PIDGEONs of Long Stratton, Norfolk The Parish of Stratton St Mary, Norfolk lies in today’s village of Long Stratton, about 10 miles south of the centre of Norwich on the A140. The following villages are all within 7 miles of Long Stratton inside a triangle formed by the towns of Wymondham, Beccles and Diss: Stratton St Michael, Hedenham, Ditchingham, Brooke, Forncett St Mary, Wacton, Aslacton, Pulham Market, Pulham St Mary Magdelen. Most of these villages are part of the registration district of Depwade , (reference to which is made when the actual village is unknown), part of which became Norwich Outer in 1939. This family tree was originally developed with information from Sam(antha) and Michael Pidgeon of Ashwelthorpe (another village only a few miles from Stratton), Diana Kramer of Torquay, Victoria, Australia, PRO indexes and census returns. Then, rather dramatically, I found a booklet in the library of the Society of Genealogists (SoG) called “The Pidgeon/Pigeon Family of Long Stratton, County Norfolk, England” by Mary Gene (McCall) Middleton of South Orange, New Jersey, USA. I wrote to Mary and she provided me with copies of her booklet and several certificates of births, baptisms, marriages and deaths. In addition to the SoG, Mary has lodged copies of her booklet at the Norfolk Record Office in Norwich and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, USA. Later she sent me more information and photographs which enabled me to write Chum’s Tale . More was added to this family by the revelations of Brian Pidgeon of Brighton, Sussex. He knew very little of his grandfather, but after enrolling the services of Sherlock Holmes, it turns out that he was one of two “fatherless” children born to Mary Anne Pidgeon (1856-1941) prior to her marriage to William Hogbin. The first child was registered as Arthur William (named after her brother, and fictitious husband), but he was known always as William Arthur. The second son Edward must have been adopted – nothing is known of him after his birth. Neither is anything known about the whereabouts of Arthur (or William), until his marriage in 1907. Perhaps he, too, had been adopted under a different name, but used his birth name when married. There are 7 known births resulting from “extramarital relationships” in this family – an unusually high number. Perhaps this feature is the reason why the birth of William Pidgeon at the head of the family (who married Susannah Rope in 1781) cannot be traced. The one legitimate Y-DNA test result failed to match that of any other Pidgeon, either in Norfolk or elsewhere. So perhaps William was also the result of such a relationship. Contributors: Brian Pidgeon , Karen Jessop , Julie Dudgeon , John Pidgeon , Ann Morrant , Diane Kramer , Sam Pidgeon , Mary Middleton Notes: ab. = about, b. = born, bp. = baptised, bu. = buried, d. = died, m. = married, (+) = extramarital relationship. SSMa = Stratton St Mary; SSMi = Stratton St Michael; PSMM = Pulham St Mary Magdelen Norf = Norfolk Places in italics = Registration district William PIGEON () Labourer m.(10/10/1781, SSMa) Susanna ROPE (b.ab.1752 – d.17/12/1839, 87y, SSMa) | |– William PIGEON (b.ab.1781 – bu.3/4/1823, 42y, SSMa) | m.(28/11/1821, SSMa) Mary Anne MEAD (b.ab.1798, Hempnall – d.1/9/1867, 69y, SSMa) | | m2.(28/10/1839, SSMi) Robert CUNNINGHAM (bp.4/7/1814, SSMa – | | | : bu.12/2/1896, 81y, SSMi) Watch Maker | | | m2.(29/12/1872, Fritton) Elizabeth FRYER (b. – d.) | | | 1881: at Turnpike Rd, SSMa – Robert & Elizabeth | | | | | | 1851: at Stratton Street, SSMa – Robert & Mary; Robert & other Cs | | | 1861: at SSMa – Robert & Mary; Robert CUNNINGHAM + Mary Ann PIDGEON | | | + Ann AYTON (servant) | | | 1871: at SSMa – Robert; Robert & Harriet; Maria, Edward CUNNINGHAM | | | + Mary Ann PIDGEON | | | | | └ Robert CUNNINGHAM (bp.5/1/1840, SSMi – d.) Watch Maker | | m.(15/12/1864, SSMa) Harriet TIDMAN (b.ab.1842, Blofield – d.) | | | 1881: at Swan Lane, SSMa – Robt. & Harriet; Edward R | | | + Mary A WATLING (servant) | | |– Maria Charlotte CUNNINGHAM (bp.3/12/1865, SSMa – d.) | | └ Edward Robert CUNNINGHAM (bp.3/2/1867, SSMa – d.) | | | └ William PIDGEON (bp.4/6/1823, SSMa – bu.25/1/1906, 82y, Wacton) Husbandman | : 1841: at Street, SSMa – William (servant) with Thomas Henry BARTON (surgeon) & family | (+) Sarah COLEMAN (b. – d.) | | | |– Anne PIGEON (aka COLEMAN ?) (b.24/9/1942, Norwich – d? 1842, Norwich ) | : | : 1851: at Stratton Street, SSMa – William & Susan COLEMAN (Servants) with ALBOROUGH family Updated 2 February 2021 1 © 2004-2021 Ian C Pidgeon | m.(17/4/1856, Norwich) Mary Ann AYTON (b.ab.1833, Pulham Market – d.21/8/1918, 86y, Wacton) | | 1861: at SSMa – William & Mary Ann; Arthur W | | 1871: at Wacton – William & Mary A; Arthur W, John, Charles, Harriet M, James R, Eliza | | 1881: at Side of Common, Wacton – William & Mary A; William, Charles, Robert J, Eliza J | | 1891: by Common, Wacton – William & Mary A; John, Harriet M, Robert J; Elizabeth A (8) | | 1901: by Common, Wacton – William & Mary A; Robert + Daisy M DUNN (2,g.nce) | | 1911: at Wacton Common – Robert, Mary Ann (wid, boarder) | | | |– Mary Ann PIDGEON (b.15/10/1856, SSMa – d.1941, 85y, Thanet ) | | : 1861: at SSMa – Mary Ann with the CUNNINGHAM s (see above) | | : 1871: at SSMa – Mary Ann with the CUNNINGHAM s (see above) | | : 1881: at 86 Bromfelde Rd, Clapham, Surrey – Mary A (Gen.Serv.) with Henry PEMBROKE | | : 1891: at St Peters Footpath, Margate (Thanet College) – Mary A (domestic cook) & family | | (+) ? ? | | |– Arthur William (aka William Arthu r) PIDGEON (b.4/8/1886, Tunbridge Wells – d.1958, 75y, | | | : Brighton) | | | m.(2/6/1907, Tonbridge) Florence Olive SPICER (b.1876, Hastings – d.9/4/1912, 36y, | | | | Brighton) | | | | 1911: at 37 Holland St, Brighton – William Arthur & Florence; Ada, William + 2 boarders | | | | [2/5 ch alive] | | | | 1939: at 39 Warleigh Rd, Brighton – William A (wid, with William F & family – see below) | | | | | | | |-? Ada Florence SPICER (aka PIDGEON ) (b.18/6/1906, Hackney, London – d.) domestic | | | | servant | | | | : 1939: at 109 Dyke Rd, Brighton – Ada (ds to Marshall A PALMER & family, | | | | m.(1951, Lewisham ) George F LEVENS (b. – d.) ret’d bank manager) | | | | | | | |– Alice Olive PIDGEON (b.6/3/1908, Brighton – d.1908, 0y, Brighton ) | | | | | | | |– William Arthur PIDGEON (b.13/3/1909, Brighton – d.1909, 0y, Brighton ) | | | |[ twins ] | | | |– Francis James PIDGEON (b.13/3/1909, Brighton – d.1909, 0y, Brighton ) | | | | | | | └ William Frederick PIDGEON (b.3/9/1910, Brighton – d.1986, 76y, Brighton ) butcher | | | m.(26/10/1932, Brighton) Dorothy May ILLMAN (b.9/6/1904, Brighton – d.1995, 90y, | | | | Hove) | | | | 1939: at 39 Warleigh Rd, Brighton – William F & Dorothy M; (Brian, Brenda) | | | | + William A (wid) | | | | + 3 other children: John W ROBINSON, (2 closed) | | | | | | | | | | | |– Brian William PIDGEON (b.1935, Brighton – d.26/12/2017, 82y, | | | | m. Brighton) butcher,, local councillor | | | | | | | | | |– Edward PIDGEON (b.29/3/1888, Tunbridge Workhouse – d.) | | : | | m.( 31/7/1892, Margate, Kent) William Henry HOGBIN (b.ab.1862, Garlinge, Kent – d.1911, | | | 48y, Thanet ) Labourer | | | 1901: at 67 Milton Rd, Margate – William H & Mary A; Alice, Jane, Thomas | | | 1911: at 67 Milton Rd, Margate – William Henry & Mary Ann; Alice Mary, Thomas Henry | | | [3/4 ch’n alive] | | | – Alice Mary HOGBIN (b.ab.1893, Margate – d.) | | | – Clara Jane HOGBIN (b.17/4/1895, Margate – d.) | | | – Thomas Henry HOGBIN (b.29/7/1899, Margate – d.) | | └ Charles Hollands HOGBIN (b.1902, Margate – d.1902, 0y, Margate) | | | |– Arthur William PIDGEON (b.10/1/1858, Pulham St Mary – d.1858, 0y, Depwade ) | | | |– Arthur William PIDGEON (b.31/5/1859, Wacton – bu.2/10/1937, 78y, Wacton) Ag Lab | | m.(20/3/1884, Wacton) Alice Amelia GROOM (b.23/10/1860, Tivetshall – d.1945, 84y, Acle ) | | | m2.(1938, Depwade ) John TOOKE (b.ab.1853 – d.1941, 88y, Acle ) | | | 1891: by Green, Wacton – Arthur Wm & Alice A; Fred C, Alice M, Ethel A, Ada M | | | 1901: at Wacton – Arthur & Alice; Fred, Ethel, Ada, Edith, Agnes [ RIDGEON ] | | | 1911: at Wacton – Arthur William & Alice Amelia; Ada Mary, Mildred Margaret | | | Updated 2 February 2021 2 © 2004-2021 Ian C Pidgeon | | |– Fred Charles PIDGEON (b.10/6/1884, Wacton – d.1958, 74y, Middlesbro’) motor driver | | | m.(10/9/1913, York) Margaret Ellen FISHER (b.20/9/1888 – d.1971) | | | | 1939: at 49 Warren St, Middlesbrough – Fred C & Margaret E; Fred W | | | | | | | |– Margaret Alice O PIDGEON (b.1915, Middlesbrough – d. ) | | | | m.(1933, Middlesbro’) James Christopher RUMFORD (b.6/10/1912, Leyburn – | | | | | d.11/1992, 80y, Northallerton ) | | | | | | | |– John Charles PIDGEON (b.3/12/1916, Middlesbro’ – d.1992, 75y, Cleveland ) | | | | : railway goods porter | | | | m.(1939, Cleveland ) Phyllis CLAXTON (b.21/11/1915 – d.1997, 81y, Cleveland ) | | | | | 1939: at 7 Costa St, Middlesbrough – John C & Phyllis | | | | | | | | | |– Diane PIDGEON (b.1940, Cleveland – d.1940, 0y, Cleveland ) | | | | | | | | | └ Carolyn PIDGEON (b.1943, Cleveland – d.9/4/2014, Middlesbro’) | | | | | | | | → Karen JESSOP | | | | | | | |– Frederick William PIDGEON (b.3/6/1921, Middlesbro’ – d.1984, 63y, Cleveland ) | | | | | | | | → Julie DUDGEON | | | | → John PIDGEON | | | | | | | └ James Arthur PIDGEON (b.15/8/1926, Middlesbro’ – d.1983, 57y, Lambeth ) | | | m.(1948, South Shields ) Irene Olive KEITH (b.12/12/1915, South Shields – d.1973, | | | | 57y, York ) | | | | 1939: at 4 Prince of Wales Ter, Scarborough – James A (at school) | | | | | |– Alice May PIDGEON