Genealogy Chat

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I am looking for Henry Rudge, c1828 Ludlow, who spent his adult life in Halesowen, Worcs as a nail maker. He appears in every census between 1851 - 1891, and with one exception (probably an enumerator's mistake) he is shown as having been born in Ludlow, Shropshire. I have other Rudge relations who were from Halesowen, and I am trying to connect the families: but if he really came from Ludlow, then they are probably unconnected. I have found a christening record in IGI for a Henry Rudge, 29 Nov 1828, Ludlow, (parents William & Elizabeth), but cannot find this family in 1841 census. The only Henry I can find of matching date is already living in Halesowen and has John & Elizabeth as parents. So I'm stuck: I can't place him, or establish why someone from Ludlow ends up a nail maker in Halesowen. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I could look next, or have better eyes than me to find him in 1841?

Have you looked at this one in 1841 Elizh Ridge abt 1796 Shropshire, England Hales Owen Shropshire Henry Ridge abt 1831 Shropshire, England Hales Owen Shropshire William Ridge abt 1821 Shropshire, England Hales Owen Shropshire Willm Ridge abt 1796 Shropshire, England Hales Owen Shropshire image is Rudge - wonder if they rounded down young Henry´s age to 10 ? William occ nailer address ? Birmingham Street

Elaine That looks promising: I agree that the image is definitely Rudge, not Ridge. They are living in exactly the right place, and in the right trade, but if this is the family, why on earth was Henry born in Ludlow? I only have the parents names from the IGI christening record, but the same couple appear again in 1851, without Henry, who had married in 1847. The parents appear to have been born in Halesowen & Rowley (presumably Rowley Regis), so no connection with Ludlow. Puzzled!

I thought I saw a message here, now deleted, that said that Ludlow appears to be missing from the 1841 census, and having tried a search on Ancestry, I can't find Ludlow either. Does anyone know whether this is true - surely Ludlow has always been in Shropshire - or am I looking in the wrong place?

Hi Most of mine come from Ludlow, shropshire, and I'm sure it's on current maps as that also. Hope that helps Debbie

You are right Ludlow is in Shropshire. If you look at the county in 1841 Ludlow is not listed as a parish/town to search - Can't think - given the size - which other it would be in Re the christening - couples sometimes took their first child to be baptised where the mother came from. Do you know her birthplace? Kay

Apologies re above Ludlow is listed under individual parishes ie St Lawrence K

Have just checked on Shropshire County Council website, Ludlow is right on the edge of Shropshire, with Rowley not that far away. So both are in Shropshire Debbie

Thank you for all the responses. The Shropshire boundaries were differently drawn in 1841, with Halesowen (on the edge of the Black Country) being partly in Shropshire (thereafter Worcestershire until the creation of West Midlands). Rowley is part of the urban grot that is the Black Country, and it may too, have been Shropshire in 1841, but neither are anywhere near Ludlow, a rural town right on the western fringe of the county. So I am left puzzled as to why Henry Rudge would have described himself as having been born there, when he seems to have spent his whole life in Halesowen. Rudge is a fairly common surname, but I can come up with no alternate candidates from census data, and wonder whether the existence of a Ludlow christening record is just a coincidence. It looks as though the obvious next step is to check the PR for his marriage, but if it confirms the father's name as William, I am not really any further forward.