David Ridge

Ancestors

Husband of Grace (Wooley) Ridge — married 21 Nov 1754 in Duffield, Derbyshire, England

Descendants

Died before 1 Jul 1788 in Duffield, Derbyshire, England [uncertain]

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Biography

Will

Job: yeoman

Wife: Grace

Daughter: Catherine Hardwick

Son: Thomas Ridge

Sister: Martha Lichfield (Abram Harrison)

Brother: Edward Ridge

John Woolley of Mattock executor

Heage Hall and Its owners III - Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal 23 February 1924^[1]

We will take up the story of the Ridges. At the foot of a hill called Rosemary Hill, lived a Mrs. Hill and her family. Mrs Hill was very friendly with Mrs. Ridge, when dying, revealed the story of her husband's confession. Mrs. Ridge came into possession at her husband's death and was succeeded by her eldest son, he in turn by his son David, who neither decreased nor added to the Ridge property. The fourth in succession was Thomas, in whose time the estate greatly increased, because Heage Common had been dealt with under an Enclosure Act, and he received a good share of this common land. He built a barn which still stand and is known as Ridge's barn. He was also the builder of the new chapel at Ridgeway on land which, it is said, he had obtained in a rather questionable way, so that the chapel, when in use, had no title deeds, because Ridge, the builder, had no title to give. This Thomas Ridge married a Miss Woolley, and her brother married Miss Argile, of Heage Hall, thus bringing the two families into relationship. At Thomas Ridge's death he left his eldest son John the homestead and farm attached, to his second son David, the "Spanker Inn" and land attached. These properties were valued at £3,000 and £2,000 respectively. George, the third son, was to be brought up to trade, and to him and the two daughters, Sarah and Rebecca, were left suitable portions when they came of age. Soon after Thomas Ridge's death his widow (formerly Miss Woolley) married again, this time a farmer named Hopkinson, so for nine years until Ridge's eldest son attained his majority his mother and stepfather had the farm rent free. When John Ridge came of age the Hopkinsons left the place and eventually died in poor circumstances.

John Ridge, of Ridgeway, was a good farmer, but had to start with borrowed money to stock his farm, was rather too fond of coursing, and besides was almost ruined by his sister who kept house for him. This sister subsequently married a farmer named Bowman and they went to live in Lincolnshire. John Ridge went steadily down in the world until he became an ostler in an inn at Alfreton, dying in middle age. David Ridge who had the "Spanker" and land adjoining left it, took a farm at Elton, and later sold his interests in Heage, so that for more than a century the name of Ridge has disappeared, thus fulfilling the first Ridge's prediction.

Sources

1. ↑ Newspaper article https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0001084%2f19240223%2f072

* Will http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbprs%2fstaff%2fwills%2f439009

• "England, Derbyshire, Church of England Parish Registers, 1537-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KBD5-RXT : 29 December 2014), David Ridge, 01 Jul 1788; citing Burial, Duffield, Duffield, Derbyshire, England, Record Office, Matlock; FHL microfilm 1,041,429.