HISTORY OF THE BRIDGENS NAME:

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This very old and rare medieval English surname is almost certainly locational and derives from a now "lost" medieval village called "Bridgemont". This place was near the village of Disley in Cheshire and is believed to be one of the estimated seven thousand hamlets that have disappeared since the 14th Century through plague, war and agricultural clearance. A hamlet called Bridgemont also existed near Dunmanway, Co. Cork, Ireland, which may have been in some way connected with the former Cheshire village. It is also possible that the name is a variant, although very early, form of "Bridgeman" - a person who guarded the bridge or collected the tolls.

The name is also found in Holland as "Bregmen", and as such has been recorded both in England and Australia before being "anglicized" to Bridgeman. It is almost certain that most Brigmonts, Bridgemonts, Bridgens, Brigments and Bridgements suffered a similar fate.

The Coat of Arms shows a man crossing a stone bridge, above water. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Charles Brigement, which was dated September 3rd 1596, a christening witness at the church of St Mary Aldermary in London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, known as “Good Queen Bess”, 1558-1603.

Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to “develop” often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.



Our Bridgens Family including Henry WEBB

Small numbers by a name refer to personal number in listing eg EDWARD 2 BRIDGENS – see 2




GENERATION ONE:

1. ~ ~ ~ GEORGE THOMAS BRIDGENS was a Mariner. He married Frances WEBB who was the daughter of Edward WEBB, a wheelwright. Children of GEORGE BRIDGENS and FRANCES WEBB included:

GENERATION TWO:

2.~ ~ ~ EDWARD BRIDGENS (GEORGE) was born on 26 May 1846 in Blackwall, Middlesex, England. He married MARTHA ELIZABETH WEBB on 24 March 1872 in Dartford, Kent. Martha was the daughter of Edward WEBB (brother of Frances) and JANE DUKE and was born in Woolwich, London around 1849.

Edward and Martha arrived in New Zealand on 15 October 1874 onboard the "Zealandia" with their 2 year old son, Frederick. Edward died on 21 February 1922 in Auckland, and was buried at Waikumete Cemetery. 

In 1875 Edward began boot-making in Pitt Street, Auckland. In 1893 he moved to Karangahape Rd where he rented a three-level building. The top level was residential, the street level a boot and shoe retail shop and the large basement a stockroom, shoe making and repair whorkshop. No one is sure how long the store was open but it is thought to have been still operating in the 1940s.

In 1923 he started making shoes on the family property at 54 Prospect Terrace, Mt Eden. It gradually expanded over the years into a large factory. In 1931 a new company bought the goodwill of the first company and a freehold property on New North Rd in Kingsland was bought. On 19 December 1997 the factory closes.

Source "Central Leader" 5 December 1997

Children of EDWARD BRIDGENS and MARTHA WEBB were:

GENERATION THREE:

3. ~ ~ ~ FREDERICK HENRY BRIDGENS (GEORGE > EDWARD) was born oon 09 September 1872 in London, England and arrived in New Zealand on the “Zealandia” on 15 October 1874. He married ELLEN BARABARA BROWN on 15 December 1894 in Auckland. Frederick died on 31 August 1938 in Auckland.

Children of FREDERICK BRIDGENS and ELLEN BROWN were:

4.~ ~ ~ EDWARD WALTER BRIDGENS (GEORGE > EDWARD) was born on 14 April 1876 in Auckland, and died on 14 January 1945. Edward married LILLIAN MAY EDWARD in 1908.

Children of EDWARD BRIDGENS and LILLIAN EDWARD are:

5. ~ ~ ~ MARTHA LOUISA BRIDGENS, was born on 09 August 1879 in Eden Terrace Auckland. She married HENRY NORMAN WEBB on 23 March 1904 in Auckland. Henry was the son of THOMAS WEBB and MARTHA SIMPSON and was born 08 March 1879 also in Auckland. Henry was a Painter. He died on 20 September 1952 in Eden Terrace, Auckland. Martha died on 19 June 1930 in Auckland and was buried at Waikumete Cemetery.

Please note that in keeping with genealogy protocol I have not included information about later generations which may include living persons. If you have a family connection please contact me for further information.

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