The following is a genealogy of a Rudge family associated with Smethwick, Staffordshire County, England. This is based primarily upon parish records taken from the Smethwick Old Church, which was initially established in 1732 as a chapelry of the Harborne parish.

• Here are some photographs of the Old Smethwick church.

• Index to this branch.

1. William¹ RUDGE.. He married Isobel COOPER on 7 Nov 1742 in the parish of Harborne, Stafford, England (LDS Batch no. M085732 Sheet 00, Source no. 0428999).

Isobel may be the Isabella Rhudge who was buried on 29 Jan 1797 OR the Isabella Rhudge who was buried on 9 Mar 1804 at the Smethwick Chapelry, (Old Smethwick Church), Smethwick, Stafford, England (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 82, 87).

William may be the one of three William Rhudges who were buried on 20 Apr 1774, 20 Jun 1777, or 14 May 1805 at the Smethwick Chapelry, (Old Smethwick Church), Smethwick, Stafford, England (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 38, 39, 88).

William and Isobel had the following children:

	2	i.	Anne2 RUDGE (1745-)
	3	ii.	Elizabeth2 RUDGE (1748-)
	4	iii.	Samuel2 RUDGE (1751-1817)
	5	iv.	Edward2 RUDGE (1753-)
	6	v.	William2 RUDGE (1757-)

2. Anne² RUDGE(William¹). She was born ca. 1745 and baptized the daughter of William and Isabel Rudge on 24 Jan 1745 at the Smethwick Chapelry (Old Smethwick Church), Smethwick, Stafford, England (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 6).

3. Elizabeth² RUDGE(William¹). She was born ca. 1748 and baptized the daughter of William and Isabel Rudge on 28 Dec 1748 at the Smethwick Chapelry (Old Smethwick Church), Smethwick, Stafford, England (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 8).

4. Samuel² RUDGE(William¹). He was born ca. 1751 and baptized the son of William and Isabel Rudge on 29 Sep 1751 at the Smethwick Chapelry (Old Smethwick Church), Smethwick, Stafford, England (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 9).

BAPTISM RECORD:"Baptisms Anno Domini 1751... Sep 29 Samuel S. of William & Isobel Rudge" (Smethwick Old Church Baptisms and Burials 1732 - 1777)

Samuel married someone named Elizabeth ca. 1775. I suspect it may be Elizabeth CARR, daughter of Thomas and Hannah Carr, as the below record is the only marriage record I have been able to find of a Samuel Rudge in the appropriate time period and Birmingham is relatively nearby.

BAPTISM RECORD:"Baptisms Anno Domini 1751... May 3 Elizabeth D of Thomas & Hannah Carr 3 May" (Smethwick Old Church Baptisms and Burials 1732 - 1777)

MARRIAGE RECORD: Samuel RUDGE married Elizabeth CARR on 18 Dec 1775 at St. Martin, Birmingham, England.. (Marriage records of St. Martin, Birmingham, England, LDS Batch no. M010722, Sheet 00, Source no. 0919765-0919767, Printout 6900689)

Samuel died on 1 Sep 1817 and was buried on 4 Sep 1817 in the churchyard of the Chapelry of Smethwick, Stafford.

BURIAL RECORD: "Burials in the Chapelry of Smethwick in the County of Stafford in the Year 1817... [Name] No. 171. Samuel Rudge [Abode] Smethwick [When buried] September 4 [Age] 66 years [By whom the Ceremony was performed] E. Dales" (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2; Smethwick Old Church Burials Jan 1813-Sep 1831 p. 22) A copy of the burial record is located here.

GRAVESTONE INSCRIPTION: "N84. Sacred to the memory of SAMUEL RUDGE who departed this life September 1st, 1817. Aged 66 years, Also of ELIZABETH BUCKERFIELD, daughter of the above SAMUEL RUDGE who departed this life December 23rd 1816. Aged 36 years." (Harris, Pauline. (1981) Monumental Inscriptions of Smethwick Old Church, Staffordshire. Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry.) Photos of his tombstone are located here.

Elizabeth died shortly after him in May 1823 and was buried on 16 May 1823 at the Chapelry of Smethwick, Stafford, England.

BURIAL RECORD: "Burials in the Chapelry of Smethwick in the County of Stafford in the Year 1822... [Name] No. 351. Elizabeth Rudge [Abode] Westbromwich [When buried] May 16 [Age] 71 years [By whom the Ceremony was performed] E. Dales" (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2; Smethwick Old Church Burials Jan 1813- Sep 1831 p. 44)

Samuel RUDGE and Elizabeth CARR had the following children:

	7	i.	Ann2 RUDGE (1776-)
	8	ii.	William2 RUDGE (1778-1823)
	9	iii.	Elizabeth2 RUDGE (1780-1816)

	10	iv.	Samuel2 RUDGE (1783-1827)
	11	v.	Sarah2 RUDGE (1788-)
	12	vi.	John2 RUDGE (1795-1822)

5. Edward² RUDGE(William¹). He was born ca. 1754 and baptized the son of William and Isabella Rudge on 3 Jun 1754 at the Smethwick Chapelry (Old Smethwick Church), Smethwick, Stafford, England (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 11).

6. William² RUDGE(William¹). He was born ca. 1757 and baptized the son of William and "Arabella" Rudge on 11 Apr 1757 at the Smethwick Chapelry (Old Smethwick Church), Smethwick, Stafford, England (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 13).

He appears to be the William Rudge who married Catherine PAINE on 15 Jun 1783 at St. Martin, Birmingham, Warwick, England (LDS Batch no. 7505734, Sheet no. 13, Source 0935380). A Catherina Rudge was buried on 23 Aug 1801 at the Smethwick Chapelry (Old Smethwich Church), Smethwick, Stafford, England (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 85).

William and Catherine Rudge had several children who are known only by their burial records (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 82, 84).

		i.	Joseph3 RHUDGE buried 17 Apr 1796.
		ii.	John3 RHUDGE buried 18 Sep 1796.
		ii.	Benjamin3 RHUDGE buried 2 Mar 1800.

BAPTISM RECORD: "30 Jun 1776 Ann daughter of Samuel & Elizabeth Rhudge" (Baptism Records for Smethwick, Staffordshire, England; LDS Batch no. C061732, Sheet 00, Source no. 0421591, Printout 1037057).

BAPTISM RECORD: ""1778 Baptisms... William S. of Samuel and Elizabeth Rhudge January 6" (Smethwick Old Church Baptisms and Burials July 1777 - Dec 1812)

William married Hannah TAYLOR, daughter of Richard Grove Taylor, on 8 Jun 1799 at the parish of St. George the Martyr, Southwark, London, England. Further information about their family and descendants is located here.

BAPTISM RECORD: "30 Jan 1780 Elizabeth daughter of Samuel & Elizabeth Rhudge" (Baptism Records for Smethwick, Staffordshire, England; LDS Batch no. C061732, Sheet 00, Source no. 0421591, Printout 1037057).

She married Thomas BUCKERFIELD on 16 Apr 1812 in Harborne, Stafford, England (LDS Batch no. M020364). Elizabeth died, presumably without issue, on 23 Dec 1816, as indicated in the inscription of her father's gravestone provided above.

BAPTISM RECORD: "25 May 1783 Samuel son of Samuel & Elizabeth Rudge" (Baptism Records for Smethwick, Staffordshire, England; LDS Batch no. C061732, Sheet 00, Source no. 0421591, Printout 1037057).

According to a gravestone inscription for his son John, Samuel married Ann - (1799-1863).

Samuel died ca. Dec 1826 and was buried on 8 Dec 1826 at the Smethwick Chapelry (Old Smethwick Church), Smethwick, Stafford, England (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 63). The burial record states he was 37 years old at the time of his death. His will (filed at the Lichfield Joint Record Office) was written on 19 Jul 1826 and probated on 8 May 1827. In it he mentions having four children: John, Samuel, Edwin and Thomas.

GRAVESTONE INSCRIPTION: "N103. In the memory of JOHN RUDGE son of SAMUEL and ANN RUDGE who departed this life August 3rd 1859. Aged 42 years. Also MATILDA RUDGE daughter of the above JOHN RUDGE who departed this life December 31st 1846. Aged 3 years and 6 months. Also THOMAS WILLIAM RUDGE third son of the above JOHN RUDGE who died January 19th 1873. In his 23rd year. "In the midst of life we are in death." In loving memory of ANN MORRIS who departed this life April 21st 1863. Relict of the late SAMUEL RUDGE. In memory of THOMAS RUDGE son of Samuel and ANN RUDGE who departed this life December 30th 1861. Aged 39 years. Also ARTHUR H. RUDGE son of the above THOS. RUDGE who departed this life May 15th 1854 Aged 4 years 11 months. Also WALTER RUDGE son of the above THOMAS RUDGE who departed this life January 5th 1861. Aged 4 years and 5 months. In loving memory of JOHN FREDERICK RUDGE who died May 14th 1911. Aged 65 years. "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. ------- who departed this life ---- 1826. Aged 38 years. "Thy children here their reverence pay." Also EDWIN RUDGE son of the above SAMUEL RUDGE who departed this life August 18th 1843. Aged 20 years. "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." (Harris, Pauline. (1981) Monumental Inscriptions of Smethwick Old Church, Staffordshire. Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry.) (Note: The missing name on this memorial might be Samuel, who died in 1826 and whose wife, children and grandchildren are memorialized on the stone. The date isn't entirely consistent.)

As indicated in the gravestone inscription above, Ann nee ­ RUDGE remarried Joseph MORRIS on 28 Oct 1830 after the death of her first husband.

MARRIAGE NOTICE: "MARRIED... On Thursday, the 28th ult. Mr. Joseph Morris, maltster of Dudley, to Ann Rudge, of the Swan Inn, Smethick." (Stafford Advertiser 6 Nov 1830)

Samuel RUDGE and Ann - had at least the following children:

	13	i.	John3 RUDGE (1817-1859)
	14	ii.	Thomas3 RUDGE (1822-1961)
		iii.	Edwin3 RUDGE (1823-1843)
		iv.	Samuel3 RUDGE

Ann had additional children by her second husband.

BAPTISM RECORD: "1 Jun 1788 Sarah daughter of Samuel & Elizabeth Rhudge" (Baptism Records for Smethwick, Staffordshire, England; LDS Batch no. C061732, Sheet 00, Source no. 0421591, Printout 1037057).

BAPTISM RECORD: "6 Jan 1795 John son of Samuel & Elizabeth Rhudge" (Baptism Records for Smethwick, Staffordshire, England; LDS Batch no. C061732, Sheet 00, Source no. 0421591, Printout 1037057).

OBITUARY: "Monday se'nnight age 27, Mr. John Rudge, engineer, Smethwick" (Warwick and Warwickshire General Advertiser 27 Apr 1822)

John died 27 Apr 1822 and was buried on 29 Apr 1822 at the Smethwick Chapelry (Old Smethwick Church), Smethwick, Stafford, England (Registers of the Old Church Smethwick v. 1 & 2, p. 59). The record specifically refers to him as being 27 years old at the time of his death.

13. John⁴ RUDGE (Samuel³, Samuel², William¹). He was born ca. 1817 and died on 3 Aug 1859. John was an innkeeper.

John married Jane HOLLOWAY, daughter of Thomas Holloway on 31 Dec 1839 in the parish of Harborne, Stafford, England.

John, his wife and their two sons appear in the 1851 census for Smethwick.

John had at least the following children:

		i.	Matilda5 RUDGE (1843-1846)
		ii.	John Frederick5 RUDGE (1846-1911)
		iii.	Thomas William5 RUDGE (1850-1873)

14. Thomas ⁴ RUDGE (Samuel³, Samuel², William¹). He was born ca. 1822 and baptized on 15 May 1822 at the Chapelry of Smethwick. Thomas died on 30 Dec 1861. Information taken from the memorial inscription provided in the entry for his father.

Thomas had at least the following children:

		i.	Arthur H.5 RUDGE 
		ii.	Walter5 RUDGE

Links to branches of the Rudge family associated with: Evesham , Gloucester, Cirencester, North Carolina, and Brazil.

Back to The Rudge Family Page

Other lines on this site:

• Maine COOK FLUENT MILLS WEBBER WOODWARD;
• Michigan BIERI ROTH WYSS;
• North Carolina ADAMS GIBSON MITCHELL PAE PERSONS RUDGE BANKS COBLE;
• Virginia BATH BREEDLOVE WILLIAMSON;
• Wisconsin BREITKREUTZ FINDER NEFF YOUNG

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Last updated on 8 Jul 2010