Richard Bridge and Mary Ashton

Many of you won't understand why I am so excited about this, but I feel like an archaeologist digging up the past. I knew that William Bridge's father was Richard Bridge, weaver, of Bolton, England. I suspected that his mother was Mary Bridge, a widow living with her son, Richard, on Shaw Street in Bolton in 1841. I now know that I was right. I sent for the death records of Mary Bridge and Richard Bridge. They arrived last week. Richard Bridge died first, in 1840. He was a weaver, and his age at death was 67 years. The informant, who registered the death, was Joseph Bridge, who resided on Rothwell Street. Mary Bridge died in 1842 at the age of 65. On the certificate it says she was the widow of Richard Bridge, weaver. The informant was, again, Joseph Bridge, who was present at the death, which occurred on Shaw Street.

I had found records for five children born to Richard and Mary Bridge of Bolton who were christened at St. Peter's church between 1800 and 1809. I also found records for three more children born to Richard Bridge and Mary (Ashton) Bridge who were christened at two different Unitarian churches. Our William was christened in 1813 at the Bank Street Unitarian church. Joseph, who reported both Richard and Mary Bridge's deaths, was one of the children christened earlier at St. Peters. So now I know that all the children I found belong to this same Richard and Mary Bridge. It helped that there were no other weavers named Richard Bridge of the same age as our Richard around Bolton at that time. Phew! Below is the family of Richard and Mary Bridge as I know it now:

Richard Bridge, born 1773, died Dec. 29, 1840, weaver. Married Dec. 12, 1796 to:
Mary Ashton, born 1777, died Dec. 22, 1842

Their 8 children: Joseph, b. 1800 (died before 1804); Hannah, b. 1802; Joseph, b. 1804 (he was the informant on his parents' death certificates); John, b. 1807; Mary, b. 1809; Betty, b. 1811; William, b. 1813 (our direct ancestor); Richard, b. 1818.

Since identifying these children as belonging to Richard and Mary Bridge, I have found spouses for Joseph (Mary Greenhalgh), John (Hannah Broughton Holt), and Richard (Ann Barlow).

In other news, I found the daughter of William Bridge and Jane Aspinall who died in 1848 at the age of 3 weeks. Her name was Louisa Bridge. Louisa's mother, Jane, died three months after Louisa due to childbed inflammation. If I had not sent for the death certificate of Jane Bridge, I may never have found this baby, so I'm very glad I did.

I'll post the families of Richard Bridge and Mary Ashton's children at a later date when I have exhausted all currently available means of identifying them. Have a happy day!