John & Betsey Coldridge of Doddiscombsleigh

John COLDRIDGE, born around 1782 in Doddiscombsleigh, is the eldest son of Thomas & Mary COLDRIDGE. He lived in Doddiscombsleigh all his life and had 12 children over a period of 22 years!

John COLDRIDGE, bachelor, of the Parish of Doddiscombsleigh & Betsy TOMS, spinster, of the Parish of Christow – Marriage 4th January 1809 in Christow Parish Church after banns. Both signed. Witnesses Joseph TOMS and John TOMS.

John and Betsey are my great-great-great-grandparents. The later censuses give John's birthplace as Doddiscombsleigh and Betsey's birthplace as Christow, a few miles to the west.

1811 census for Doddiscombsleigh

Address	Name	My notes
Doddiscombsleigh Townplace [assumed]	John COLDRIDGE Betsey COLDRIDGE Samuel COLDRIDGE Maryann COLDRIDGE William COLDRIDGE Rose COLDRIDGE	[age 29, born around 1782] [age 21, born around 1790] [age 2, born around 1809] [age 1, born around 1810] [age 16, born around 1794] [age 12, born around 1798]

The 1811 census records John & Betsey living in Doddiscombsleigh with their first 2 children. The Christow and Doddiscombsleigh parish registers have records of their baptisms:

Samuel COLDRIDGE – Baptism 22nd February 1809 in Christow.

Mary Anne COLDRIDGE – Baptism 5th November 1810 in Doddiscombsleigh.

The other two occupants of the house are presumably John's brother William and his youngest sister Rose. The Doddiscombsleigh parish register has the following records relating to John's sister:

Rosamond COLDRIDGE & John BUTT – Marriage 30th December 1820 in Doddiscombsleigh. Both made their mark. Witnesses Stephen DIGGINES and Thomas COLDRIDGE.

Rosamond COLDRIDGE – Burial 1st January 1885 in Doddiscombsleigh, aged 84. [giving a date of birth around 1801]

1841 census for Doddiscombsleigh

Address	Name	Age	Occupation	Notes
Doddiscombsleigh⧉ Holmbush	John COLDRIDGE Elizabeth COLDRIDGE William COLDRIDGE Charles COLDRIDGE Daniel COLDRIDGE Joseph COLDRIDGE Robert COLDRIDGE Merina COLDRIDGE Emma COLDRIDGE	55 50 20 15 15 15 13 11 10	Farmer	Age about 30 Age 19 Age 18 Age 16 Age 14 Age 11 Age 9

The 1841 census records John and Betsey with 7 of their children still living at Holmbush. William farmed in Doddiscombsleigh all his life — at Holmbush, Pitt Farm and finally White Moor Farm. John, Simon and George have all left for Exeter.

The following news item, which appeared in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette on Saturday 18th November 1843, reminds us that road accidents happened even in the days of horse-drawn traffic:

On Tuesday about half-past twelve, a horse in a cart belonging to Mr. John COLDRIDGE of Doddiscombsleigh took fright, and proceeded at a rapid pace down Fore-street Hill in this city, where he came into contact with a horse in another cart belonging to Mr. White of Witheridge, and killed it on the spot, the shaft having entered its breast.

The Doddiscombsleigh parish register also records the births of 10 more children to John COLDRIDGE, farmer, and Betsey (Elizabeth):

William COLDRIDGE – Baptism 23rd December 1812 in Doddiscombsleigh

John COLDRIDGE – Baptism 30th January 1815 in Doddiscombsleigh.

Simon COLDRIDGE – Baptism 13th March 1817 in Doddiscombsleigh.

George COLDRIDGE – Baptism 23rd March 1819 in Doddiscombsleigh.

Charles COLDRIDGE – Baptism 30th September 1821 in Doddiscombsleigh. He is my great-great-grandfather.

Daniel COLDRIDGE – Baptism 9th February 1823 in Doddiscombsleigh.

Joseph COLDRIDGE – Baptism 18th February 1825 in Doddiscombsleigh.

Robert COLDRIDGE – Baptism 25th March 1827 in Doddiscombsleigh.

Merina COLDRIDGE – Baptism 4th October 1829 in Doddiscombsleigh.

Amelia Emma COLDRIDGE – Baptism 3rd October 1831 in Doddiscombsleigh. Noting her abode as Holmbush.

1841 census for Exeter

Address	Name	Age	Occupation	Notes
Exeter St Mary Major⧉ Market St	Willm ISAAC Mary ISAAC Emelia ISAAC Willm ISAAC Julia ISAAC James ISAAC George COLEDRIGE Leah LEVI	30 29 9 8 7 2 22 55	Hairdresser Ch Builder

In 1841 George (with mangled surname) is working in Exeter as a church builder and living with his married sister and her family.

Mary Anne COLERIDGE & William ISAAC – Marriage 28th June 1831 in Exeter St Mary Major.

1851 census for Doddiscombsleigh

Address	Name	Age	Relation	Occupation
Doddiscombsleigh⧉ Holmbush Farm	Elizabeth COLDRIDGE William COLDRIDGE George COLDRIDGE Charles COLDRIDGE Joseph COLDRIDGE Robert COLDRIDGE Merina COLDRIDGE Emma COLDRIDGE Elizabeth COLDRIDGE Edward BROOM Henry BOLLY	61 38 32 30 26 24 22 19 6 16 16	Head Son Son Son Son Son Daughter Daughter Relative Apprentice Apprentice	Occupier of 230 acres Farmers son Joiner Farmers son Farmers son Farmers son Farmers daughter Farmers daughter Ag Lab Ag Lab

By the time of the 1851 census Elizabeth is widowed and "occupier" of the farm with 7 of her children still at home and apparently in no hurry to get married. Young Elizabeth is the daughter of Simon who is living in Cowick St, Exeter.

John COLDRIDGE – Death registration September (Q3) 1844 in St Thomas.

John COLDRIDGE – Burial 22nd July 1844 in Doddiscombsleigh, aged 62. Noted as of "Holman Vail".

There is also a Death Duty record for John COLDRIDGE in 1844 granting administration to Elizabeth.

In 1851 George is back in Doddiscombsleigh and working as a joiner. Daniel is not on the 1851 census — he married in 1849 and emigrated to Canada. Joseph will have taken over running of the farm by 1861.

Charles joined the COLDRIDGE exodus from Doddiscombsleigh to Exeter and married for the first time in 1857:

Charles COLDRIDGE & Ann BURTON – Marriage registration June (Q2) 1857 in St Thomas.

Charles COLDRIDGE, age 35, widower*, Farmer, residing St Leonard, son of John COLDRIDGE, Farmer & Ann BURTON, age 28, spinster, residing Ide, daughter of Michael BURTON, Farmer – Marriage 24th May 1857 in the Parish Church of St Leonard Exeter by licence. Both signed. Witnesses John DEAN and John JELLARD. *The register has the following correction: Charles COLDRIDGE was by mistake described in the Marriage Licence as a widower, whereas he was never married before, as declared under oath.

The mistake on the marriage licence seems strangely prophetic as Charles is actually a widower before the year is out. There was a notice of Ann's death in the Exeter Flying Post on Thursday 31st Dec 1857:

December 26, at Birmingham, after a short illness, Ann, the beloved wife of Mr. Charles COLDRIDGE, late of Doddiscombsleigh, aged 28, deeply lamented.

Ann COLDRIDGE – Death registration December (Q4) 1857 in Birmingham, aged 28.

Charles & Ann's daughter's life is sadly as brief as their marriage:

Susan Emma COLDRIDGE – Birth registration December (Q4) 1857 in Birmingham.

Susan Emma COLDRIDGE – Death registration June (Q2) 1858 in Exeter, aged 6m. [†]

John & Betsey's eldest son, Samuel, is still living in Doddiscombsleigh at the time of the 1851 and 1861 censuses:

1851 census for Doddiscombsleigh

Address	Name	Age	Relation	Occupation
Doddiscombsleigh⧉ Leigh Cross Cottage	James COUNTER Ann COUNTER John COUNTER Samuel COLDRIDGE	32 32 8 42	Head Wife Son Lodger	Ag Lab Scholar Miner

The 1851 census shows Samuel living at Leigh Cross Cottage to the west of the village. He is unmarried and working as a miner, presumably at one of the small manganese mines.

1861 census for Doddiscombsleigh

Address	Name	Age	Relation	Occupation
Doddiscombsleigh⧉ Burnthouse Cottage	Samuel COLDRIDGE	52	Lodger	Miner

In the 1861 census Samuel is living at Burnthouse Cottage and his marital status is given as widower. I found the following records relating to Samuel:

Samuel COLDRIDGE & Catherine REES – Marriage registration September (Q3) 1853 in Bridgend, Glamorgan.

Samuel COLDRIDGE, age 34 [actually 44], bachelor, Miner, son of John COLDRIDGE, Farmer & Catherine REES, age 27, spinster, daughter of William REES, Hay Merchant – Marriage 20th August 1853 in the Parish Church of Tythegston, Glamorgan. Both residing Tythegston Higher. Samuel made his mark and Catherine signed. Witnesses Thomas LEWIS and William BETTRIDGE.

George William COLDRIGE – Birth registration June (Q2) 1855 in Bridgend.
George William COLDRIGE – Death registration December (Q4) 1855 in Bridgend. [†]

Catherine REES – Death registration September (Q3) 1855 in Bridgend.

Samuel COLDRIDGE – Death registration March (Q1) 1868 in St Thomas.

Samuel COLDRIDGE – Burial 20th February 1868 in Doddiscombsleigh, aged 59, living at Tick Lane Cottage.

John and Betsey's unmarried children also appear in the 1861 census:

1861 census for Devon

Address	Name	Age	Relation	Occupation
Trusham⧉ Tucketts Farm	John BAKER Hannah BAKER Eliza Jane STOKES Robert COLDRIDGE James DYER	38 38 19 36 11	Head Wife Visitor Servant Servant	Farmer 100 Acres Farmer's Wife Farmer's Daughter Carter Farmer's Boy

John & Betsey's youngest son Robert shows up in Trusham, a few miles south of Doddiscombsleigh. His correct age should be 34, but his brothers John and William have similar difficulties with their ages.

1861 census for Exeter

Address	Name	Age	Relation	Occupation
Exeter St Sidwell⧉ Precinct The Closes The College	Merina COLDRIDGE Sybella HEXTER	30 16	Boarder Daughter	Dressmaker Dressmaker (Ap.)

In the census, Merina COLDRIDGE's birthplace is given as Doddiscombsleigh and her date of birth around 1831. John & Betsey's daughter Merina (Mariana) was born in 1829.

Amelia Emma does not appear on the 1861 census as she is already married:

Amelia Emma COLDRIDGE & Elon WRIGHT – Marriage registration March (Q1) 1859 in St Thomas.

1871 census for Trusham

Address	Name	Age	Relation	Occupation
Trusham⧉ Welcombe Farm	Elon WRIGHT Amelia E WRIGHT William WRIGHT Eliza A E COLDRIDGE	44 39 27 5	Head Wife Nephew Niece	Farmer (155 Acres) Farmer's Son Scholar

In 1871 Elon & Amelia are living in Trusham. Eliza is the daughter of her brother George & his wife Amelia who live in Exeter:

Eliza A E COLDRIDGE – Birth registration September (Q3) 1866 in Exeter.

Elon Wright died in 1898, and George & Amelia's daughters are all beneficiaries in his will, appearing under their married names as Laura HIGGS, Eliza SLOCOMBE and Gertrude MUDGE.