RIDGWAY - Lookup request marriage, death, anything!

[tristiw]

OK....so I spent hours yesterday on a commercial ancestry site trawling through images of BDM's.

I didn't find a death of an Oliver Ridgway that fitted all the info, but I found:
Oliver T Ridgway 79, died Q2 1965, Northampton, 3a 599
I'm still going to look for his death in Australia

I did find a death of an Ellen Ridgway that fitted all the info, in fact two, but Ellen was a very common name and I'm not sure what to do about that.

I didn't find a death of an Evelyn Ridgway that fitted all the info (at all really), but I did find a marriage that matched the info exactly:
Evelyn Ridgway married Q2, 1936; Hendon; groom's name: ****** 3a 1581
cross-referencing same marriage:  Harry J ***** bride's name: Ridgway

Then I found possible children (no other ******'s with maiden name Ridgway):
H***** C born Q 4, 1937 Hammersmith vol 1a 242
T**** L born Q 2, 1944 Hendon 3a 900

What is so exciting to me is that one of the children's names is exactly the same as adopted name of the child Evelyn left in Australia.

What do you think I should do?  If anyone can help me either confirm or eliminate this marriage I would be most grateful. 

Modification (*****  I have deleted the surname of the groom and children in order to protect the privacy of the living relatives I am trying to find and also because I am now aware that RootsChat has a policy of not posting living people's details - please pm me if you would like details)

Cheers, Tristi

[tropicalj]

You may  allready  have  this  information  but  thought  I  would  give  it to  you  so  it will  rule  out Oliver T Ridway

He  Oliver T ridgway  is  listed on  the 1901  census as being born  in  Northants, North Hamphton.  He  is  listed with  his  mother Sarah Ann Ridgway  born Northampton a retired fishmonger  and his  sister lucy  born 1876 in Northampshire.  interesting names!!!


regards JEnn

[tristiw]

Jenn, thanks for that!!!

I spent all of today calculating age at death and comparing it against Oliver's details and then cross-referencing with census records.  Either I missed that one or I've mixed up my papers and posted the wrong 'most likely' Oliver.  Thanks for covering my back

I will go back and double check.  I'm also going to trawl through the records again to check RIDGEWAY (where's the yawn emoticon?)  There goes a few more hours...

I am also going to check Tasma & Heather's possible marriages, births and deaths while I'm at it.  Based on how long it took me to get this far, I don't think I'll be finished until Tuesday.

Who thinks it's looking more and more likely that Oliver ended up in Australia?  He's not in VIC or NSW.  I think I'll drive down the the FHC this weekend and see if I can search the death indexes for the other states.

Cheers, Tristi 

[tristiw]

After a weekend searching the Bairnsdale Family History Group resources, I was able to eliminate VIC, NSW & SA as locations for Oliver Ridgway's death.  (And possibly England)

I will look at microfiche records to eliminate WA & QLD when i get the time. 

Unfortunately, I will be unable to eliminate NT or TAS, as I've been told that these records don't exist for 1932 - 1970.  (Please correct me if I've been told the wrong thing)

Surely Oliver Ridgway didn't disappear into thin air?

I may have found Evelyn though...hopefully

[Mumsie2131]

My maternal grandmother was a Ridgway born in Cheshire BUT every time I see this post I look at it.  Useless information but I am interested in the story.

[tristiw]

OK...so I think I found Evelyn's family (look on the blog -link below- for details).

Evelyn's family seems to be interested in their family history, as they know very little about it.  (One member could not remember Evelyn's father or mother's name).

I have promised I would keep researching the family tree and send it to them.  I intend to do this using that commercial trial subscription.  I already have an ancestral chart up to Evelyn's ggrandparents on the Ridgway side (thanks to you generous people) - now I need to find the Thornes and Rossiters and fill in the gaps.  If you feel like helping...I'm going to keep posting everything I know in this thread.  But not tonight...too tired.  See you tomorrow. 

[tristiw]

After another phone call, I have established that the person on the other end is indeed my great aunt (however she doesn't know it yet - I am going to tell her in a letter, as explained in my blog).

I'm really excited about this, and I'm looking forward to completing as much of my family tree before the subscription runs out on Tuesday.  I'll then send it in the letter to my great aunt after that. 

Tomorrow I will post everything I find, and if you can help me....I would really appreciate it.   I'm still a beginner at this

cheers, Tristi

[deb usa]

Hi Tristi 

I have been keeping up with your blog ... it is wonderful .... I almost cried at your last entry ... I am sure this was all meant to be , although I know you must be feeling anxious. We are all hoping that this turns out to be a new and exciting beginning for both sides of the family!

If you need any help ... we are here . Just post the details and we will start searching.

deb 

[tristiw]

Ok, so here's the direct line ancestors for Evelyn Ridgway, as far as her great grandparents (my gggggrandparents).  I'm quite proud of how far we've come...me as a beginner with all your wonderful help. 

Evelyn Ridgway b 15/12/1910 Taunton Somerset

her parents:

Oliver Ridgway b 1885 Launceston Tasmania m 18/12/1907 West Monkton (have marriage cert), Somerset d 1966 NZ profession:  carpenter, gardener
Ellen Parsons b1881 Taunton Somerset d ? Profession:  Seamstress

Oliver's parents, Evelyn's paternal grandparents:
William Ridgway b1863 Bridgwater Somerset m 1883 Taunton Somerset d 1895 Carlton Victoria (32 years) Profession: carpenter [have death certificate]
Sarah Rossiter b1865 Taunton Somerset d? Profession: Field worker

Ellen's parents, Evelyn's maternal grandparents:
George Parsons b1843 Taunton Somerset m1865 Taunton Somerset d??? still alive in 1907 for Ellen's marriage Profession: House Painter
Flora Hurford b1845 Taunton Somerset d??? Profession:  Dressmaker
Family had the West Monkton Post office and grocers on Taunton Rd in 1891 and 1901 census

William's parents, Oliver's paternal grandparents, Evelyn's ggrandparents:
Samuel Ridway b abt1835 Burliscombe Devon m1861 Bridgwater Somerset d1901 Taunton, Somerset (death cert ordered) Profession: market gardener
Jane Thorne b abt1825 Aisholt Somerset d1897 Taunton Somerset (death cert ordered)

Sarah's parents, Oliver's maternal grandparents, Evelyn's ggrandparents:
George Rossiter b abt1823 Isle Abotts, Somerset m 1839 d 1891 Taunton, Somerset (death cert ordered) Profession: Farm Labourer
Mary Parker b abt1836 Staple Fitzpaire, Somerset d???

George Parson's parents, Ellen's paternal grandparents, Evelyn's ggrandparents:
Abraham Parsons b abt 1806 Kingston, Somerset m??? d 1877 Profession: Labourer
Charlotte Crocker b abt 1801 Taunton Somerset d 1884
Still to confirm connection therefore haven't ordered any certs. 

Flora's parents, Ellen's maternal grandparents, Evelyn's ggrandparents:
James Batten (possibly step father as born out of wedlock) b abt1826 m 1851 d Labourer
Mary Ann Hurford b abt 1826 d???

Flora's maternal grandparents, Ellen's ggrandparents, Evelyn's ggggrandparents:
Richard Hurford b abt 1789 m??? d1862
Ann b abt1791 d???

George's and Flora's parents and grandparents are a little shaky in confirming the relationships (so many kids in the census with few certs) - whether James is really Flora's father is yet to be determined. 

And now I've reached the limits of what I can do...I'm stuck.

I'd really like to know what happened to Sarah Ridgway (Rossiter) and Ellen Ridgway (Parsons).  I think Sarah may have either died in Australia or remarried.  There is some talk of Ellen ending up in a mental institution, as her husband remarried.

Also, finding the deaths of George, Flora & Mary Ann Hurford; Mary Parker and Sarah Ridgway (Rossiter) would be good to help connect to the previous generation and to see if Alzheimer's is a factor.

If you can offer any suggestions on where to go next would be much appreciated.  Cheers, Tristi