St Anns Church, Soho

On Thursday 17th May of the following year (1855) they were blessed with the birth of a daughter, Elizabeth Agnes Wiedhoft (Auntie Peck). The Birth Certificate and index records the name as WEIDHOFT.and the place of birth (and mothers address) was 50 Baldwins Gardens. Our first record of the family living at Baldwins Gardens ( A quick check through the St Andrews Baptismal register for the following year failed to find an entry). (note. Although the family legend is of Rudolph Wiedhofft, escaping from Germany, being a hotel interpreter and known as "The Handsome Man of Baldwins Gardens", perhaps the generations had become compressed over the years).

The next record located was for the birth of their first son William Edward Frederick Wiedhoft (note: once again the eldest son is given the name Frederick!) His birth was registered in the Clerkenwell district of London in the March quarter of 1857 Their third child arrived on the 10th May 1860 with the birth of Edwin Edgar Wiedhoft at number 16 Baldwins Gardens, Holborn. (This time the registration was signed X the mark of Elizabeth.)

Arthur Henry Wiedhoft became their fifth child (3rd son) on the 27th October 1864 at 16 Baldwins Gardens, Holborn. Again the birth was registered with 1 F in Wiedhoft.. (note. he married just after his fathers death, and both his and his fathers names were spelt with 2 ff's)

Alice Amelia Wiedhoft made it 3 all when she became the third daughter in 1867 ( I have been unable to find any references in the BMD indexes but she is listed as born in Holborn in later censuses. . William Daniel's mother Martha (Baker) Wiedhofft died on Tuesday the 3rd March 1868 in Clerkenwell Workhouse. This was four years after the death of her husband but we can assume that she was still resident in Upper Rosoman Street in September 1865 when daughter Martha gave this address on her wedding certificate.The details on the death certificate give the cause of death as organic disease of the liver, general decay. The age was recorded as 66 and the registration was signed X the mark of Elizabeth ????? present at the death Clerkenwell workhouse.

Alfred Albert Wiedhoft was born on the 3rd September 1870 at 31 Baldwins Gardens Holborn. and the family were still at this address the following April when the census was taken

As the table above shows William Bridgman is now a widow and sharing his apartment with his grand-daughter Amelia. The rest of his children have left home, but who are the parents of Amelia? At age 15 she would have been born about 1855, William Jnr was baptised in 1837, so it is unlikely that he will have had time to get married and have a child. One of the Elder daughters, perhaps? Also wondering whether the Fleming family had anything to do with the William Fleming who married Mary Wiedhofft (Frederick Gottlieb line) The dates do not match for their children William (b 1866) and Mary (b 1867).

Albert Ernest Wiedhoft was born on Wednesday the 21st May 1873 in Holborn the eighth and final child of William & Elizabeth. To their credit, all children survived to adulthood.

The missing family wedding was that of oldest son William Edward Frederick to Johanna Sullivan ( a 20 year old London born daughter of Johanna (nee Shelan) ) from Cork in Ireland ( same place and year of birth (1819) as my paternal ancestors William Burgess & Catherine Brian) Most details here have been extracted from the 1881 census as no BMD record has been found yet. However, we do know that their first child (first grandchild for William and Elizabeth?) was born at 8 Half Moon Court, Portpool St. Holborn on the 15th April 1876. and he was also named William. Note: just found a Johanna Sullivan married June qtr 1875 in Holborn.

Family members that have married and left home are shown in their own "chapter". We note here for the first time that William's occupation has changed from brass finisher to a wood turner.(Could it be that the brass candlestick had had it's day by now? His son William was still a brass worker though!)

Elizabeth died on the 12th December 1892 at home in 4 Seaford Street, St Pancras and this was registered by A Smith (Daughter) of 117 Charlton Street, in attendance. in the Pancras area of London. The Death certificate shows her to have been 60 years of age wife of William Wiedhoft - a die sinker. The cause of death was given as phthisis certified by S L Smith MRCS. (Phthisis was normally the term for pulmonary tuberculosis) Just a few months later on.Thursday the 9th February 1893 William Daniel died at home (4, Seaford Street). The death certificate gave the cause of death as"Cardiac disease Exhaustion" (exhaustion was a medical term meaning a prolonged illness rather than a sudden death.) The death was registered again by A Smith (Daughter) of 117 Charlton Street, in attendance.