More on the GUTRIDGE family

My recent post on Mary Anne Gurtridge left a lot of questions, and I've been working with Steve Hodge and Margaret Guider to solve the origin and makeup of the GUTRIDGE family of the 11th Regiment.

MARY ANN GUTRIDGE
In my last post our main information:
- Mary Ann's death certificate in Gundagai in 1877 listed her age at death as 54, and place of birth as Gibraltar. The 11th regiment were stationed in Gibraltar from 1816 to the end of 1820. Mary's father was given in her death certificate as William GUTTERIDGE, soldier.
- the transcript of the entry of marriage for Mary Ann GUTRIDGE to William HODGE of the 11th Regiment on the island of Santa Maura (the Ionian Islands) on April 15th 1832.

Apart from anecdotal evidence that Mary Ann's father was in the 11th, the fact she was a young woman on Santa Maura indicates she was travelling with the 11th Regiment of Foot.

Mary's baptism in Gibraltar is still being sought.


JOHN GUTRIDGE
We haven't found any 11th Regiment records relating directly to William (senior), however there were clues that there were other children. The Chaplain's returns index for the period lists the death of a John GUTRIDGE.

Ionian Islands, Chaplains Returns deaths:
John Gutridge, Cephalonia, 11/35

The regiment were station in the Ionian islands (Corfu, Cephalonia, Zante, etc) from 1828-1838.


WILLIAM GUTRIDGE (Jun)
The 1841 census shows the 11th Regiment to be stationed at several barracks in Devonshire, and individual members of the regiment were afield visiting family - for example my ancestor William HODGE and his family were in Barnstaple at the time.

Inspection of the census for Mount Wise barracks at Plymouth showed a William GUTRIDGE.



Image edited for ease of viewing:
Willm Gutridge, 25 (born abt 1816), Corporal 11th Regt, born Ireland

This William Gutridge is too young to be Mary Ann's father, but given the rarity of the name and the fact that many offspring joined their fathers regiment, it was considered likely to be William Gutridge's son. Prior to Feb 1816 the 11th Regiment was stationed in Ireland, so his birthplace also fits reasonably well.

There is no indication of a wife elsewhere in the barracks census. Inspection of the UK BDM civil register indexes revealed few marriages for a William GUTRIDGE, including one in 1843 in Daventry, Northamptonshire, in the district where the 11th were stationed at this time.

Name: William Gutridge
Year of Registration: 1843
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Daventry
County: Northamptonshire
Volume: 15
Page: 365 (click to see others on page)

Also on the page was a Caroline BOLTON.

The local parish for the barracks is Weedon Bec, and a query on the rootschat.com forum elicited a kind look-up from the user Sandy ('seahall') confirming that our William Gutride of interest married there:

Weedon Bec Parish Church
Page 44, No. 88 After Banns
3 Apr 1843
William GUTRIDGE, of the parish (Weedon Barracks), full age, bachelor, private XI regt of foot, father William, sergt XI regt of foot
to
Caroline BOLTON, of the parish (West End, Lower Weedon), full age, spinster, dressmaker, father John, employed under government
William signed his name and Caroline her mark
Witnesses: F Hodge, Sergt. 11th Regt. and Mary Ann Hodge

This is exciting as it not only confirms William as being in the eleventh, it states his father as William (which matches with Mary Anne) and suggests he MAY still have been in the regiment as sergeant in 1843, though of course he may have been deceased at that point. The indexes do not hold Chelsea Pension documents for William Gutridge (senior), so it seems likely he served till he deceased. Mary Ann is also present as a witness at the wedding, confirming they are siblings.

From Weedon, the eleventh regiment served:
May 1843 - Ireland. Tto Dublin and to Kilkenny with company's at Waterford, Carlow, Wexford) then from Feb 1844 in Athlone.
Aug 1844 - to Chatham Barracks, Brompton (near Gillingham, Kent).
The regiment remain in Brompton till they departed for Australia on boats from Jan - Jul 1845.

Whie I have not ascertained the state of regiment records/reports relating to BDM in Ireland at this time, the local parish church records for Chatham Barracks are available at www.medway.gov.uk - Gillingham, St. Mary Magdalene CMB 1558-1967. One has to read through each scanned page. Among the baptisms and marriages recorded there is the birth of a daughter for William and Caroline:



Edited for display on web page.

Baptisms solemnized in the parish of Gillingham in the County of Kent
Diocese of Canterbury in the year
When baptized: March 9th, No. 1942
Child's Christian name: Emily
Parents Christian Names: William and Caroline
Surname: Gutridge
Abode: Brompton
Quality Trade or Profession: Private 11th Regiment
By whom performed: JL Garden, Curate

So William and Caroline had at least one child for departing for Australia - not GUTRIDGE entries exist in parish burials for this period. Interestingly, William's sister Mary Ann HODGE nee GUTRIDGE also had a daughter at Brompton

While William's movements are not known, his young family would have accompanied him to Australia. The eleventh served all over the Australia colonies, but served initially in Van Dieman's Land (VDL). There are no GUTRIDGE (or variation) spellings in NSW, however the Tasmania BDM indexes reveal the death of a William HODGE:

Tasmania Death indexes
GUTRIDGE William
No parents named
2 Jun 1847 33 years
Registered Launceston Reg#732/1847 Ref RGD35

The age gives a birth date of 1814, which matches well with the 1841 census data. We'll get the certificate at some point in case it shows other minor information. There might even be a headstone. What of William's wife Caroline? Much needs to be learnt, however there is a marriage entry the following year in Tasmania for a Caroline GUTRIDGE:

Tasmania marriage index
GUTTRIDGE Caroline 25 years
BROWN Charles 25 years
10 Jan 1848
Reg Place Launceston Reg# 2007/1848

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I still have no direct documentary evidence of William GUTRIDGE senior. There are a lot of things on the 'to do' list based on the above questions.

I also think that indexing of parish records during each period of elevent regiment residence would aid greatly in helping to piece together descendents of families. The Mediterranean region falls under the chaplains returns, however Ireland may prove to be a significant challenge.