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A request for help

By Peter B |
General Genealogy

I have traced part of my maternal line back to a marriage by Banns between John Rideing and Eliza Higson at Melling in 1799. The residences for the couple are both shown as Halsall. The couple both appear to be literate because they signed the marriage record. So far so straightforward.

At the rime of the birth of their first child in 1800 the couple are living in Liverpool and Eliza's surname is shown as Hexan. At the time of the baptism of my 3 x great grandfather in 1801 John and Eliza are living in Old Hall Street and John is recorded as a merchant. The burial record for their third child in 1804 gives Eliza's name as Elizabeth Hickson while John's details are unchanged. For subsequent children the standard names of the parents are shown in the baptism records until the baptism of their seventh child which shows the mother's maiden name as Hickson and John is recorded as a Broker. The minister helpfully annotated this record to show that John and Eliza had married at Melling so I think it seems safe to assume these records refer to the same couple. The baptism of the rest of their children record the mother as Eliza Higson up until the last child in 1821.

The problem I have is that I have not been able to get any further along these lines despite extensive searching and I would be grateful for any suggestions that might move me forward.

Assuming Eliza was of full age ( 21) at marriage this would suggest she was born around 1776 and this suggest she is around 45 at the time of the last of her children was born in 1821. I have found a baptism for an Eliza Hickson or Higgson in 1774 in West Derby but none of a plausible age in Halsall or Melling. I don't want to assume that this is the correct Eliza and would find some other source to identify the correct person Forty five seems awfully old to have a child in those days.

Similarly in the case of John Rideing I can only fid two plausible baptisms in Find my Past, one in Childwall in 1760 and one in 1778 in Liverpool. The father's occupation for one is Shipwright and the other is an Attorney. my John Rideing and his children were all literate so I assume the family were relatively prosperous but I am stuck

Does anyone have any suggestions for new sources that might help me.

The 1851 census has the spouse of John Rideing as Betty Rideing and a daughter Maria Elizabeth Justine Rideing. The daughter at her baptism, parents John Rideing and Eliza Higson. The name Thomas Higson appears as witness at the marriage of John and Eliza. The name Thomas Higson appears on the 1870 probate for Maria E J Rideing.
Betty Rideing's age in 1851 gives a birth date 1780, Wigan. There was a baptism around that date in Wigan, Betty Higson, father, Thomas Higson.

I apologise for the delay in responding but I was away for a week. Thank you for the suggestion whick looks intersting because the naming pattern persist for several generations. I will continue to establish other links that can confirm the line of descent. I will follow Up the suggestion.

Some of the children born to Thomas Higson and Elizabeth/Betty Alker.
Baptism: 12 Jan 1780 All Saints, Wigan, Lancashire, England
Betty Higson - second Daur. of Thos. Higson & Betty (formerly Alker)
Born: 18 Dec
Abode: Millgate
Occupation: Fustian Tradesman
Mother's Parents: John & Betty Alker
Register: Baptisms 1779 - 1799, Page 21
Source: Original register at Wigan Archives
Baptism: 3 Mar 1782 All Saints, Wigan, Lancashire, England
Willm. Higson - sixth Son of Thos. Higson & Elizabth. (formerly Alker)
Born: 27 Jan
Abode: Millgate
Occupation: Fustian Tradesman
Notes: Baptised at New Church
Mother's Parents: John & Elizabth. Alker
Register: Baptisms 1779 - 1799, Page 63
Source: Original register at Wigan Archives
Baptism: 8 Jul 1784 All Saints, Wigan, Lancashire, England
Margaret Higson - third Daur. of Thomas Higson & Betty (formerly Alker)
Born: 25 May
Abode: Millgate
Occupation: Fustian Tradesman
Mother's Parents: John & Betty Alker
Register: Baptisms 1779 - 1799, Page 112
Source: Original register at Wigan Archives
Baptism: 22 Apr 1786 All Saints, Wigan, Lancashire, England
Ellen Higson - fourth Daur. of Thomas Higson & Betty (formerly Alker)
Born: 31 Mar
Abode: Millgate
Occupation: Fustian Manufacturer
Mother's Parents: John & Betty Alker
Register: Baptisms 1779 - 1799, Page 151
Source: Original register at Wigan Archives

I apologise for the delay in responding but I was away for a week. Thank you for the interesting suggestion. My John is quite possibly the same one because he changed occupation several times due to bankruptcy. I will see what I can find with this lead.

Likely father,

Name Thos Rideing
Gender Male
Event Type Baptism
Birth Date Jan
Baptism Date 1 Feb 1752
Baptism Place Liverpool, St Peter, Lancashire, England
Parish as it Appears Liverpool
Father, William Rideing, Attorney.

I apologise for the delay in responding but I was away for a week. Thank you for the suggestion. As I said in my post the fact that my John was able to establish himself as a Merchant suggests this is line rather than the one descending from a Shipwright. I will seek some other corroboration to see if I can confirm our thoughts.

This child,
Baptism: 8 Apr 1784 St Thomas, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Benjamin Perrin Rideing - Son of Thomas Rideing, Gentleman & Margaret (formerly Clark), His Wife
Age: 27 Days

Middle name comes from grandmother,
Marriage, 1751, Cheshire,
William Rideing/Mary Perrin.

I apologise for the delay in responding but I was away for a week. Thank you for your response. This seems a possibility because my John used Perrin/Perryn as the the middle name for several of his children, both male and female. It also appears in one of the side branches to my line of descent. I will look for other facts to corroborate the line.

Name Thomas Higson
Sex Male
Age 21
Marital Status Batchelor
Event Type Intended marriage
Event Date 07 Dec 1769
Residence Place Middle Hutton, Dean
Birth Year (Estimated) 1748
Marriage Place Wigan
Spouse's Name Elizabeth Alker
Spouse's Residence Place Aspall, Wigan
Spouse's Sex Female
Spouse's Age 21
Spouse's Age 21
Spouse's Marital Status Spinster
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated) 1748

Name Mary Perrin
Gender Female
Record Type Christening (Baptism)
Baptism Date 8 Sep 1728
Baptism Place Chester, Cheshire, England
Residence Place St. John the Baptist, Chester, Cheshire,

Parents, Benjamin and Jane Perrin

I apologise for the delay in responding but I was away for a week. Thank you for the suggestion. John's son William Henrynamed one of his daughters Mary Perrin Rideing so a link is definitely emerging and I will follow Up the suggestion.

I apologise for the delay in responding but I was away for a week. Thank you for the suggestion. Interestingly my John's son William Henry married a woman named Henrietta Edwards whose family came from Flint I will see where this idea takes me.

Name Benjamine Perrin, Jane Adams
Gender Male
Marriage Date 09 Sep 1722
Marriage Place St John the Baptist, Chester, Cheshire, England

I apologise for the delay in responding but I was away for a week. Thank you for the suggestion. There is a pattern to the names used by the Rideing family which does indicate this is a likely link.