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.

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).

Isabel may be 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. 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 at least the following children:

	2	i.	Elizabeth2 RUDGE (1748-)
	3	ii.	Samuel2 RUDGE (1751-1817)
	4	iii.	Edward2 RUDGE (1753-)

2. Elizabeth² RUDGE(William¹). She was born ca. 1748 and baptized 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).

3. Samuel² RUDGE(William¹). He was born ca. 1751 and baptized 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).

Samuel married someone named Elizabeth ca. 1775. I suspect it may be Elizabeth 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. According to the record of her burial, Elizabeth was born ca. 1752.

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)

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)

Samuel RUDGE and Elizabeth CARR had the following children:

	5	i.	Ann2 RUDGE (1776-)
	6	ii.	William2 RUDGE (1778-1823)
	7	iii.	Elizabeth2 RUDGE (1780-1816)
	8	iv.	Samuel2 RUDGE (1783-1827)
	9	v.	Sarah2 RUDGE (1788-)
	10	vi.	John2 RUDGE (1795-)

4. Edward² RUDGE(William¹). He was born ca. 1754 and baptized 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).

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: "6 Jan 1778 William son of Samuel & Elizabeth Rhudge" (Baptism Records for Smethwick, Staffordshire, England; LDS Batch no. C061732, Sheet 00, Source no. 0421591, Printout 1037057).

I believe this William is one and the same William Rudge of London and Portsea, the progenitor of what I have been referring to at the North Carolina Rudge branch, details of which are located here. The primary basis for this claim is a French marriage record for William's son Edward, which specifically states the son Edward was born in Smethwick, County Stafford, on 1 Jan 1807, for which a Smethwick baptism record of "Edward son of William and Hannah Rhudge" has been found.

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 MORRIS (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 was probated on 8 May 1827 and was filed at the Lichfield Joint Record Office.

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.)

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

	11	i.	John3 RUDGE (1817-1859)
			12	ii.	Thomas3 RUDGE (1822-1961)
		iii.	Edwin3 RUDGE (1823-1843)

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).

John died ca. Apr 1822 and was buried on 19 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 t the time of his death.

11. John⁴ RUDGE (Samuel³, Samuel², William¹). He was born ca. 1817 and died on 3 Aug 1859. Information taken from the memorial inscription provided in the entry for his father.

John had at least the following children:

	i.	Matilda5 RUDGE (1843-1846)
		ii.	John5 RUDGE (1846-1911)
		iii.	Thomas William5 RUDGE (1850-873)

12. 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 23 Jul 2008