Thomas Eldridge is thought to be the Thomas baptised on 14 Jun 1778 at Sedlescombe, Sussex, England. Thomas Eldridge was a carpenter who married Abigail Crouch on 27 May 1809 at Ewhurst Sussex England. They are thought to have had 7 children. Abigail was buried on 10 Dec 1838 shown aged 51 and Thomas on 5 Nov 1848, shown aged 68 and both were buried at Ewhurst.
Their son William was a diver and in 1861 was almost killed in an accident
reported in the Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle of 28 Sep 1861 as follows;
NARROW ESCAPE FROM SUFFOCATION IN A DIVING BELL.-A little before six o'clock on Tuesday morning a mishap occurred at the works of the Admiralty Pier, now in progress at Dover, which nearly proved fatal to one of the divers engaged upon the undertaking. The pier already extends 1400 feet into the water, and the foundations of another length of 100 feet are now being laid 50 feet below the surface. It was on the men resuming work on Tuesday morning that the accident occurred. Two of the divers, named Eldridge and Kiddams, had entered the bell, and it was just upon the point of being lowered when the break of the "jenny" snaped, suddenly dropping the ponderous construction into the water. The distance from which it fell was not less than 80 feet, and how the unfortunate men escaped in the manner they did is a marvel. Eldridge is the most experienced diver on the works, and managed to free himself from the bell, but the other poor fellow remained imprisoned in what promised to be a living tomb, the tube by means of which the bell is supplied with air snapping with the suddenness of the jerk by which it was released from its position. Cut off from all communication with the surface, and imprisoned fifty feet below the level of the sea, the sensations of the other poor fellow may be imagined. He had given himself up for lost - a fate well nigh realised, as it was not until two hours had been spent in the attempt to liberate him that the efforts of those above were successful. The immense chain used in working the bell - five times ninety feet in length - became unshipped, on the accident occuring, rapidly ran out, and descended with the bell, causing such an entanglement as to retard very considerably the efforts made by the directors of the works, and the efficient staff they summoned to their aid, for the poor fellows' liberation. Another diving bell was lowered, and a helmet diver sent down, and after two hours the most perservering efforts the disabled bell was released of from its position and brought to the surface, the poor fellow Kiddams, who had never expected again to see the light, being more dead than alive. Kiddams states that the bell in descending became two-thirds full of water, so that about 40 cubic feet of air was all that was left him to breathe for the time he was confined. Had Eldridge not succeeded in getting out of the bell, both men beyond question would have suffocated.
Their daughter Jane had a child, Edward Larkin Eldridge, who was baptised at Ewhurst on 23 Aug 1835. She married Edward Nicholas Larkin at Ewhurst on 26 Jun 1837 and the family migrated to New South Wales on the Andromache arriving on 31 Oct 1837. The family settled at Appin NSW.
Their grandson James Eldridge emigrated to New South Wales on the Parsee, arriving at Sydney on 14 Sep 1859.
Their grandson John Bufford Eldridge with his wife and their son migrated to the United States in 1866 on the England. They settled in Missouri.
Their grandaughter Jane together with her husband and son emigrated to the United States around 1883. They settled in Oregon.
Their great grandson William Herbert emigrated to Victoria prior to his marriage on 27 Jan 1890 at All Saints Curch of England at St Kilda to Mary Ann Hall.
Updated 15 February 2023
Thomas Eldridge (1778-1848)
m 1809 Abigail Crouch (1787-1838)
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Thomas Crouch/Eldridge (1807-1884)
m 1829 Maria Hawkings (1807-1871)
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| John Crouch Eldridge (1830- )
| m 1867 Ellen Andrews (1823- )
| Thomas Eldridge (1831-1903)
| m 1872 Mary Goodsell (1825-1875)
| m 1878 Hephzibah Mewett (1838-1917)
| Sarah Eldridge (1833-1911)
| m 1858 Henry Thomas (1830-1886)
| | |
| | Jane Thomas (1860- )
| | Abby Thomas (1862- )
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| Jane Eldridge (1835-1927)
| m 1866 George Bishopp (1832-1909)
| | |
| | George Thomas S Bishopp (1870-1944)
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| James Eldridge (1837-1892)
| Ellen Eldridge (1839-1910)
| m 1881 George Baldock (1833-1912)
| | |
| | Alice Abigail Baldock (1883-1973)
| |
| Maria Abigail Eldridge (1841- )
| m 1864 John Eldridge Whiting (1836- )
| William Eldridge (1843-1868)
| m 1866 Caroline Poile (1847-1927)
| | |
| | James Eldridge (1866-1950)
| | m 1905 Annie Gardner (1872-1959)
| | | |
| | | Rose Ellen Eldridge (1906-1982)
| | | m 1931 Sydney Carey (1905-1969)
| | | Alfred James Eldridge (1907-1967)
| | | m 1937 Edith Brett (1910- )
| | | | |
| | | | Alan Eldridge (1941- )
| | | | m 1969 Angela Marjorie Norman (1948- )
| | | |
| | | Arthur William H Eldridge (1911-1981)
| | | m 1943 Ada Ditton ( - )
| | | | |
| | | | Barbara M Eldridge (1944- )
| | | |
| | | Walter George Eldridge (1919-1989)
| | | m 1938 Violet J Ransom ( - )
| | | |
| | | Pamela V Eldridge (1938- )
| | | m 1959 Robin J Brown ( - )
| | |
| | William Thomas Eldridge (1867-1869)
| | Ellen Eldridge (1868-1905)
| | m 1889 George William Clark (1869-1937)
| | |
| | William James Clark (1890- )
| | Rose Ellen Clark (1892-1991)
| | Thomas Frederick Clark (1894- )
| | Bertram Charles R Clark (1898- )
| |
| George Edward Eldridge (1845- )
| Edgar Eldridge (1847-1923)
| m 1872 Elizabeth Pennells (1852-1937)
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| Edgar Eldridge (1872- )
| Ellen Eldridge (1874- )
| Mary Ann Eldridge (1875-1919)
| m 1907 Herbert James Edwards (1884-1942)
| | |
| | Herbert Hector Edwards (1908-1979)
| | George Kenneth Edwards (1910-1974)
| | Henry Vincent Edwards (1911-1989)
| | Alan Edgar Edwards (1916-1980)
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| Emma Eldridge (1878-1951)
| m 1908 Edward Relf (1881-1957)
| | |
| | Grace Elizabeth M Relf (1911-2000)
| | Maurice Frederick Relf (1917-1981)
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| Mercy Eldridge (1890-1966)
| m 1918 William F Bishop (1889-1965)
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John Eldridge (1809- )
m 1841 Elizabeth Bufford (1816- )
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| John Bufford Eldridge (1840-1922)
| m 1960 Sarah Ann Goldsmith (1840-1916)
| | |
| | Eliza Jane Eldridge (1861- )
| | Theodore A Eldridge (1862-1946)
| | m 1882 Sophia Raugh (1862-1931)
| | |
| | Jennie R Eldridge (1884- )
| | m 1920 Otto L Moeller (1859-1940)
| | William A Eldridge (1892- )
| | m 1919 Ida Mae Criss (1897- )
| | | |
| | | Joy A Eldridge (1925- )
| | |
| | Robert A Eldridge (1897-1972)
| | m 1922 Helen M Wilson (1904-1979)
| | |
| | Robert Harold Eldridge (1925- )
| | m 1957 Shirley Kaye Scneider (1939- )
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| Eliza Jane Eldridge (1842-1845)
| Thomas Edgar Eldridge (1847- )
| m 1882 Catherine Dive (1852- )
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| John Edward Eldridge (1882- )
| Theodore Thomas Stephen Eldridge (1884-1915)
| m 1908 Alice Setterfield ( - )
| William Jesse Eldridge (1887- )
| m 1909 Florence Marston (1889- )
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| Catherine Emily Eldridge (1910- )
| Jessie Eldridge (1912- )
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Eliza Eldridge (1811-1892)
(partner) Alfred Hilder (1802- )
| |
| Edgar Eldridge (1827-1844)
|
m 1829 George Gurr (1803-1870)
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| Ann Gurr (1830- )
| Isabella Gurr (1833- )
| George Edward Gurr (1837-1894)
| George Godfrey Gurr (1839- )
| Eliza Abigail Gurr (1841- )
| Joseph Thomas Gurr (1843- )
| Mary Ann Gurr (1845- )
| Frances Margaret Maria Gurr (1848- )
| Julia Emma Gurr (1850- )
| Martha Ann Gurr (1852-1853)
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Jane Eldridge (1813-1860)
m 1837 Edward Nicholas Larkin (1813-1885)
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| Edward Larkin Eldridge (1835-1852)
| George Nicholas Larkin (1840-1914)
| Eliza Sophia Larkin (1842-1912)
| Martha Middlehurst Larkin (1845-1919)
| Ellen Harriet Larkin (1850-1937)
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William Eldridge (1815-1875)
m 1843 Hannah Sellman (1820- )
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| Amos Eldridge (1844- )
| m ( ) Emily Elizabeth Quaife (1845- )
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| Sabina Quaife Eldridge (1864- )
| m 1889 John Augustus Lereculey ( - )
| Edward Eldridge (1865- )
| m 1893 Louisa Mabel Floate (1869- )
| William Herbert Eldridge (1867-1944)
| Maud Mary H A Eldridge (1870- )
| Claude Charles Eldridge (1871-1956)
| m 1894 Catherine Holden (1871-1954)
| | |
| | Ivy Mary Eldridge (1895- )
| | Doris Eldridge (1899- )
| |
| Violet Eldridge (1875- )
| m 1900 Percy Glue (1877- )
| Daisy Lois E Eldridge (1876- )
| Clive Ross Eldridge (1878-1964)
| Eveline Madeline Eldridge (1884- )
| Beatrice Gordon Eldridge (1885- )
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Maria Eldridge (1818-1892)
m 1839 John Baker Pocock (1818-1894)
| |
| Martha Pocock (1842- )
| Elizabeth Pocock (1844- )
| William Henry Pocock (1845- )
| John Baker Pocock (1847- )
| Thomas Pocock (1853- )
|
Lois Eldridge (1820- )
(unknown)
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| Jane Laura Eldridge (1843-1909)
| m 1881 Richard Dench (1845-1906)
| Edgar Albert Eldridge (1850- )
| m 1874 Frances Watson (1850- )
| | |
| | Albert Henry Watson (1873- )
| | m 1896 Harriet Ellenor Paramor (1875- )
| | Clara Eldridge (1875- )
| | Lois Ellen Eldridge (1876- )
| | m 1899 Samuel Venables ( - )
| | | |
| | | Percy Samuel J Venables (1899- )
| | |
| | m 1908 (Unknown) ( - )
| | John Eldridge (1878- )
| | m 1899 Eliza Annie Dyer (1877- )
| | | |
| | | Ivy Clara Lois Eldridge (1900- )
| | | Zingra Lucy Eliza Eldridge (1901- )
| | | Cora Hannah Frances Eldridge (1904- )
| | | Florence Ethel Eldridge (1906- )
| | |
| | George William Eldridge (1880- )
| | Ethel May Eldridge (1884- )
| | Florence Emma Eldridge (1886- )
| | m 1908 (Unknown) ( - )
| | Frances Mary Eldridge (1888- )
| | m 1910 (Unknown) ( - )
| | Laura Hilda Eldridge (1894- )
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| Thomas Eldridge (1852- )
| Clara Eldridge (1855- )
| m 1883 William Falls (1847- )
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m 1866 Jesse Haynes (1818- )
Mary Ann Eldridge (1824- )
m 1847 Edward Saxby (1822- )
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Clara Saxby (1848- )