Genealogy Chat

Hi everyone,

I've not use these message boards before so hope this is the right place to post my query...

I'm researching my Ridgewell ancestors (the spelling varies, sometimes listed as Ridgwell, Redgewell, or even Redgell!) and I've hit two stumbling blocks.

Firstly, I'm trying to find out about Hannah Ridgewell, b: Abt. 1868 in West Tilbury, Essex. She was the daughter of Charles Ridgewell and Mary Elizabeth Smith/Smyth. The family are known to have lived in both Purliegh, Essex and South Ockendon, Essex as her siblings were born there.

All I know about Hannah is that she appears on one census (1901) in Grays, Thurrock, Essex, and is listed as deaf. She's living with her brother James and his family but is recorded as "living on Parish". I haven't been able to find Hannah in any other census and it seems that this was the only period in which she lived with any of her family. Her parents both died in 1896 and I can find no record of Hannah's birth, marriage or death. I've tried looking in parish records for Tilbury and haven't been able to find her there either. It's as though she appears in 1901 and disappears again by the next census!

If anyone has Hannah in their tree or has any idea about how I can find out more about her, I'd be really interested to hear from you!

The other question I have is two generations back. Charles Ridgewell's father was Jeremiah Ridgewell (often listed as Redgell/Redgwell), and his daughter, Sarah. Sarah is never listed as living with the family and I can't find out what happened to her. I only know that she existed as Jeremiah's grandson James Murphy is listed as living with his grandparents on their farm in Messing, Essex. I've managed to find a Thomas Murphy who married a Sarah Redgwell in Whitechapel, London, in 1868. Sarah's father is listed as Jeremiah, and so I found a match.

what originally interested me in this family is that Sarah and Thomas' son James is listed as born in the Tower of London in Abt. 1868. On the wedding certificate, Thomas is listed as a soldier, so I'm presuming this is the reason that his son was born in the Tower.

However, I'm not sure how to find out any more about soldiers stationed at the Tower and I haven't been able to find out what happened to Thomas or Sarah and why their son James ended up living in Essex with his grandfather, Jeremiah, who was a Farm Bailiff .

If anyone can help, please let me know! Thanks!

looks like her birth


Births Dec 1869
Ridgewell Hannah Halstead 4a 351


Tilbury juxta Clare comes under Halstead reg district

Name: James Redgewell
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1876
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Charles Redgewell
Mother's Name: Mary E. Redgewell
Gender: Male
Where born: Purleigh, Essex, England
Civil parish: South Ockendon
County/Island: Essex
Country: England
Street Address: James Row
Education:

Employment status:

View image
Occupation: Scholar
Registration district: Orsett
Sub-registration district: Grays
ED, institution, or vessel: 6
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 1752
Folio: 68
Page Number: 7
Household Members:
Name Age
Charles Redgewell 35
Mary E. Redgewell 21
James Redgewell 5
Ellen Redgewell 2

Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 1752; Folio: 68; Page: 7; GSU roll: 1341422.


maybe being deaf Hannah was in a deaf school . Many of those only listed the children by their initials

Thanks for that suggestion - I hadn't thought of deaf schools. Actually, Any idea how I would go about finding out about deaf schools and if Hannah attended one?

so she was no longer with bros James in 1911
Name: James Ridgewell
Age in 1911: 38
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1873
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Purleigh, Essex
Civil parish: Grays Thurrock
County/Island: Essex
Country: England
Street Address: No 8 Wood Street, Grays, Essex
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: General Labourer
Registration district: Orsett
Registration District Number: 192
Sub-registration district: Grays
ED, institution, or vessel: 18
Household schedule number: 159
Piece: 9969
Household Members:
Name Age
James Ridgewell 38
Alice Ridgewell 35
Percy James Ridgewell 13
Ernest Ridgewell 11
Voilet Alice Ridgewell 9
Blanche Elizabeth Ridgewell 7
Ellen Mary Ridgewell 5
Harold Cecil Ridgewell 2
Source Citation: Class: RG14; Piece: 9969; Schedule Number: 159; .

Exactly, she vanishes again after 1901. As far as I can tell, she never married and I can't find out when she died.

wonder about this one age is out tho
Deaths Dec 1915
Ridgwell Hannah 57 Chelmsford 4a 710

I'm having trouble finding that entry.

You might wish to consider that when it shows 'Purleigh' in Essex it might be Purfleet - which is near to Grays and would come under Orsett Registration whereas Purleigh is closer to Maldon.

Just a thought that it might be worth considering when searching

(think 1915 might be the below)

1911
RIDGWELL, Joseph Head Widower M 84 1827 Private Means Essex Little Waltham
RIDGWELL, Hannah Daughter Single F 53 1858 Essex Chelmsford
RG number: RG14
Piece: 10049
Reference: RG14PN10049 RG78PN529 RD194 SD2 ED4 SN210
Registration District: Chelmsford
Sub District: Chelmsford
Enumeration District: 4
Parish: Chelmsford
Address: 6 Glebe Road Chelmsford
County: Essex


Burial

Forenames:HANNAH
Surname:RIDGWELL
MI Ref:241
Year text:1915
Year:1915
Comments:
Location:Chelmsford
Church:Rectory Lane Cemetery
Denomination:Cemetery
County:Essex
Record source:Essex Memorial Inscriptions

Chris :)

Thanks for the info, though I'm not sure if this is the same Hannah. Her father's name should be Charles Ridgwell. I've not come across a Joseph Ridgewell in this family.

Surely Mary E wasn't old enough to have a child in 1868/9?? Or is her age wrong in 1881?

REDGEWELL, Charles Head Married M 35 1846 Ag Lab
Latchingdon, Essex
REDGEWELL, Mary E Wife Married F 21 1860
Faubridge, Essex
REDGEWELL, James Son Single M 5 1876 Scholar
Purleigh, Essex
REDGEWELL, Ellen Daughter Single F 2 1879
South Ockendon, Essex

Piece: 1752 Folio: 68 Page: 7 Registration District: Orsett Civil Parish: South Ockendon Municipal Borough: Address: James Row, South Ockendon County: Essex

I have had a lot of trouble with this line and the names and dates varying. I have Mary Elizabeth's birth date as 22 Jan 1854.