Thomas Fidler

Base born, with reputed father Stephen Flower according to Wiltshire baptism index

Marriage source: Ancestry.com. Wiltshire, England, Extracted Parish Records. Also IGI, birth, marriage, death.

See Allcannings and Etchilhampton Parish Registers online at www.archive.org

Unfortunately, baptism records were lost for the time of Edward’s birth in Etchilhampton - see attached image. So we may never know his parents for definite. They could have been William Fidler and Betty Brown, married in 1756 and at least one child Betty who died in 1759.

There is a burial record for an Edward Fidler aged 79 on 2nd April 1842 giving birth year as 1763.

In 1851 she was visitor to William Deverall and his wife Mary in Rowde, Wiltshire. There is record of William Deverall marrying a Mary Fidler 19th Dec 1840 Etchilhampton, his father John hers James - see IGI. However, this Mary was born Fisherton and haven’t been able to establish relationship with our Fidlers 

Was a farmer at Tinkfield Farm near Stert in Wiltshire but apparently lost the farm and moved on to become a corn (?) dealer in Stepney and then a coal merchant. Died at Turners Hill, Cheshunt, leaving £800 according to probate record attached.

Also married Lucy Morgan in 1863 but she died less than a year later in 1864.

Married Louisa Mathews in 1870, but she died in 1881.

Married Loiusa Kate Smith in 1883

Died at 6 St John’s Terrace, Weston-Super-Mare as reported in The Wiltshire Times on March 10th 1900

Marriage George Christopher Tayler Dec 1887 Bath

Married Gertrude Clark in 1887, Bradford upon Avon

and Georgina Evelyn Constant in 1907, Upton upon Severn

Was keen photographer and mountaineer as well as lawyer and local dignitary, see attached obituary

Arrived in New York on board the Wisconsin on 3rd April 1871 at the age of 19.

[www.castlegarden.org] - see also www.theshipslist.com

Obituary:

W.K. RODWAY - On Wednesday, April 10, 1895 (Died 8 April 1895) we were call ed upon to lay the mortal remains of our most highly esteemed friend, W. K. Rodway, in their final resting place. The brief services at his late home were con ducted by the pastor of the Congregational church, Rev. N. L. Burton, assisted by some of his friends who sang appropriate selections. The scripture read was the 14th chapter of the Gospel by St. John, chosen for the occasion by Mr. Rodway himself after he was told by his physician that he could not recover. He said that chapter comforted him and he called the attention of his loved ones to it in hope that they would find comfort there in their coming bereavement. One looking upon the peaceful face in the casket and remembering the expressions of pain which so often were seen upon his face during the last days of the fear ful malady which terminated his mortal life, could hardly refrain from thoughts like that expressed in the 3d verse of this chapter, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also." In the weary hours of his last sickness, the lessons taught him in childhood in his Christian home came clearly to his memory, and his acceptance of the salvation of the Gospel was clear and unquestioning. In my last conversation with him he told me that he had hoped to be permitted to enter the covenant of the church of Christ before be was called away, but that it did not seem to be God's will that he should. But said he, "I have the promise of Christ, and that is enough." His final moments were so peaceful that to those who watched beside him he seemed literally to fulfill the favorite expression of the early Christians and fall asleep. After a brief service at the house the Modern Woodmen and the members of the Masonic order, each of which he was a member, conducted his remains to the cemetery, whither he was followed by a large concourse of his grief stricken friends, and with the appropriate and impressive rituals of their orders laid him to his final rest. I esteem it a privilege to supplement the eminently just statement of last week with these words of appreciation, with the hope that they may tend to comfort , those most sorely bereaved by his early death. N. L. BURTON

Contributed by Sandi Donaldson

[www.genealogytrails.com]

WISCONSIN 1870

The WISCONSIN was a 3,238 gross ton ship, built by Palmer Bros & Co, Jarrow-on-Tyne in 1870 for the Guion Line of Liverpool. Her details were - length 366ft x beam 43.2ft, straight stem, one funnel, two masts (rigged for sail), iron construction, single screw and a speed of 11 knots. There was passenger accommodation for 76-1st, 100-intermediate and 800-3rd class. Launched on 19/3/1870, she commenced her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Queenstown (Cobh) and New York on 6/7/1870. She was rebuilt to 3,700 tons about 1874 and sailed on her last voyage between Liverpool, Queenstown and New York on 22/10/1892. She was scrapped the following year. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.2,p.709]

[www.theshipslist.com]

Father was William, according to his marriage certificate

Daughter Sarah Fidler born out of wedlock, father Thomas Fidler (who died around the same time). She married Richard William Bray in 1867, Shoreditch. He died in 1869, aged 29 in Edmonton.

Ethel “was brought up in the Plymouth Brethren and was a Sunday School teacher before going to university. She graduated with 1st Class Honours in French at Somerville College, Oxford, in 1916. While on a travelling scholarship to Paris she met Don at the "Rue de Sevres Meeting" in January 1920 and they were married in September 1922. We have been told that Don first spotted Ethel on a bus in Paris and was so attracted by her that he followed the bus on his own bicycle. In 1924 they had their house Noonsun, 25, Churchfields, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, built to their own designs. Here their three children, Eirene, Rosalind and Peter were born. Ethel later obtained her Oxford M.A. and was an active academic all her life, mainly at the London University Institute of Education and as G.C.E. Chief Examiner. One person who has particularly made a point of telling me that he studied under her at the Institute is Mr. Southey, organiser of the Spring and Autumn concert seasons at Deal. Her nickname at the Institute of Education was Prudence, and her character in later life probably reflected the influence of the Plymouth Brethren in her childhood. Like her husband, she was an ardent pacifist.”

Frank Middlemiss’s online notes

Was living at 52 Hertford Road at time of death. Probate showed her leaving £13,184

Enlisted: Westminster

Residence: Enfield

Rank: Corporal

Regiment: Corps of Royal Engineers

Number: 113094

Theatre of war: Western European Theatre

Died: 10th June 1918

cause: Died of wounds

Comments: "F" SPEC. COY., R.E.

Source: Ancestry quoting Military-Genealogy.com

Fred’s last letter transcript (he died two days later):

8/6/18

Dear Ethel,

For twenty four hours political discussion and conjecture was the universal diversion here and then ceased as suddenly as it began. The immediate cause of its rise was the distribution of printed cards for the sequestration of “the mugs” under the Representation of the People Act (which will next October at the latest be instrumental in supersceding the Repression of the People act — otherwise DORA — [Defence of the Realm Act] by something more sane). The discussion which ensued was amusing for political ideas are rather like army jam at present — mixed. And it is to be hoped that those men of influence who do not hold highly salaried positions in the present government or are not so sychophantic as to sacrifice their nationality to their purses will see that the election is held on social and humanitarian issues instead of political. If it is political it will be a [farce?]. If the issue is for Knock out Blow or negotiations the

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war will not drag on its detested existence to mock and desecrate another Christmas.

However, from May to October is a long cry, and many things may happen between. In fact the papers hint at startling events at the present moment, more “victories” apparently only Fritz doesn't regard them in that light.

The weather has threatened to break again, but today has been sunny though fresh and of course we have been for our daily swim. We usually have one a day when we are down here unless the weather is unusually cold, and if it is decently warm the one becomes two or three. After all the salt water of last year I find swimming in fresh is quite difficult, though of course there are no waves to contend with.

The writer of “Two years before the mast” [Richard Henry Dana, Jr., 1840] (which I have been reading) continues to make you quite interested in the intricacies of a sailing ship and the problems of sea trade and transport before the era of the steamboat and steam labour saving machinery.

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Have you noticed how mainly the ideals of different writers — and of the same writer — are at varience concerning the best way of arranging if not a perfect, at least a more sane and stable system of life than has been evolved in the last half century? They drift towards the opposite poles of single self-sufficing existence on a basis of 40% of agriculture and a revival of farmhouse industries, and of highly complex civilisation in which manual labour in its unskilled sense has no place and old [??????] work is done mechanically. I think that H. G. Wells was right when he wrote (in the War in the Air)[see book as html ] that the only solution was entirely to destroy the existing [status?] — or rather give it room & time to compass its own destruction and allow a new system to evolve itself. And in our country at least this has happened & we don’t know how soon it will happen in others.

Well tea is just up so I suppose I had better leave off.

Quite well.

With best love.

Fred.