Genealogy Chat

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Been struggling to get past this brick wall for years! Any thoughts please. My ancestor George Tudge was baptised at Worcester St Martin in 1804, parents William and Mary Tudge. No other details given. There were 2 other children baptised there – William and Edward. There is a burial at St Martin of a William Tudge in 1811, no age or other details given. The only other entry of a Tudge before 1812 is a Hannah Tudge. There is another William Tudge buried 1826 – age fits with William the son. By 1841 census George is married and I have found him and his family. He is a plumber/glazier Edward is with his wife too – but their son Edward born 1838 (Worcester St Peter) is not mentioned at home. Wonder where he was? No sign of Mary Tudge the mother. I have combed Worcester City and asked for index checks. 1851 George still in Worcester with growing family Edward has 13 year old son at home this time AND mother Mary Tudge aged 85. She is a gloveress (big trade in Worcester then – but at 85! Wish I had her eyesight!) After years of searching and several wrong certificates have just received death cert for Mary Tudge (in index as Judge) died 1857 aged 90 widow of William Tudge, plumber/glazier. Informant an Isabelle Shelton, attendant at death. I have never been able to trace a marriage for William and Mary. They are not in the index of marriages for Worcestershire or Herefordshire. Tudge is frequently mistranscribed as Judge, Fudge and several others. I have not found them under this name either. I am beginning to think they were never married. Can anyone think of a way I can get past this? My new info from death certificate is that William the father/husband was a plumber/glazier. Can I get any clues this way? What were people plumbing in 1790’s? I am off to google right now! Thanks for the interest netti x

Only thing I can suggest is a trawl of registers in surrounding parishes, in ever increasing circles - I've had to resort to this on some lines! Have you tried googling the surname on a2a? Sometimes you can get lucky and find an unexpected ref, which may not seem relevant at first, but sometimes acts as a springboard for further research. I managed to find a will abstract which had been deposited at the CRO by a firm of solicitors. The naming of brothers and sisters actually proved how the family had moved from one village to another, with children born in each parish - it is the only thing i've found to link the two groups of children. It also mentioned a nephew, which indicated another family of the same surname were connected, albeit through the wives being sisters. This is what makes it such FUN !!!!! Jay

As an example plumbers/glaziers could be working on church buildings. Lead roof requires a plumber and there would be plenty of windows! Windows were often fixed into leading as well. Perhaps their marriage never made it onto the IGI. Even in 15 years it would be a hard job to search ALL the parishes in an area - specially if, like mine, they are on the border of several counties, including Huntingdonshire which hardly features on the IGI at all! Anne

Thanks for quick replies There are lots of churches in Worcester as well as the cathedral - perhaps he worked there? There is an index - separate to IGI - of ALL worcestershire marriages at Family history centre. They are not in it :( I found a great Tudge website where some patient soul has indexed the entire Tudge BMDs from 1837-1945. According to his research the Tudge name began in Worcestershire/Herefordshire area and there is a quite a lot on IGI for this area. One day I might have to do a type of one name study of the Tudges in this locality to see if they all fit together somehow! perhaps William will pop out at me then! Job for my retirement there - or when kids have left home! netti

bump for evening crew