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Tuesday 21 May 2013

Taphophile Tragics - George and Sarah Woodbridge - Builders of Cookham Berkshire



Monument to George and Sarah Woodbridge, Holy Trinity Churchyard, Cookham, Berkshire, England.


"In memory of George Woodbridge who died September 1st 1854 aged 60 years. Also Sarah his wife who died September 13th 1854 aged 56 years.  Lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death they were not divided.


George Woodbridge was born in Amersham, Berkshire in 1794 to Henry Woodbridge and his wife Ann Rodgers.  On 9th October 1817 aged 23 George married Sarah Wright.  Unfortunately I have been unable to find any information on Sarah pre 1817.

In 1818 George and Sarah celebrated the birth of their son William, Henry was to follow in 1822, then Mary Ann in 1824, Stephen in 1828, Elizabeth in 1830. Emma in 1836, Edmund in 1838 who sadly died aged eight in 1846, finally Louisa Maria was born in 1841

In 1838 in Windsor Berkshire William Woodbridge marries Amelia Jones

George and Sarah appear on the 1841 Census as living in Cookham High Street.  George's occupation is listed as a carpenter.  Living with them are their children, carpenter apprentice Henry, Mary, Stephen, Elizabeth, Emma, the ill fated Edmund and three month old Louisa.

George and Sarah's eldest child, carpenter William and Amelia are living a few doors away from George and Sarah in Cookham High Street with their children, 2 year old Sarah and 3 month old Amelia.

In 1848 Stephen Woodbridge married Harriet Miles in Cookham Berkshire.  In the same years Mary Ann Woodbridge marries Thomas Mellett.  A year later in 1849 their first child Fanny Mellett is born

1851 and George and Sarah are still living in Cookham High Street.  George's occupations has changed to builder.  Living with them are their daughters, Elizabeth and Emma, as well as George's 17 year old builder's apprentice William Britcher.

William Woodbridge, his wife Amelia and daughters Sarah and Amelia have moved to Park Road in Maidenhead, Berkshire where William's occupation is listed as builder.  Daughter Catherine had joined the family in 1843, followed by William in 1845, Selina in 1848 and John in 1850.

(A post about Catherine and John Henry Woodbridge can be found here.)

Henry Woodbridge is living with his brother Stephen and his wife Harriet above a carpenter's shop in Hornsey, Middlesex.  Both Stephen and Henry are in the building trade.

Mary Ann and her grocer husband Thomas are living a few doors away from William and Amelia in Park Street, maidenhead, Berkshire with their daughter Fanny.

Fifteen year old Louisa is a servant in the Oldfield family home at 20 Portland Place in Islington Middlesex.

Sadly on 1st September 1854 George Woodbridge was to pass away, followed 12 days later by his wife Sarah on 13th September 1854.  Did Sarah die from a broken heart?

George's will, written on 25th March 1848 stated that his store, tools and other effects of work should be sold and the money invested into mortgages and freehold properties for the maintenance of his wife Sarah and two youngest children Emma and Louisa until they turned 21 and until such a time Sarah died or remarried.  George also stated that a quarterly payment of ten pounds sterling should be made to Sarah.  These investments and funds would then pass over to George's sons surviving William, Henry and Stephen in the event of the younger daughter's marrying and their mother's death.


Taphophile Tragics



2 comments:

  1. Very interesting! Thanks for posting this on Taphophile Tragics. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wondered if they died of something like cholera? But then, if no-one else in the family died in that year, perhaps not.
    I like how you were able to tie the generations together with the other post.

    ReplyDelete

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