The Davidge Family Tree

It took some sleuthing to establish who Kate was. I made some progress from 1990 to 2001, and by then had established far more than people in our line had ever known. After that, Anne's far superior family history research skills took over, and most of the details here come from her work. The voyage of discovery is described here.

Kate's upper tree, i.e. the forebears of Henry Davidge, is derived from the John Baker document on the Davidge family tree, provided to us by Sharon Williams of Mississauga Ontario in April 2009.

For details of Kate's life, see her own directory.

Kate is child 4 of the 11 in the family below.

Henry Davidge bapt. 7 Jan 1843, Ashmore (our G4F)
m. Ellen PARHAM (our G4M), 26 Jan 1859
Ellen was b. 1839, at Twyford , 1mi W of Compton Abbas
So he was just 16 and she was just 20.
Henry was a brewer's labourer
By Feb 1861, they were in the village of Iwerne Courtney, 5mi South
In the (7 Apr) 1861 Census, at The Fairfield (the centre-west of the village)
Henry was correctly shown as 18 but Ellen as 20, Frederick as 1 and Eliza as 2 mo.
Children 1-6, b. 1860-1869
Henry bur. 8 Aug 1869, aged 26
In the Apr. 1871 Census, Ellen is at "The Corner", with Frederick 12, Eliza 10 and Emma 8.
Maybe the other 3 children are on the next page? – Kate 6, Alfred 4, Henry 18mths
Ellen remarried 18 Sep 1875 to Isaac Russell (1842-1901)
    Isaac was b. Sep qtr 1840 Shaftesbury 8 80 OR Mar qtr 1842 Wincanton 10 585
    In the 1871 Census, Isaac was mid-village, beside the White Hart (now the Cricketer's), 28,
    Labourer agricultural, with his first wife – Ellen nee Wareham, b. Dec qtr 1843 Blandford 8 20,
    so then aged 27 – and children Edwin 4, and Harriet K. 1
    Ellen Wareham-Russell d. Mar qtr 1874 Blandford 5a 189
Ellen Parham-Davidge rem. 18 Sep 1875 to Isaac Russell (1842-1901)
3 Stepchildren, aged 3-9: Edwin Russell b.1867, (Harriet?) Kate Russell b.1870, Frances Russell b.1872
Children 7-11, b. 1876-1886 (the last when she was 47)
That made 14 in the blended family, with a spread of birthdates over 26 years, 1860-1886
Here's the 1881 Census entry, "nr. Shroton House", at the northern end of the village
In the 1891 Census, still at home are Henry, Isaac's step-son (20), Charles (15), William (15), all labourers, and George (12), Bertie (9), Joseph (5) and Alfred's son Frederick W. (2), born in Paddington
Isaac d. Mar qtr 1901, aged 59, Strand 1b 406 (just before the 1901 census)
In the 1901 Census, Ellen only has Bertie (19) left with her
In the 1911 Census, Ellen's 71, and in the household of Bertie and his wife and daughter at 28 Shroton
Ellen d. 25 Apr 1919, aged 79 – death certificate

  1. Fred William Davidge (1860->1900)
    b. ?mid-1859 or ?1860, Twyford
    Bricklayer's labourer
    m. Mary ?, also b. 1860
    5 children born 1883-1901
  2. Eliza May Davidge (1861/62-1950)
    b. 15 Jan 1862, Shroton, someone had recorded
    But she's in the (7 Apr) 1861 Census aged 2 mo., so more likely 15 Jan 1861
    In the 1881 Census a housekeeper
    m. 23 Jan 1883, in Bournemouth, aged 22, then in ?Holdenhurst Road (marriage cert)
    Samuel MERRIFIELD (1858-<1950), gardener, aged 25, then in Springbourne
    5 children
    Samuel presumably remained a gardener, as he was listed as such on Eliza's death cert.
    Samuel predeceased Eliza, so d. < 1950, and probably <1940
    David Clarke remembers visiting Eliza, presumably c. 1940
    d. 8 Jun 1950, 33 Mansfield Rd, Poole, aged 88 (death cert), so the remembered birthdate was 1862
    1. Henry John Merifield, b. Jun 1883, Wimborne
      m. Sep 1902 to Ada May Coward, at Poole
      Henry was the informant on Eliza's death cert, address 58 Ringwood Rd, Parkstone (1-1/2mi west)
      d. Jun 1967, Bournemouth
    2. Frederick William Merifield, b. Sep 1885, Christchurch (Bournemouth)
      m. Mar 1904, Bessie Ellen Dugdale, Poole
    3. Alfred Frank Merrifield, b. Dec 1887, Wimborne
      d. Mar 1952, Poole
    4. Margaret Merryfield b. and d. Dec 1891, Wimborne
    5. Reginald Charles Merifield, b. Sep 1882, Christchurch
      d. Jun 1963, Bournemouth
  3. Emma Jane Davidge (1863->1891)
    b. 21 Jan 1863
    m. George Herbert BROWN
    m. 1882, Devizes, Wiltshire, 30mi N of Shaftesbury
    in 1891, he was an engine driver, and
    they were at West Lavington, 5mi S of Devizes
    3 children, all female, b. 1884, 1887, 1889
  4. Kate Davidge 18 Jan 1865 - 20 Dec 1931
    Kate is our G3M    .
    Here is a description of her life.
    b. 18 Jan 1865, at (or in??) Shroton House Fields, at the northern end of the village of Iwerne Courtney
    nominally m. Anthony CLARKE pka Anthony Jacques Cheeper c. 1885
    11 children
    m. Philip DAVIES of 62 Haringey Rd Tottenham on 2 May 1923
    d. 20 Dec 1931, aged 66
    1. Violet Maud(e) Clarke, b. 15 or 16 February 1885 – no birth entry found,
      but almost certainly in Swansea. (The record of baptism is helpful)
    2. Ernest Clement Clarke, b. 20 May 1886 – no cert. found, but several other authoritative entries,
      born 24 Edwards Tce, St John Cardiff
    3. Kate Antoinette Clarke, b. 27 Sep 1887, born at Shrotonville, Edwards' Terrace, St John Cardiff.
      ('Shrotonville' is almost certainly a concoction of Anthony's, playing with the name of the house in Dorset where Kate had been a servant)
    4. Frederick William Clarke, b. 18 Nov 1888 (cert found), born at 24 Edwards Tce, St John Cardiff
    5. Edward Bertie Clarke, b. 23 Jan 1890 (cert found), born at 24 Edwards Tce, St John Cardiff
    6. Willie Tony Clarke, b. 8 Mar 1892, born at 282 Ivydale Rd, Brockley, Lewisham.
      (Willie Tony was grandfather to myself and Anne, and the 23rd of Anthony's 33-34 children)
      Kate was 27. Here is a 2008 photo of the space where the house stood from c. 1890 to 1942.
    7. Lily Edith Pearl Clarke (1894-1895), b.28 May 1894, d.2 Oct 1895 (diphtheria)
    8. Lawrence Gilbert Clarke, b. 6 May 1896, born at 282 Ivydale Road, Brockley, Lewisham
    9. Victoria Ellen (Queenie) Clarke, b. ? 28 August 1897,
      possibly also born at 282 Ivydale Road, Brockley, Lewisham
    10. Vera Doris Clarke, b. 27 November 1898, born 27 Oliver Grove, South Norwood, Croydon,
      with a 2006 photo and a 2008 photo of the house
    11. Lord Oswald Clarke, b. Jun 1900 (d. Apr./Jun 1901), born and died Croydon
    12. Earl Rudolph (Rue) Clarke, b. 20 Jan 1904, born 10 Lindal Road, Brockley,
      with a 2006 photo and a 2008 photo of the house
  5. Alfred Frank Davidge (1867-1900)
    b. 19 Feb 1867
    in the 1881 Census (at just 14) an ag labourer
    m. Sept qtr 1888, Chelsea 1a 689
    Frances Matilda White, b. Mar qtr 1864, Wincanton (north Dorset) 5c 614
    (although her son's birth cert says she was White, but of Fulham)
    2 children
    In 1888 a draper's porter, and in the 1891 Census a draper's porter, at 71 Park St, St Pancras.
    (Now 71 Glentworth St, two short blocks west of Baker St station, familiar to me 1977-78)
    Apparently boarding, with child 2 aged 9mo
    There is no sign of his wife, or child 1 aged 2
    Alfred d. Mar qtr 1900, aged 33, Pancras 1b 43.
    The children would have been 11 and 9 at the time of his death
    1. Frederick William Davidge (1888-1901)
      b. 4 Oct 1888, Marylebone 1a563 (birth cert)
      b. in Queen Charlotte's Hospital in Marylebone Rd
      The informant was Frances, who made her mark
      The address given was 1 Hans Road, Brompton Road (100m south of Harrod's, in Kensington).
      (The current Harrod's building was just being finished at the time of his birth)
      In the 1891 census, aged 2, Fred was with his grandparents in Iwerne Courtney
      d. Jun qtr 1901, aged 12, Kingston 2a 232
    2. Mabel Emma Davidge (1890-1921)
      b. Sep qtr 1890, Kensington 1a 169
      In the 1891 census, with her father only
      The Census form says Mabel was b. Brompton (an arty suburb??)
      m. Frank L MEDHURST, Sep qtr 1911, Pancras 1b 323
      [Anne originally assumed m. Eatten THOMAS, Sep qtr 1911, Pancras 1b 323;
      but an entry for Thomas showed he married Miss Plummer not Miss Davidge]
      Frank was b 1886
      3 children
      They moved west to Wales between 1912 and 1916
      Mabel d. Jun qtr 1921 (Spanish flu??), aged 31, Newport 11A 277
      Frank m2. Rhoda Harris, Dec qtr 1922, Newport 11a 415
      The 1939 WWII Census shows Frank (as a Great Western Railway Guard) and Rhoda,
      at 50 Sycamore Avenue , Newport, with Henry (23) and Robert (19) still in the household
      1. Francis Leo Davidge Medhurst
        b. Sep qtr 1912, St Pancras, 01B 171
      2. Harry Frederick Davidge Medhurst
        b. Mar qtr 1916, Cardiff, 11A 680 Occasional Copy: A
      3. Robert R. Davidge Medhurst
        b. Mar qtr 1921, Newport, 11a 646
  6. Henry Davidge (1869-1909)
    b. 8 Oct 1869, bapt. 2 Dec 1869
    in 1881 an ag labourer, 1891 a bricklayer's labourer
    d. Sep qtr 1909, aged 39, Shaftesbury 5a107
  7. William Russell (1876->1902)
    b. 1876
    in the 1891 census, 15, Grocer's assistant, in Isaac and Ellen's household
    m. Dec qtr 1902, Maud Eleanor Brown, Sherborne 5a86 
  8. Charles Russell (1876-1895)
    b. 1876
    in the 1891 census, 15, Thatcher labourer, in Isaac and Ellen's household
    d. Dec qtr 1895, aged 19,  Blandford 5a140
  9. George R. Russell (1879->1891)
    b. 1879
    in 1891 census, 12, in Isaac and Ellen's household
  10. Bertie F. Russell (1882->1907)
    b. 1882
    in 1891 census, 9, in Isaac and Ellen's household
    in 1901 Census, 19, Brisklayer's labourer, the last child in Ellen's household
    m. Christian Bessie ? (b. 1881, Twyford) in 1907
    In the 1911 Census, aged 29, now a Bricklayer, with Christian, Christiana and his Mum Ellen aged 71
    1. Christiana Ellen b. 1907
  11. Joseph Russell (1886-1895)
    b. 1886
    in 1891 census, 5, in Isaac and Ellen's household
    Joseph d. Dec qtr 1895, aged 9, Blandford 5a140

We're missing a lot of information; and we'd love to know more!

This a page within Roger Clarke's Family Web-Site

Contact: Roger Clarke and/or Anne Kratzmann

Created: July 2001; Last Amended: 23 Sep 2010, 28 Jan 2012 and 6-13 Feb 2016 (sister Eliza's details, later census data, and Anne's trawling of BDM registry entries), 27 Mar 2016 (Eliza's marriage and death certs, more about Alfred), 13 May 2016 (Census entries 1881-1901), 7 Feb 2017 (Lily's birth and death), 27 Mar 2017 (amendments to 5.2 Mabel)