KEIGHTLEY + RUDKIN

[Nick Cox]

Hi again Annie,

I now have my notes in front of me and am able to cut and paste from the verbatim entries I originally copied out of the said book at the records office. (I think I mis-remembered the odd name earlier, so sorry to confuse you, but basically my theory/evidence is as I tried to explain it). It was in fact Matthew Rudkin's GRANDFATHER, not gtgrandfather, who appears to be the first one from the huge Leicester Rudkin clan of builders, to be qualified as a master in that trade after starting his apprenticeship as bricklayer/builder/mason in 1748.

The book I found is a definitive list of all of Leicester's freemen and traces each man's ancestry when he is presented and becomes a freeman - so it is quite easy to trace each one's father, grandfather etc   All the Rudkins are published there as they in turn are enrolled at each generation.  The book also has a list of these freemen's apprentices - we have two relevant references in that section. I quote :

"Register of Apprentices (to the Freemen).
•   Sept 17th 1748.  Benjamin Keightley, son of James of Newtown Linford, Co. Leics. victualler, apprenticed to Thomas Rudkin of Quorndon, Co. Leics. mason, from 29th Sept last.

•   Oct 10th 1767.  John Warner, son of John of Newtown Linford, Co. Leics. framework knitter, apprenticed to Benjamin Keatley of the same, mason, from 30th Sept last. "

Then, under the whole section of men/families who subsequently become masters themselves in their particular trade and can then be presented (by their fathers ?) to the committee which enrolls them as freemen, we have the following names and dates for their becoming a freeman of the city:

"Register of Freemen   

•   Aug 20th 1767.  Benjamin Keatley, alias Benjamin Keatley Rudkin, apprentice of Thos Rudkin of Quorndon, Co. Leic

•   May 27th 1796.  Benjamin Keatley, now called Benjamin Rudkin, 2nd freeborn son of Benjamin Keatley of Newtown Linford, stonemason (who is also called Benjamin Rudkin) who was apprenticed to Thos Rudkin of Quorndon.

•   May 28th 1796.  Joseph Keatley, now called Rudkin, 3rd freeborn son of Benjamin Keatley of Newtown Linford, stonemason (who is also called Benjamin Rudkin), who was apprenticed to Thos Rudkin of Quorndon.

•   May 30th 1796.  Samuel Keatley, now called Rudkin, eldest freeborn son of Benjamin Keatley of Newtown Linford, stonemason (who is called Benjamin Rudkin), who was apprenticed to Thos Rudkin of Quorndon.

•   May 31st 1825.  John Rudkin, otherwise Keightley Rudkin, eldest son of Benjamin, who was 2nd freeborn son of Benjamin Keatley (sic) otherwise Benjamin Rudkin.

•   May 26th 1826.  Samuel Rudkin, bricklayer, 2nd son of Benjamin Keightley Rudkin, who was 2nd freeborn son of Benjamin.

•   May 29th 1826.  Joseph Keightley Rudkin of Blaby, bricklayer, 1st son of Roderick Rudkin, bricklayer, who was 5th son of Benjamin Keightley.

•   June 15th 1826.  Samuel Rudkin of Blaby, bricklayer, 2nd son of Roderick Keightley Rudkin, who was 5th son of Benjamin Keightley.

•   July 14th 1832.  William Keightley Rudkin of Blaby, bricklayer, 3rd son of Roderick Keightley Rudkin of the same, who was 5th son of Benjamin.

•   July 28th 1832.  Issac Rudkin of Evington, bricklayer, 2nd son of Samuel Keatley, who was 1st freeborn son of Benjamin.

•   July 28th 1832.  Samuel Rudkin of Thurnby, bricklayer, 3rd son of the said Samuel Keatley. "


I also have a photo of a photocopy I made of the later list of freemen, namely 1836-1930, for all the more recent Rudkins.  I am happy to email you that photo if you wish. Just ask me to send it to you in an email (nickcox425@gmail.com)   

So from what my family have told me (as a young boy, my great uncle remembered visiting his great-grandfather Matthew Rudkin at Cossington in about 1910) and by looking at the lists of fathers and sons, and their sons etc in the above book, I have worked out the following line (without necessarily checking and proving each step in the parish records). So I am pretty sure that my 3x gtgrandfather Matthew Rudkin (c1819-1911) was the 5th freeborn son of Roderick Keightley Rudkin, he was the 5th freeborn son of Benjamin Keightley Rudkin (the young man who in 1748 was apprenticed to a certain Thomas Rudkin) and he was the son of James Keightley of Newtown Linford, victualler.

Hope this makes sense.
Nick

[Annie65115]

It makes sense -- but I'm not sure that the theory fits with the info that I have.

I don't have copies of the PRs but I have seen them and Benjamin RUDKIn was def the baseborn son of Elisabeth RUDKIN in NL in 1730. I have also seen the copies of the marriage PRs for NL, and Benjamin RUDKIN m, firstly, Elizabeth Shicklewood on 17 May 1756. Witnesses were John Halls and William Keightley; and on the same day, in the same church, Matthew RUDKIN also married.

Benjamin remarried Dorothy Bethany on 17 May 1766 and remarried again to Sarah Fosberry on 16 Jan 1787. All marriages at Newton Linford.

I have in front of me now the copy of the settlement certificate, dated 6 Jan 1757. It is to the church wardens and overseers of the poor of Newton Linford, from the same worthies of Quordon;
"We do hereby own and acknowledge Bnj. Rudkin and Elizabeth his wife and their Issue to be our inhabitants Legally Settled in the Town of Quorndon  (etc etc)
attested by John Rudkin and David Tate (church wardens and overseers were 4 more men).

Underneath it continues
"We whose names are hereunto subscribed. Two of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace ---do allow of the above written certificate --- do also certify that John Rudkin one of ye witnesses --hath made oath ---
(etc)
dated 7 Jan 1757.

So no mention here of Keightley whatsoever.

I reckoned thus:
Elisabeth, Benjamin's mother, was probably the one bapt 1712 in Quorndon. Her father was Matthew; her siblings included John, Matthew, Thomas (+ others). Whilst this does not provide PROOF, I suspect that E was maybe working in NL when she fell pregnant, the rest of the family still being in Quorndon, and the other Rudkins named on these various certificates were probably Benjamin's uncles.

So who was James Keightley? I've seen trees which suggest that Elisabeth married someone of that name and certainly there were Keightley children born in Newtown Linford to parents James and Elizabeth between 1731-1754  (including William Keightley 1735 -- Benjamin's wedding witness??)

So was James K simply Benjamin's stepfather? (Or of course his natural father but not registered ass such due to illegitimac!) That would account for Benjamin using his birthname of Rudkin on official documentation but the putative family name of Keightley at other times. And under this theory, Benjamin Rudkin/Keightley would have been apprenticed to his uncle Thomas in Quorndon.

I've never found a marriage for James K and Elizabeth which is a shame because that might clear things up!

(BTW the Rudkins in Quorndon and, before that, Mountsorrel, were also involved in building - I'm sure I saw "slater" as the trade for an earlier Rudkin ancestor)

What are your thoughts on this?

BY the way, I agree that Matthew was Roderick's 5th son (and 8th child out of 9; my ancestor was son no 4, William). I make Roderick the 6th born son of Benjamin, but his first son, Benjamin, obviously died in childhood as the name was reused a few years later.

[Annie65115]

I went to the records office a few days ago and can confirm that the Newtown Linford baptismal record contains the following baptism:

Benjamin base child of Elizabeth Rudkin 24 Feb 1733

The first baptism I could see for James Keightley and Elizabeth was William Keightley in 1735.

I couldn't see any marriage for James Keightley inbetween 1733-1735.

James may have been Benjamin's father; he may well have been Benjamin's step father; but this shows that Benjamin was definitely a Rudkin at birth.