It’s been a very, very long time since I published anything on this blog; I’ve not lost interest though – far from it. After many years of research I’m happy to announce that there is now a second book. The first volume, ‘The Ridouts of Sherborne’ traced the family from William Rydowte of Hyle (~1554-1621) to my x3 great grandfather John (1785-1855).
‘The Ridouts of Bath’ follows John as he moved, in 1807, from the rural Dorset town of Sherborne to the bustling Roman city of Bath where he married, had children and started a cabinet-making business. Sadly, over time, John lost two wives and several children, but others survived and his dynasty grew. My branch of the Ridouts are traced through to the 1950s. Latterly, cold genealogical data are embellished with photographs, anecdotes and personal memories. Of the related families, some are traced & described: the SOMERTONs were a well known family from Bristol, three generations of which had printed, published and written for newspapers of the day, most notably the Bristol Mercury.
In 16th century Widcombe, just south of the city, lived farmers Tobias and Thomas ORCHARD; their descendants eventually moved into the city centre: Joseph had a shop in the Abbey Green where he made very fashionable perukes (wigs), three of which were immortalised by the poet Christopher Anstey. Jacob Orchard, a Quaker, was a biscuit maker; his sons Abraham & Isaac Orchard were friends of John Wesley and helped the minister to bring Methodism to Bath. With the passage of time, the Orchards became ARCHARDs, one of whom, Thomas, a x3 great uncle of mine, owned a pawnbroker’s shop situated in a prominent position at 15 Bath Street; Thomas and his son were also local politicians. One branch of the Orchards married into the famous Irish Guinness family.
Other related names include BEATON and OLLIS, families who lived, worked and died in Walcot, an historically fascinating thoroughfare. It was Walcot Street in which my grandparents, Elsie Beaton and Reginald Ridout, lived with their respective parents, met and married in 1915. The family mostly survived through two world wars, during which time my grandfather moved to Kingsmead Street (and later Square) where he started a fish and chip business and where new generations were born.
These books are available from Amazon UK
The Ridouts of Sherborne and Bath 
Good to know about your books. I wouldn’t mind getting a copy of The Ridouts of Bath. I lived in and near Bath from 2007-2022. I remember you were very helpful the history of Seafoods Fish and Chips which I needed for their website. I now live in New Zealand so ordering the book using lulu.com won’t work.
Hi Karen, congratulations on the new book. I wouldn’t mind getting a copy of the Ridouts of Bath, but since I now live in New Zealand I cannot order it through lulu.com. I lived in and near Bath 2007-2022. I remember you helped me get the history of the Seafoods Restaurant which I needed for their website.
Hi Liz… nice to hear from you! Can you tell me why you aren’t able to buy a copy? I’ve sold books to Australia just recently… what is it that prevents a sale? I can approach Lulu and ask them. I’m sure that there must be a way… fingers crossed 🤞
Cheers, Karen
Further to my last… I think the Global Distribution has not yet kicked in so I can only sell via Lulu.com and their distribution is not worldwide. When they approve a copy with an ISBN I think it can be sold by other distributors like Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I will keep in touch and let you know… sorry for the bother!
Congratulations, Karen. I don’t know whether we are any closer to finding a link with out two families but I have added your email address to My Heritage site which is active again after being lost of a computer breakdown in case you can see any links in the earlier period. All good wishes, Nigel Rideout.
Hi Nigel. How nice to hear from you; thanks for the comment and for adding me to your contacts. Always interested in finding family links 🙂
I hope you may be able to help me with a Rideout/Ridout query. I am about to publish a 3-volume collection of the letters of the multi-faceted British artist, theatre designer, book designer, etc, and I have very recently come across an (undated) letter he wrote to S.W. Rideout, probably in 1930 or 1931. It relates to a request for Ricketts to sign a copy of George Bernard Shaw’s play Saint Joan, in the special edition with Ricketts’s stage designs. It now forms part of Bristol University’s Theatre Collection.
I am trying to identify this Rideout, and wonder whether he might actually be the Sydney William Ridout listed in the 1891 and 1901 census, living at Green Park House, Combe Down, identified as being a Wood Turner. It would sound to me as if the recipient of the letter was maybe a book collector, but there is no reason why a skilled craftsman like a wood turner would not fit the bill.
I should be grateful for any information relating to the possible identify of S.W. Rideout (or Ridout) to flesh out what I know about him (which at the moment is nothing!). Many thanks
John Aplin (johnjamesaplin@gmail.com
Hi John. I’m afraid I’m going to be of little help with your quest. As you have theorised, the fact that S W R was a wood turner doesn’t preclude him from being interested in books, poetry etc. The family lived in Combe Down village (a mile or so from Bath); their house is modest in size but very pleasant to look at; village life probably revolved around the church then, which it may well do still.. The area certainly doesn’t look much different. I’m sorry that I can’t help you, but I agree that there is no reason why the man might not have been interested in written works. If I come across anything that might shine a light on this branch I will post it here.
Kind Regards, Karen Francis.
hi, my.name is art veryard and I live in Ontario, Canada
My great grandmother is Ellen veryard(nee Ridout) born in Alford Somerset, uk in 1854. She was the daughter of Matthew. I would like to see if there is a connection here. As well I am trying to find a connection, if any, to Thomas Ridout b-1754 at Shetborne Dorset
thanks
Hi… I’ll have a poke through my records and check. My first instincts are that the Alford Ridout’s aren’t connected with my line but it’s been a while since I did any research so I’ll check.
Hi… checked the text in my entire blog and my PDf file of my books… only a single hit on ‘ALFORD’ and that was in respect of a name of a woman unrelated. Sorry, but I don’t think you’re likely to be related to those people in my extended family… unless you can find different evidence of course. Regards, Karen
Hi Again,
Are you on Ancestry? The information I have found(it is not proven and I do not know how reliable) takes me back to Sherbourne, Dorset, England to a James Ridout(b-June 15, 1724) then John in 1706(Wimbourne, Dorset). Again, I have no idea how accurate this is. It is surpising many Ridout’s are in Canada.
Anyway, I thought I would share what I wonder in terms of my family. Again, this is all new to me and I appreciate your effort.
Art
That would be great. It is difficult and a bit expensive to do it from this distance. Are you connected to Thomas Ridout, the Surveyor General in Canada in the 1800’s? I thought I read that somewhere on here.
Thanks. I do appreciate the effort.
Art Veryard