Person:John Berridge (1)

John Berridge was baptised on 21st August 1831 at Benefield in Northamptonshire, son of Sarah Berridge, formerly Stanion, and her husband John Berridge, an agricultural labourer. The family lived in the Upper Benefield area of the parish. All four of John’s grandparents were alive when he was born; his paternal grandparents also lived in Benefield, whilst his maternal grandparents lived in the nearby town of Oundle.

John was the first child that his parents had together, although his mother had been married before and had one surviving son from her first marriage, who was nearly thirteen years old when John was born. John would also have two younger sisters, although the youngest died as a baby.

John’s maternal grandmother died in Oundle in December 1835. Seven months later, in July 1836, John’s mother died, when John was only four or five years old. Two months later, John’s maternal grandfather died as well.

In February 1837, John’s father married again. His second wife was Mary Hibbins, who thus became John’s stepmother. However, she died less than a year later in January 1838. John’s half brother died aged twenty in 1839.

The 1841 census finds John living with his father and sister at Upper Benefield. John’s paternal grandmother died in 1847. The 1851 census finds John living with his father at Upper Benefield and working as an agricultural labourer.

Mary and John

On 31st January 1853, aged 21, John married Mary Palmer at Benefield. She was from the neighbouring village of Glapthorn. John’s paternal grandfather died the following month.

John and Mary stayed in Benefield for the first few years after their marriage, having have ten children there between 1854 and 1875, although two died young.

In 1858 John was convicted of violently assaulting a man called Charles Swann. He was sentenced to two months’ hard labour.

The 1861 and 1871 censuses both find John, Mary and their children living in Benefield, with the 1871 census noting that they lived at Upper Benefield. At different times John was described as a wood labourer, carpenter, woodman, and higgler.

Some time between 1875 and 1881 John and Mary moved from Benefield to Glapthorn. The 1881 and 1891 censuses each find John and Mary living in Glapthorn with some of their children, and their grandson Albert (their daughter Ruth’s son) whom they raised.

Mary died on 7th August 1896, aged about 62 years old. John survived her by nearly seven years. He appears in the 1901 census living alone on Lower Street in Glapthorn.

John died on 12th July 1903, aged 71. He was buried at Glapthorn.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish Church of Benefield (Northamptonshire). Parish registers, 1570-1904. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire County Record Office, 1994?).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Benefield in the County of Northampton in the Year 1831
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   293	August 21	John	John and Sarah	Berridge	Upper Benefield	Labourer	John Miller, Rector

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 808; Book 2; Folio 8; Page 9, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Upper Benefield, Benefield, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, male, 45 [1791-6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   John Berridge, male, 10 [1830/1], born in county
   Sarah Berridge, female, 8 [1832/3], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1746; Folio 254; Page 9, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Upper Benefield, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, head, widower, male, 56 [1794/5], Agicultural Lab[oure]r, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, son, unmarried, male, 18 [1832/3], Agicultural Lab[oure]r, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 962; Folio 68; Page 11, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Benefield, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, head, married, male, 29 [1831/2], Wood Lab[ourer], b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Mary Berridge, wife, married, female, 27 [1833/4], b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   Mary Ann Berridge, daughter, female, 6 [1854/5], Scholar, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, son, male, 5 [1855/6], b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Sarah Jane Berridge, daughter, female, 4 [1856/7], b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   George Berridge, son, male, 1 [1859/60], b. Benefield, Northamptonshire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1512; Folio 68; Page 12, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Upper Benefield, Benefield, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, head, married, male, 37 [1833/4], Laborer, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Mary Berridge, wife, married, female, 38 [1832/3], b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, son, male, 15 [1855/6], Laborer, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Sarah J. Berridge, daughter, female, 14 [1856/7], Scholar, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Eliza Berridge, daughter, female, 8 [1862/3], Scholar, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Ruth Berridge, daughter, female, 7 [1863/4], Scholar, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Eli Berridge, son, male, 4 [1866/7], b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Edna Berridge, daughter, female, 6mo [1870], b. Benefield, Northamptonshire

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1587; Folio 93; Page 7, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, head, married, male, 48 [1832/3], Higgler, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Mary Berridge, wife, married, female, 47 [1833/4], b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, son, unmarried, male, 25 [1855/6], Higgler, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Eli Berridge, son, male, 14 [1866/7], b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Edna Berridge, daughter, female, 10 [1870/1], Scholar, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Levi Berridge, son, male, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Albert E. Berridge, son, male, 1 [1879/80], b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire

7. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1224; Folio 83; Page 5, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Village Street, Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, head, married, male, 58 [1832/3], Carpenter, employed, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Mary Berridge, wife, married, female, 56 [1834/5], b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire
   Levi Berridge,son, male, 16 [1876/7], Agricultural laborer, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire
   Albert Edward Berridge, grandson, male, 11 [1879/80], School boy, b. Glapthorne, Northamptonshire

8. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1456; Folio 73; Page 4, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Lower Street, Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   John Berridge, head, widower, male, 68 [1832/3], Woodman and rough carpenter, worker, b. Benefield, Northamptonshire

9. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. John BERRIDGE, September Quarter 1903, Oundle Registration District, Volume 3b, page 109, aged 70 [1832/3]

10. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Glapthorn Parish Registers, 1538-1957. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire County Record Office).

    BURIALS in the Parish of Glapthorn in the County of Northampton in the Year 1903
    No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
    575	John Berridge	Glapthorn	July 15th	70 y[ea]rs [1832/3]	Francis Buttanshaw, Vicar

11. ↑ Monumental Inscription.

    IN LOVING MEMORY OF
    MARY
    THE BELOVED WIFE OF
    JOHN BERRIDGE
    WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE
    August 7th 1896
    AGED 63 YEARS
    SHE IS NOT DEAD BUT SLEEPETH
    ALSO
    JOHN BERRIDGE
    WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE
    JULY 12th 1903
    AGED 70 YEARS

12.   Northampton Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 3, Saturday 29 May 1858.

    OUNDLE.
    PETTY SESSIONS, MAY 24…
    John Berridge, labourer, of Benefield, was charged with violently assaulting Charles Swann, of the same place, on the 19th inst. Penalty and costs £5, in default of paying which he was committed for two months’ hard labour.

    While there were two other John Berridges living in Benefield at this time, they were aged about 15 and 11 at this time, making it less likely that the article refers to either of them.

13.   Northampton Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 7, Saturday 12 Jan 1878.

    OUNDLE
    PETTY SESSIONS, TUESDAY, 8TH JANUARY…
    John Berridge pleaded guilty to being drunk, at Benefield, while in charge of a horse and cart. – The case was briefly stated by P.C. Richards, stationed at the village named. – The Chairman, after remarking upon the danger connected with the defendant’s conduct, ordered payment of £1, and informed him that upon a repetition of the offence imprisonment would follow.

    The John Berridge referred to in this article may alternatively be John’s son, or another John Berridge who was an agricultural labourer living at Benefield.

14.   Northampton Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 8, Saturday 22 Nov 1879.

    OUNDLE
    PETTY SESSIONS, NOVEMBER 18TH...
    John Berridge, higgler, Benefield, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly, in Oundle, on the 2nd inst.-Defendant, who has been previously convicted, was ordered to pay fine and costs 9s. 6d.

    The John Berridge referred to in this article may alternatively refer to John’s son, who was also described as a higgler in the 1881 census.