Person:John Ridge (4)

The following information was obtained from a letter dated April 27, 1964 written by Aunt Jes sie (Guy Ridge's sister)..... Her address at the time was 570 Main St., Hingham, Mass.

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John Henry Ridgehad been a prison governor in England having inherited the position from hi s father. He hated the job and so broke away from his family coming to Portland, Maine. He to ok a job as a clerk in a law firm. That was the way that people learned to be lawyers. Event ually, he gave that up and spent most of his life as anofficer in a Portland Bank. He neer at tained much success because he was justtoo English for the hurly-burly American lifestyle. H e became a naturalized citizen.

John Henry was born in a little town in Nothern England named Appleby.It is a beautiful littl e town almost cut off into an island by the river Edenwhich goes around it in a horseshoe whi ch almost meets. The ruins of the prisonare still there where the Ridge men were Governers. T he Ridge house with a view off to the Perinine Hills [?] - the house is still called "Parki n Hill." I have been there, and so have John and Mardi. All the Ridge ancestors are buried i n a church-yard on the hill at the top of the town. And at the other church right in the town , there is the communion service which the Ridge family gave years and years ago. The only th ing I know about your great great grandmother Ridgeis that she came from a town in the middl e of England called Nutfield [?] andher name was Mary.