John Summers and Sarah Middleton

Uffculme: The Square and St Mary’s church
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Martin Bodman - geograph.org.uk/p/839640

John Summers married Sarah Middleton, both of them born in Devon around 1774, at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Uffculme, on 28 May 1799. 

Records suggest that John and Sarah Summers had at least five children:

1. Elizabeth Summers bap. 21 Jul 1799 in Uffculme
2. John Summers bap. 17 Aug 1801 in Uffculme
3. Mary Somers (sic) b. 10 Jun 1804, bap. 25 Dec 1804 in Halberton
4. Richard Summers b. 13 Aug 1807, bap. 25 Dec 1807 in Halberton
5. James Summers b. 26 Jun 1813, bap 1 Aug 1813 in Halberton

In 1841, we find John Summers (65) Agricultural Labourer, Sarah Summers (65) and Richard Summers (30), living at Selgars Mill, Halberton.

John Summers died, at 70, in 1844 S Quarter in TIVERTON AND DULVERTON Vol 10 Page 182 and was buried on 30 Jun 1844 in Uffculme.

In 1851, Sarah Summers (76) Widow, Pauper, was living in Uffculme with her eldest daughter, Elizabeth Tidborough (51) Widow, Worsted Warper.

Sarah Summers died in 1854 S Quarter in TIVERTON Vol 05B Page 255.

John Tidborough and Elizabeth Summers

Halberton : St Andrew's Church
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Lewis Clarke - geograph.org.uk/p/6184972

John Tidburrow (sic) married Elizabeth Summers (bap. 21 Jul 1799 in Uffculme), daughter of John Summers and Sarah Middleton, at St Andrews Church, Halberton, on 7 Feb 1823. One of the witnesses was Thomas Tooze, who later that year married Elizabeth's younger sister Mary.

John and Elizabeth had at least two sons:

1. John Tidborough bap. 17 Aug 1823 in Uffculme
2. William Tidborough b. 27 Sep 1829, bap. 26 Oct 1829 at the Uffculme, Crosslands or Cold Harbour Chapel, Devon (Independant)

It seems that John Tidborough Snr must have died before 1841, as that year we find Elizabeth Tidborough (40) Lab[ourer] Wool Fact[ory] and William Tidborough (10) Agricultural Labourer were living in the household of William Nation (30) and his wife Mary (née Marshall) in Coldharbour, Uffculme. Son John Tidborough was in the household of John Perry in Uffculme.

In 1851, Elizabeth Tidborough (51) Widow, Worsted Warper, was living in Uffculme, with her mother, Sarah Summers (76). William Tidborough (21) Journeyman Miller, was a lodger in Tucker Street, Wells, Somerset.

Fox Brothers, Coldharbour
Mill, Uffculme
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Paul Stephens
geograph.org.uk/p/97156

Working with wool and in a factory, I think it is safe to assume that Elizabeth was working at Coldharbour Mill, now the Coldharbour Mill Working Wool Museum - one of the oldest woollen textile mills in the world, in continuous production since 1797, although there has been a mill of some description near the Coldharbour site since Saxon times.

In 1861, Elizabeth Tidborough (62) Formerly Warper was a lodger, still living in Coldharbour, Uffculme.

Elizabeth Tidborough died in 1866 M Qtr in TIVERTON Vol 05B Page 370.

James Bray and Jane Taylor

Photo © John P Reeves (cc-by-sa/2.0)

St Andrew's Church in Cullompton, Friday, 11 February, 2022

Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence.

James Bray married Jane Taylor at St Andrew's Church, Cullompton on 6 Jan 1763. There are no records that clearly confirm either of their origins. Taking a guess from the records we do have, it may be reasonable to imagine, but not guarantee, that James was from Uffculme and Jane was from Cullompton.

James and Jane Bray had nine children, baptised at St Mary's, Uffculme:

1. Mary Bray bap. 18 Feb 1766. Buried 28 Jul 1771 also in Uffculme.
2. John Bray bap. 13 Jul 1767. Buried 15 Oct 1769 also in Uffculme.
3. James Bray bap. 27 Mar 1769
4. William Bray bap. 8 Dec 1770. Buried 11 Aug 1771 in Uffculme.
5. John Bray bap. 11 Jun 1772
6. Mary Bray bap. 7 Nov 1773
7. Thomas Bray bap. 9 Apr 1776
8. Jane Bray bap. 8 Jul 1777
9. William Bray bap. 14 Apr 1780

Jane Bray, wife of James Bray was buried on 2 Apr 1788, in Uffculme.

James Bray was buried in Uffculme on 22 Dec 1799.

Jacob Ridgway and Jane Bray

Parish Church of St. Gregory, Seaton
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Maurice D Budden - geograph.org.uk/p/2942441

Jacob Ridgway (b. 3 May 1776, baptised at the age of 17 in Culmstock, on 27 Oct 1793), son of Thomas Ridgway and Sarah Leaman, married Jane Bray (bap. 8 Jul 1777 in Uffculme, Devon), daughter of James Bray and Jane Taylor, on 23 Nov 1802 at the parish church of St. Gregory, Seaton, Devon. One of the witnesses to their marriage was a William Salter.

On 14 Feb 1798, Jacob Ridgeway had married Mary Spurway, in Culmstock. There being no other Jacob Ridgway in the area, this appears to be Jacob's previous marriage. A death of a Mary Ridgeway between 1798 and 1802 would provide additional evidence, but I cannot find a record.

Jacob and Jane Ridgway had six children:

1. John Ridgway bap. 8 May 1803 in Seaton & Beer
2. Sarah Ridgway bap. 6 Jan 1805 in Seaton & Beer
3. Thomas Ridgway bap. 9 Mar 1806 in Seaton & Beer
4. Jacob Ridgeway bap. 13 Dec 1807 in Seaton & Beer
5. James Ridgeway bap. 22 Oct 1809 in Seaton & Beer
6. Jane Ridgway bap. 29 Nov 1812 in Ashbrittle, Somerset

In 1841, Jacob Ridgway (66) and Jane Ridgway (62) were living in Ashbrittle Village, Ashbrittle, next-door-but-two to John Lock and Mary Nott.

Jacob Ridgway died, at 69, in 1845 D Quarter in WELLINGTON Volume 10 Page 322 and was buried on 14 Dec 1845 at St John the Baptist, Ashbrittle.

In 1851, Jane Ridgway (76) Widow, from Uffculme, Devon, was a lodger in the household of Thomas Salter (32) Ag Lab from Wiveliscombe. Also lodging in his household were Mary Taylor (32) Widow and her five children. The youngest, James Taylor, then 2 months old, b. 1851 M Quarter in WELLINGTON (SOMERSET & DEVON) Volume 10 Page 523, shows his mother's maiden name was RIDGEWAY. (James Taylor married Mary Ridgway on 11 Sep 1836 in Ashbrittle, Somerset. In 1841, they were living at Bourden Gate Cottage, Hockworthy and James Taylor died, aged 31 - with the census on 30 March 1851, it must have been days before - with his death registered in 1851 J Quarter in WELLINGTON-SOMERSET AND DEVON Volume 10 Page 367. Thomas Salter then married widow, Mary Taylor in the 4th quarter of 1851. James Taylor and Mary Ridgway, clearly were family. 

Jane Ridgway died, age estimated as 77, in 1853 M Quarter in WELLINGTON - SOMERSET AND DEVON Volume 05C Page 294 and was buried on 13 Feb 1853, also at St John the Baptist, Ashbrittle.