Northumberland Archives

Last week we posted a short article about the Ridley family of Park End, Tynedale. Today we will provide some further more information regarding the death of Captain Charles Noel Ridley of the Northumberland Yeomanry,

Charles Noel Ridley married Daphne Bewick in the September Quarter of 1907. By the 1911 census the couple had two daughters Nancy Daphne Ridley aged 2 years and Phyllis Evelyn Ridley who was just 3 months old. At this time the family were living at High Parkanse, Simonburn. Charles was recorded as living on ‘Private Means.’

Charles died of wounds received on 7th October 1915 and is referred to in ‘The History of the Northumberland (Hussars) Yeomanry, 1819 – 1919 with Supplement to 1923’ Edited by Howard Pease M.A., F.S.A. Printed by Constable & Co. Ltd. London 1924. On page 114 of the volume there is the following reference:

September 30th [1915] – Most unfortunately Captain C.N. Ridley was killed, and about fourteen other ranks were wounded, whilst burying about forty men just behind “Gun Trench”.

Charles Noel Ridley’s Medal Index Card is available to view on Ancestry.com. This record details that the Regimental Roll shows his ‘Disembarkation Date’ as 5th October 1914. He was killed just a year later on 7th October 1915. His medals were dispatched to Mrs D. Pringle of Doonbrae, Alloway, Ayr, on 20th May 1921.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirms that Captain Ridley is buried at Lonuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, France. He was noted as the husband of Daphne Pringle (formerly Ridley), of Knorren, Brampton, Cumberland.

Following Charles Noel’s death Daphne re-married [December Quarter 1918] to Hall G Pringle. A search of the 1911 records that Hall was a Captain in the Royal Artillery aged 34 living in the Royal Military Academy, London Road, Camberley. I could not find Hall on any earlier census except 1881, where I found him living with his family in Cleethaugh, Edgerston, Roxburghshire. His father was David Pringle a Farmer of 6000 acres. Records of Hall Grant Pringle can be found on the internet for example he received the Military Order of Avis 2nd Class from the President of the Portuguese Republic on 10 October 1918, by this time he was known as Lieutenant Colonel Hall Grant, Royal Artillery, D.S.O. [Supplement to London Gazette]. He was also mentioned on 21 March 1896 as a Cadet of The Royal Military Academy promoted to 2nd Lieutenant [London Gazette]. A picture of him can be viewed on www.oldchinahands.org/military whilst he was serving in Peking, China 1900/1901.

This post was prepared by Paul Ternent, Northumberland At War Volunteer Manager.

Amongst the many collections held by Northumberland Archives are records of the Ridley family of Park End, an estate in the Tynedale area of Northumberland. One of our project volunteers has looked at letter books of the estate and has prepared this short blog about the effect the war had on the estate. Throughout our project we will be examining records that look at the impact the First World War had on the home front in Northumberland.
The estate letter books for the war period start in January 1916 [Ref: – NRO 3386/20-24] when John Farbridge took over as Agent. Charles Noel Ridley inherited the estate on the death of his father, John Hilton Ridley, but died from injuries on active duty in France on 7 October 1915 and was succeeded by his younger brother Arthur Hilton Ridley who had been invalided out of the Army.
The letters show the difficulties of running a large estate during the War. There were regulations about everything. They were told how many fields had to be ploughed for crops and how many left grass for cattle and sheep. Permits had to be obtained for selling hay and straw (if caught selling without a permit people were prosecuted and fined), for obtaining spare parts for farm machines, etc.
Men were being called up despite the war effort to grow food and no exemptions allowed. Women were being employed as Land Army Girls and John Farbridge acknowledges their contribution in one letter. A Rat Catcher was employed to deal with a plague of rats eating the bags of oats, etc. before they could be shipped out, but although he killed a few hundred they were still a problem!
The life of the family is illustrated in the letters. Arthur worked at Hawthorn Leslie & Co. Ltd. building ships for the Admiralty. One of his sisters, Mary, worked at the War Information Office.
To be continued next week with the story about Charles Noel Ridley & his wife.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Jean Wilkinson for supplying this article for our Northumberland At War Project.