Inherited Craziness
A place to share all the nuts found on my family tree

Saturday, 1 April 2023

James Ridgeway and Harriet Stone

Inside the Grade II* Listed St Peter’s Church in Uplowman

Harriet Stone, daughter of Henry Stone and Mary Ridgeway, married her first cousin, James Ridgeway, who was the son of her mother's younger brother, Thomas Ridgeway and his wife, Ann Toozeon 1 Apr 1895, at St Peter’s Church, Uplowman. Harriet was 29 and James 27. Witnesses were Harriet's younger sister, Lucy Jane Stone and Francis Stone (undoubtedly her younger brother, not her 7 year old son.) But the marriage was not before Harriet had a second son, Charles Stone, registered in the same quarter of that year. 

Children of this blended family include: 
  1. Francis Stone b. 25 Dec 1887, bap 10 Feb 1888 at Uplowman. He's described on the baptism record as the "Base born" son of Harriet Stone, Labourer's daughter. In 1939, Francis Stone, Road Labourer, single, was living at Pead Hill Cottage, Chevithorne. He died, in Tiverton, in 1965. 
  2. Charles Ridgway b. 3 Mar 1895, bap. 1 May 1895 at Uplowman. The baptism record lists him as "Charles Stone or Ridgway, son of Harriet Stone alias Ridgway. Married after birth of child." 
  3. Nellie Ridgway b. 7 Jan 1897, bap. 28 Feb 1897 at Uplowman.
  4. Emily Ridgway b. 31 Aug 1899, bap. 29 Oct 1899 (died, aged 3, buried 3 Aug 1903, in Uplowman)
  5. James Ridgway b. 10 Feb 1904, bap. 1 Apr 1904 at Uplowman. 
In 1901, at Greengate, Uplowman, James Ridgway (34), Farm Labourer, has become the head of the family and with them was Harriet's widowed father, Henry (71) (listed incorrectly as Henry Ridgway), working as a Labourer on Roads, as well as Harriet's brother, Francis Stone. Whether the two older boys were James Ridgway's sons or not, they were also both listed with the surname Ridgway on that census return. This looks most likely to be a simple case of the enumerator getting carried away with Ditto marks. 

In 1911, at Road Crosses, Sampford Peverell, Tiverton, were James Ridgway (44), Farm Labourer, Harriet (46), Nellie (14), Domestic Servant, James Ridgway (7). However, Frank Stone (23) and Charles Stone (16), were relegated the bottom of the list and both described as James' stepsons.

James Ridgway died, aged 62, in 1929 and Harriet, in 1936, aged 71.

These pages are notes on work in progress, so expect changes as further research is done. Follow That Page can monitor changes.

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