout of Little Canfield Essex Re: the death of his son, John Herbert Ridout (1854-1881) and the estate of John Dowell. 6 items 15th January 1881-3rd February 1881; 11th February 1884

26. From his father. Rev. George Ridout snr. of Newland, Gloucestershire Re: the birth of his son, Arthur George and other family matters. 3 items. 30th August 1841; 18th & 23rd December 1852

26. From Joseph Bramley Ridout of ?Gillingham, Kent. (Copy letter) Re: Ridout relatives in Annapolis, Maryland, USA. 29th December 1901

26. From John Dowell Ridout of Little Canfield Rectory, Essex Re: the estate of the late John Dowell. 11th February 1884

26. From The Rev. A. Witherly of St Simons Vicarage, Bristol, Re: the death of his son. 9th February 1881

26. From Rev. George Ridout to Mr Hags. (copy) Re: investment in the Madras Stock Exchange and its transfer to a Miss Ward. 10th August 1885

26. From the Reverend George Ridout to unknown recipient Re: the will of his uncle (presumably
the Reverend George Dowell) and his legacies to the Ward family. 2 items. August 19th & 27th 1885

To the Reverend George Harold Ridout of Johannesburg, South Africa (nephew of George Ridout jnr)
26. From Mrs JB Grant Ridout re: the American branches of the Ridout family, in the USA and Canada. 17th October 1916

Letters to John Ridout
26. From George Ridout senior, his brother of Newland, Gloucestershire Re: the death of his wife Mary Anne. (2 items) 3rd October; October (no day given) 1832

26. From Anne Dowell (nee Wanklyn), mother of Mary Anne Ridout, of Bristol. Re: family and financial affairs. (2 items) 24th August 1837; 22nd April (no year)

To Joseph Bramley Ridout
26. From his brother, Thomas of Ottowa, Canada. Re: Family matters and history. Including the promotion of Joseph’s son Dudley. 28th March 1888

26. From one of his sisters (unidentified). Re: the Ridout family history and connections to Sherbome, Dorset. 28th March 1888

To Mary Ann Ridout (senior)
26. To Mary Anne Ridout (nee Dowell), wife of the Reverend George of Newland, Gloucestershire, from J.G. Ridout, presumably her father in law. (2 items) 22nd May 1818; 19th June 1818

To Mary Ann Ridout (junior)
26. From her brother, John Dowell Ridout of Sutton, Surrey. Re: their uncle, Richard Dowell. Unidentified Ridout

26. To Colonel Ridout from Sarah Beard (wife of Richard Ridout Beard) of Cheltenham, Gloucs. Re: family of Richard Ridout, Chaplain to the British Embassy at Brussels. 14th October 1927

To WL Donaldson
26. From Thomas Gibbs Ridout of Toronto, Canada. Re: dates of birth of his family in Canada, from 1791-1841. 16th June 1860

Letters from parishes in response to parish register search requests
27. Fordington St George, Dorset 27th September 1923
27. Framfield, Sussex 17th September; 8th & 22nd October 190
27. Westmeston, Hassocks, Sussex (2 items) 17th September 1902; 3rd October (no year)
27. Little Horsted, Uckfield, Sussex 16th September 1902
27. Iweme Minster, Dorset. (2 items) 5th February & 16th March 1921
27. St Amies, Lewes, Sussex 2nd October 1902
27. Jevington, Polegate, Sussex 24th September 1902
27. Loddon, Norwich, Norfolk. 18th February 1921
27. Mayfield, Sussex 10th June 1890
27. Middleton Hassocks, Sussex 3rd October ? 1902
27. Milbome Port, Sherbome, Dorset 14th December 1888
27. Mountfield, Sussex 29th June 1888
27. Patrixboume, Kent 13th May 1890
27. Ripe, Sussex 11th February 1908
27. Diocesan Registry, Salisbury 28th May 1923
27. Selmeston, Sussex 21st October 1902
27. St Pauls, Shadwell, Middlesex 31st August 1925
27. Eton School, Windsor, Berkshire 19th June 1930

Volumes
Estate accounts: journals etc
28. Exercise book of MA Ridout 1806
29. Holiday journal of George Ridout junior 18th – 23rd August 1841
30. Holiday journal of Arthur Ridout 1905; 1910
31. Account book for the executors of the will of the Reverend George Ridout, Rector of Sandhurst, Kent (d 1908) 1908-1909

Notebooks
32. Research into: Chancery Proceedings; Hearth Tax (Somerset) Marriage licences (Sarum); Musters (Somerset); Protestation Returns (Dorset) and miscellaneous wills. 16th–19th centuries
33. Ridout marriages: Sherborne Dorset and elsewhere in Somerset and Devon. 16th–19th centuries
34. Ridout parish register entries: for parishes in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire 16th–19th centuries
35. Notebook ‘A’ Parish registers and periodicals (3 vols stuck together) 18th–19th centuries
36. Notebook ‘B’: Notes from Wills. 16th–18th centuries
37. Notebooks ‘C’ & ‘D’(stuck together): Miscellaneous record office sources; wills; sessions cases; protestation returns & fines and recoveries 17th-18th centuries
38. Miscellaneous rough notes (10 vols stuck together)
39. As above: Somerset House wills, etc. (3 vols stuck together; 1 loose) 16th-18th centuries

George Biggs Orchard's first three wives were buried in a pyramid grave at Bath's Wesleyan Cemetery

George next married Anne Collins, on the 5th March 1829 at Walcot St Swithin’s church. She was a minor and married with the consent of her parents. Sadly, she died at the age of just 21 having been married a few days over nine months. I don’t think there was a child.

Thirdly, on the 27th August 1831, George married Elizabeth Roberts. George and Elizabeth had four children: Caroline Anne (bp. 10th April 1833 at St Michael’s, Bath), Benjamin Guinness (bn. 11th June 1834, at 18 Milsom Street, Bath), Frederick (bn. About 1836) and Elizabeth Jane (bn. 15th September 1837). Tragically, the children’s mother died seven days after her daughter’s birth. How George managed with a newborn baby and three small children one can only speculate but he didn’t re-marry for a few years. Probably, a sister or other female relative from the Orchard or Roberts families helped out. Benjamin and Elizabeth Jane were with their grandmother in April 1841 but they may have been living with her since their mother died.

Grúdlann Gheata Shan Séamuis - St James's Gate Brewery in Dublin

“Court of Probate (before Judge Warren). The Goods of Frederick Orchard – Dr. Darley moved that administration of the goods of Frederick Orchard, supposed to be deceased, be granted to the executor of the late George Biggs Orchard, the father of Frederick Orchard, who was born in 1836, left Liverpool, where his family resided, in 1858 for Melbourne, where he arrived in due course. He sent letters to members of his family till May, 1860. Since that time he had not been heard of. In 1867 his father, Mr George Biggs Orchard, made affadavits to ground an application to the court for administration of his son’s goods, as he should be presumed dead, not having been heard of for seven years previously. Before the matter was heard Mr Orchard died, and rights accruing to his executor, the application was made. Frederick Orchard was entitled to some house property in Stephens-green which had come to his father on marriage. The supposed deceased was unmarried. His last letter in May ’60, was dated from Victoria. Advertisements had been published in the Australian papers to get information of him, but nothing was heard of him. Judge Warren said he observed that Frederick Orchard in his last letter, wrote in desponding terms of his circumstances, and stated he was going to the gold fields. The terms of the letter were such as led him to believe that if the young man had lived he would have communicated with his family. The advertisements published were of a nature to induce him to come forward if he was alive, for they stated that he would hear of something to his advantage. He would grant the application.”

After chasing some red herrings around Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand, I concluded that poor Frederick probably did indeed perish in Australia; his disappearance must have caused so much distress to his family. Intriguingly though, this article refers to ‘property in St Stephens Green’, which is in Dublin, and the fact that the bequest had arisen as a consequence of George’s marriage. Putting two and two together, I wondered if Frederick’s inheritance had come through Jane Roberts, who was Irish; perhaps she was from Dublin.

Iveagh House, formerly 80 and 81 St Stephen's Green, Dublin

Arthur Guinness junior of Beaumont, Drumcondra, in Dublin was one of the twenty-one children of Arthur Guinness senior, the founder of the famous Guinness brewery. The eldest son of Arthur junior and Anne Lee, born in 1798, was Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness MP, 1st Baronet, owner of the brewery, Lord Mayor of Dublin and benefactor of St Patrick’s Cathedral. In 1865, he bought numbers 80 and 81 St. Stephens Green, and combined them into what is now Iveagh House, the Department of Foreign Affairs. One of these houses had perhaps been left to Frederick Orchard in 1867/8 but I cannot as yet find Benjamin Lee Guinness’ will to prove this one way or the other. So, it seems that Benjamin Guinness Orchard was named after his illustrious and very wealthy relative.

Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, 1st Baronet (1798–1868)

In November 1842, George and Harriet had their first child, Henry Langhorne Orchard, who was born in St Ives but baptised in Liverpool. Two more children followed: Ann Mary Garthside (born 4th May 1845) and Isabella Octavia (baptised 3rd November 1847). I have searched the 1851 UK censuses but can find no trace of George, Harriet or any of the children suggesting that they were all together, abroad perhaps. Gore’s Directory of Liverpool for 1853 records George as a commission merchant, living at 6 Prince’s Terrace, Oliver Street, Birkenhead with an office at 29 King Street, Liverpool.

St Andrew's church at Bebington, where George Biggs and Harriet Orchard are buried.

George Biggs and Harriet were married for twenty years until her death on Christmas Day in 1861. George followed her on the 12th December 1867 and the couple are buried together at St Andrew’s Church, Bebington in The Wirral, Cheshire. Of all his children, George’s son Benjamin was perhaps the most productive in terms of leaving a legacy behind, both with respect to the written word and to his many descendants, some of whom now live in the USA. To them and to you…. Sláinte!

“… she had been confined seven days previous, and until within two hours of her decease appeared to be rapidly recovering her usual health. It has been ascertained that death was occasioned by the rupture of a blood-vessel in the abdomen.”

The birth in question was that of a baby girl, Elizabeth Jane, who survived.

On the 7th June 1841, when the UK census was taken, Benjamin (6 years) and Elizabeth Jane (3 years) were in Camden at the home of 65 year old Jane Roberts, who I considered might be a relative of their late mother. I couldn’t find Benjamin, or any other member of his family, in 1851. Sadly, on the 1st June 1855, Benjamin’s older sister, Caroline Anne, was buried in Bebington, a small town south of Birkenhead. She was just a year older then Benjamin and I imagine that her death came as a bitter blow to him, severing a link with their late mother.

By 1861 the boy, now a man, was an accounts clerk, lodging at 23 Ashton Street in Liverpool. He was evidently a sporty type since in June 1862 the Liverpool Mercury reported that Benjamin had narrowly missed winning medals in two events (vaulting and Indian club exercises) at the First Grand Olympic Festival in Liverpool. The athletes performed in front of thousands of spectators in what was a forerunner of the National Olympian Games.

Benjamin’s main passion in life was writing and one way or the other wielding a pen became central to his work and leisure time. He was a member of the Liverpool Young Men’s Christian Association and the Myrtle Street Chapel Mutual Improvement Society. He wrote and, over the years, presented essays to these bodies, for example: ‘The Books I Love’, ‘On Thomas Carlyle and his writings’, ‘Effective speakers’ and ‘Volcanoes and earthquakes; their causes and effects’ (during which Benjamin “argued in favour of a system he propounded, quite in opposition to the opinion of both ancient and modern geologists.”)

These newspapers have provided much information

With his love of writing, it is no surprise that the essayist eventually evolved into the newspaper reporter. He worked on several local rags before launching his own, The Liverpool Critic. His love of the written word is clear as this article shows on the 3rd of November 1876:

“Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house. The plainest row of books is more significant of refinement than the most elaborately carved sideboard. Give us a home furnished with books rather than furniture. Both if you can; but books at any rate. To spend long days at a friend’s house, and hunger for something to read, while you are treading on costly carpets, and sitting on luxurious chairs; and sleeping upon down, is as if one were bribing your body for the sake of cheating your mind.”

Benjamin’s newspaper career was blighted by two legal cases. Firstly, in 1871, he was indicted for libel against a professional dance troupe. The celebrity trial was known as ‘The Colonna libel.’ An excerpt from The Era, 19 November:

“The libel complained of appeared in the Liverpool Leader of the 7th October last, when Madame Colonna and her Troupe were performing at the Theatre Royal. In the course of some very severe strictures made upon the doings of the troupe, it was stated that they were “without a shred of reputation” and “scandalously indecent,” and it was added that, “while the doors of the Theatre were closed at midnight, the green-room remained open until four o’clock in the morning, and the Colonna girls stayed there to drink and flirt with such young sparks as had unemptied purses.

Benjamin was forced to write an abject apology and the case was dropped. From all reports, the ladies and their routine were quite risqué! According to a Wikipedia article, the “Can-Can as presented at the Alhambra by the ‘Parisian Colonna’ troupe proved so sexually provocative that in October 1870 the Alhambra was deprived of its dancing license.” Perhaps Benjamin was right!

The second case, in September 1876, was that of a former colleague, William Anderson, who embezzled £25 from Benjamin. Anderson had been the proprietor of the Liverpool Leader when Benjamin was its editor. When the paper failed, Benjamin set up the Liverpool Critic and was sole proprietor. He paid Anderson to do some errands but, proving unsatisfactory, he later dismissed him. Anderson then claimed that he was joint owner of the Critic and carried on collecting subscriptions for the paper, keeping the money for himself. The case went to the sessions at which Anderson made a public retraction of his claim to proprietorship and the case was presumably abandoned.

For some reason, I was unable to find Benjamin and his family in the 1871 census and then was staggered to see that, in 1881, Benjamin was an inmate at HM Convict Prison, Chatham! More shocking still was his crime. The Liverpool Mercury, dated the 29th August 1879 reported:

The deadly poisonous chloroform

Benjamin had left a letter for his wife which was read to the jury but otherwise was unpublished:

“The judge had considered the contents to have been that the case was a very painful one. He would have to remand the prisoner. – In reply to the usual question as to whether he had anything to say, the prisoner, who seemed to speak with considerable pain, said – “My throat is very much burned. I want to say that I did what I thought was best for my people, and I am very sorry I failed.”

During the hearing, one of Benjamin’s older sons, George Henry (14 years) gave evidence which was summarised:

“… about noon on the 27th ult. he went out with his mother, and returned about half-past one o’clock in the afternoon. He found his brother Hugh in the house running about, but he soon began to stagger, and got on the sofa, where he went to sleep. He (witness) roused him, but could not keep him awake. Witness went upstairs with his mother, and there found his sister Mildred asleep in one of the beds. He then went up another flight of stairs, and found his father lying on the floor of one of the rooms in an unconscious condition. He at once went for Dr. Davies, who arrived in a short time.”

When cross questioned George said:

“…father was always kind and affectionate. A brother of witness’s, who was nearly sixteen years of age, died about two months before the occurrence in question. The prisoner was very much attached to the deceased, who was a very studious lad. He had been editor and proprietor of a newspaper, and worked very hard day and night. The accused appeared to be broken-hearted when witness’s brother died, and he used to sit by himself and smoke all night. He was not much of a smoker previously He was a very excitable man, but he always lived on the best of his terms with witness’s mother. On the morning of the occurrence, the prisoner was very moody, and his face looked sad. In reply to the learned judge, witness said his father had been collecting for a provident society up to a short time before the occurrence, but he had given up the book. He used to talk rationally, and had his meals with the family. On the morning of the poisoning, the prisoner was walking about the house, looking at the children. His (witness’s) mother told him that his father had had no sleep for several nights.”

The brother to whom George referred was Benjamin William Guinness Orchard (1864-1879), Benjamin and Maria’s oldest child. The Liverpool Mercury, dated 29th May 1879 reported his death as having occurred two days earlier, precisely three months before this sad event.

Dr Davies said that:

“…he was called to the prisoner’s house, where he found him lying on the floor of the top room, in an insensible state. The little girl was lying on the bed in the same room, in a similar condition. The bottle (produced) containing chloroform was shown to him, and seeing that the prisoner was very ill, he, with the assistance of Mrs. Orchard and a servant, got him on the bed. Witness then administered an emetic and sent for another medical man, who brought a galvanic battery with him, which they applied to the prisoner. He recovered after several hours, and then told him (witness) that he was sorry to see him, as he wanted to die. He added that he must not suppose that the attempt upon his life was a freak, but that it was premeditated, as he had too many children. When witness saw the prisoner the next morning he (Orchard) asked him if he had any children, and he answered “No.” The prisoner then said, “Then you know nothing about it.” The children revived without any emetic being administered to them, as they vomited, The two teaspoonfuls of chloroform given to the boy Hugh would have been sufficient to kill him if he had not vomited.”

Hugh Orchard (8 years) told the court:

“…he remembered his mother and his brother George going out on the 27th ultimo, leaving his father, sister, and himself in the house. Shortly before they returned, his father, who was walking about in one of the bedrooms with a small bottle in his hand, said to him, “Do you want a sweet drink?” He answered “Yes,” and his father then gave him two teaspoonfuls of the stuff from the bottle. He soon felt very ill, and his father lifted him up and laid him on the bed. After his father left the room he (witness) got up and became very ill, and lay down on the sofa. He remembered nothing more after that. He saw his sister Mildred go upstairs, but could not say where she went to.”

Benjamin, who was allowed to question the witnesses, said to Hugh: “Hughie, do you think I love you?” to which Hugh replied “Yes, father.”

Evidence was given by assistants in two chemist shops from whom Benjamin had purchased chloroform. In each case he had explained that it was for his wife as she had pain, either from acute earache or a back injury. The prisoner was committed for trial at the Liverpool Assizes and, on the 11th November 1879, Benjamin’s case went before Mr. Justice Stephen. Mr. Commins for the defence addressed the jury:

“He said that one question was – was the prisoner well in his mind when he administered the chloroform? and another was – did he intend to do harm to the boy? He reminded the jury that the prisoner was deeply attached to his children, and submitted that there was no reason whatever to show he contemplated taking the life of any of them. He urged that the prisoner was in a state of unsound mind at the time of his conduct – especially parting with the collecting-book by which he made his living – as proof that he was not in his right sense. Twenty years ago the prisoner fell from a horizontal bar at a gymnasium, and received a serious injury at the back of the head. He had since suffered more or less from mental aberration and pecuniary losses had increased his depression and melancholy, which at times were very great.”

A Liverpool gymnasium

“… in the year 1856 he was living at Rock Ferry. In that year witness was with the prisoner at Huguelin’s Gymnasium, in Lord-street, Liverpool, where he met with an accident. The prisoner was in the act of vaulting over a high horizontal bar, when the pole broke, and he fell with terrible violence upon his head. For some hours he was in an unconscious condition, but ultimately was brought round. The accident seemed to affect him and he frequently behaved in a very strange manner. Some two or three years ago, the prisoner was editor of the Liverpool Critic, and sustained a loss by the dishonesty of a clerk, in consequence of which the paper was given up. This appeared to affect his mind, and at times he was exceedingly strange and incoherent in manner, while on occasion he did not at once recognise witness when he paid him a visit.”

Dr. Andrew McLennan was next called:

“He said he had considerable experience in insanity, and had attended the prisoner professionally occasionally. He was a man of a very nervous and sensitive nature, but two or three years ago he had noticed signs of mental aberration. He was of eccentric manner and gloomy, and was fond of discussing dismal subjects, such as suicides. He was melancholy and had indications of suicidal and homicidal tendency so far back as 1875. He had a particular fondness for his eldest son, who died in the early part of the year. The death was a circumstance likely to cause a severe shock to his already very nervous system.”

Mr. Fred. I. Richardson, who had formerly been proprietor of the Liverpool Leader, stated:

“that he knew the prisoner for about twenty years. There were intervals when witness did not consider the prisoner in his right mind. Many articles that the prisoner wrote for the Leader witness never used, as he considered them nonsense.”

Mary Jane Hannah deposed that:

“for about ten years she was a servant with the prisoner. She was with him in May last when his eldest son died. After that occurrence he changed in every way. His looks were wild; he used to sit up all night, and smoked a great deal. On the morning he administered the poison he had been wandering about the house, apparently without any object, and he looked very wild.”

The jury found Benjamin guilty but with a recommendation for mercy. On the following day, his Lordship said that:

“a painful task devolved upon him. He had anxiously considered the sentence he ought to pass; and he thought it his duty, in the first place, to state that he entirely agreed with the verdict of the jury. It was obvious to everyone who had heard the case that the prisoner, for reasons of his own to which he (the judge) would not further refer was tired of life and wished to kill himself. And with a sort of inverted kind of cruel kindness – if he might use such a term – the prisoner determined to kill two of his children as well, and for the purpose administered poison to them. Now that the matter was over, he might say that there was a letter attached to the depositions which was not offered in evidence, and, therefore, could not affect the jury; but it could not leave a doubt upon the minds of those who read it that it was the deliberate intention of the prisoner to kill himself and the two children. Morally, there was no difference between the administering of poison with intent to kill and the administering of poison which ultimately happened to kill. If the prisoner’s case had stood thus, and with nothing more, he (the learned judge) should have felt it his duty to have sentenced the prisoner to penal servitude for life, or for a very long term of years. But the circumstances of the case were very peculiar. The prisoner had received a strong recommendation to mercy from the jury, and that would be attended to. The prisoner’s crime must be imputed not to ferocity of to cruelty, but to a weak, cowardly state of mind. He had allowed his mind to run all kinds of subjects which it would have been better to have avoided, and he had not the self-command to stand up to the ordinary difficulties of life. He (the judge) could quite understand that some of the difficulties to which the prisoner was exposed were of a painful nature, that they arose from no fault of his, and that a man under the influence of such circumstances might commit a crime. But he could not allow it to be said that anyone who attempted deliberately from any cause, or under any circumstances, to take the life of any person could get off without very severe punishment. He would take into consideration the fact that though the prisoner was fully responsible for his actions, and though he (the judge) thought the evidence that the prisoner was mad was very unsatisfactory, yet the circumstances went to the extent of proving that, though he was not mad, he was a weak-minded man. Under the circumstances, he thought he would be justified in inflicting upon the prisoner the smallest sentence of penal servitude he could inflict. His lordship then ordered the prisoner to be kept in penal servitude for five years.”

There were many articles in the days and weeks after the trial; appeals for financial assistance for Maria Theresa and legal discussions on what constituted insanity and whether Benjamin should have been imprisoned at all. Whether he served the whole of the five years I do not know but by 1891 he was at liberty and living with his eight children at 72 Bridge Street, Birkenhead. Sadly, Marie Theresa had died of a brain embolism on the 31st March 1891. For census purposes, Benjamin described his occupation intriguingly as ‘a patentee and inventor of a game, also author.’ I was lucky to find a record of his patent, number 9770, a game called ‘seven balls’ applied for on the 3rd of July 1890.

Benjamin and his wife are buried in Flaybrick Cemetery, Birkenhead.

In the next blog, to be posted shortly, I will back track to Benjamin’s father, George Biggs Orchard and tell you why, amongst other things, Benjamin’s middle name was Guinness!

St Thomas à Becket church, Widcombe, Bath

On the 9th April 1656, several tenants in Widcombe were questioned by officers from the Court of the Public Exchequer about the disposition of local lands, tithes and various other religious and parochial matters. Depositions were taken from both Thomas and his son Tobias. Thomas was recorded as ‘a husbandman, aged about eighty years or thereabouts’ (born ~1576). When asked if he knew the parish and for how long, Thomas deposed that he “doth knoweth the pish [parish] of Lyncombe & Witcombe and hath knowen it by the space of threescore Yeares” suggesting that he had moved into the village in about 1595 when he was twenty years old. Somerset parish records show that he had applied for permission to build a cottage in Widcombe in 1615, being then about forty years old with five children.

Thomas’s son Tobias, who also gave evidence, was said to be ‘a husbandman, aged forty-eight years or thereabouts’, which matches well to his baptismal date. Intriguingly, he showed something of his life when he said “that for five of six Yeares last past hee did sheare for the said Mr [Robert] Fisher fifty or three score Sheepe one Yeare with another whereof the said Mr Fisher did ordinarily buy neare one score about Trinitytide or Midsomer to fatt”. He added that Mr Fisher had also bought wool from him worth about £3 10s a year. When asked about certain religious matters, Tobias had said that before the new parish clerk Mr Long arrived in Bath, the parishioners of Widcombe had prayers read to them each Sunday and on two other weekdays besides. The Sacrament had been administered every Easter and they had enjoyed a sermon about once a quarter. Now they had no Sacrament and only sporadic Divine Service. His tone had suggested that Tobias was upset by these changes and clearly, from reading other depositions, the villagers had all felt somewhat abandoned. Catching such a personal glimpse of an ancestor’s thoughts in the mid seventeenth century is fortunate indeed.

So, Thomas Orchard, born in about 1576, was the father of Tobias, who was born in about 1607. Tobias had a son, also named Tobias, who was born in about 1644. The younger Tobias married Elizabeth and they had a son Thomas, who was baptised on Monday the 29th February 1672 in the church of St Thomas à Becket. Thomas married Elizabeth BRIGHT in Bath Abbey on Thursday the 16th February 1696; the couple had at least five children baptised in the Abbey, meaning that the family had moved from the village of Widcombe into the centre of town as this church serves only the small parish of St Peter and St Paul. One of Thomas and Elizabeth’s sons was Joseph, baptised in early March 1698/9, who became a peruke maker. He fathered William who continued the family hairdressing business in Abbey Green together with wife Eleanor and son Walter. Another of Thomas and Elizabeth’s sons was John, baptised in the Abbey on Sunday the 30th May 1706. John married Sarah ARCHER back in his home village of Widcombe and they had five children of which one (Charles) was my ancestor – William Orchard, the man who named himself William Archard and had descendants who stayed in Widcombe for at least three generations.

My great great grandmother Laura Ann Ridout (née Archard) 1827-1919

So, this is the family tree of Thomas Orchard of Widcombe. His descendents had diverse occupations including a solicitor, cabinet makers, upholsterers, auctioneers, coachmakers, hairdressers, pawnbrokers, tailors, outfitters and local councillors. Many of them were non-conformists, embracing Quaker, Baptist and Methodist beliefs. Of all these many people, I have the image of just one of them, my great great grandmother Laura Ann Archard, wife of Edwin Ridout.

William Archard signs his name

William and Elizabeth had at least nine children but, of these, I only know about my direct ancestor Charles (bp. 1790) and his brother Thomas (bp. 1786) in any detail. Thinking back to the last three blogs about Isaac and Abraham Orchard, their branch seemed to have had a family tradition of giving any boy called George a second name of no clear derivation e.g. not the mother’s or grandmother’s maiden names &c. In my family, this tradition appears to have been applied to boys called Thomas hence Charles’s older brother was baptised Thomas Wyate (or possibly ‘Wyatt’ since both forms have been recorded).

Charles and Thomas Wyate Archard: coachmakers

Charles Archard died on the 11th November 1839 aged forty-eight years and so, unfortunately for me, he was naturally missing from the first useful English census in 1841. He did not appear in the few available early trade directories either. Curious as to his occupation and the reason for his early death, I bought a copy of his death certificate which rewarded me with both facts: he had died of consumption (tuberculosis) and had been a coachmaker.

As a young chap, Charles had met a local lady with a wonderfully exotic name: Isabella STRANGE. They were married in the parish church of Lyncombe and Widcombe in October 1814 and baptised eight children there over a twenty year period; most of them survived to adulthood. Four sons, Charles, Thomas, Henry and William Strange (and some of their sons too) became coachmakers or coachsmiths. Incidentally, I discovered that the difference between a coachmaker (sometimes called a coachbuilder) and a coachsmith is that the former made the wooden parts, like the main frame and mouldings whilst the smith worked in metals, making the iron springs for example.

Reluctantly, I have to leave Charles’s story at this point as I know very little of interest about him. He and his wife flitted about the Widcombe area over the years, fetching up in some quite insalubrious addresses in Holloway or the Dolemeads. However, in 1852, Charles’s daughter Laura Ann married Edwin Ridout and my immediate family came into being, but going back to Thomas Wyate…

Thomas Wyate Archard: coachmaker and non-conformist

The Bath Corporation (property) deeds archived at Somerset Record Office have been indexed and details can be found on their website. On the 21st May 1823, two plots of land and a messuage in The Dolemeads were transferred from James and Stephen BIGGS, yeomen from Lyncombe & Widcombe and an upholsterer, Alexander PRICHARD of Bath, to Thomas Wyate Archard of Bath, coachmaker. In the Bath Directory of 1826, ‘Thos Orchard, coachmaker’ was listed at 20 Monmouth Place. This may well be the same man, despite the apparent surname ‘relapse’. Perhaps there was an Archard coach-building business at some point but so far I’ve found no evidence of this in the local newspapers or other records.

Again, from the Bath Corporation Deeds on the 2nd April 1830, there was an assignment for the remainder of an 81 year lease, subject to rent, of the York Street Chapel by Samuel Wearing of the parish of Walcot Somerset, grocer, to:
• James SALTER of the parish of Walcot Somerset, nurseryman
• James EDWARDS of Bath, pawnbroker
• Humphrey SAMUEL of the parish of Lyncombe and Widcombe Somerset, carpenter and builder
• Adam LEWIS of Bath, broker
• George EVILL of the parish of Bathwick Somerset, common brewer
• Thomas ARCHARD of Bath, coach builder
• Isaac AMOR of Bath, tailor
• Ebenezer SMITH of Bath, printer
• Henry GAUNTLETT of Bath, baker
• James PITT of Bath, cabinet maker
• Thomas PIKE of Bath, shoe maker
• Thomas BRIDGEMAN of Bath, tailor
• John THOMAS of Bath, cabinet maker
• Thomas LOVELL of Bath, carpenter
• George LOVELL of Bath, carpenter

York Street Chapel in 2012

Thomas had first married in 1809 to Sarah ALFORD who, in 1811, gave him possibly his only child, Thomas Dobney Archard. The boy’s birth, at his maternal grandparents’ home in Bruton, Somerset, was registered twenty-six years later at Dr William’s (Protestant non-conformist) Library in London. The father signed the register in July 1837 which, interestingly, was the very month when civil registration of births had been made compulsory in England and Wales. Thomas wrote that the child’s mother Sarah was ‘deceased’. I don’t know when she had died but in the 1841 census, Thomas was with a woman called Mary and they were both middle aged. Thomas’s occupation was entered as ‘retired pawnbroker’ and so he had evidently changed professions. The earliest relevant Bath directory listing I could find reflecting the change was in 1837: ‘Archard, Thomas, pawnbroker – 2 New Orchard Street.’

James Edwards, a pawnbroker, was another of the fifteen lessees in the 1830 deed. The Somerset directory of that year shows that his business was at 14 Ladymead (Walcot Street). The births of his four children were recorded at Somerset Street Baptist Chapel. Thomas Wyate’s son, Thomas Dobney Archard, married James’s daughter Emma in 1836. Perhaps this is when Thomas became a pawnbroker and maybe even when he embraced non-conformism. In the 1841 census, Thomas Dobney was a coachman in London but by 1851, he too was in Bath and working with his father as a pawnbroker’s assistant, at which point the business became ‘Archard & Son’.

Thomas Wyate’s wife Mary died at the age of sixty-eight in 1852 and then, rather surprisingly perhaps at the age of seventy-three, he married another of James Edward’s daughters, widow Eliza BLACKWELL, who was twenty-four years his junior. More bizarrely, had Thomas Dobney Archard’s wife Emma not also died in 1852, she would have become her older sister’s daughter-in-law!

To recap: Thomas Wyate Archard started off as a coachmaker but moved into pawnbroking in about 1836-7, perhaps having married into the business as a young man. He had three wives but apparently only one child, a son Thomas Dobney Archard, who followed him into the pawnbroking business. The Archard and Edwards families would appear to be protestant non-conformists.

Thomas Wyate Archard: the Victorian pawnbroker

'The Pawnbroker's Shop' by George Cruikshank

Thomas moved his establishment to 15 Bath Street in ~1848. This is a large building in a very prominent part of the city, perhaps surprising because some historians have suggested that such shops were poky little affairs secreted away in the back streets. Number 15, seen in the postcard below, was an exception.

According to Dickens, the public area of a pawnbroker’s shop consisted of a wooden counter with some partitioned booths or boxes, presumably to afford customers a degree of privacy, if desired. One can imagine that people who’d fallen on hard times must have found a visit to the pawnbrokers a very embarrassing process and so it is also possible that Archard’s had a back entrance to spare the blushes of these poor unfortunates.

James Greenwood, in his 1873 publication ‘In strange company’ described the non-public area of a London pawnshop: “In the warehouses on the floors above the shop there must have been thousands of bundles of all sorts and sizes, closely wedged into square wooden receptacles that covered the walls from floor to ceiling on every side, and in racks that extended across and across the rooms, with alleys no more than two feet wide between. Each bundle had its ticket hanging out, like a tale-telling tongue, revealing what was inside, together with particulars of the month and the day it was brought to pawn, who pawned it, and what was lent on it.”

A postcard of the mineral water fountain with Archard's shop in the background

The Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette occasionally advertised articles offered for sale by Archard’s shop, or there might be a public auction of unredeemed pledges. There are also reports of court cases when stolen goods were traced back to the pawn shop or thieves were caught with pawn tickets in their possession. From these newspaper articles it’s possible to gain an idea of what the Victorian Bathonian pawned, including telescopes, gold and silver watches, jewellery, blankets, quilts, bed and table linen, music cabinets, guns, phonographs, carriage clocks and musical instruments. A list of these and other Archard newspaper articles can be found on my Home Page, under the tab ‘Ancestors’

Thomas Wyate Archard: the Victorian local politician

Thomas was apparently a successful businessman and, on 4th February 1847, with 212 votes, he was elected as a local councillor for the ward of Lyncombe and Widcombe. He had taken part in council meetings before this time, the earliest report that I could find being in February 1841 when he spoke in favour of repealing the infamous Corn Laws. Rather usefully, the many newspaper reports of council proceedings give a flavour as to Thomas’s politics. For example, he was described as a Radical; he thought the Window Tax immoral, canvassed for affordable burials for the poor, was an abolitionist and believed in religious freedom. Interestingly, he helped to establish a public library in Bath which, until fairly recent times, was still in The Guildhall. The minutes of some council proceedings suggest that Thomas had quite a sharp wit which caused the members to laugh or applaud him on occasion. On the other hand, when Thomas Dobney also entered the political arena as a committee clerk, his father was accused of nepotism and the nature of their pawnbroking business unfortunately attracted criticism of their morals in some quarters! Nonetheless, Thomas had been elected an Alderman by 1862.

One rather touching, if slightly amusing, article briefly reported on 12th March 1868, that ‘Alderman Archard, whilst on his velocipede, rode on the wrong side of the road and was run down by a laundry van. He was seriously cut to the head and rendered unconscious for fifteen minutes.’ I love the thought that, at the age of eighty-two, this old ancestor of mine was still riding out on his bicycle, albeit on the wrong side of the road! Not long after this incident and after decades of council service, Thomas retired and died at home, aged eighty-seven in 1874. I have grown rather fond of this outspoken, witty, non-conformist, sprightly, liberal minded man who was evidently still good marriage material in his seventies! I think he may have been rather nice and, I like to imagine, nothing like Dickens’s portrayal of the mean spirited, grasping pawnbroker.

The demise of Archard’s the pawnbrokers

Thomas Dobney Archard followed in his father’s footsteps both as a pawnbroker and as a local councillor for Lyncombe and Widcombe. He was a Baptist and became very involved as an examiner for Bath Sunday Schools and was active in the Baptist Missionary Service. He married twice and had several children; his son Alfred continued the business after Thomas’s death in 1891 and expanded it to include tailoring, gentlemen’s outfitting and the sale of jewellery and children’s clothing. However, in 1905, Bath Street’s gigantic neighbour, the Grand Pump Room Hotel, proposed an extension to their premises that would swallow up many of the houses thereabouts, including number 15. Although the residents fought back, the plans went forward and by 1907 Archard’s was no more.

The Grand Pump Room Hotel

Thomas George Archard: to Australia!

Thomas George Archard, a son of Thomas Dobney Archard (1811-1891) and Emma Edwards (1814-1852), was born on the 12th January 1837 at 9 Sussex Street, Tottenham Court Road in London. However, the birth was recorded at the Somerset Street Baptist Chapel in Bath (Thomas’s ancestral home). Thomas was variously a civil engineer, surveyor and iron merchant. He became the manager of Hawke’s Bros, Hardware Company in Beaufort, Victoria, Australia in 1882, having emigrated in about 1862. Thomas married Margaret REID (from Scotland) on the 3rd June 1863 in Melbourne.

They had the following children:

• Thomas Alfred Archard (1866-1929). His son Lisle Archard was born in Ballarat. In WWI he enlisted, on the 12th July 1915, at Melbourne, Victoria and served at Suez, Belgium and France, returning to Australia on the 10th March 1919
• Charles Archard (1868-1950). Charles was born in 1868 in Collingwood, Victoria, Australia. He died in 1950 in Melbourne
• Frank Edward Archard (1870-1959). Frank was born in 1870 in Dunolly, Victoria, Australia. He died in 1959 in Kerang, Victoria, Australia
• Edwin James Archard (1872-1893). Edwin was born in 1872 in Dunolly. He died in 1893 in Victoria
• Elizabeth Stuart Archard (1879-1966). Elizabeth was born in 1879 in Tarnagulla, Victoria, Australia. She died in 1966 in Yarrawonga, Victoria, Australia
• Emma Harriet Schofield Archard (1881-1919). Emma was born in 1881 in Starvation Creek, Warburton, Victoria, Australia. She died in 1919 in East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Jessie Catherine Archard (1883- ). Jessie was born in 1883 in Beaufort, Victoria, Australia
• Hettie Sarah Archard (1886-1969). Hettie was born in 1886 in Beaufort. She died in 1969 in Prahran, Victoria, Australia.

Thomas George Archard died on the 5th February 1892 in Victoria, Australia. Administration was granted in London to John STONE and Benjamin Hicks WATTS solicitors the attorney of Margaret (widow) Effects: £625 5s 1d.

Thomas was my second cousin (four times removed). I imagine that he has living descendants in Victoria today. If any one of them reads this, I would really love to hear from you!

A fellow Genes Reunited user* has very kindly sent me some extraordinary research notes belonging to genealogist, Mr Frank Richards. Written in 1897 and first listing the details and dates of birth of Abraham and Martha (nee BISHOP) Orchard’s children, Mr Richards says:

“The children of the above named Martha and Abraham Orchard, being orphans early, were reared: the two boys by a relative, Mr Orchard of Bath, owner of a large furniture shop while the daughter of six years was cared for by her aunt Mary Bishop…”

So, it was Abraham Orchard the solicitor who died at the age of thirty-nine in 1793 and his wife Martha even younger at thirty-six in 1795. The ‘relative with a large furniture shop’ must surely have been Isaac, although Mr Richards doesn’t say that they were brothers but he doesn’t appear to know any details of Abraham’s lineage.

It had often niggled, that ‘Mr Orchard of 4 Chapel Court’ who advertised properties for sale and ‘A Orchard’, Secretary of the Sunday School Committee, both ‘disappeared’ from the local papers by January 1793. Again, the Bath Tontine tickets, usually sold by Mr Orchard of Chapel Court were, for the first time, sold by Mrs Orchard of Chapel Court on the 25th March 1793. It may seem obvious now that this was all one man but I was utterly misled by an article in the Law Journal (vol 5 1865) suggesting that Mr Abraham Orchard of Chapel Court, one of two executors for the late Rev Walter Chapman in 1791, had died in 1800!

The Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette (28th March 1793) reported Abraham’s death thus: “After a short illness, Mr A Orchard, school-master, a man of most excellent character, universally esteemed.” Abraham Orchard was buried on the 29th March at Bathampton. Why was he described as a schoolmaster instead of a solicitor? Perhaps he had given up one profession in favour of another call, remembering that in 1783, John Wesley had written to him in encouraging terms as though to someone who had recently embraced Methodism maybe. According to Mr Richards, Wesley had said that he knew Abraham as “one honest lawyer”.

An excellent book on the story of Methodism in Bath

Unfortunately, Mary became ill and left Bath for Keynsham where she established a school which Wesley himself visited. The two of them seemed to become good friends and many of his letters to her are recorded. Realising her undoubted potential, Wesley persuaded Mary to spread the word and she returned to the Avon Street Room, as the meeting place was known. By 1776, Mary’s health was still giving concern and by 1779 she was very unwell and not mentioned further in the book. She obviously rallied, however, because, on the 3rd August 1789, she married the widowed Thomas MILLS (his first wife Mary, neé HAINES, had died in 1781) whose daughter Selina would become Lydia Orchard’s companion. Frank Richards wrote “Lydia Orchard and Selina Mills (Macauley’s mother) lived together and Selina took Lydia with her to Mrs Hannah More’s school where afterwards Macauley himself received part of his education.” Hannah More was the stuff of legends and I couldn’t begin to do her justice here. The reader is directed to this article.

Mrs Hannah More by Henry William Pickersgill

Mrs More was acquainted with Zachary Macauley, once Governer of Sierra Leone and ardent abolitionist, who she introduced to Selina Mills. The couple married on the 26th August 1799. Their son, Thomas Babington Macaulay, historian, poet and politician, was the author of the five volume work commonly known as ‘The History of England’. See this article.

When he married Mary Bishop, Thomas Mills was fifty-four years old and a Quaker. The couple’s ‘mixed union’ caused his expulsion from the Society until Mary was accepted “when it was found that the lady was willing to conform to their usages”. Surprisingly, she was also allowed to continue her Methodist teaching. Mr Richards says that Thomas and Mary “remained Quakers to the day of their death” borne out by the fact that both were interred in Redcliff Pit, a Quaker burying ground, she on 16th March 1819 and he on the 7th April 1820. Both of them left generous bequests to Abraham’s children and Mary also gave a sizeable sum of money to her servant for looking after her so tenderly and affectionately throughout her many periods of illness.

Lastly, one line in Frank Richard’s notes caused me a particular flutter of excitement. He said “Lydia’s grandfather Orchard was a Quaker”. Never having been able to find baptisms for Isaac, Abraham or sisters Lydia or Mary, I had speculated that maybe they were children of a non-conformist. Albeit unsourced, I had a date of birth, not baptism, for Abraham on 18th October 1753. Quakers do not baptise their members they record their dates of birth in Meeting Books. So, although it was a wild guess that these children were born to Quakers Jacob the biscuit maker and his wife Mary, the anecdotal evidence is persuasive so I’ll leave them there, for now.

There seems very little to add to this story now and the jigsaw is at last completed, at least to my satisfaction, although if there is more then I will relay the facts at some point. Having explored the peruke makers, the cabinet maker and the solicitor, it is time for me to turn my attention to the third branch of this family – mine – so next will come carriage makers, pawnbrokers and a couple of local council bigwigs, people who re-branded themselves as ARCHARDs.

Revised Orchard family tree

*With grateful acknowledgement to VG for material and WA for persistence.

It was apparent that, from Isaac’s obituary in the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine, he was an upstanding member of the church and had served as district treasurer of their Missionary Society for many years. However, Isaac’s association with Methodism was far more interesting than that. The book ‘At Satan’s Throne: the story of Methodism in Bath over 250 years’ (Ed: Bruce Crofts. 1990) describes John Wesley’s connections with Bath and its inhabitants as the church was slowly established there. More than that, men and women who were friends with Wesley at this time were named: “As hosts, leaders or correspondents, his own records name them: John Giles, Joseph Symes, Abraham and Isaac Orchard, John Baker and Edward Hadden all met him in the intimacy of their own homes, or had close association with him.” Also “…Isaac Orchard is named for a second term in 1800 as Society Steward.” Incidentally, John Baker was Isaac’s brother-in-law, marrying Lydia ORCHARD in 1789.

To find that Isaac had been an intimate of John Wesley was exciting stuff indeed. I went to Bath Record Office to see if they had any material on Methodism and found to my delight that Bruce Crofts had deposited his research notes in their archives! For hours I pored through various collections and found several pieces of interest.

The Chapel at New King Street

Isaac was one of nine members forming an Acting Committee at New King Street in order to raise funds and build the new Chapel which still stands at London Street, Walcot. Every detail of the building’s development, particularly the accounts, from the chapel’s inception to attendance at the new Sunday school was recorded in a big brown ledger (now at Bath Record Office). From this, I could see that, for his part, Isaac was charged with the task of writing to a London architect and ordering up the survey and plans. He also paid £53 10s 6d subscription toward the cost of the building, the second largest donation in the record. It appears that Isaac was also responsible for checking the builder’s accounts and for raising funds from members towards the day to day running. He also provided some of the furniture (for which he was paid).

Isaac Orchard, the furniture supplier

So, Isaac was one of a small group of men that were the driving force behind bringing John Wesley’s teachings and philosophy to Bath, as well as being his personal acquaintance. His obituary, therefore, had been a little understated!

Incidentally, the Bath (Wesleyan) Society accounts of the 16th July 1793 records: “Stewards changed from J Symes, Ed Haddon, Fred Shum, Henry Newton to Henry Newton, William White, Henry Pedlar, Isaac Orchard. These were chosen by the committee.” This then was the first record of stewardship for Isaac, the second having been in 1800 as noted in ‘At Satan’s Throne’. A steward’s position was only held for one year it seems.

Regarding Abraham the solicitor, I have searched many records exhaustively (and exhaustedly!) but still failed to bury the poor man or even kill him off. Although the Law Journal Report of 1864 mentioned Abraham Orchard’s death in 1800, I have been unable to confirm this. Nor is the Methodist collection of papers tremendously forthcoming, even though I am led to believe that Abraham was a friend of Wesley.

The Bath Society accounts for 1st January 1793 record: “Resolved by stewards and leaders that henceforth Isaac Challenger shall be given the sum of six guineas per annum for services to New King Street Chapel. Signed John Giles, Joseph Symes and Abraham Orchard.” So it seems that like Isaac, Abraham was serving on at least one church committee but there it ends.

Interestingly, Abraham made a surprise appearance elsewhere. A chance sighting in the 1923 edition of ‘Notes and Queries’ led to a hunt for the will of a gentleman named Philip DITCHER, a surgeon who died in Bath in 1781. Although the content of the will was of no particular relevance, what had caught the attention were the signatories to the will: John JEFFERYS, John JEFFERYS Jun and Abraham ORCHARD, clerk to Mr JEFFERYS ‘S’ (?senior).

Signatories to the will of Philip DITCHER of Bath

Who were the John Jefferys? The older man was an attorney, born in ~1753, who became Town Clerk of Bath. He was a ‘lapsed’ Quaker whose very brief obituary was published in part two of the Gentleman’s Magazine and Historical Chronicle 1800. John Jefferys the younger appears to have also been a man of law and, when his father died, took up residence at the family home in the very prestigious Royal Crescent, at number 19.

An article in the Bath Chronicle said of the older man: “As one of the city’s leading citizens in the 18th century, town clerk John Jefferys was accused of exercising tyrannical powers over the Bath Corporation, which ran the city. But, according to letters which have surfaced at auction, it seems he was powerless to resist the charms of a pretty woman. Jefferys was reduced [in 1791] to offering an astonishing £40,000 bribe to Grace Norton in a desperate bid to persuade a woman to marry him.” Strangely enough, Miss Norton refused his offer.

This letter formed part of a large collection of documents pertaining to Jefferys which were sold at auction by Bonham’s in 2008. With the aid of a grant, the collection was purchased by none other than Bath Record Office! Unfortunately, a search of the now indexed contents has not revealed Abraham Orchard; hardly surprisingly since he was a lowly young clerk. I assume that Abraham worked for the older man, a position that was part of a career path towards being the solicitor that he would one day become and, like Jefferys, he would make a good living from selling property.

Walcot Methodist Chapel, 2009

Now I wait, with some anticipation, to see if a fellow genealogist in the US has managed to track down either of the Orchard men in a Dictionary of Biography of all those people who knew John or Charles Wesley. Fingers crossed!