Third Generation  

9. Edward EDRIDGE [101051] (James², John¹) was born on 26 Sep 1849 in Westrip Stonehouse Gloucestershire England, died on 13 Feb 1930 in Nelson Nelson New Zealand at age 80, and was buried in Wakapuaka Cemetery Nelson Marlborough New Zealand. The cause of his death was Aortic imcompetence; Heart failure.

General Notes: In a History of the Edridge Family, received from Maureen [Duggan] Stanger in November 2013, she included the following:
Edward and Catherine (Kate) departed Gravesend, England aboard the sailing ship Mataura on 8^th August 1875. Edward & Kate were both aged 25 years. Emigrating at the same time were Kate's parents - Thomas and Jane SCOTT (nee CROKER), both aged 43 years, and Kate's younger sister, Janet aged 16 years.
The Mataura's passenger list states Edward's (ELDRIDGE) occupation as Engineer. They were 'Colonial Nominated Emigrants' bound to settle in Havelock, Marlborough but appear to have settled in Nelson on Trafalgar Street South, along with Kate's father and sister Janet.

Maureen's Manuscript goes on to say:
Mr Edward EDRIDGE is a native of Gloucestershire, England, where he received his education. After holding the position of pupil teacher, and later on, that of assistant master in the schools of his native place, Mr Edridge decided to come to New Zealand, and landed at Nelson in the year 1875. He served under Education Boards in various parts of the colony, including those of Westland and Wellington. As headmaster of the Wai-iti school, in Nelson, to which he was appointed first in 1884, and again, five years later, he is universally liked by the scholars, and is encouraged in his work by the majority of the settlers in the district. Mr Edridge is a Freemason, and a member of the Forest Lodge in the Wakefield district, and passed through the chairs of the Order. The Wai-iti school was opened about the year of 1870, the scholars on the roll number 115, and the attendance is generally very good, except in the hoppicking season, which is a time of sore trial to the various schoolmasters in the nelson province, owing to so many scholars being unable to be present in the early part of the year. This school has during the last fifteen years, under the supervision of Mr. Edridge, made very great progress, the average attendance rising from under forty to nearly one hundred.

The name of Edward Edridge will always be associated in Nelson with Wai-iti School and the company of bellringers he established there in the 1880's. Born in Westrip, Stroud in 1849, he trained as a teacher and emigrated to New Zealand in 1875. in 1882 he accepted a position as master of Wai-iti school and stayed there until his retirement in 1911.

Music was a consuming passion in his life, but he was also praised by school inspectors for his excellent standard of teaching and "efficiency." Soon his home became a real "conservatorium of music". He taught singing and piano, led the Anglican choir at Foxhill, established a harmonic society and eventually formed a company of bellringers.

In an age without the widespread availability of recorded music, live performances in concerts and small groups or around the family piano were the staple of Edwardian entertainment. Being able to paly a musical instrument or sing was the entrée to many social occasions. Handbell ringing effectively required a minimum of 4-6 "ringers" and the requisite skills to produce a pleasing sound in performance. They were also a unique novelty.

Edward bought the bells gradually as his finances permitted form the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London. He would have needed about 20 before he could play a worthwhile tune. Eventually he owned 52.
Concerts were an easy way of raising funds for the school and Edward employed his two sons to good effect in these. As H.E (Henry Edward) Edridge records in his memoirs, "….my younger brother (Vera's father, Ernest Scott Edridge) and I were trained to sing character songs and went with the bells usually. Between bell items and our songs, we filled the evening. In one solo item called "Fifty years Ago" I wore a white beard, dress coat, breeches with buckles at the knee but just before I went on the feather in a hat worn by my younger brother contacted a candle. You can imagine the rest. However, it was an excellent setting for my item, as my quivering voice portrayed old age, though the audience little knew the cause of the quiver."
the bells was quite a feat "52 bells, a strong folding table, four pairs of blankets and a crimson plush hanging for front of table, with gold drapings, quite flash" - all this needed to be set up with the bells in the right order before a concert could begin."

But it was worth it. A concert review in 1887 reported: The big features of the entertainment were the performances of Mr Edridge and his son. Mr Edridge is a highly accomplished musician and his great instrument is a beautiful set of bells. From these he rendered a variety of popular English, Scottish and Irish melodies in a manner that captivated everyone. Time, tune and touch were wonderfully accurate and the choice melodies were produced with a brilliancy and effect that few other instruments could approach….Master Edridge, quite a little mite, is for a mere child a wonderfully accomplished mimic…in the mackup of a venerable octogenarian, grey bearded with swallow tailed coat and tight breeches, leaning hard on his stick he sang 'Fifty Years Ago' in a way that pleased, delighted and highly amused every listener."

Today the bells are in the possession of Mr Edridge's great-grandaughter, Mrs Val Porter of Stoke. They were last played by her family in 1972 at a concert in Wakefield as part of the centennial celebrations of the Wakefield Methodist Church. They are her family's taonga but they are really a treasure for the whole district since they have lived in this area for 125 years. They are in excellent condition and quite valuable. To be heard, however, they need the expertise, love and care of a dedicated group of bell ringers who are part of an organization of some permanency: a church - the Nelson School of music perhaps. She hopes that some day the bells will be heard again.

Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: a Mechanic, 9 Apr 1874, Birmingham Warwickshire England.

• Emigration: with his Wofe and her Parents, on board the Vessel "Mataura", leaving Gravesend on August the 8th, 1875, New Zealand.

• Residence: a Settler, 1914, Tahunanui Nelson New Zealand.

• Residence: 37 Cambria Street, 1928, Nelson Nelson New Zealand.

Edward married Catherine SCOTT [101052], daughter of Thomas SCOTT [101053] and Jane CROKER [101054], on 9 Apr 1874 in St John's Birmingham Warwickshire England. Catherine was born on 8 Aug 1849 in Westminster Abbey London England, died on 4 Jan 1903 in Nelson Nelson New Zealand at age 53, and was buried in Wakapuaka Cemetery Nelson Marlborough New Zealand.

Children from this marriage were:

   10 M    i. Albert Edward EDRIDGE [101065] was born on 15 May 1875 in Birmingham Warwickshire England and died in 1875 in Birmingham Warwickshire England.

   11 M    ii. Henry Edward EDRIDGE [101066] was born on 22 Apr 1877 in Brook Valley Nelson New Zealand and died in 1953 at age 76.

+ 12 M    iii. Ernest Scott EDRIDGE [100929] was born on 13 Jan 1882 in Black's Point Nelson New Zealand, died on 26 Apr 1961 in Nelson Nelson New Zealand at age 79, and was buried on 28 Apr 1961 in Wakapuaka Cemetery Nelson New Zealand.

   13 M    iv. Francis Claude EDRIDGE [101067] was born in 1883 and died in 1883.

Edward next married Caroline Lucy TUNNICLIFFE [101068] in 1906 in Motueka Nelson New Zealand. Caroline was born in 1869 and died in 1946 at age 77.

Noted events in her life were:

• Residence: 37 Cambria Street, 1935, Nelson Nelson New Zealand.

The child from this marriage was:

   14 F    i. Evelyn May EDRIDGE [101069] was born in 1907.