I bought this wonderful old photo from eBay back in January, it was named on the back ‘Frances Bickerdyke‘ and as you can see on this first image of the back it also says ‘Ridley Hall 1913‘ the seller seemed to think that it was taken at Ridley Hall in Cambridge, Ridley Hall is a theological college, but I have found that there was and still is a Ridley Hall in Northumberland.

My thoughts are that because the two Frances Bickerdyke/dikes that I have found of matching age were both born in Yorkshire, it may be more likely than the Cambridge Ridley Hall. I could be totally wrong though!

The following photo and information from a report in Country Life in 2017 when Ridley Hall was up for sale: The hall borders the National Trust-owned Allen Banks Nature Reserve and stands amid magnificent woodlands of oak and beech in a scenic area wonderfully rich in wildlife.

The original house on the site, built in 1567, was owned by the Ridleys of Willimoteswick. In the late 1600s, it was destroyed by fire and later acquired by the Lowes family, who replaced it with a new Georgian mansion in 1743. The Georgian stables became the western service wing when the present main block was created by the architect Horatio Adamson for the Hon Francis Bowes-Lyon, the uncle of the late Queen Mother, in 1891.

The Bowes-Lyon family spent little time at Ridley Hall and, after the Second World War, the house was sold to the Rev E. A. Evans, who converted it to a prep school, later joining forces with Featherstone Preparatory School from nearby Haltwhistle. However, the lack of numbers forced its closure in 1967. The building has since been leased by the local education authority and currently serves as the boarding wing of Haydon Bridge High School, one of the few State boarding schools in the country. The expiry of the lease will allow vacant possession from the end of the summer term in June.

Because of the date of the photograph, 1913, I looked for a Frances Bickerdyke/dike on the nearest census, the 1911 census and I had two options:

First is Frances Ann

Birth details of the first Frances: BICKERDIKE, FRANCES ANN GOODALL GRO Reference: 1885 M Quarter in TADCASTER Volume 09C Page 815. From the GRO website.

Frances Ann Bickerdike was born on December 4, 1884, her father James was a Coal Miner, likely at the local Kippax Mine, and her mother was Mary (Goodall).

Frances Ann married Thomas Suart on August 28, 1919, at St Mary’s in Kippax, Yorkshire, England. They had one daughter Lucy in 1922, Lucy later married Alfred Teale in 1953. I’ve not found any children of Lucy and Alfred. Frances Ann died in October 1973 in Hemsworth, Yorkshire, England, at the age of 88.

Here’s Frances Ann in 1911 about 67 miles away from her family, she was living in Scarborough and working as a Servant for Artist Frank Henry Mason RI, RBA (1876 -1965) and his family. He was a Marine and coastal painter in oil and watercolour. He was an illustrator, and poster designer born at Seaton Carew. He studied at Scarborough College of Art and became a shipping war artist in WW1.  He also painted posters for railway companies and was a member of the Staithes Group. He exhibited at the Royal Academy, Royal Society of Artists Birmingham, Glasgow Institute and elsewhere. (Info from Wikipedia)

Did she move further up north to Northumberland, about 125 miles away from her family, by 1913 to be a Servant at Ridley Hall? She didn’t marry until 1919.

Second is Frances Jane

Birth details of the second Frances, again from the GRO website: BICKERDIKE, FRANCES JANE KING GRO Reference: 1891 D Quarter in BEDALE Volume 09D Page 6305.

Frances Jane Bickerdyke was born on 20 November 1891 in Bedale, Yorkshire, her father Thomas was a Farm Labourer, and her mother was Annie (King). She married Wilfred Court on 14 April 1920, and they had three sons Robert, Thomas and Geoffrey. Frances Jane died on 18 May 1973 in Bedale, Yorkshire, at the age of 81, and was buried there.

Frances Jane was a Domestic Servant in 1911, and obviously worked locally as she was still living at home with her widowed Mother and siblings. Did she make the move of about 85 miles to live and work at Ridley Hall in Northumberland by 1913? She didn’t marry until 1920.

Here are the two small family trees I have compiled for the two families, firstly Frances Jane Bickerdyke:Bickerdyke Frances Jane Family Tree

Secondly Frances Ann Bickerdyke: Frances Ann Bickerdyke Family Tree

Which Frances do you think is the most likely face in my old photo? Do you know of the family? Are you a descendant? Do you have them in your family tree? and if so Do you have any old family photos to be able to compare with this young lady?

Please comment on this blog or send me an email to lynnswaffles@gmail.com

Till next time then……….