Bridges Family Nettlestead and Wetherden

[niborscout]

Hi all

Although I have been on Rootschat for some time I have never posted as I have been concentrating on the Maternal side of my family (Urwin) which is solidly rooted in the North East and therefore local.

I have put off looking at my Paternal side as I was aware that my Grandfather was an Itinerant Agricultural worker and was likely to prove more problematic.

I have traced him back to Nettlestead in suffolk hence this post (I note that there are a lot of Bridges in Suffolk) my Grandfather was  -

Sydney Mordant Bridges b1878 Nettlstead ( at some point living on ofton Rd)

Father was Henry Bridges b 2 Sept 1851 Wetherden who married Emily Laffling of Nettlestead on 29th Oct 1873.

Father of Henry was another Henry Bridges b 1820 Wetherden who married Francis (Fanny) Miller in 1847

Father of Henry was William Bridges b 1783 who married someone called Bridget

Does any of the above link to anyone's Bridges tree?

Any advice on how to proceed further back than William when I am located in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Any ideas why Sydney would have relocated from Suffolk to Co. Durham somewhere between 1891 and 1901.

It is a sad fact that although my grandfather had nine children only 1 is still alive (my fathers twin brother) and he can throw no light on the subject.

Any assistance from Rootschatter's would be appreciated

Thanks in advance

Robin

[suffolk*sue]

Suffolk Marriage Index

William Bridges
Bridget Baker
1st February, 1803
Old Newton

[niborscout]

Thank you for the quick response another piece of the jigsaw collected

[Suffolk Mawther]

Any ideas why Sydney would have relocated from Suffolk to Co. Durham somewhere between 1891 and 1901.

Probably because he read an advertisement in the East Anglian Daily Times, or saw a recruiting officer who would be travelling around the Suffolk villages - finding workers to go to the north east and become miners.

If he was an itinerant agricultural labourer he would not be settled on a farm and have a tied cottage.  Life would have been difficult, work would mostly be available only on fine days.  There would be weeks with no work and no money.

The lure of steady work and accommodation took many Suffolk lads to the north east in the late 1800s.

Sorry to say I have no links to the villages mentioned.

Pat ...

[niborscout]

Hi again

Probably did not explain myself properly, No evidence of being itinerant worker in Suffolk this happened after he moved to Durham area spent his entire life on farms all over the North East. Hours of endless fun tracking them all down but I have most of them now (in excess of 20). Not one of the Bridges side was involved in Mining. The Urwin's on the other hand were down the Pit from the early days but were farmers before that in and around Newcastle.

Just wondered if there were economic rasons in suffolk around that time that would lead my Grandfather to Move so far away from his family.

Thanks for your thoughts

Robin

[Suffolk Mawther]

Economic reasons.

When researching WWI lads, many who were listed on a village memorial in Suffolk had actually moved away before war broke out.   I had one who had moved to Canada and was working on a prairie farm, two others who died as Australian soldiers - they were Suffolk boys working on Australian farms.  Yet another was working as a milkman in London in 1911.

He may have been lured by the talk of good regular work in the mines, but when he arrived found it was not what he was expecting at all.  Decided to continue with what he knew, farming.

A friend/s from his village may have settled in Durham and he decided to join them,  no end of possibilities 

Pat ...

[niborscout]

Hi Pat

Fair comment.

To be fair I do not blame him for staying in farming. A lot safer than working down the pit and a chance to live a lot longer. My Grandfather Sydney lived to age 79 nobody on the other side got anywhere near. At least one died down the pit and another survived one of the many Northern Pit disasters. So I reckon Sydney made a decent decision whatever his reason for moving North,

Thanks

Robin

[graybridges]

Hi Robin - I believe I am on this Bridges line.... im doing a load of research at the moment and have got back as far as William and Bridgette Bridges (nee Baker) who I believe to be my Paternal and biological G,G,G,G,GPs....

I'm running out of records to map back further and looking for any and all info so please get in touch if you want to share/ compare notes...

btw, bizarre question but you wouldnt be related to Ben Hugh Bridges would you?

cheers

[niborscout]

Hello there

Sorry for the late reply, for some reason I never noticed your reply.

I am indeed descended from William and Bridgette Bridges (nee Baker). am very happy for us to compare notes and see what we have come up with.

Definitely not descended from Ben Hugh Bridges. (Sorry)

Robin