Humphrey Gregory Pridden again. Opinions, please.

[Phoenix]

I am trying to prove that Humphrey Gregory Pridden b circa 1812 - 1818 in London was the son of Humphrey Gregory Pridden who died 27 Dec 1817.

Facts

• John Pridden, father of HGP sen, describes his son as unmarried in a will proved in 1807
• HGP sen died after a dispute in a London pub. The Old Bailey site names a wife, Eliza.
• St Andrew Holborn 11 Sep 1811, bp of John Pridden, son of HGP & Elizabeth. Address tallies for this to be HGP senior.
• HGP jun names HGP as father on marriage certificate 11 March 1839

So far, so good. But

• No marriage found as yet for HGP sen to Eliza/Elizabeth
• No baptism found for HGP jun
• John Pridden, brother of HGP sen, does not mention any Pridden nephews. He had no sons himself and other siblings were all sisters, so you might expect something.

Yesterday, I found a will for HGP sen! Far from clarifying things, it muddies the waters.

• It is made in 1807, when he was living in the house of John Pridden his father
• It was not witnessed and two friends came forwards to attest it was his handwriting.
• It left everything to his siblings.

If HGP sen were legally married to Eliza/Elizabeth, surely this event would overturn any previous will?

So, does this prove that HGP junior was illegitimate and not necessarily the son of HGP sen? Or is Skullduggery at work?:(

[Harrys mum]

I would have thought the marriage would overturn the previous will, but not sure about that time.
When was the will proved? Was it long after his death? It could have been contested.


I wonder if the will of HGP was actually made by his father. If daddy was ill (died same year) did he not like daughter in law....

Have you got anything on Eliza/Elizabeth? death/will??

Maybe my brain is in overdrive after finding my wills and all the problems they caused LOL.

[Harrys mum]

Have you checked all the entries for HGP in google books? There seems to be a fair bit.

[Phoenix]

John Pridden, father of HGP sen sounds the most wonderful man. Calm under adversity, generous to friends etc etc.

HGP's will was proved 3 months after his death - as if they had been scrabbling around, trying to find anything. He sounds as if he probably was a little too fond of the drink. But his assets were worth £300. Not a fortune, but not to be sneezed at.

[Harrys mum]

Just read about John...sounds like a nice fellow.....so might scrap the idea he wrote the will.

Have you got HGP jun in any census?

[Phoenix]

Yes, Libby. I have lots of background info on John Pridden the bookseller, his son John Pridden the vicar, and snippets on HGP senior. There is clearly a subtext which is never spelled out, but his achievements are nothing like those of his father or brother.

HGP junior appears to be a rogue, leaving his wife in the workhouse in 1841, possibly obtaining goods under false pretences and moving into lodging houses so as not to be traced and many years later getting into a dispute with a man who claimed to be his business partner.

There is also some unclaimed money from an estate that was due to a HGP, but you can't tell the date from the reference.

[Phoenix]

1841 - he's in Marylebone, possibly with a brother.
1851 - he is calling himself John Bridden, with wife Harriet & various children
1861 - in Bradford, widowed, but with the same children
1871 - in Bradford etc.
He dies in the June 1911 quarter in Barnsley RD, with a stated age of 93.