CreativeGraces.net
Genealogical
Research
Index

INDEX

GenHome

Welcome & Overview

Conditions & Abbreviations

Research Tips

DNA & Genealogy

Quick Name Index

Family Name Summaries

Contact Info

The BIDMEAD Family of C18th Coventry, Warwickshire (with roots in Gloucestershire, England)

Including connections to Canada, USA, Australia & New Zealand
- reviewed, corrected and updated February 2012 -

Family name derived from "by the meadow".

The BIDMEAD family is believed, by several modern branches, to be related to Captain Sir Henry MORGAN, C17th buccaneer and Governor of Jamaica. These family lines divided in the mid C19th. The story has been independently forwarded down several BIDMEAD lines into the C21st. There is a NZ family story of a researcher living in Wales in the early 1990's that was reported to have "proof" of this link, but this person is unknown. Interestingly, the modern MORGAN descendants in Australia have a line which includes BIDMEAD. This may refer to Richard MORGAN (Bachelor of the Parish of St Michael's Gloucester) who married by Licence Hester BIDMEAD, Spinster at St Catherine Of the Parish of St Mary De Lode on 15.11.1804 - both parties signed (therefore educated). Please refer to the MORGAN webpage for more information.

Family is now spread worldwide including New Zealand (pioneer settlers from from 1842), Australia, Nova Scotia, Canada and the USA (from the 1860's). Descendants now living in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Montana, Florida, California and Connecticut. Most recent census data shows family still in Coventry, Birmingham or the Nuneaton areas of Warwickshire. While having spread further afield in the UK, the main concentration remains Gloucestershire & the Coventry area. Please get in touch!

Note: Spelling variants can include - BIDMADE, BIDMAID, BIDMEADE, BIDMEAT, BIDMED, BIDMEDE, BIDMEED, BIDMID, BIDMOT, BITMEAD, BYDMEAD, etc.

The Coventry branch of this family has been traced back to the Rodborough & Bisley area of Gloucestershire (the dark blue area in the SW Midlands of England shown on the map above). There are other Gloucestershire families that may be related but unproven (a good example being those families clustered around Newent), including a separate, apparently unconnected Gloucestershire group of the family who must connect back to the C17th somehow, as they have the same Capt. MORGAN family story. This second line is not covered here but is fully documented (due to the apparent link) in my online Ancestry.com tree (link below). However, it should be noted that the origin of the family name (its simplicity) could lead to many independent families who just happened to be "biding by their local meads". That the tales of Captain MORGAN should survive 400 years along various family lines is quite astonishing.

The earliest possible tree seems to start with:

Jeremiah BIDMEAD & Mary CLARK (abt 1660) who married in Cheltenham, GLS in 1683. My possible 9xGGPs. An unnamed female and a son Richard BIDMEAD were baptised in Bisley in 1688.

Richard BIDMEAD (c1688) possibly m. Rebecca SAUNDERS in 1714 at Sapperton. My possible 8xGGPs. Their children may have included:

• Richard BIDMEAD (1714 Bisley);

• William BIDMEAD (1717 Minchinhampton) m. 1739 Bisley = Grace JENNINGS. My 7xGGPs. By 1770 this family had moved to Coventry. They were weavers and the town was famous for its silk weaving and other cloth manufacturing at the time. The industry started in the town in 1627 but was enhanced by jacquard weaving Huguenot families fleeing persecution in Europe. [The first sophisticated mechanism for complex patterns was developed by Joseph Marie JACQUARD (1752-1834)]. Children:

  • Hannah BIDMEAD (1740 Minchinhampton). Possibly married Thomas ADAMS in Rodborough in 1767;

  • Esther BIDMEAD (1746 Rodborough);

  • Susannah BIDMEAD (1749 Rodborough – 1822 Coventry) m. 1770 Coventry = Thomas REED;

  • Elizabeth BIDMEAD (1751 Rodborough) = John SHAW - see family below (my 6xGGPs);

  • Richard BIDMEAD (1754 Rodborough);

  • Joseph BIDMEAD (1756 Rodborough);

  • William BIDMEAD (1758 Rodborough) m. 1778 Coventry = Lydia WRIGHT. In 1779 William became a Freeman to the Clothworkers Guild, Coventry. Children:

    • Benjamin BIDMEAD (1779-1860) - apprenticed to father (Ribbon Weaver) in 1791. m. 1806 = Mary LIGHTBOURNE. Child:

      • Mary Elliss BIDMEAD (1825-1866) m. 1856 = William BAKER (1825-59), then William JARRAMS (1824-1909) in 1863. Mary had an illegitimate child:

        • Mary Ann BIDMEAD (1847-63) ;

    • William BIDMEAD (1782-1828) - apprenticed to father in 1796;

    • Sarah BIDMEAD (1785);

    • Thomas BIDMEAD (1787);

  • Isaac BIDMEAD (1759) m. 1783 Stroud, GLS = Mary ARUNDEL. Rodborough children:

• Mary BIDMEAD (1784);

• William BIDMEAD (1785) m. HARRIETT CHEW in 1810 Bisley.

• Charlotte BIDMEAD (1788);

• Joseph BIDMEAD (1790-1851) m. Caroline TIBBETTS in Gloucester in 1820;

• Anna Maria BIDMEAD (1792);

• Elizabeth or Eliza BIDMEAD (1795);

• Rebecca BIDMEAD (1760);

Historical Note: The church of St John the Baptist in Coventry, where many BIDMEADs were baptised and married, was used during the 1642 English Civil War to hold prisoners, often brought in from outside the city walls. Coventry was held by the Parliamentarians throughout the war. The English expression of being “sent to Coventry” (excluded from polite society) first appeared in 1647 describing those events.

The main Coventry branch is descended from the illegitimate son of Elizabeth BIDMEAD (1751-1814) & John SHAW (1750-1814), a Pewterman and later Freeman of Coventry. Their son Benjamin BIDMEAD (1770) kept his mother's name, even though he was also baptised John SHAW in 1770. Elizabeth & John married in 1772 and had Mary SHAW (1773) & Thomas SHAW (1774). Therefore, the Y-DNA genetics of the male line should match SHAW rather than BIDMEAD assuming John SHAW is Benjamin's father.

Benjamin BIDMEAD (1770-1816), Cordwainer, married Rachel DUFKIN / DUFFKIN (1769-1831) in 1793 (incorrectly mistranscribed as DURKIN on some records). My 5xGGPs. Their children were:

• Benjamin BIDMEAD (1800-56) m. Charlotte EDBROOKE (1818) of Cornwall in Plymouth, Devon in 1843. Their relationship started earlier than that and possibly outside the area of the England & Wales census (assumed overseas – Devonport being an important naval base). Only child:

  • William George BIDMEAD (1838, Devonport - 1893) m. Eliza STANLEY in 1857 Coventry. Children:

    • Charlotte Eliza BIDMEAD (1867-1943) m. 1898 Coventry to Henry WATSON (1870-1911);

    • Emily BIDMEAD (1870-1937) m. Albert HORTON (1865) in 1896 Coventry:

• Charlotte BIDMEAD (1801-73) m. abt 1822 = Thomas ATKINS (1807-76);

• Joseph BIDMEAD (1802 Coventry – bef 1880 Paterson, New Jersey, USA) m. 1823 = Martha BRADBURY. (1802 Coventry – 1882 Paterson, New Jersey, USA) Children:

  • William BIDMEAD (1823 Coventry – 1881 Connecticut, USA) = Caroline WORING (1822-1874 Coventry) in 1845. Children:

    • David BIDMEAD (c1843) – on some records as BIDMEAD but census suggests adopted (i.e. son of Caroline). He married in 1871 to unknown. Thereafter, unknown history.

    • Joseph BIDMEAD (1845-45);

    • Joseph BIDMEAD (1847-95) m. in 1865 to Harriet HOLDING. Children:

      • Helena BIDMEAD (1867) m. in 1889 to John SMITH (1868);

      • Frederick William BIDMEAD (1870-72);

    • William BIDMEAD (1849-bef 1911). m. Alice Compton BAYNARD (1855-1935) in 1875; Children:

      • Harriet Compton BIDMEAD (1876-1973);

      • William Baynard BIDMEAD (1878-1971), m. 1903 Sarah Elizabeth HUMPHREY;

      • Elizabeth Jane BIDMEAD (1880-1976);

      • Alice Aston BIDMEAD (1888-1979) = Canadian Garnet W ROACHE;

      • Elsie Maud BIDMEAD (1892) = David H JONES

      • Mabel Helena Claire BIDMEAD (1896-1969) = Malcolm John McPHERSON;

    • Martha Jane BIDMEAD (1851-75);

    • James BIDMEAD (1855-71);

    • Jonathan BIDMEAD (1857-1939), m. Caroline MASON in 1883. Children:

      • Percival BIDMEAD (1887-1967) m. 1926 Doris Beatrice LE GASSICKE. Child:

        • Sylvia A BIDMEAD (1932);

  • Joseph BIDMEAD (1825-1908) m. 1847 = Hannah WEBSTER (1829-81) & later twice widowed Elizabeth LUDFORD in 1883. Children by Hannah:

    • James BIDMEAD (1850-53);

    • Joseph BIDMEAD (1852-1916) m. Selina POLLARD in 1873, Children:

      • Emily BIDMEAD (1874-1954);

      • Joseph Henry BIDMEAD (1882) m. 1903 May SAVILLE:

        • Mabel BIDMEAD (1905);

    • Hannah BIDMEAD (1864-1938) = Benjamin Charles HEATLEY;

    • Daniel Webster BIDMEAD (1859-1946) = Mary Jane SMITH. Children:

      • Lizzie Levina BIDMEAD (1884-1948) m. 1907 = Henry MANN;

      • Walter Webster BIDMEAD (1885-85);

      • Alice Maud BIDMEAD (1886-1973), m. 1911 = Tom CARDALL;

      • Alfred Webster BIDMEAD (1895-1947) m. 1923 = Jessie HANCOX. Child:

      • Hazel M BIDMEAD (1930);

    • Mary Jane BIDMEAD (1861-1940) m. 1884 = Joseph LEE;

    • Martha Bradbury BIDMEAD (1866-1952) m. 1888 John TAYLOR;

• Martha BIDMEAD (1828-1902) = Henry SMITH;

• James BIDMEAD (1831-82) m. 1853 = Eliza NOBLE. Family moved to New Jersey, USA after 1871. Children:

  • James BIDMEAD (1858 Coventry – 1943 New Jersey). Married twice:

    • m1. Mary A KEENE, m. 1881. Children:

      • Gertrude BIDMEAD (1882-82);

      • Elsie May BIDMEAD (1884-90);

      • Frank Keene BIDMEAD (1888-1918);

      • Estelle B BIDMEAD (1889) = Alex LESLIE;

      • Florence Ellen BIDMEAD (1894-94);

      • Olive BIDMEAD (1896-1960);

    • m2. Ida May HOLMES, m. 1902. Children:

      • Frederick James BIDMEAD (1903-75) = Anne Louisa SMETANA (1904-60):

        • Patricia Ann BIDMEAD (1935) m. Anton KLUN, then Eugene Mindahl PEDERSEN;

        • Carol Joan BIDMEAD (1936) = m. Rudolph Henry George BROMUND then Lawrence Richard HICKEY;

      • Rachel Adelaide BIDMEAD (1906);

      • Robert Holmes BIDMEAD (1914-92) m1. Charlotte, m2. Thelma. No issue to both marriages.

  • Rachel Eliza BIDMEAD (1863 Attleborough, Nuneaton -1947 New Jersey);

• Mary Jane BIDMEAD (1833-1900) m. 1853 Joseph WRIGHT. Couple moved to New Jersey in 1858;

• Jonathan BIDMEAD (1836) m. 1856 = Elizabeth LAPWORTH. Children:

  • Martha Bradbury BIDMEAD (c1860);

  • Herbert BIDMEAD (1862-85);

  • Arthur Vernon BIDMEAD (c1858), m. Ellen Eliza HADLEY in 1892. Children:

    • Louisa Vernon BIDMEAD (1892), m. 1922 = KEOUGH;

    • Herbert Arthur BIDMEAD (1897) m. 1918 = Mabel LAX; Children:

      • Arthur H BIDMEAD (1921);

    • Frank BIDMEAD (1900);

  • Jonathan BIDMEAD (c1871);

  • Elizabeth Lapworth BIDMEAD (c1872), m. 1900;

  • Frank Edward BIDMEAD (c1874-1908);

• Rachel BIDMEAD (1840) m. John ALLEN in Massachusetts, USA in 1867 and lived in New Jersey;

• William BIDMEAD (1806) = Martha TOMKINS – My 4xGGPs. See family below;

Jonathan BIDMEAD (1813-1896) - Founder Colonist of New Zealand He was a successful applicant following this newspaper advertisement: “Emigration to New Zealand The Directors of the New Zealand Company, do hereby give notice that they are ready to receive Applications for a FREE PASSAGE to the TOWN OF WELLINGTON at Lambton Harbour, Port Nicholson, Cook's Straits, NEW ZEALAND. From Agricultural Labourers, Shepherds, Miners, Gardeners, Brickmakers, Mechanics, Handicraftsmen, and Domestic Servants, BEING MARRIED, and not exceeding Forty years of age; also from SINGLE FEMALES under the care of near relatives, and SINGLE MEN, accompanied by one or more ADULT SISTERS, not exceeding, in either case, the age of Thirty years. Strict enquiry will be made as to qualifications and character. Apply on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays to Mr. JOSEPH PHIPSON, Union Passage, Birmingham. AGENT TO THE COMPANY. TOWN & COUNTRY SECTIONS of LAND on sale, full particulars of which may be had on application as above.”

• Jonathan BIDMEAD (1813 Coventry – 1896 Wellington, New Zealand) = Sarah Elizabeth SPARKES (1815-1893) in 1835 Coventry. This family of Payne Lane, Coventry, are one of the pioneer settlers of New Zealand, arriving onboard the “London” in 1842 and founded the extensive present day NZ family. Their journey is described in the book “No Simple Passage” by Jenny Robin Jones (Random House NZ) and appear in many early records in the Wellington area. Children:

  • Rachel BIDMEAD (1838-38 Coventry);

  • Caroline BIDMEAD (1840 Coventry – 1920 NZ) m. John NORRIS in 1858 Wellington;

  • Hannah BIDMEAD (1842-94 Wellington, NZ) m. Charles E W WILLISTON in 1860;

  • John BIDMEAD (1844), married unknown but was in NZ up to 1886:

    • Lionel BIDMEAD (1886) based on school records

    • John Verne BIDMEAD – possible son, KIA in WWI

  • James BIDMEAD (1846-99) m. Emma HOLLYWOOD in 1888;

  • Sarah BIDMEAD (1848);

  • Mary Jane BIDMEAD (1849) m. John Harry Daniel PAGE in 1865;

  • Jonathan BIDMEAD (1853-1933) = Eliza Hounsom HARFIELD (1856-1900). Children:

    • Zilla BIDMEAD (1878-1956) m. Edward James RYAN;

    • Paul BIDMEAD (1879-1948) m. Florence Maud JOLI;

    • Frances Elizabeth BIDMEAD (1881) m. GOODRICK in 1908;

    • Olive BIDMEAD (1883-1977) m. Norman Albert INGRAM in 1914;

    • Jonathan St George BIDMEAD (1885-1960) = Myrtle Christina Irenie McKAY. Children:

      • Alexander Jack BIDMEAD (1913-13);

      • Jean Olive BIDMEAD (1915) m. Charles Frederick SCHOWE;

      • Jonathan BIDMEAD IV (1920-2006)

        • m1. Laurel Ellen MOULDS:

          • Margret Joy BIDMEAD (1945);

          • Susanne Ruth BIDMEAD (1947);

        • m2. Thora Ethel BARLOW:

          • Vicki-Ann BIDMEAD (1959) = Peter SYKES;

          • Jo-Ann BIDMEAD (1960) = Mark WILLIAMS;

          • Jonathan BIDMEAD (1962) = Kay SMITH;

            • Jonathan St George Dragonslay BIDMEAD (2000);

            • Quinn Matariki Thor BIDMEAD (2003);

        • m3. Elizabeth Lee CALMAN;

      • Valma Helen BIDMEAD (1922-55) m. Tony GRANIC;

      • Garfield Roy BIDMEAD (1923-2002) married 3 times:

        • m1. Doreen Alice DUMPLETON:

          • Keith BIDMEAD (1947) - 3 marriages:

            • m1. Carol JONES:

              • David BIDMEAD (1967);

              • Vernon BIDMEAD (1970);

            • m2. Arlene DOLOCANOG:

              • Carlos BIDMEAD (1999);

            • m3: SrayMom MAO (1980), married after 2000:

              • SrayAnne BIDMEAD;

              • Brendon BIDMEAD;

          • Glenys BIDMEAD (1949) = Jeffrey WARNER;

        • m2. Beryl P HOCKLY:

          • Gerald BIDMEAD (c1970 Eden, Auckland).

          • Haldane BIDMEAD;

        • m3. Joan Lillian D'ELSA:

          • Sally BIDMEAD;

          • Simon BIDMEAD;

          • Susan BIDMEAD;

          • Shelly BIDMEAD;

    • Lincoln Abraham Mont BIDMEAD (1886-1962) m. Millicent THOMPSON:

      • Issue unknown, but suggest a possible son also named Lincoln.

    • Garfield BIDMEAD (1890-91);

    • Cleveland BIDMEAD (1893-1950) m. Ruby Constance WALSH:

      • Wallace Duncan BIDMEAD (1920) = Margaret, Couple moved to NSW, Australia in 1965. Children, in suspected birth order from the late 1940's onwards;

        • Kathrine BIDMEAD;

        • Kareen BIDMEAD;

        • Barrie Cleveland BIDMEAD;

        • Linden BIDMEAD;

        • Alister BIDMEAD;

    • Barry Washington BIDMEAD (1894-1947) m. Edith Jane HARRINGTON c1914 (who died in the 1918 flu pandemic) and then war widow NOBLE (Gertrude Alice AGUTTERS (1892-1964)) in 1923:

      • John BIDMEAD (1924-24);

      • Barry BIDMEAD (1928-87) m. Winsome Marion EYRES in 1955:

        • Alan Ross BIDMEAD (1956) = Francis FAIRLESS:

          • Hazel BIDMEAD;

          • Keri BIDMEAD;

        • Helen Elizabeth BIDMEAD (1957) = Peter Thomas JEROMSON;

        • Patricia Janet BIDMEAD (1961) = Brian Michael HOOKWAY;

        • Joseph BIDMEAD (1854-1930) m. Jane Bridget O'FARRELL in 1879:

          • Joseph Patrick BIDMEAD (1881);

A pocket watch made by BIDMEAD in Coventry, possibly by William (below):

William BIDMEAD (1806) was married twice and had at least 15 children:

• m1. Martha TOMKINS (c1806-39) in 1826. My 4xGGPs. Children:

  • Eliza BIDMEAD or BEADMEAD (1826-72) = James Crisp SANDERS in 1845, my 3xGGPs;

  • Martha BIDMEAD (1827-81) = George STOKES;

  • Harriet BIDMEAD (1830-30);

  • Emma BIDMEAD (1831- after 1851);

  • William BIDMEAD (1834-39)

  • John BIDMEAD (1835-36);

  • Jonathan BIDMEAD (1837-37);

  • Joseph BIDMEAD (1838-1923) m. Ann NAYLOR in 1866 Coventry. Children:

    • Emma BIDMEAD (1867-1950)

    • George BIDMEAD (1873-1917) m. Lucy Gertrude BOTT in 1897 Nuneaton, then Florence Mary DYKE there in 1910:

      • Leslie Joseph BIDMEAD (1914-73) = Ellen Mabel WEBSTER:

      • Alan BIDMEAD (1941) = WILMAN:

        • Andrew Paul BIDMEAD (1973 Warwick)

• m2. Eliza BULL (1821-70) in 1840 Coventry. Children:

  • Anna BIDMEAD (1841-41);

  • William BIDMEAD (1842-42);

  • Sarah BIDMEAD (1843-1917) = Henry SHEPHERD;

  • Mary Jane BIDMEAD (1844-59);

  • William BIDMEAD (1845-46);

  • Benjamin BIDMEAD (1847 – after 1861);

  • Jonathan William BIDMEAD (1850-1936), m. Emily OAKES in 1872 Coventry. Children:

    • Jonathan William BIDMEAD (1873-1941);

    • Herbert James BIDMEAD (1877-1955) = Flower MAINWARING:

      • Leslie Herbert BIDMEAD (1909-83) = Ethel HODSON;

        • Robert Herbert BIDMEAD (1934) = Pamela A MORRIS;

        • Colin James BIDMEAD (1936-96) = Emma E M LALOR;

        • Keith Leslie BIDMEAD (1947) – 3 marriage:

          • m1. Hilary HODGES:

            • Catrina Victoria BIDMEAD (1973) = Mark J WILSON;

          • m2. Sandra M WININGTON;

          • m3. Vanessa J HALES – children born in Leamington, WAR:

            • Christopher Robert BIDMEAD (1983);

            • Philip John BIDMEAD (1985);

            • Timothy Edward BIDMEAD (1987);

            • Stephen David BIDMEAD (1990);

      • Cyril R BIDMEAD (1911-13);

      • Muriel F BIDMEAD (1914-30);

    • Ellen Emily BIDMEAD (1879-1975), m. 1904 = Arthur Edgar WILLIAMS;

    • Edith BIDMEAD (1884-1957);

Download BIDMEAD Family Tree

Download BIDMEAD BMD Data for Coventry area

File made available on the understanding that any additions, corrections and new links will be reported back to help future research. Thanks.

The outline above is indicative only and not necessarily fully correct or complete.
The CreativeGraces family tree can be found here on Ancestry:
http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/pt/pedigree.aspx?tid=9072976
This is where you can find the most up-to-date information.
You will need approval for Guest access.

Home Page & Contact Info

Unable to find what you're looking for on CreativeGraces.net?

Still stuck? Try the FAQ !