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| Clock in the Square at Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire |
The 1851
census shows widowed William Tidridge senior living at Gosport Road, Bishop’s
Waltham with sons William aged 41, a tailor and Charles aged 39, a groom. Fanny aged 43 was housekeeper to her Uncle
William Pargent and they were living in the High Street, Bishops Waltham, while Henry, a
carpenter/cabinet maker was living in the High street 4 doors away with his wife
and 6 children.
The
1871 census shows William Tidridge residing at The Black Dog, Shedfield with
niece Mary Tidridge his housekeeper.
The four
Tidridge siblings died within 11 years of each other Charles aged 50 in 1862 in
Bishop’s Waltham, Fanny aged 50 in 1866 in South Stoneham registration district,
Henry aged 53 in 1868 in Droxford registration district and William aged 64 in
1873 in Isle of Wight.
Many
years ago when searching probate records I came across the following two relevant
records.
Probate
September 1873
William
Tidridge 30th September 1873:Administration of the effects of William Tidridge late of Bishop’s Waltham in the county of Southampton tailor a bachelor who died 25th August 1873 at Newport Isle of Wight in the said county was granted at Winchester to Mary Tidridge of Bishop’s Waltham spinster the niece and one of the next of kin. Effects under £300.
Probate
January 1874
Tidridge
Charles 22nd January 1874 Administration of the effects of Charles Tidridge late of Bishop’s Waltham of the county of Southampton labourer a bachelor who died 26 April 1862 at Bishops Waltham left unadministered by William Tidridge brother and one of the next of kin was granted at Winchester to Mary Tidridge of Bishops Waltham spinster the administratrix of the effects of the said William Tidridge former grant at Winchester May 1862
When I
found these records the two questions I asked was “Why was William in the Isle
of Wight when he lived in Bishops Waltham” and “Why did William not do anything
with the estate of his late brother?”
Recently
I found this article below, it is the story of the death of William Tidridge taken
from the local paper, the story may start to give some answers to the two questions
above.
Hampshire Advertiser
30 August 1873 Heading Isle of Wight Coroner’s Inquest
Mr E. F.
Blake, deputy coroner, held an inquest at The Shoulder of Mutton public house,
near Pan Bridge, on Thursday, on view of the body of William Tidridge, aged
64. Deceased was a stranger here, and
there were evidence which went to show that he wandered to the Island for the
purpose of committing suicide.
Mary
Tidridge, a young woman of good address, who kept house for deceased, a bachelor,
at Bishop’s Waltham, on the other side of the Solent, deposed, - deceased was my uncle. I last saw him alive
on Monday about 5 o’clock in the morning from my room window. It was his usual
time to be out. Lately on two or three
occasions he has told me that he should go away, and not tell me where he had
gone. I asked why, and he told me he
thought we were getting tired of him. He
was at home on Sunday last, and conversed rationally, but in the evening I
notice a strangeness in his looks. I
have lived with him 14 years. Not long
since we came from a short distance to reside at Bishop’s Waltham. During the last three years he was less kind
to me than before, and he was rather strange in his manner. On Monday week, as I was coming downstairs,
he attempted to put his hand up to my throat, but I turned his hand aside, and
questioned as to why he did so. He
replied that he wanted to stop me. He
had no pecuniary difficulty to trouble him, and was not entirely dependent on
his labours as a tailor for sustenance. The
paper I now produce is in deceased’s handwriting. It sets forth his consent that £200 out on
mortgage at Subberton shall be surrendered to me, as he should not return home,
but it is neither dated nor witnessed so as to constitute a will. He had been a teetotaller 18 or 20 years, and
used to study religious subjects very closely. Last Monday week he told me that he intended
going away a fortnight before and not coming back, but some work came in. Before I went to live with him he had some
very strange religious notions, and having, as he said, a presentiment that he
ought to do no more work, he ceased to work for a time, but the impression wore
off. None of his family have been
insane.
Herbert
Cooper, stoker at the gasworks, deposed to finding the dead body of deceased in
the slipway at Pan Bridge, lying on the shingle, where at that time there were
only a few inches of water. It was lying face downward, and was wet, as though
it had been covered, or nearly so. About
midnight the water there must have been about two or three feet deep. It seemed to him that the man had walked into
the water and laid down in it. There was
gaslight there, and the man could not have gone in and been drowned by
accident.
John Tee,
miller at Pan Mill, noticed deceased passing backward and forward by the mill
before dinner, three or four different times. There was something peculiar in his look. Witness saw him again about 6 o’clock passing
during a heavy storm of rain, of which she seemed to take no heed, although he
was evidently wet to the skin.
William
Rayner, labourer, and of Barton’s Village, when going homeward, about 11.15 on
Monday night, met deceased walking close to Sharland’s coal store. Deceased’s head was bowed, and his hands were
behind him. Witness bade him “good night”, and deceased seem to take no heed of
the salutation. Witness stopped and watched him turn and come back, and then it
seemed that deceased noticed that he was being watched, and passed round the
corner towards the bridge.
Harry
Tidridge, of Foundry Lane, Freemantle, near Southampton said the deceased was
his uncle. He had seen and conversed
with him on the 19th ult., when he was tolerable cheerful for a man
who was very reserved and studied the religious subjects very closely.
Mr W F
Foster, surgeon, deposed hat at about 5 o’clock on Tuesday morning he was
called to see the body, which appear to have been dead about five or six hours.
There were no marks of violence about the body, which would indicate foul play
and there was no shingle found in the clenched hands, which would favour the
supposition that an effort had been made by the deceased to save himself from
drowning.
Verdict
“That deceased drowned himself, but there was no evidence to show his state of
mind at the time.”
