Ridley, James

Also known as: James Ridler

Singer

Collection date: Jan 1912

Area: Yorkshire

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James Ridley at Whitby Union workhouse: age 53, 3 songs (FT2741-43) on 9 Jan 1912: Sharp wrote that this singer was James Ridler, aged 53 and in the Whitby Union Workhouse but there was no-one with that surname there in 1911 (census ref RG14/29141 p1). There was, however, a James Ridley, aged 51. This is most probably the right person:

James Ridley was born in April qr 1859 (9d 392) at Robin Hood’s Bay, 5 miles SE of Whitby. He was the youngest of 6 children of Thomas Ridley, agricultural labourer and his wife Jane. All the children left home at a young age to find work. In 1871 James, aged 12, was the only child left at home and he was gone in 1881 working as a farm servant at Roxby. James never married and in 1901 found himself in Guisborough workhouse. In July 1904 he was charged with begging and received 14 days in HMP Wakefield. In the 1911 census he was in Whitby workhouse. The 1921 census may provide further information. James Ridley died January qr 1927 aged 67 (East Riding 9d 10).