Person:James Claridge (1)

James Claridge was baptised on 9th December 1809 at Offley in Hertfordshire, son of John and Ann Claridge. He would later give his place of birth more precisely as Cockernhoe, a hamlet to the west of the parish, close to the border with Luton in Bedfordshire.

On 12th June 1830, aged 20, James married Amelia Hill. They appear to have had at least eight children together. The 1841 census finds them living at Cockernhoe Green. James was working as an agricultural labourer.

Amelia died early in 1851, aged 39. The census taken a couple of months later finds James and seven children still living at Cockernhoe.

In 1854, aged 44, James married again. His second wife was Sarah Studman, formerly Swallow. Her first husband had been transported to Australia in 1845 for stealing straw plait, and he was in fact still alive when James and Sarah married. Presumably Sarah was relying on the convention that she was free to marry again after seven years' desertion. They married in the neighbouring town of Luton, but then returned to the Offley area after their marriage.

The 1861 census finds James and Sarah living at an unspecified location in the parish of Offley, along with some of James's children and Sarah's niece, Ann Swallow. James's son Sidney would later go on to marry Ann Swallow.

Sarah died in 1870, aged 68. The 1871 census finds James living with his son Sidney and family at 'Crutchmore', which is presumably Crouchmoor, a farm in Offley parish very close to Cockernhoe.

James died at the age of 67. He was buried at Offley on 4th May 1877.

1. ↑ Church of England. Offley Parish Registers, 1653-1943. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   Baptisms / 1809 / Dec[embe]r 9 / James Son of John & Ann Claridge

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 445; Book 12; Folio 33; Page 9, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Cockernhoe Green, Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Clarridge, male, 28 [1812/13], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Milley Clarridge, female, 30 [1806-11], born in county
   David Clarridge, male, 6 [1834/5], born in county
   James Clarridge, male, 4 [1836/7], born in county
   Sidney Clarridge, male, 6 months [1840], 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 1710; Folio 399; Page 18, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Cockernhoe, Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Clarridge, head, widower, male, 40 [1810/11], Farm Labourer, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Ann Clarridge, daughter, unmarried, female, 17 [1833/4], Straw Plater, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   David Clarridge, son, male, 15 [1835/6], Straw Plater, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Clarridge, son, unmarried, male, 13 [1837/8], Straw Plater, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Sidney Clarridge, son, unmarried, male, 11 [1839/40], Scholar, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Lucy Clarridge, daughter, unmarried, female, 6 [1844/5], Scholar, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Elizabeth Clarridge, daughter, unmarried, female, 4 [1846/7], Scholar, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   George Clarridge, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1831/2], Straw Plater, b. Barton, Bedfordshire

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 821; Folio 45; Page 17, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Cottage, Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Cloridge, head, married, male, 49 [1811/12], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Sarah Cloridge, wife, married, female, 54 [1806/7], Laundress, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   James Cloridge, son, unmarried, male, 22 [1838/9], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Sidney Cloridge, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1841/2], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Lucy Cloridge, daughter, female, 16 [1844/5], Scholar, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Elizabeth Cloridge, daughter, female, 14 [1846/7], Scholar, b. Offley, Hertfordshire
   Ann Swalow, niece, unmarried, female, 18 [1842/3], Straw Work, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire

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 1370; Folio 40; Page 6, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Crutchmore, Offley, Hertfordshire
   Clarridge, Sidney, head, married, male, 30 [1840/1], Engine Driver, b. Cockernhoe, Hertfordshire
   Clarridge, Ann, wife, female, 27 [1843/4], Straw Plaitter, b. Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
   Clarridge, Alfred, son, unmarried, male, 6 [1864/5], Scholar, b. Cockernhoe, Hertfordshire
   Clarridge, Sidney, son, male, 1 [1869/70], Infant, b. Cockernhoe, Hertfordshire
   Clarridge, James, father, widower, male, 60 [1810/11], Labourer, b. Cockernhoe, Hertfordshire

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

   d. James CLARIDGE, June Quarter 1877, Hitchin Registration District, Volume 3a, page 203, aged 67 [1809/10]

7. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Offley Parish Registers, 1653-1943. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Offley in the County of Hertford in the year One thousand eight hundred and 77.
   No. 145
   Name: James Claridge
   Abode: Cockernhoe
   When buried: May 4th 1877
   Age: 66 [1810/11]
   By whom the Ceremony was performed: J.W. Sawyer, Curate