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.

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:

EDWARD ² BRIDGENS born in 1846.

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:

FREDERICK HENRY ³ BRIDGENS, born 9 September 1872 in London, England.

ELLEN ELIZABETH BRIDGENS, born 8 November 1874 in Auckland, NZ.

EDWARD WALTER ⁴ BRIDGENS, born 14 April 1876 in Auckland, NZ.

GEORGE HERBERT BRIDGENS, born 1877 and died 1878 in Auckland, NZ.

MARTHA LOUISA ⁵ BRIDGENS, born 9 August 1879 in Auckland, NZ.

ROSINA EDITH ROSE BRIDGENS, born 1881 and died 1882 in Auckland, NZ.

ALICE MAUD BRIDGENS, born 1883 in Auckland; died 18 March 1970.

GEORGE ERNEST BRIDGENS, born 1887 in Auckland; died 22 March 1920.

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:

EDWARD GEORGE BRIDGENS, born 22 May 1895 Auckland; died 01 September 1944 Rotorua.

FREDERICK ALBERT BRIDGENS, born 1897 Auckland; died 15 June 1973. Frederick married DELIA HILDA MAY DALE-TAYLOR.

ALICE LOUISA ADA BRIDGENS, born 22 March 1899 Auckland; died 19 July 1982 Auckland. Alice married NORMAN HUGH DANIELS on 18 October 1930. He was born 24 November 1897 in Auckland, and died 04 September 1987.

PERCIVAL RUPERT BRIDGENS, born 16 March 1901 Auckland; died 06 December 1967 in Auckland. Percy became a dentist and never worked in the shoe factory.

HENRY ERNEST BRIDGENES, born 2 September 1904 Auckland; died October 1965. Henry married IRENE ALICE RAMSAY. She was born 18 January 1902 and died in 1987. Henry became a School Teacher in the north but as the factory grew, he and his wife and children came to Auckland and he joined the rest of his brothers (except Percy) making shoes.

HAZEL MAY BRIDGENS, born 07 May 1907 Auckland; died 3 October 1986. Hazel married DOUGLAS FREDERICK STEVEN. He was born 28 April 1899; died 31 October 1984.

LESLIE ARNOLD BRIDGENS, born 20 May 1909 Auckland; died 15 March 1974. Leslie married RUTH HORNER in September 1930. She was born 05 August 1908 and died 31 July 1980.

CHARLES BRYAN BRIDGENS, born 08 February 1908; died 2 December 1981. Charles married NELLIE MILDRED McMAHON. She was born in 1909.

ROY DOUGLAS BRIDGENS, born 22 February 1917 Auckland; died 22 Septemmber 1991 Auckland. Roy married AMELIA ADA FARNDON. She was born 13 June 1917 and died 29 December 1984.

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:

GEORGE EDWARD BRIDGENS, born 1915

EDNA BRIDGENS

FRANK WALTER BRIDGENS, died 2 March 1988.

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.

Refer to the WEBB family for more information about Henry and his family and children of Martha & Henry

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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