First World War in Headington & Marston
Roll of Honour of All Saints’ Church, Highfield

Richard Alfred BRIDGEWATER (1878/9–1915)

Richard Alfred Bridgewater or Bridgwater was born in Oxford in 1878/9, the son of Richard White Bridgewater (born in Oxford in 1838, registered third quarter), and Eliza Pope (born in Oldbury in 1840, registered second quarter). He was the third child in the family to be given his father’s name, following the death of his two older brothers baptised as Richard. He was sometimes known as Alfred, probably to distinguish him from his father and grandfather.

His parents were married in the Clerkenwell Registration district in the third quarter of 1860 and had fifteen children, of whom twelve died in infancy:

• Alice Eliza Pope Bridgewater (born in Clerkenwell, London in 1861, registered third quarter)
• Mary Elizabeth Bridgewater (born in Rectory Road, Oxford in 1862, registered third quarter, and baptised at Cowley St James Church on 2 November 1862); death registered as Elizabeth in Headington district third quarter of 1863
• Richard Charles Bridgewater (birth registered at Clerkenwell, London in the fourth quarter of 1863 and baptised at Cowley St James Church on 8 November 1863); died at the age of 5 months according to the register, but in fact he was probably nearer 8 months, and buried in Cowley St James churchyard on 24 June 1864
• Ellen Eliza Bridgewater (birth and death registered in Headington registration district in the third quarter of 1864)
• Clara Bridgewater (born in Marston Street and baptised at Cowley St James Church on 5 July 1865); died a few days after her birth at “Church Street, New Cowley” (probably Marston Street) and buried at Cowley St James churchyard on 13 July 1865
• Twin: Henry Andrew Lewley Armstrong Bridgewater, born at Rectory Road and baptised at Cowley St James Church on 13 February 1867; died at Rectory Road aged 4 weeks and buried at Cowley St James churchyard on 17 March 1867
• Twin: Agnes Bridgewater (born at 3 Iffley Terrace, Oxford and baptised at Cowley St James Church on 4 March 1867)
• Rosa Bridgewater (born at Stockmore Street and baptised at Cowley St James Church on 9 March 1868; died at Stockmore Street and buried at Cowley St James churchyard on 31 May 1868
• Richard Frederick Bridgewater (born in Oxford, registered first quarter of 1870, baptised at SS Mary & John Church on 29 March 1870); died aged 12 weeks at Stockmore Street and buried at Cowley St James churchyard on 4 May 1870
• Mary Ann Eliza Bridgewater (born in Oxford in 1871, registered first quarter of 1871); died age 9 weeks at Rectory Road and buried at Cowley St James churchyard on 15 April 1871
• [It seems likely that there were two stillbirths in this eight-year gap, as otherwise it is not possible to account for two of the fifteen children declared on the 1911 census form]
• Richard Alfred Bridgewater (born in Oxford in 1878/9, registered first quarter of 1879)
• Sarah Eliza Bridgewater (born in Oxford in 1880); died at Cowley Road aged 4 months and buried at Cowley St James churchyard on 11 October 1880. She probably died at her grandparents’ house, and a note was added in the register saying: “New Act 1880, Richard White Bridgewater had charge of the funeral”
• Jessie Eliza Bridgewater (born in Oxford in 1882, registered second quarter and baptised at SS Mary & John Church on 30 April 1882); died aged 22 months and buried at Cowley St James churchyard on 26 January 1884.

Until SS Mary & John Church opened in East Oxford in 1870, the children were baptised at St James’s Church in Cowley; and at least nine of them were buried there.

Richard’s father Richard White Bridgewater was a tailor from Oxford who started off his married life in London. The 1861 census shows him with his wife at 30 Garnault Place, Clerkenwell shortly before the birth of their first child. The London connection is probably explained by the fact that Richard’s uncle William Bridgewater (born in Oxford in 1815) was a tailor whose second marriage was to a girl from Lambeth, and they lived in Berwick Street, Clerkenwell.

They were living in Rectory Road, Oxford (then named Pembroke Street) when their second child was born near the end of 1863, but were back in Clerkenwell in 1863 for the birth of the next.

By the end of 1864 they were permanently settled in East Oxford, but had a number of different addresses there. They were in Marston Street in 1865, back in Rectory Road in 1867, and in Stockmore Street from 1868 to 1870.

They were back in Rectory Road at the beginning of 1871, but by the time of the census in spring they had moved to Alma Place off the Cowley Road with their three surviving children: Alice (9), Agnes (4) and Mary Ann Eliza (2 months). In the intervening ten years seven of their children had died in infancy, and baby Mary was to die too in a matter of a few days.

By the time of the 1881 census, the family had moved to 19 Rectory Road, and had three surviving children: Alice (19), who was a milliner; Agnes (14), who was at school; and Richard himself (2).

By the time of the 1891 census they were at 57 St Mary’s Road. The same three children were at home: Alice (29) was still a milliner, Agnes (24) was working as a shop assistant, and Richard (12) was now at school.

Richard’s grandfather, Richard White Bridgewater (who had the same name as Richard’s father and was also an East Oxford tailor) was meanwhile still living in the Cowley Road with his wife Eliza. Eliza died at the age of 78 in 1894 and Richard at the age of 80 in 1896: both are buried in Cowley St John churchyard.

By 1901 Richard’s father was for the first time working as a tailor on his own account, at home, implying that he had hitherto been working at his father’s establishment. The family had moved yet again and were now at 42 East Avenue. At the time of the census their daughters Alice (39) and Agnes (34), both ecclesiastical embroiderers, were living with them. Richard, who would then have been 22, is missing from the census; but his permanent home was still with his parents, as he was married from this address five years later.

♥ On 17 December 1906 Richard Alfred Bridgewater married Annie Eliza Blagrove (born in Oxford in 1885, registered second quarter) at St Clement’s Church. Richard was then a college servant; his father was no longer a tailor but an assistant at the Hope Collection of the Bodleian Library; and Annie was the daughter of the Headington waterworks inspector, who lived in Reservoir Cottage at the top of Headington Hill.

The couple moved up to Piper Street (then called Cross Street) in Highfield parish. They had the following children:

• Alfred Jesse Bridgewater (born at 3 Cross Street, New Headington and baptised at St Clement’s Church on 22 December 1907)
• Samuel Richard Bridgewater (born in Headington on 12 July 1909 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 1 August 1909)
• Agnes Annie Bridgewater (born in Headington, baptised at All Saints’ Church on 21 May 1911)
• Alice Evelyn Bridgewater (born in Headington and baptised at All Saints’ Church on 18 December 1912); died aged 5 months at Lime Walk and buried at Headington Cemetery on 24 May 1913.

By the time of the 1911 census Richard had moved with his wife and children to 128 Lime Walk (then numbered 31) in Highfield parish. Now 32, he was still working as a college servant (probably at New College where he was working when he enlisted), and he recorded that he was a bicycle attendant.

In 1911 Richard’s parents were living at yet another East Oxford address (13 Hurst Street) and his father (72) was still working at the Bodleian Library. They recorded on the census form the sad fact that of their fifteen children, only two were still alive: these were their unmarried daughter Alice Eliza Pope Bridgewater (49), who lived with them and worked as an ecclesiastical embroiderer; and Richard himself.

Richard Alfred Bridgewater was a volunteer in the First World War, and served as a Private in the Second Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Service No. 9409). He was killed in action in France at the age of 46 on 16 May 1915, and has no known grave.

He is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial (Panel 26) and on the roll of honour of All Saints’ Church, Highfield. And as he worked at New College at the time he enlisted, he is also listed with the college servants at the end of the list on the memorial on the wall of their chapel (below):

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Postscript

Richard’s widow

• Mrs Annie Eliza Bridgewater moved to 24 Shelley Road in east Oxford soon after the war. She died in 1957 in the Oxford registration district.

Richard’s children

• Agnes A. Bridgewater (born 1911) married Leslie J. Wakelin in the Oxford registration district in the third quarter of 1934, and they lived at 50 Napier Road, Cowley. They had three children: Ann C. Wakelin (1937), Janet D. Wakelin (1938), and Roger A. Wakelin (1942).

Richard’s parents

• Mrs Eliza Bridgewater died at the age of 77 in the second quarter of 1917.
• Richard White Bridgewater died at the age of 90 in the third quarter of 1928.

Richard’s two surviving sisters

• Alice Eliza Pope Bridgewater (born 1861) died in the Oxford registration district at the age of 85 (registered first quarter of 1947).
• Agnes Bridgewater (born 1866/7) died at the age of 36 and was buried at SS Mary & John churchyard on 4 March 1903. She was then living at 42 East Avenue.