The Unusual Use of Surnames in Two Cousins

The surnames of Titheradge, Hine and Emblin

Kingston Cemetery - Brambles Plot
Titheradge family grave on the very back row

George and Elizabeth Emblin

George Emblin was a naval man who resided in Portsea in 1841. George had married Elizabeth Harrow in Stoke Dameral, Devon in January 1813. On the 1841 census George and Elizabeth had seven children, including two girls Sarah and Emma. Sarah was baptised on 6 March 1825 in Portsea St Mary and Emma was baptised 30 January 1827 in Portsea St John.

Sarah Isabella Emblin

The eldest sister, Sarah, married in Alverstoke, Hampshire on 13 January 1848.  She married George Robert Titheradge, an accountant and son of Christopher Titheradge. George and Sarah had 8 children born between 1848 and 1864.  The children were

•           George Sutton Titheradge born 1848 died 1916 in Australia (George became a famous actor)

•           Ernest Montague Titheradgen born 1850 died 1851 aged 1

•           Augustus Fabian Titheradge born 1852 died 1877 aged 25

•           Sarah Ann Elizabeth Adela Titheradge born 1853, married Frederick Watts

•           Blanche Titheradge born 1857, married George Watts

•           Herbert Hine Titheradge born 1 December 1859 died 1926, married Emma Watts

•           Annie Ada Titheradge born 1862

•           Robert Titheradge born 1864 died as an infant in1864

Sarah died in the June quarter of 1864 either in childbirth or shortly after childbirth. In 1867 George remarried to Sarah Perren.

One thing that struck me was the very distinctive names given to some of the children and the use of Sutton, Montague, Fabian and Hine as middle name. I knew Sutton was the surname of their paternal grandmother, Martha Sutton and that Fabian was surname of paternal great grandmother, Mary Fabian, but I had no idea about Montague and Hine. The origin of the name Hine came from unexpected source as you will see.

One other unusual thing is that 3 of the siblings, Herbert, Blanche and Sarah (known as Adela), married into the Watts family of Bungay in Suffolk.

Emma Emblin

Sarah’s younger sister, Emma, married four years later when she was 25. Emma married Thomas Merit Hine, a gunner in the Royal Navy, on 25 October 1852 at Portsea, St Mary. Emma and Thomas had 6 children born between 1852 and 1866. The children were

•           William Hine born 1852

•           Montague Hine born 1857

•           Herbert Titheradge Hine birth registered Jan 1860

•           Ada Hine born 1862

•           George Martin Hine born 1864

•           Henry (or Harry) Augustus Hine born 1866

Emma lived until 1902 and died at the age 75 at The Yorkshire Grey public house Portsmouth where she and Thomas were living with their son Herbert, the proprietor of the pub.

Two Herberts and the Unusual Use of Surnames

There is a noticeable similarity in the names of the children of these two sisters, both sisters use Montague, Herbert, Ada, George and Augustus. 

More surprising is the fact that when Sarah and Emma both had sons around December 1859 they both gave their son the same first name, Herbert. More unusual is the fact that each added a middle name that was the married surname of their sister. This is certainly not something I’ve ever come across before

Hence we have two cousins born very close together one called Herbert Hine Titheradge and one called Herbert Titheradge Hine. Imagine the confusion for the grandparents trying to differentiate the two grandsons!

Herbert Titheradge

Herbert Hine Titheradge worked as a tailor. He married in 20 November 1881 in Bungay, Suffolk to Emma Watts. They had 3 children Blanche born 1889, Alice born 1892 and George Augustus born 1896. The first two children were born in Maldon, Essex and the third child was born back in Portsmouth. Herbert continued to live in Portsmouth until his death. He died suddenly on 22 March 1926 in Portsmouth aged 66.  Herbert is buried in the family grave in Kingston Cemetery. The records show it is a brick grave in Brambles plot (row 1 grave 10 ) and contains  Herbert Hine died 1926 with 5 others  - George Robert Titheradge (Herbert’s father died 1871), Sarah Isabella (Herbert’s mother died 1864), Augustus Fabian (Herbert’s brother died 1877), Robert (Herbert’s brother died 1864) and Emma (Herbert’s wife died 1936).

Herbert Hine

Herbert Titheradge Hine was in the navy and worked as a ships steward. Herbert married Maria Laura Bond in 1884 in Portsea. They had eight children.  In later life Herbert worked as a Hotel proprietor. Herbert died on 2 May 1932 age 72 in Portsea. The family continued to use the surname Titheradge as a middle name for at least one of their children Leslie Titheradge Hine born and died in1889.

Please get in touch if you can add any more to the story.

St Patrick's Cathedral New York

Reverend Joseph A Tytheridge of St Patrick's Cathedral

St Patrick's Cathedral, 5th Avenue, New York

New York New York

My Daughter and I have just returned from a week in New York. Our travels took us down the famous 5th Avenue. There between 50th and 51st Street and opposite the Rockefeller Centre we saw the inpressive St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral which was built in 1858 - 1878 in neo-gothic style. Inside the cathedral was beautiful and below I have shared with you some of the pictures of stained glass windows, mosaics and statues - it was a place of beauty and the pictures do  not do it justice.

It was here that Joseph Tytheridge was priest for fourteen years during the period 1926 - 1940. This was the period when the Rockefeller skycraper buildings were appearing across the street.  This was also time the famous statue of Atlas holding up the heavens, which was created by Lee Lawrie in an art deco stye, was installed opposite the cathedral steps in 1937.

Joseph Tytheridge

I originally wrote about Joseph in February 2015. The story can be reread at this link.

click here for the earlier blog on Joseph Tytheridge

Since that time I have found a copy of his obituary which is shown below and summarises his life.

Obituary from Sullivan County Record

Thursday 3 July 1952, Sullivan County Record, Jeffersonville New York

REV. JOSEPH A. TYTHERIDGE

Rev. Joseph A. Tytheridge, pastor at St. Peter’s Catholic Church at Liberty since Nov. 1, 1949, died at Liberty-Loomis Hospital early Friday morning. He was taken to the hospital at 1:15 a. m. Thursday and died at 1:55 a. m. Friday.

Father Tytheridge, who served several pastorates in the metropolitan area, including 12 years as assistant priest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City, was born in New York May 6, 1896, the son of Joseph and Mary Bell, Tytheridge. He is survived by one brother, Harry D., of New York.
Father Tytheridge was graduated from St. Charles Borromeo Elementary School, New York, and from All Hallows High School, New York, and from Cathedral College, New York. He studied at North American College in Rome, and was ordained at St. Paul Latteran Church in Rome May 26 1923. His first appointment was to St. John The Baptist Church at Dunwoodie, N. Y.

Prior to coming to Liberty Father Tytheridge was administrator at Immaculate Conception Amenia Church, New York City. He served as assistant priest at St. Patrick's Cathedral from 1926 to 1940.

Divine office was recited at 10:30 Monday at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Liberty, for Father Tytheridge. There was a solemn high requiem mass at 11 a. m. Monday at St. Peter’s. The body was taken New York Monday afternoon where there was a solemn high mass at the Church of Our Savious, 183rd St. and Washington Avenue, The Bronx, Tuesday. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery, Brooklyn.

We now believe that the link below, showing a picture of a gravestone in Calvary Cemetery, is his gravestone

click here to see the gravestone

Views inside beautiful St Patrick's Cathedral where Joseph worked for 14 years

pictures of the statue of Atlas opposite the cathedral

John Tytheridge’s Journey from Kent to South Africa

How the surname Tytheridge reached South Africa

John and Sarah Tytheridge (Tutheridge) of Kent

The story begins in Kent with John Tytheridge and Sarah Saunders in the early nineteenth century. John and Sarah had various versions of their surname spelt Tetheridge, Tutheridge and Tytheridge. They had 11 children born between 1820 and 1840. One of these children Elizabeth, born about 1828, had a son John Tytheridge who was born December quarter of 1847. In 1851 Elizabeth married Obed Wickens. The families were living in the villages of Sundridge and Chevening in Kent.

John Tytheridge born 1847

On the 1851 census John Tytheridge was living with his grandparents John and Sarah in Chevening Kent.

On the 1861 census John was living with his aunt and uncle, Benjamin and Margaret Talbot, in Chipstead Village, in the district of Chevening, Kent. Margaret was 34 (born in Sundridge about 1827) and John was 13 (born in Chevening in 1848)

On the 1871 census John Tytheridge was at Fulford Gate, Yorkshire and was now in the army as a private in the 7th Hussars at the York Cavalry Barracks.  John’s age was given as 22.

The Family of John and Caroline Tytheridge 

On 9 January 1873 John Tytheridge married Caroline Elise Clark at Hounslow, the witnesses at the wedding were James New and Mary Wickens. John remained in the army and the children of this marriage were born in various Army towns. The children were:

• Carynthia Elise Tytheridge born March 1874 in Elham, Kent christened at Shorncliffe, Kent

• John Stanley born 19 February 1876 in West Derby, Lancashire

• Bertie Cecil born 12 April 1878 in Dublin

• Harry Aubrey born  February 1880 in Tipperary, Ireland and died aged just a few weeks old with the death registered in June quarter Clogheen, Ireland

• Reginald Jack born September 1881 in Eton, Berkshire


On the 1881 census Caroline and three children were at Staines Road Court, Wraysbury, Buckinghamshire but John was not at home, presumably he was posted somewhere with the army.

In January 1881 John was listed as a Junior Quarter Master in 7th (Queen's Own) Hussars. Early in 1882 Sergeant John Tytheridge, purchase his discharge from the British Army after serving 11 Years and 141 days. It was noted he was a regimental farrier major. The records suggest he was probably discharged in South Africa.

Arrival and Life in South Africa

On the 11 April 1882 the SS Drummond Castle set sail from the East India Docks, London to Cape Town, South Africa. On board were Mrs Tytheridge and her four children, Carynthia 8, John 6, Bertie 4 and Reginald 1 and a half. I cannot imagine travelling all that way on a boat with four small children. The Tytheridge family disembarked at Durban. Life was obviously hard in South Africa and later in 1882 John was declared insolvent.

The first South African family record found is Carynthia Elise, aged 16, marrying on 16 October 1890 to a wagon maker Albert Edward Water (or Waller) in Ladysmith, Natal, South Africa.

When the Second Boer war broke out it would appear that John and his two sons joined the South African forces.  There are records available for the “Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902” showing war medals given for the 2nd Boer war. The records show:-

• John Tytheridge (Service number 1185) was Regimental Farrier Major in 1 Brabant's Horse The notes state: “QSA Clasps: We,W,CC,T”

• J S Tytheridge (Service number 933) was Corporal in Kaffrarian Rifles. John Stanley was also listed as in 2nd Brabant’s horse and later in South African Constabulary.  He was a blacksmith and enlisted at Modderfontein on 27 December 1900 for 1 year at a wage of 5 shillings per day.  He was discharged on 26 December 1902, with an address in Johannesburg.

• B C Tytheridge (Service number 895) was Corporal in Kaffrarian Rifles The notes state; “QSA Clasps: We,W,CC,T”.  Bertie enlisted on 5 November 1900, but no further details of his service were found.

So far no records have been found for the deaths of John and Caroline. There are no records for Reginald so it is probable that Reginald died young.

John Tytheridge’s Grandchildren via Bertie Cecil Tytheridge
 

John’s son Bertie was a carpenter after the Boer War. He married Lillian May and they had at least one child, a son also called Bertie Cecil. He was baptised on 6 August 1905 in the Cape of Good Hope. Sadly records show that 8 month old Bertie Cecil Tytheridge died on 27 September 1905 in Hallet Street, East London area of South Africa, cause of death Whooping Cough and Bronchitis. So far no further records of this family have been found.

John Tytheridge’s Grandchildren via John Stanley Tytheridge

John Stanley Tytheridge married Edith May Judson.  Edith was born 29 May 1878 and died in 2 January 1956 in Kabuli Newcastle, South Africa. John died some time before 1959. John and Edith had six children, they were:

• Stanley John (1907 -1975)
Stanley was born 6 April 1907 in Memel and died 22 November 1975.  He was a farmer who resided in Rommel, Memel. He was single.

• William Edward (1909 – 1954)
William was born 10 February 1909.and died 8 May 1954. He married Beatrice Purkiss (1916-1973) and they had two children.

• Norman Victor (1910 – 1963)
Norman was born November 1910. He was a blacksmith who lived in Rommel.  He died 25 December 1963.  He was single.

• Emily Beatrice (1912 – about 1959)
Emily was born about 1912 and died in 1959 in Pretoria area. She was single.

• George Ernest (1914 – 1959)
George was born 1914.  He was a farmer in Rommel.  He was single.

• Percy Cecil (1917 – 2011)
Percy was born 5 October 1917. He was a shunter on the South African Railways.  On 16 September 1942 he married Beryl Mavis Wright (born 20-3-1924). They had two or three children. Percy died 31 May 2011. It is possible that Percy may have married a second time to Thelma Doreen Ainsworth (1916 - 2002).

Pictures of Tytheridge Family Graves in South African

Edith May died 1956 aged 87
click here

Beatrice died 1973 aged 57
click here

Clive James Anthony died 1974 aged 32
click here

Stanley John died 1975 aged 68
click here

George Ernest died 2000 aged 41 and Thelma died 2002 aged 85
click here



Today there are still Tytheridges living in South Africa.

Finding records in South Africa has been difficult, so if you can provide any additional information please get in touch.  The task has been made more difficult by corruptions of the name during transcription of records to variations such as Lytheridge and Fytheridge.

Early Titheridge records from Hereford - January 1628

Cathedral in Hereford

These days more and more genealogy records are appearing on line.  You would expect this would help to sort out some of the missing links in our family history which indeed they do. However in reality the increasing number of records tends to create as many mysteries as they solve.  An example of this is a batch of records that I saw on line for the first time last month.

Titheridge Records from Hereford St Peters

The records are early records from the Parish Church of St Peters in Hereford.

They show the following records

26 January 1628 Thomas Tytheredg marries Elizabeth Davis at Hereford, St Peters

Thomas and Elizabeth then go on to have the following children all baptised in Hereford, St Peters

• Thomas Tetheridge baptised 16 December 1629
• William Tetheridge baptised 1635
• John Tetheridge baptised 1636
• James Tetheridge baptised 1638
• William Tetheridge baptised 1640

There are no other records for the family name in Herefordshire - no future births, no marriages, no burials. The only other early records I have in Hereford is in 1798 when a parcel of meadow called “Titheridge Moore” is sold in the parish of Staunton upon Wye, Herefordshire 10 miles from Hereford .

How do the Hereford record relate to the Hampshire Records?

These records from Hereford cover the years 1628 to 1640 and pre-date our main family records of John Titheridge and Ann Quallett who marry in Cheriton in 1664. However they do not predate our earliest records of Richardus Tetridge of Avington / Chilcomb Hampshire who died in 1542.

So the records raise the following questions:

• What happened to this family after 1640?
• Are the Hereford family related to our Hampshire Titheridges who lived over 100 miles away?

If you can provide any records to give the answers to the questions raised please get in touch

Titteridge and Titeridge - extinct surnames?

Titteridge / Titeridge

Titteridge is one of the rarest versions of our family surname. I believe it is now extinct – but if you know otherwise please let me know. This version is sometimes spelt Titeridge and sometimes Titteridge. A search of these surnames on genealogy websites gives you quite a lot of records but most of the records are erroneous forms of the surname Titheridge. Some of these errors come from transcribing the records while other errors are erroneously written in the original documents. There are three main sources of the Titteridge / Titeridge surname.

Titteridge / Titheridge in Kingsclere and Basingstoke

The earliest records are between 1688 and 1755 when there are records of Titheridges in Kingsclere and Basingstoke, Hampshire.  These surnames are sometimes written as Titheridge and sometimes Titteridge.  No records have been found in the area after 1755.  I have no idea if or how these individuals are related to the main family of Titheridges from Cheriton.

Early Titteridges in London

In the early eighteenth century the surname Titteridge appears in the Westminster area of London.  The name occurs in the Westminster Births, Marriages and Deaths records between 1693 and 1766 and the Westminster Rent books for the period 1717 – 1765. No records for these families have been found after 1766. Records for these times are limited and when found can be difficult to read and often uninformative.  I have been unable to establish where these Titeridges / Titteridges have come from.
Are they native to London and not related to our family tree?
Are they related to the main Titheridge family from Cheriton?
Have they migrated from Kingsclere and Basingstoke area?
I do not know the answer to the questions posed so if you have the records that will give the answers please get in touch. Tracing family history often leads to a series of questions rather than answers.

Titeridges of Salisbury

There is one Titeridge / Titteridge family group that I can trace with certainty and these originate in Salisbury, Wiltshire.  Both spellings are used within the family but the one with a single ‘t’ is the most common. I do not know if this family group is related to the Titheridges of Cheriton.

The first reference to the name is in 1770 when Thomas and Mary Titteridge are in Salisbury. They have five children

• Elizabeth baptised 14 June 1770 in Salisbury St Thomas buried February 1773
• Charlotte baptised 8 June 1771 in Salisbury St Edmund
• Sophia baptised 4 November 1772 Salisbury St Edmund buried 15 May 1775
• Lucy baptised 4 February 1775 in Salisbury St Thomas
• Thomas baptised 20 March 1777 in Salisbury St Thomas

On 19 January 1780 the wife of Thomas is buried at Salisbury St Edmund. Six weeks later on 2 March Thomas married again to a widow Mary Langtry. There are no known children to the second marriage. In October 1794 Thomas took a third wife Fanny Boniface in Sherborne, Dorset. Thomas’s daughter Lucy had married Edward Amos three years earlier in Sherborne. Thomas senior stayed in the Salisbury area as evidenced from hospital admissions in March and June 1799 and again in April 1808. Thomas died sometime before 1813 and his widow Fanny (Frances) was buried in Shaftesbury Holy Trinity on 29 January 1813.

The Titeridges of Andover 

Thomas’s son, also called Thomas, was a hatter and he moved from Sherborne to Andover.  He married Mary New in Andover parish church on 30 October 1800. Thomas and Mary had ten children all baptised in Andover between 1802 and 1820.  The children were

• Ann baptised 19 April 1802.  Ann married a man called Chandler who died young leaving her a widow to bring up her children. Before she was married she had a daughter Eliza Titeridge born 31 July 1820 in Andover.
• Henry baptised 8 February 1804 buried in 1805
• Mary baptised 5 October 1807 died 1884 in Andover unmarried
• Sarah baptised 29 April 1808 died 1877 in Epsom Surrey unmarried
• Elizabeth baptised 30 March 1810 buried 12 April 1810
• William baptised 20 March 1811 died in 1879 in Epsom (see below)
• Eliza baptised 7 September 1814 buried 15 July 1819
• Edward  baptised 29 May 1816 a twin buried 1 February 1817
• Thomas baptised 29 May 1816 a twin buried 9 November 1816
• James baptised 24 November 1820 died December 1857

Mary died in Andover in 1850 aged 76 and Thomas died in Andover in 1853 aged 76.

William Titeridge and family

William Titeridge was the only child to carry on the surname.  He married Jane Gilbert in Andover on 8 September 1836. Later they moved to Stepney / Tower Hamlets area of London. William and Jane had four children

• William Henry born 1 August 1837 Andover and Christened on 30 August.  When William was 25 he emigrated to the USA arriving on 5 July 1862. He was known to be living in Brooklyn in 1867 and 1872.  He died aged 35 on 5 April 1873 in Kings, New York
• Eliza baptised 6 May 1839 Andover died in Andover in 1915 and remained unmarried
• Henry baptised 1841 in Andover died in Cornwall in June 1918 (see below)
• Jane baptised 25 July 1845 in Stepney London and buried in Stepney on 27 December 1846

William’s wife, Jane, died in Stepney in March 1850 and William married a second time to Elizabeth Lambert on 19 June 1852  at Holy Trinity church Mile End and they had three children

• Frances Alfred  born September 1853 in Stepney and died March 1855 in Stepney
• Marian Frances baptised 15 February 1855 in Stepney St Dunstan married to Arthur Curtis on 17 November 1877 at St Paul Bow Common.
• Alice Maud  born September 1857 in Stepney unmarried and buried 22 April 1937 in Bethnal Green

Elizabeth died in Stepney in 1877 and two years later William died in Epsom, Surrey.

Henry and Maria Titeridge – the last of the line

William and Jane’s son, Henry, was a bachelor for many years before marrying at the age of 60 to a widow. Henry grew up in Andover and later moved to London. On the 1871 census he is a bachelor working as a shorthand writer in a solicitor’s office and living in Mary-le-Bow with a visitor Maria Hitchcock of Andover who is married. Thirty years later at the age of 60 Henry, an insurance clerk, marries a widow Maria Hitchcock (nee Hickman) in June 1901 in Devon.  If you have an interest in Maria I recommend visiting the Hampshire Record Office where there are letters written by Maria to Mr Bennett remembering life in Andover in days gone by.  I partially read them over 20 years ago and one day I will go back and find out more. Henry died in Jun 1918 in St Columb, Cornwall aged 77. His will shows he left his money £1953 12s 11d to Maria. Maria died in Andover in Jun 1930 aged 91.

End of the line

Despite the birth of 23 descendents of Thomas Titeridge the end of the line for the surname came in the June 1937 when Thomas's great granddaughter, Alice Maud, died in Bethnal Green aged 79, she was the last of the Titteridges.

Family Tree of Thomas Titeridge 1750 to 1937

Tough Justice for William Titheridge

The story of a child’s punishment for stealing some turnips

Two hundred years ago life for the poor was hard. Rural communities who relied on agriculture were suffering from decreased employment because of increased efficiency of agriculture, enclosures and mechanisation. A typical agricultural labourer earnt just ten shillings a week and feeding a family on these wages was tough. This was made more difficult because the Napoleonic wars with France had increased the price of basic commodities.

When ends did not meet people were placed in the workhouse but with the increasing numbers needing assistance ‘outdoor relief’ was given, which meant money was given to the individuals directly to assist them rather than admit them to the workhouses. The Overseer determined how much each person received and for what reason. East Meon in Hampshire was one such rural village hit by the changes in Agriculture. The East Meon Overseers book for the period between 1819 to 1826 is still in existence and can be viewed at the Hampshire Archives. During this period outdoor relief was given to 333 parishioners, among the individuals listed as getting handouts is Thomas Titheridge.

Thomas Titheridge (b about 1774 – d1846) had married Jane Tee (b1776 – d about 1831) on 25 September 1803 in Bishops Waltham.  From 1805 they lived in the village of East Meon.  They had six children all born in the village.

• William (b1805 – d1866)
• Ann (b1807 – d1824)
• Henry (b1808 – d ?)
• Harriet (b1811 - d1831)
• James (b1818 – d ?)
• Maria.(b1820 – d1833)

It is because there was great deal of poverty that crime was high as people tried to survive the conditions. It is not surprising that people living in such harsh conditions found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Crime was punished harshly, with the pillory, transportation to Australia and prison being among the common sentences. Children were often treated in the same way as adults, receiving similarly harsh punishments.

By 1819 Thomas’ son, William, was the eldest child in a family of five children struggling to make ends meet. In December 1819 William found himself on the wrong side of the law and he appeared at the Epiphany Quarter Sessions in Winchester.  Quarter Sessions were held four times a year and here lesser crimes were dealt with by local Justices of the Peace.

The Quarter Sessions Records read:

“William Titheridge, aged 13, committed December 29 1819 by Thomas Butler Esq. and Rev John Baynes, clerk, for 124 days imprisonment for having stolen a quantity of turnips, the property of William Weeks at Eastmeon, whereby he was adjudged to pay the penalty of ten shillings which he did not have.”

It is hard for us to understand this degree of punishment for an adult yet alone a boy of 13 - over 3 months in prison for such a minor crime is incomprehensible to us today.

William went on to marry Elizabeth Lee in East Meon on 28 July 1827 and they had 15 children all born in East Meon between 1827 and 1854.

East Meon Cross Street

High Street East Meon

The Tidridge Family of Cork

William and Mary Tidridge of Cork with family around 1906

From left to right: Back row: Louisa (Lou), Ann, William (father), Mary (Molly)

Middle row: John or William, Ruth, Mary (mother), Harriot, John or Wiliam, Elizabeth

Front row sitting: James Alexander.

This photograph has been published by kind permission of Bob Powell

Tidridges in Eire

It was over 15 years ago when I first came across a reference on the Internet to someone with the surname Tidridge living in Doneraile. My first question was “Where is Doneraile”?  The answer to this question is that it is a small village about 30 miles north of Cork in southern Ireland. My next questions were “Who are these Tidridges in Eire?” and “Are they related to the Tidridge family group living in Bishop’s Waltham in the early nineteenth century?”

The Tidridges of Bishops Waltham Hampshire

The Tidridges of Bishops Waltham, Hampshire were a family I had done a lot of research on in the past. The surname Tidridge was first used in Bishops Waltham by the children of William Titheridge and Priscilla Pargent. The four children Fanny (1806 – 1866) William (1809 – 1873) Charles (1812 – 1862) and Henry (1815 - 1868) were all born with their births registered with the surname Titheridge but they were all using the surname spelt Tidridge by the time of their death and in the case of Henry he was also using the name spelt Tidridge by the time of his marriage to Ann Newell in 1840. Henry Tidridge and Ann Newell had 11 children and it is one of their sons William who emigrated to Eire.

William Tidridge (1845 – 1929)

William was the fourth child born to Henry and Ann in Bishops Waltham, Hampshire on 13 December 1845. On the 1851 census William was aged 5 and living with his family at 223 High Street in Bishops Waltham and by the 1861 census he was 15 and working as a “pot boy” at the local inn, The Crown Hotel in St Georges Square, Bishops Waltham.
On 22 December 1870 William signed up for the army for 12 years in the Rifle Brigade, giving his age as 19 years 2 months. In fact he was 25years when he enlisted, but I have no idea why he would have lied about his age or alternatively how he could be so confused over his age. The 1871 census sees him in the 2nd Battalion of the Princes Own Rifle Brigade at Hougham, Dover still claiming to be 19 years old.  At the end of William’s twelve years’ service he re-engaged in the army for a further 10years. Throughout his career he gained promotion, first to corporal in 1874, Sergeant in 1878, Colour Sergeant in 1882.  He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal on 25 May 1889 and the Ashantee Medal and Clasp for Coomassie. He was finally discharged from the army on 16 November 1891.

Life in Cork

By the time William left the army he was married to an Irish girl from Cork. On leaving the army he became sexton at the Church of Ireland (Anglican) church of St Mary Shandon in Sunday’s Well, a suburb of Cork City, Eire. He died in Cork on 29 September 1929 age 83 and is buried in St Finbarr's Cemetery, Glasheen, Cork. Interestingly the age on his death record is now correct with his birth year, unlike during his army years.
It was on 27 June 1882, while he was still in the army, that William married Mary Baker Brown in Cork. In 1901 and 1911 census William and Mary were living at Strawberry Hill Lane in Cork with their children. William and Mary had ten children.  All of these were born in Cork, with the exception of Ann, William and Elizabeth who were born in Westmeath 150 miles north of Cork.  The children were:
• John Harry (1883 – 1946)
Born 18 January 1883. Married Evelyn Davis in Elham Kent in 1911. John and Evelyn had two sons Lionel and William born in Elham. John served with Lancashire Fusiliers in World War 1.The family emigrated to Canada after the war.
• Ann Amelia (1885 – 1930)
Born 15 February 1885. Known as Annie. Married Thomas Joseph Kerr September 1914 in Cork and they had 6 children.
• William Alfred (1887 – 1969)
Born 5 September 1887. Known as Bill. Married Helen Geraldine Rea in June 1909 in Cork.  They had no children. They emigrated back to England.
• Elizabeth Jane (1889 -1956)
Known as Lizzie. Born 5 July 1889. Died in Cork aged 67 in Sept 1956. Never married. She did however look after her sister’s Ann’s children when he sister died in 1930.
• Mary Alice (1892 ?)
A twin known as Molly. Lived in Cork.  Married Richard Osmond Powell in September 1920 and had two sons.
• Louisa Francis (1892 -1942)
A twin known as Lou. Married Rev John Hartley Roundhill in September 1922 in Cork.  They had no children.
• James Alexander (1894 – 1961)
Known as Jim. James served in the Royal Garrison Artillery in 82nd Battery in World War 1. He was discharged on health grounds. He married Mary Dymphna Walsh (May) of Doneraile in Kensington, London in 1925. They then moved back to Eire. They had no children.
• Ruth Lydia (1896 – 1977)
Lived in Cork and never married.
• George Tidridge (1898 – 1898)
Died as a baby
• Harriet Edith ( 1899 – 1980)
Known as Edie. Married George Harley Bishop in December 1938 in Cork and had one daughter

Tidridges of Doneraile

It was James Alexander and his wife May who I first found reference to in Doneraile.  They had a shop High Street.  In Michael Shine's book on Doneraile he writes:

“Tidridge: This was a very tasty shop run by Mr James Tidridge and his wife May, whose maiden name was Walsh. They sold newspapers and magazines, comics and journals of all description (and one-penny ice cream - either "pink or white"). He also did groceries and cigarettes and confectionery. He came to Doneraile as a carpenter to the mill and was a very able craftsman.”

So indeed this family in Doneraile came from Cork and originally from Bishops Waltham family.  It would appear there are no longer individuals with the Tidridge surname living in Eire, however some of the descendants are still there and we would love to hear from them if they read this.

1935 Wedding of Violet Gwenda Titheridge

The Wedding of Violet Gwenda Titheridge 1935

Today I came across a newspaper article giving a lovely description of a Titheridge wedding that took place 82 years ago. The description of the wedding was so thorough that you could almost picture it. I was also surprised to see the article included a complete list of wedding gifts received and who had given them. All the weddings on the page were written up in the same way so it was obviously the fashionable thing to do. I would be worried about giving too small a gift if this was to happen today!

Here is the newspaper article of the wedding.

Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser 02 August 1935

 "Hartfield Wedding

A wedding of considerable local interest took place at Hartfield Parish Church on Saturday, when Miss Violet Gwenda Titheridge, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Titheridge, of Perryhill, Hartfield, was married to Mr Ronald Arthur Boorman, son of the late Mr. and the late Mrs Boorman, of Tunbridge Wells, and of Shepherds Hill, Coleman’s Hatch. The bride and bridegroom are both well-known and very popular in the village.

The bride who was given away by her father, was attired in white lace with ruffled silk with veil and wreath of orange blossom and carried a bouquet of white carnations and pink rosebuds. Her ornament was a gold and crystal necklace.  She was attended by four bridesmaids and one small page. They were Miss Joan Titheridge (sister), Miss Eileen Betterton and Misses Marcelle and Audrey Shoesmith (friends), and Master Malcolm Adams (nephew).  The two eldest were in pale pink dresses with large crinoline hats to match, and carried bouquets of pale yellow rosebuds.  The two younger maids were in long Victorian dresses of pale green sylmira, with pink rosebud head-dresses, and they carried Victorian posies.  They wore crystal necklaces, the gifts of the bridegroom.  The small page was in a green silk suit with a white silk blouse.  His gift from the bridegroom was a gold tie pin. 

The bride’s mother was dressed in blue crepe-de-chine, with navy silk marocain coat and hat to match. Mr Alfred Adams the bridegroom’s cousin, was best man. 

The Rector, the Rev. H. A. James, officiated at the ceremony, which was choral.  The hymns, “O Perfect Love” and “Love Divine” were sung, and as the bridal party left the church the Wedding March was played by Mr. T Floyd, the organist, while a merry peal was rung on the church bells by the local band of ringers.  About forty guests attended the reception at the Anchor Hotel, and later the happy couple left by car for Hastings, where the honeymoon is being spent.  The bride travelled in a pale blue crepe-de-chine dress with coat and hat to match.  The future home of Mr and Mrs Boorman will be at Stone Cottage, Hartfield.
List of Presents
Bride to Bridegroom, gold wrist watch: Bridegroom to Bride, silver dressing table set: Bride’s Father, tea service and bouquets; Bride’s mother, silver teapot …..”

The list of presents carries on with the giver listed and then present.  Presents were silver jam pot and spoon, cheque, cut glass trinket set, fruit set, picture, singer sewing machine, bath towels, linen tablecloth and serviettes, cheque, dinner service, cut glass salad bowl and servers, hand painted butter dish and silver knife, treasury note, hand crocheted afternoon tea cloth, bath towels, salad bowl and servers and salad knife, bath towels, table runner, glass cake dish, engraved biscuit barrel and “spot” honey jar, Treasury note, bedroom towels, marmalade jar, sweet dishes, pillow cases, tablecloth, table knives, biscuit barrel, pyrex dish, embroidered bed set, pyrex dishes, cooling pyrex dishes, hand crocheted table centre, clock, case of teaspoons and sugar tongs, lemonade set, chromium fruit dish, set of pillow cases and bolster, hand worked afternoon tea cloth, hand worked tray cloth, cruet, pin cushion, sandwich set, tea tray and cloth, silver plated jam spoon and butter knife, fruit dish, vases, powder bowl, jam pot, ware bowl, embroidered pillow cases, jam pot and spoon, wine glasses and old Derby china, tea tray, case of silver egg spoons.

Who was Violet Titheridge?

Violet Gwenda Titheridge was the six times great grand daughter of John Titheridge and Ann Quallat.  Her parents were James Forder Titheridge and Alice A Jukes.  James was born in Froxfield, Hampshire in 1882 and can be found on the 1891and 1901 census living in Sages Lane, Froxfield. In 1901 James was working as a gardener. After this he moved around and in June 1911 married Alice in the Mere district of Wiltshire.  Violet was born here on 17 August 1912.  James was probably in the army in WW1. By 1921 the family was living in the Alton district of Hampshire where Violet's sister Joan was born.  At some point after 1921 the family moved to Hartfield, Sussex. It was here that Violet married Ronald in 1935. On the 1939 register Violet and Ronald are living in Stone Cottage, Hartfield, with their one year old son and Ronald is working as a postman.  A second child was born a few years later.  Ronald died in 1979 in the Uckfield area and Violet died in 1998 in Haywards Heath area of Sussex.

In case you think the name Hartfield, Sussex sounds familiar it is because this was the home of A. A. Milne author of the Winnie the Pooh books and now a tourist spot visited by Winnie the Pooh fans who come to see local places associated with the books including Pooh bridge where Pooh dropped Pooh Sticks. A. A. Milne lived in Hartfield, one mile from Violet and Ronald, from 1925 until he died in 1956.

Are you related to Violet and can add to this story?  If so please get in touch.

Ernest Alfred Tidridge died 4 August 1917 - “Lest we forget”

Ernest Alfred Tidridge 1898 -1917

Southampton Cenotaph

Southampton Cenotaph

In a quiet Southampton park is the cenotaph with the names of the men of Southampton who died in World War 1. Among the names is ERNEST ALFRED TIDRIDGE. The names are fading as the stone deteriorates and at the start of the 21st century it was decided to add glass panels to the memorial.  A glass wall consisting of eight large panels was built alongside the Cenotaph engraved with the names of the World War I casualties and, in addition, those from Southampton who had died in later conflicts. The memorial Wall included a total of 2,368 names from the First World War.

Behind each name is a story of a life wasted by the ravages of war. On 4th August 2017 is the 100th anniversary of the death of Ernest Alfred Tidridge, let us remember him. This is his story

Ernest Tidridge’s Family

Ernest Alfred Tidridge was the son of Harry John Tidridge (1863 - 1944) and Emma Louisa Newman (1862 - 1939) of 2 Silverdale Road, Southampton. Harry was a church verger at St Mark's Church Southampton. Harry and Emma had 11 children. The children were

• Edward Harry Francis Tidridge (1884-1971) emigrated to USA and married Ellen Connor
• Annie Louisa (Sis) Tidridge (1886-1949) emigrated to USA married Harold King
• William John Newman Tidridge (1888-1969) married Ethel Merefield
• George Harold Tidridge (1889 – 1973)
• Amelia Minnie Georgina Tidridge (1891-1936) married Ernest Seward
• Bertie Tidridge (1893-1958) married Bertie Leamon
• Daisy Lillian Tidridge (1896-1966)
• Ernest Alfred Tidridge (1898-1917)
• John H Tidridge (1900-1900)
• Louisa Ellen (Lulu) Tidridge (1903-1981) (married John Place
• Walter Sidney Tidridge (1905-1990) married Frances Clark

Joining the Royal Hampshire Regiment

Ernest’s elder brother, William, had enlisted with the Royal Hampshire Regiment within 8 days of war being declared in 1914, with brother Bertie joining up later.  Ernest probably enlisted in late 1915.  He first served with the 2nd Battalion and then the 14th Battalion of the Royal Hampshire Regiment. He did not enter a theatre of war until after the beginning of 1916 as he was only awarded the British War and Victory Medals.  We are unsure when Ernest was transferred from one battalion to the other but he was serving with the 14th when he died. The 14th (Service) Battalion was raised in Portsmouth. It was sent to France in March 1916 and  took part in the Battle of the Somme .

3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele)

Ernest's Battalion was moved to Ypres area where in July 1917 they took part in the Third Battle of Ypres. The Third Battle of Ypres was a series of operations rather than one battle and is more commonly known as Passchendaele after the Flemish village which was the final objective.

The first of these battles, the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, began on 31 July 1917. The 14th Hampshire Battalion were in action as part of 41st Division’s attack from just northwest of Wieltje towards St Julien – a distance of around 3,000 yards.

The war diary of this battalion is very concise and limited in detail. In the build up to the attack it shows the battalion were at Houlle (30 miles west of Ypres) from 22nd June where they underwent training, practising for the attack to come.  On 15th July they moved closer to the front and again on 23rd July they moved closer again.  They continued to do training exercises, digging mock trenches and practising attacks. On 30th July they moved to the assembly positions in and behind the bilge trench. The entries for 31st July at Hill Top Sector shows that they advanced at 3.50am from the assembly position.  They attacked and captured three German Lines.  The 116th Brigade took the village of St Julien but were forced to give it up due to enemy artillery fire and vigorous counter-attacks. However, 14th Hampshires managed to hold on to their positions outside the village, until relieved on 4 August. By the end of the first day, 31st July, the battalion had captured 2 Field Guns and one 4.5 Howitzer, 17 Machine Guns and over 200 prisoners.  The cost was high however - 2 officers killed, 3 wounded, 1 died of wounds and for the other ranks 17 killed; 1 died of wounds; 156 wounded; 42 missing.  About one-fifth of the Battalion was killed or wounded that day.  It is likely Ernest was one of the wounded on this day.

This account on the Hurst War Memorial Website http://www.warmemorial.org.uk/ww1.php?p=13  gives a good account of the action.

“14th Battalion formed part of 116 Brigade whose mission was to attack the German trenches opposite St Julien, a tiny Belgium farming village. At 4am. shrill whistles blew and the men rushed forward across No Man's Land before the German counter barrage could hit them. After reaching the firm ground of Admiral's Road, a farm track in No Man's Land, they pushed on across shell torn fields, occasionally diving into shell holes for protection. They reached the first objective of Caliban Trench, the old German front line, which had already been taken by the 11th Royal Sussex Battalion. The 14th Hampshires passed through them as they consolidate the position. It was still only 4.30am. and the Battalion continued its advance towards Juliet Farm and beyond that to the village of St Julien, the objective of the day. The attack was held up by machine guns of German defenders still clinging on to some of the pillboxes and by 9 a.m. heavy rain had set in and lasted for the next five days. With the help of tanks the 14th Hampshires overcame these defences and went on to capture and hold the village of St Julien.”

Died of Wounds

Ernest died of wounds at the Casualty Clearing Station at Dozinghem on 4 August 1917 aged 19. This was one of three casualty clearing stations set up in July 1917, in readiness for the forthcoming offensive.   Ernest's death was probably as a result of wounds sustained during the attack of 31st July at Pickhelm Ridge, although the battalion also suffered further casualties on the first 2 days of August.

Ernest was buried at Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Westvleteren, Belgium.  The village is north of Poperinge. He is buried in Plot 2, Row C Grave 7.  There are now 3,174 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in the cemetery and 65 German war graves from this period

A picture of Ernest's grave can be seen at the following link

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=12520700

His War grave reads:
In Memory of  E. A. Tidridge, Private 35264
14th Bn. Hampshire Regiment
who died on Saturday 4th August 1917 age 19

Ernest Tidridge's name on Southampton Cenotaph

Glass Screens added to Southampton Cenotaph

Ernest Tidridge's Name on glass screen
at Southampton Cenotaph

Memorial to the men of the Royal Hampshire Regiment
in Winchester Cathedral

Lines from "For the Fallen" By Robert Binyon 1914

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun, and in morning

We will remember them.

Joseph Titheridge died 31 July 1917 – “He died for Freedom and Honor”

JosephTitheridges's name
insribed on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres

On 31st July 1917 Joseph Titheridge lost his life in the World War 1 battlefield in the Third Battle of Ypres known as Passchendaele.  



Let us remember him and the sacrifice he made.

This is his story.

Joseph Titheridge’s family

Joseph Titheridge was born in the Edmonton district of London to George Titheridge and Georgina Hanniball.  He was the six times great grandchild of Ann Quallat and John Titheridge.  Joseph was one of 10 children born to George and Georgina two of which had died in childhood.  The children were:

• Ruth (1883 – 1971)
• George David (1884 - 1885) died age 1
• Samuel (1885 - 1957) married Maud Clifford
• Mary (1886 - ?) married Victor Callick
• Lily (1888 - ?) married Albert Boorman
• Joseph (1889- 1917)
• William Henry (1892 -1951) married Emma Masters
• Daisy (1895 - ?)married Frederick Warren
• Rose (1897 – 1904) died age 7
• Ernest (1900 -1976) married Elsie Judge

Joining 8th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment

Joseph joined up in October 1914 joining the 8th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, his regimental number was 4739.  The 8th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment were formed at Chichester in September 1914 as part of Kitchener’'s Army.  Initial volunteers were from all over Sussex.  The battalion was under strength when it arrived in Colchester in October 1914 so further men were recruited from the London area (hence Joseph ended up in the Sussex Regiment).  On 4th February 1915 it became the Pioneer Battalion of 18th Eastern Division, a role it would keep for the rest of the war.  Pioneers acted as a compromise between infantry and engineers.  Ordinary infantry training was kept up, as pioneers were liable to be used as infantry when the need arose.  The main work of the pioneers was in construction and maintaining the trenches, making and repairing roads and construction of light railways.  This work was often in the front line, usually at night and consequently under shell and sniper fire.

French Battlefields

In May 1915 the 8th Battalion moved to Salisbury Plain and then crossed to France on 24th July 1915 landing at Boulogne.  The 8th Battalion moved to the Somme front, and took over trenches in the Mametz-Montauban sector.  They remained in this quiet sector until the Battle of the Somme taking part in the attack on Montauban on 1st July 1916.  The battalion was engaged in various actions during the Battles of the Somme between July 1916 and early 1917 these included Capture of Trones Wood; The Battle of Delville Wood; The Battle of Thiepval Ridge; The Battle of the Ancre Heights; Capture of Schwaben Redoubt and Capture of Regina Trench.

The battalion stayed on the Somme until the Spring of 1917, when it moved to the Arras front.  Here it took part in the fighting on the Hindenburg Line at Héninel, and at Chérisy on 3rd May 1917.

Belgium Battlefields

The 8th battalion Royal Sussex Regiment then moved to Flanders, to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres known as Passchendaele at the end of July 1917.  They were attached to the 53rd Brigade 18th Eastern division.  General Haig's primary objective was to dislodge the Germans from their dominant positions on the high ground near the Belgium town of Ypres, Haig then envisaged an advance on Belgian coastal ports from where German U-boats threatened Allied shipping. The Third Battle of Ypres was a series of actions that were fought from 31 July to 6 November 1917, with about 275,000 allied troops and 220,000 Germans dying in the battle. The campaign won the allied forces only small gains.

On 31 July, after a fortnight's intense bombardment of German positions, nine divisions of the Fifth Army assaulted the high ground to the north-east of Ypres, and made good progress across Pilckem Ridge, but by late afternoon German counter-attacks had regained much ground and wet weather had set in.  Ceaseless unseasonal rain in the following days turned the shell-damaged ground into a quagmire, severely hampering the movement of advancing men, the relocating of artillery, and the carrying of casualties and supplies.

Killed in Action at Pilckem Ridge

The 8th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment fought along the Menin Road in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge on 31 July 1917 on the first day of the third battle of Ypres.  It was here that Joseph was killed in action.  Reading the war diary for the battalion it clear that they were under heavy attack from the German guns.  At the end of the day the diary lists the wounded and dead, there were 45 wounded 3 dead.  Unusually this war diary lists the name of every soldier wounded and killed whatever their rank (usually the officers are named and the men are just numbers of casualties).

Private Joseph Titheridge has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium.  His name is on panel 20. The monument list the names of 55,000 men who were lost without trace during the defence of the Ypres Salient in WW1.

To see pictures of the Menin Gate Memorial see the link below

http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/91800/YPRES%20(MENIN%20GATE)%20MEMORIAL

Joseph was awarded postumeously the Victory Medal, British Medal, 1915 Star Medal.

Death Plaque

In 1916 the British Government decided to create a memorial for the next of kin of men who had died.  This bore  Britannia on it (symobolising British imperial power and unity), with Poseidon’s trident (symbolising British naval dominance) and a laurel wreath (symbolising victory).  Each bronze plaque was inidividually cast with the soldier's name in a rectangluar box, they were nicknamed “Death Plaque “.  It was inscribed with the words "He died for Freedom and Honor”.  Joseph’s parents, like all next of king, received a Death Plaque and a scroll.  A picture of this is below (although it is no longer in the family).  

Joseph Titheridge's Death Plaque and Memorial Scroll
Reproduced by kind permission of John Tidridge

Cap badge of the Royal Sussex Regiment

A poem of Remembrance   -    In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.