The RUBIDGE family is spread across the globe. There are Rubidges in the UK, the USA, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. My mother's mother was born Zoe Earle RUBIDGE in 1883 and she descended from Robert Henry Rubidge, the 1821 settler at the Cape. Many Rubidges are recorded in Jeff Rubidge's web pages. http://rubidge.googlepages.com/genealogy The RUBIDGE family I am concerned with has its origins in London and Southwark. There seems to have been some movement of RUBIDGES between the City into Southwark and back again although many of the early names are attached to St Olave's Church in Tooley Street, Southwark, and other Southwark churches. William RUBIDGE was baptised in St George the Martyr Southwark in 1642, and married Sibbila FOX in the same church in 1666.He is noted as being a gunsmith in Jeff Rubidge's pages. His son Will born circa 1668 was married to Margaret SYMMONDS in 1693 and is described as being of 'St Olive's'. Their son William RUBIDGE was baptised in St George the Martyr, Southwark in 1693 and married Mary SMITH in 1724 in the same church. Their five children were all baptised in Southwark. William married his second wife Mary COTSAL in St Paul's Benet's Wharf back in the City in 1740. Their child Thomas was baptised in St George, Southwark indicating that William lived in Southwark. | Samuel RUBIDGE, son of William Rubidge and Mary Smith is alleged to have been born in 1736/7. The IGI has him baptised at St Mary Newington but this is an inference from his burial in the same church. A search of the relevant parish register for his year has not found Samuel's baptism in 1736/7 in this church. His entry in his son Robert's family bible, probably written about 1792 says he was of Leadenhall Street, City of London thus compounding the mystery of his birthplace. Samuel had a number of children baptised at St Mary Rotherhithe between 1758 and 1768 although son Samuel born 1756 is shown as baptised at St George, Southwark, again an inference, probably from his parents' verified marriage in 1755 in this church. Aunt Marge's register has this son Samuel baptised at St Giles Cripplegate, again in the City. Samuel senior is given as a brushmaker of St Mary Axe in the City at the time of his son Robert's apprenticeship in 1779. When Samuel made his will in 1803 he describes himself as 'of East Lane, Walworth in the parish of St Mary Newington'.http://www.maps.google.co.uk The 1830 map attached shows East Lane to the south of the map, three roads south of the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, west of the Old Kent Road. At his marriage to Sarah Fanny COURTENAY or COURTNEY, Samuel is described as a cordwainer. Sarah Fanny is noted as a spinster. Family lore has it that she was a cousin of Samuel. A witness to this marriage was a Fanny Rubidge, possibly a sister of Samuel. Of Samuel, little ielse s known other than a reference in his will to an annuity by the Duke of Marlborough. Queries to the current Duke's office have not proved helpful. Notes on his son Robert born 1764 are in another snippet. |
