William Roddis (1841 - 1903)

Born 1841 in Yardley Gobion, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Harriet (Podmore) Roddis — married Oct 1859 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England

Descendants

Died 1903 at about age 62 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom

Biography

William Roddis was born in Northamptonshire, England.

Birth and Early Years

William, the son of William Roddis and Hannah West, was born at Yardley Gobion, Northamptonshire in 1841.^[1][2] He was baptised on 8 August that year at nearby Potterspury, Northamptonshire.^[3]

At the time of the 1851 Census, William (aged 9 years), was at Broad Lane, Northampton, Northamptonshire with his parents and two siblings, Capel (11) and John (6). His maternal grandmother, Elizabeth (Austin) West was also with them.^[2]

Marriage and Later Years

William married Harriet Podmore in the district of Northampton in 1859 at 17 years old. Harriet was 16.^[1][4][5] They had 12 children, three of whom sadly died very young:

• William Joseph Roddis (1860-1866)
• Capel Austen Roddis (1862)
• Henry (Harry) George Roddis (about 1864)
• Alexander Arthur Roddis (1866-1866)
• William Hallam Roddis (1868)
• John Podore Roddis (about 1870)
• George Frederick Roddis (1872)
• Frank Arthur Roddis (1873)
• Leah Ada Roddis (1877)
• Harriet Roddis (1879-1884)
• Thomas Roddis (1881)
• Arthur James Roddis (1883)

On 7 April 1861, William (19) and Harriet (17) were living at Bull Orchard, Northampton with their first child, William Joseph Roddis (1). William was working as a Shoemaker.^[6]

1866 was a terrible year for William and Harriet. Between October and December that year they had to register the death of both their first child, William Joseph, aged just 6 years, and their newborn son, Alexander.

William's father also passed away sometime between 1861 and 1871. (See Research Notes on William's profile).

In 1867, three of William's first cousins, Fanny Eliza Roddis, Mary Ann Roddis and Henry Albert Roddis, were killed in a horrific railway accident. A source is needed for the news article quoted on the three profiles. Different reports of the same incident are available by subscription.^[7][8]

At the time of the 1871 Census William and Harriet were at 9 Gray Friars Street, Northampton and had four children at home, Capel, Henry George (known as Harry), William and John Podmore. William's mother, Hannah, was also with them. William was working as a Shoe Clicker.^[9] A Clicker cut out the uppers for a pair of shoes or boots - the click coming from the sound of the knife used.^[10]

By 1881, William and Harriet were at High Street, Northampton. They had eight children at home and William was working as a Shoe Finisher.^[11]

1884 was another tragic year with the death of William's daughter, Harriet, at just 4 years old.

In 1891, they were living in Dallington, Northamptonshire (on the northwest edge of Northampton). Interestingly, Wiliam was working as a Shoe Finisher and Beer Retailer.^[12]

William lost his mother in 1898.

By 1901, William, Harriet and their children Frank, Leah, Thomas and Arthur were back in Northampton. William had given up shoe making and was a Licenced Victualler, running the appropriately named Boot Inn at 12, College Street.^[13] The location of the Boot Inn can be seen on the attached map of Northampton pubs, on the right.

William passed away in 1903, aged 62 years. His death was registered in the district of Northampton.^[14]

Harriet died a year later in 1904.^[15]

Research Notes

• I have not found a parish marriage record for William, searching FamilySearch, FreeReg, Find my Past and Ancestry.
• Arthur James Roddis was William and Harriet's last child. I have searched the England and Wales General Register Office online index for all male and female births of a child with surname Roddis and mother's maiden surname Podmore in the period 1878-1904. No births are recorded after Harriet (1879) and Arthur (1883).
• I have not found a parish burial record for William, searching FamilySearch, FreeReg, Find my Past and Ancestry.
• I have not found a probate record for William searching 1902-1906 at GOV.UK Find a Will.

Chris Orme, 24 May 2020

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} England and Wales Birth Registration Index, Jul-Sep 1841, Potterspury, vol. 15, p. 355, William RODDIS, mother's maiden surname WEST. Accessed 24 May 2020 at England and Wales General Register Office (GRO) online index.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGT1-17S : 12 September 2019), William Roddis in household of William Roddis, St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England; citing St Sepulchre, Northamptonshire, England, p. 36, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7Y7-Z54 : 24 March 2020), William Roddis, 1841.
4. ↑ England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1843 Jun Quarter in NORTHAMPTON UNION Volume 15 Page 300, Harriet PODMORE, mother's maiden surname HORN. Accessed 28 May 2020 at and Wales General Register Office (GRO) online index.
5. ↑ England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, Oct-Dec 1859, Northampton, vol. 3b, p. 229, entries from William Roddis and Harriet Podmore. Accessed 24 May 2020 at Entry for William Roddis at FreeBMD and Entry for Harriet Podmore at FreeBMD.
6. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7G2-Y5Y : 24 October 2019), William Roddis, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
7. ↑ The British Newspaper Archive, Western Daily Press, Tuesday 24 September 1867, Frightful Death of Thee Children"'. Item found 30 May 2020 but not accessed as subsciption required.
8. ↑ The British Newspaper Archive, London Evening Standard, Wednesday 25 September 1867, The Frightful Death of Thee Children on the Great Northern Railway"'. Item found 30 May 2020 but not accessed as subsciption required.
9. ↑ 1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census, Grey Friars Street, St Sepulchre, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, household of William Roddis. The record is indexed on two separate pages in FamilySearch:
   • "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VFX5-2C8 : 28 September 2019), William Roddis, 1871.
   • "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VFX5-2CN : 26 April 2019), John Podmore Roddis, 1871.

   Images of the original doucument are available at Find My Past record.

10. ↑ Thanks to Neil Hartwell for the information about the occupation of Shoe Clicker, emailed to Chris Orme, 27 May 2020.
11. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27H-5GS4 : 9 December 2017), William Roddis, Northampton Priory Of St Andrew Aka Town Part, Northamptonshire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 32, Piece/Folio 1550/102, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,217.
12. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:42L4-1ZM : 2 May 2019), William Roddis, Dallington, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Northamptonshire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
13. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9YH-KK3 : 20 May 2019), William Roddis, Northampton All Saints, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing All Saints subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
14. ↑ England and Wales Death Registration Index, 1903 March Quarter in NORTHAMPTON Volume 03B Page 56, William RODDIS. Accessed 24 May 2020 at England and Wales General Register Office (GRO) online index.
15. ↑ England and Wales Death Registration Index, Jan-Mar 1904, Northampton, vol. 3b, p. 35, Harriet Roddis, age 60. Accessed 26 May 2020 at FreeBMD.

See also:

• William Roddis on FamilySearch.
• Information about the Boot Inn shared on a RootsChat thread by rthom, whose 3rd great grandparents, John and Sarah Hemmings, were the innkeepers of The Boot from about 1836 to the late 1860s. The list of licensees shows that William Roddis was the licensee in 1898 and 1903:

Following is a listing of the Licensees of The Boot Inn, 12 College Street, Northampton, based on listings in Northampton trade directories [Source: Jon Small, Northampton]:'

1824 Charles Duke

1830 William Seaby

1840, 1845 John Hemmings

1847, 1853, 1854, 1862 Mrs Sarah Hemmings

1864 Joseph Perkins

1866, 1869 Samuel Frisby

1870 F. Frisby

1876, 1878 James Lancaster

1884, 1896 Swinscho Jackson

1898, 1903 William (Topper) Roddis

1904 Mr Farey

1904 Mr Pryor

1905 Mrs (?) Pryor

1906, 1907 (closed) Joseph Charles

Acknowledgements

• Thanks to Neil Hartwell for starting this profile with a GEDCOM import in March 2014. Thanks also for helping the England Project Orphan Trail improve the profile in May 2020 by providing some interesting information, one of the attached photographs and the map of Northampton pubs.
• This profile has been improved by a member of the England Project's Orphan Trail