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

Monday 2 August 2021

Frederick John Bridle and Florence M L Coleman

Medjez-El-Bab Memorial Verity CridlandCC BY 2.0

Frederick John Bridle, youngest child of John Lucas Bridle and Alice Brewer, married Florence Melita Louisa Coleman, in Bristol, in 1934. 

They had a daughter in 1935. And in 1939, we find them in Wells Road [Totterdown], Bristol, with Frederick working as a "Labourer Arp Shelters". 

Frederick John Bridle (30), Driver, Royal Army Service Corps, son of  J. and Alice Bridle; husband of Florence Melitia Bridle, of Totterdown, Bristol, died on 9 Feb 1943. He is buried at Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery, near Majaz al BabTunisia. (Tunisia was the scene of Operation Torch (8 Nov 1942 – 13 May 1943), the Allied invasion of North Africa. CWGC Commonwealth War Graves in Béja & Medjez-el-Bab, Tunisia, North Africa.)

Frederick's widow, Florence M L Bridle, died in 1988, at 78, in Bristol.

John Lucas Bridle and Alice Brewer

Stoke Canon Post Office & Stores
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Bill Boaden - geograph.org.uk/p/4054054

John Lucas Bridle (b. 11 Jun 1879), son of Henry Bridle and Emma Lucas, married Alice Brewer, in Exeter in early 1899. Alice, born in Newton St Cyres, on 29 Jul 1881 and baptised there on 2 Oct 1881, was the daughter of Thomas Brewer from Morchard Bishop and Sarah Heywood.

John and Alice had five children:
  1. Emma Bridle b. 29 Apr 1899, bap. 18 Jun 1899 in Stoke Canon
  2. Frances Annie Bridle b. 12 Dec 1900, bap. 6 Feb 1901 in Stoke Canon
  3. William Henry Bridle b. 1902 (Died aged 2, and was buried on 14 Apr 1904 in Stoke Canon. Curiously, the burial record specifies that the child was "unbaptised" and that "Burial Service not used".)
  4. George Henry Bridle b. 6 Jan 1906, bap. 18 Mar 1906 in Stoke Canon
  5. Frederick John Bridle b. 18 Dec 1912, bap. 22 Feb 1913 in Stoke Canon
All of the children's baptisms list John as a Paper Maker.

In 1901, John Lucas Bridle (21) Paper mill labourer, Alice (19), Emma (1) and Frances Anne (0) were living at Channings Court, Stoke Canon.

And in 1911, in The Square, Stoke Canon, were John Bridle (30) Paper millhand, Alice (30) Paper sorter, Emma (12), Annie (11) and George (5). 

In 1915 the village of Stoke Canon, just north of Exeter, was the centre of a bitter strike. [...] Workers were in dispute over a pay claim and recognition of the National Union of Printing and Paper Workers. Charles Tremlett, Managing Director of the Stoke Canon Paper Mill, responded by sacking the workers and evicting them from their tied cottages. With nowhere else to go, the union bought the families tents and they were forced to camp in a local field. The strikers won widespread support from around the area. The village schoolteachers took up the cause and funds were raised to support them.

Among the strikers (pictured here) were John Bridle and family, who lived at The Square. They must have moved on, as there's a note on George Henry's school record, dated 15 Oct 1915, which says "Left the Place".

In 1921, John Lucas Bridle (42) Paper Maker at Smith Stone & Knight Avon Side Paper Works, Bristol, was living at 117, Philip Street, Bristol, Gloucestershire with Alice Bridle (40), George Henry Bridle (15) General Factory Hand at Smith Stone & Knight and Frederick John Bridle (8), 

In 1939, John Bridle, Incapacitated and Alice, were at 17 Philip Street, Bristol.

John L Bridle died in 1956, aged 77; Alice Bridle in 1964, aged 83. 

Mark Bridle and Maud Lucy Medcalf

Victoria Street, Exeter
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Harper - geograph.org.uk/p/293678

Mark Bridle (b. 9 Jan 1876), son of Henry Bridle and Emma Lucas, married Maud Lucy Medcalf (b. 20 Mar 1882 in Peckham, London), daughter of Arthur Charles Medcalf and Eliza Dale, in St Pancras, London, in 1905. Wonder how they met? Maud's father was from Ballingdon, then in Essex (now a suburb of Sudbury in Suffolk) and her mother from Kensington. 

In 1911, Mark Bridle (35) Blacksmith, Maud Lucy (29); Mark's parents, William Henry (66), Emma (62); nephew, Harry (3) and Elizabeth Deroney (72), were living in Stoke Canon, Devon. Could it be that they also moved away from Stoke Canon as a consequence of the strike at the paper mill, in which his brother John had been caught up in, in 1915?

Their only child, Arthur Albert Mark Bridle, was born on 18 Mar 1917.

In 1921, Mark Bridle (46) Motor Driver; Maud Lucy Bridle (38) and Arthur Albert Mark Bridle (5), were living at 68 Victoria Street, Exeter, Devon.

In 1939, Mark Bridle, Chauffer / Gardener, wife Maud Lucy and son Arthur Albert Mark Bridle, Electrician, were still at 68 Victoria Street, Exeter. 

Maud Lucy Bridle died in Exeter, in 1957, aged 75. 

Mark Bridle of 49 West Grove Road, Exeter died on 25 Feb 1958, aged 82, at 200 Woodwater Lane, Exeter, leaving his effects to Arthur Albert Mark Bridle.

Arthur Albert Mark Bridle died on 19 Jun 2005, also in Exeter.

Thursday 29 July 2021

Herbert William Proudlock and Dorothy May Shilcock

Paddington Station
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Malc McDonald - geograph.org.uk/p/5120568

Herbert William Proudlock and Dorothy May Shilcock married, in Portsmouth, in 1922. Herbert William Proudlock's birth was registered in Paddington, London, in 1896. There's no mother's maiden name on the registration, so we must assume that his was an illegitimate birth. But, similarly, it hasn't been possible, without the certificate, to even identify his mother. 

There's no obvious Miss Proudlock born or living locally, so he may well have been found on said station and have had a penchant for marmalade.

In 1911, H W Proudlock (14) from Paddington, London, turns up in the household of a F W Rackley (38) General Labourer, at Westborough Road, Maidenhead, Bisham Bray, Berkshire, described as a Foster Son, but employed as a Page Boy. Not surprising then that he goes to sea. Herbert William Proudlock (b. 30 Apr 1896) enlisted in the Royal Navy, aged 15, on 9 Feb 1912. On his naval record, his previous occupation, "House Boy" was later crossed out and expressed as Domestic Servant. On 30 Apr 1914, his 18th birthday, he signed up for a further 12 years and spent the First World War doing short tours on a wide variety of ships. On 29 Apr 1936, Herbert was Pensioned. Then on 1 Apr 1938, was brought back into service again, served through World War II, being finally released on 17 Sep 1945.

Dorothy May Shilcock, meanwhile, was the daughter of Alfred Eli Shilcock and Florence Ada Poat, who married at St Mary's Church, Portsea, on 6 Nov 1902. Dorothy May Shilcock, born 2 Oct 1901, was baptised on 27 Sep 1908 at St Bartholomew's Church, Southsea (no longer standing?), along with her sister Rosa Louisa and brother Alfred Eli, who had been born on 10 Aug 1908. In 1911, the family, living at 3 Addison Road Southsea, Portsmouth, consisted Alfred Shilcock (38) Engine Fitter, Florence (31), Dorothy (9), Rosa (7), Doris (5), Alfred (2) and Ernest (0). (Although they listed the boys first.)

Herbert and Dorothy had three sons:
  1. Frederick William Eli Proudlock b. 5 Nov 1923
  2. Stanley Victor Proudlock b. 25 Dec 1928
  3. (Further son born 1934 may be still living)
In 1939, Dorothy M Proudlock was living at 75 Lovett Road, Portsmouth with her three sons, while her husband was at sea. Frederick had become a Shop Assistant at a Pawnbroker. (Frederick died, in Portsmouth, in 1997).

Herbert William Proudlock of 34 St. Chad's Avenue, North End, Portsmouth, died on 19 Feb 1970. Dorothy May Proudlock died on 20 Jul 1974.

Wednesday 28 July 2021

Stanley Victor Proudlock and Theresa Margaret Clancy

Downtown Orangeville Municipal Affairs and Housing, CC BY 2.0

In 1951, Theresa Margaret Clancy, daughter of Patrick Michael Clancy and Rosina Kathleen Stone, married Stanley Victor Proudlock (b. 25 Dec 1928), son of Herbert William Proudlock and Dorothy May Shilcock, in Portsmouth. 

This couple had twin boys in 1953 and on 14 May 1954, Stanley V Proudlock (25) a Riveter of 87 Eastney Caravan Site, Portsmouth embarked in Southampton on Cunard's RMS Samaria, bound for Quebec. On 11 Jun 1954, Theresa Proudlock (26) and their two 8 month old sons followed, also on RMS Samaria

The couple later added a daughter.

Theresa Margaret Proudlock (née Clancy), "passed away peacefully at home with family by her side on Thursday, September 25, 2014 at the age of 87." [Source] Stanley Victor Proudlock died on 8 May 2015. They are buried together at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Orangeville, Ontario, Canada.