I am starting this off in Northamptonshire, but it could end up moving.... Alice Louisa CATT was born on 30th March 1902 in Isleworth, Middlesex to parents Albert Edward CATT and his wife Alice Louisa (née BEALE). In the 1911 census she is living with her family – Albert was a rather successful Boot & Shoe Manufacturer) – at 3 Langham Place, Northampton. At the time of the 1921 census, she is with her parents at 28 Sea Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Hampshire, where they are probably on holiday as this is a boarding house. In 1935, she married Philip George RIDGWAY, who had been born in Potterspury, Northamptonshire in 1908. The 1939 Register shows the couple living at “Rosyth”, Chapel Crescent, Southampton. Philip died on 11th May 1952, where the probate record shows that he had been living at 53 Bridge Street, Brackley, Northamptonshire, leaving his estate (£6,366 11s) to Alice. However, I can find no trace of Alice after this date. Did she remarry? (She would have been about 50 when she was widowed) Did she take the dosh and flit? (Equivalent of about £200,000 today) Did she eventually die in some place other than Northamptonshire? All help gratefully, received.
Do you know where her 2 children ended up living, as she may well have moved nearer to one of those, once widowed?
No. Sorry. I know that the daughter married in Bournemouth and the son in Northamptonshire, but have not found evidence of their deaths either.
I have not found the deaths of them either, but that could be quite recent seeing their years of births, or even still alive. If you enter the boy's name in search all records on FMP, there are several entries for him, including a bankruptcy and another for a Electoral registers and companies house, putting him in Suffolk in the 2000's. He also has a child. I have obviously made this vague, as you can look up the details yourself. I found the girl's marriage but nothing after that, no children that I can see, but perhaps she emigrated and took her mum with her.
This looks like her from the Electoral Registers on Ancestry Do you have the short report of Philip's funeral from the Northampton Mercury?
It's only short so here it is Northampton Mercury 16th May 1952 Mr Phillip George Ridgway, the director of a dry cleaning business in Brackley, died at his home in Bridge-street, Brackley, after an illness. Mr Ridgway was the son of Mr P. R. Ridgway, who farmed for Lord Penrhyn for more than 40 years. He leaves a widow, and two children —Pamela and George—also of Brackley. Mrs Ridgway is a daughter of Mr A. E. Catt, former Northampton Town Councillor, and Mrs Catt. The funeral service took place St. Bernadine’s College, Buckingham, to-day.
Oh wow! That does look like her - especially as her daughter seems to have been in that neck of the woods. Thank you!
Have you seen this? Code: https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/1299916.ballroom-dancer-parties-on-at-105/
Unable to access it on my kindle, so will have a look in the morning when I am back on the laptop. Thank you!
If you put Alice Catt into the search on FMP newspapers, articles come up about her and her sister Sylvia. (besides the ones below) This link has a picture of Sylvia Code: https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=BL/0000732/19371203/294&stringtohighlight=sylvia%20catt And this one has Sylvia and her husband. Code: https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=BL/0000560/19341218/006&stringtohighlight=sylvia%20catt And this one is a write up on Alice's wedding. Code: https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=BL/0001082/19350622/136&stringtohighlight=alice%20catt
Well! I didn't know that Sylvia existed! Have found her in the 1921 census at the Notre Dame School in Northampton. Methinks that I have a whole new person to research in the morning! Thank you!
There’s another picture in the Northampton Mercury of the 3rd December 1937 (page 12) taken at the christening of Sylvia’s son, where the baby is being held by “Nellie Wallace, the famous comedienne”, who was the child’s godmother. Nellie appears to have been a very famous music hall artist of her time and she seems to have been quite a character. I wonder how she got to become godmother to Sylvia’s son - just thought I’d give you something else to ponder
