Bona Vacantia: Ivor Herbert Saddington 1928 - 2002

Ivor Herbert Saddington (1928 - 2002) was brought to my notice by some of my fellow GOONs who had seen his name listed in the Bona Vacantia list on the Heir Hunters television programme.  Ivor Herbert seemed such an unusual name for a Saddington that I was determined to find out more about him and which branch of the Saddington families he belonged to.

Tracking him down in the GRO indices was easy with a name like that - Ivor's birth was registered in the June quarter of 1928 in the Thrapston Registration District and his mother's maiden name was Clarke.  Further enquiries showed that he had an older brother, Clifford Aubrey Samuel Saddington, registered in the June quarter of 1924, also in the Thrapston Registration District.

To be honest, as yet I know very little about Ivor Herbert's life.  I know from the GRO death index that he was actually born on 1 March 1928.  The Deceased Online website tells me that he died on 15 September 2002 and was cremated on 2 October 2002 at Kettering Crematorium.  Further research shows that at the age of 42 he married Ellen McGrath in the December quarter of 1970 in the Huntingdon registration district, but what happened to her remains unknown.  They do not appear to have had any children.

His elder brother, Clifford Aubrey Samuel, was born on 12 March 1924 according to the GRO index.  In February 1989, at the age of 64, he married a lady called Anne Neal (then aged 61) in the Wellingborough Registration District.  I can only hope that they were very happy together, because, according to the burial register of St Peter's Church, Rushden (Roman Catholic), Clifford died on 20 July 1991 and was buried on 26 July 1991 in Plot 13, Section RF of Rushden Cemetery.  Anne Saddington lived on for nearly 10 years, dying on 5 January 2001 and being buried with her husband on 12 January 2001.

I can however tell you a bit more about their parents, Herbert Saddington and Dorothy May Clarke.

Herbert Saddington was born in early 1902 in Denford, Northamptonshire.  In the 1911 census, he is living with his parents, Samuel and Mary Louisa, at 93 Marshalls Road, Raunds, Northamptonshire.  Herbert was an only child.  In the March quarter of 1924, he married Dorothy Mary Clarke in the Thrapston Registration District, and by the dates I think it safe to infer that the birth of their eldest son, Clifford, was not far off.  I assume that Herbert and Dorothy spent the next 30 odd years raising their sons and earning a living.  Unfortunately Herbert died on 22 February 1959 at the relatively early age of 57 and was subsequently cremated on 25 February 1959 at Kettering Crematorium.  Dorothy carried on for another 18 years, before dying on 20 February 1977 and being cremated on 25 February 1977 also at Kettering Crematorium.

Herbert's parents, Samuel Saddington and Mary Louisa (nee Groom), were both born in Denford, Northamptonshire in 1875.  Samuel was baptised on 31 January 1875 in Holy Trinity Parish Church, Denford, the son of John Saddington, labourer, and Elizabeth Hannah (nee Wakefield).  In the 1881 census, Samuel was living at Back Street, Denford with his parents and four siblings.  John and Elizabeth are known to have had eight children and there may have been others.  John is described as an ag lab and Samuel was a scholar.  

In the 1891 census, the family consists of John, Elizabeth, three sons and a grandson and  is occupying three rooms in a house somewhere in Denford.  John is described as a road labourer and Samuel is a furnace labourer.

In the September quarter of 1900, Samuel marries Mary Louisa possibly in Denford, but somewhere in the Thrapston Registration District.  By 31 March 1901, when the 1901 census is taken, Samuel and Mary Louisa are living off High Street, Denford and he is an Electric Dynamo Minder.  Their only son, Herbert, is born in 1902 and then at some point the family moves to Raunds, where they can be found in the 1911 census.  At this point, Samuel is described as a stationary engine man in a boot and shoe factory.

Thanks to the Rushden Research Group, I can tell you that Samuel Saddington continued to live at 93 Marshalls Road, Raunds for the rest of his life, dying on 31 July 1928, age 53.  His obituary in The Rushden Argus of 3 August 1928 reads:

"Obituary - we regret to record the death, after a long illness, of Mr S Saddington, of 93, Marshalls-road, Raunds, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 53.  Deceased, who for 27 years was engineer at Messrs R Coggins and Sons Ltd., Nene Works, was well-known and greatly respected, and much sympathy is felt his widow and only child, Mr H Saddington.  The funeral will take place at Raunds Cemetery on Saturday, at 2.30."

Messrs R Coggins and Sons Ltd were a boot and shoe factory in Raunds which apparently specialised in footwear for the Army and Navy.

A quick search of the GRO death index seems to indicate that Mary Louisa, like her daughter in law, Dorothy, carried on for another 17 years, dying at the age of 70 in early 1945 in the Wellingborough Registration District.

This branch of the Saddington family can be traced back to the early 1800s to a John Saddington who married a Mary and had three, possibly four, children in Denford, Northamptonshire, but that is for another day and another post.  However, if you are related to this family, please do not hesitate to get in touch.