No doubt you have already found that Albert Ridgers was a butcher in 1891, and his wife a tobacconist, but did you also know he kept appearing in court as a witness, and once for bankruptcy as a tobacconist & butcher.
Here are some articles about him somewhat condensed.
Isle of Wight Observer (Ryde, England), Saturday, April 04, 1891; pg. 6; Issue 2014
Albert Edward Ridgers in April 1891 was living at 58, High Street, Ryde, was a tobacconist on the Isle of Wight, but his business was sometimes in trouble, but until October 1891, it was other people who came to his shop who were in trouble and not him .In the paper reference above he suffered a theft when two smartly dressed persons came into his shop and stole a tobacco pouch value 9d. The police the following week saw the two people again and they were arrested & charged with the offence of Albert had identified them as the two people who were in his hop the previous week.
Isle of Wight Observer (Ryde, England), Saturday, October 24, 1891; pg. 6; Issue 2043
However by the date above, Albert was bankrupt-apparently he commenced business as a tobacconist 18 months previous to this report, so in 1889, but in December 1890 as well as being a tobacconist he went into partnership with an Alexander Burfoot as a butcher, but made no profit but still took £1 a week from the business. They bought the meat from the London markets but most of it was bad, so had to bury it. They had offered their creditors 5shillings in the pound, but they wouldn’t accept it.
Isle of Wight Observer (Ryde, England), Saturday, July 09, 1892; pg. 6; Issue 2080
However by this date above, Albert was still in High Street & still a tobacconist, as he was giving evidence again against a man charged with perjury.
Isle of Wight Observer (Ryde, England), Saturday, February 24, 1894; pg. 6; Issue 2165.
On this occasion our hero is still a tobacconist at 58, High Street, and again in court at Ryde giving evidence, not in trouble himself.
Isle of Wight Observer (Ryde, England), Saturday, April 07, 1894; pg. 6; Issue 2171. 19th Century British Library Newspapers: Part II
That case, one of theft of a gold watch went to the Quarter Sessions in Winchester, and again Albert had to go there and give evidence, which he did and his evidence was sufficient to send the prisoner to prison.
After that date he doesn’t appear again in the news.
Tom
