The Ryder Brothers

The Ryder Family

James Ryder, a stonemason, was born in Aston-by-Sutton. He married Sarah Elizabeth Gerrard, who was born in Manchester. In 1891, the family was living In Heron’s Cottages, Newton-by-Daresbury. They continued to live in Newton, but we are unsure of their address.

James and Sarah had ten children, one of whom died in infancy – Charles b1882, Albert b1884, Ethel b1887, Sarah b1889, Frank b1890, James b1893, Arthur b1895, Tom b1899 and Cyril b1907.
Sarah died in July 1930 and was buried at Daresbury. James died in September 1937, at Rose Cottage, Newton-by-Daresbury and was also buried at Daresbury.

Six of the brothers served in WW1.

Charles joined the Royal Field Artillery No. 159586
Albert joined the Royal Army Medical Corps No. 84840
Frank joined the Royal Engineers No. 30494
James joined the Royal Navy
Arthur joined the Royal Army Ordance Corps No. 023650
Tom joined the Royal Naval Air Service No. M29034.

Charles Ryder
Charles Ryder was born on 29th August 1882 at Aston-by-Sutton and baptised there on 24th September that year.
Charles became apprenticed to a stonemason and once qualified, worked for his father.
Charles served in the Royal Field Artillery and had the service number 159586. At the end of the war he was recorded as an absent voter whose home address was Newton Lane Cottages in Newton-by-Daresbury.

In early 1920 Charles married Ethel Sanderson at Runcorn. She was five years younger than him. They had one son, John, who was born in August 1921 and a daughter Sheila who was born in 1927.

The 1939 Register showed Charles living at The Square, Chester Road in Daresbury village. He was employed as a bricklayer. Ethel was a housewife (“unpaid domestic duties”). Their son John was an apprentice bricklayer. Sheila would still be at Daresbury School. Also living with them was Ethel’s father, Henry Sanderson, who was a widowed domestic gardener.

During World War Two, Charles was an air raid warden.
In his spare time he enjoyed gardening and won many prizes at local shows. He was also a pigeon fancier and a member of the local Rifle Club. He was a bellringer at the church and sang in the church choir when he was younger.

Charles Ryder died on 13th January 1956 in Daresbury. He was still living at The Square. He was 73 years of age.

Albert Ryder
Albert Ryder was born at Aston-by-Sutton and baptised at the church in that village on 2nd November 1884.
Albert was a cabinet maker’s apprentice with Hesketh and Dutton in Warrington and then with Mr Cartwright in Moore. (Later he would run his own cabinet making business in Frodsham). In his spare time he was in the church choir at Daresbury and was a bellringer.

Albert married May Dykes in early 1913 at St Lawrence’s Church in Frodsham. She was a year older than him. They had Mary Lynda in August 1914, James Richard in July 1916 and Edna in March 1920. The absent voters list at the end of the war recorded Albert as living on Main Street in Frodsham. He was a Private in the Royal Army Medical Corps, with the service number 84840. He served in France.

He was a member of the Cheshire Beekeepers’ Association and whilst in Frodsham he continued bellringing there.
Albert Ryder died on 29th November 1938, whilst still living at 109, Main Street in Frodsham. His funeral was held at All Saints, Daresbury, where he was interred. May died 38 years later. Albert was 54 years of age.

Frank Ryder
Frank Ryder was born on 4th October 1890 in Runcorn Rural registration district. In 1911, he was working as a joiner.

Frank served in the Royal Engineers in the Great War, firstly as a sapper and then as a corporal. He had the service number 30494. In the absent voters list at the end of the war he was living at Newton Lane Cottages in Newton-by Daresbury.

The 1939 Register recorded Frank as still living on Newton Lane. He had never married and was employed as an estate joiner. He then worked for Manchester and District Farmers Ltd. until his final illness.
Frank Ryder died on 25th October 1960 in Dutton Hospital. He had been living at Rose Cottage, Newton-by-Daresbury. His funeral and burial were at All Saints, Daresbury, where he had been a choirboy. He was 70 years of age.

James Ryder

James was born on the 13th June 1893 in Newton-by-Daresbury. He was baptised in Daresbury church on the 16th July 1893.

In 1901 Jim was staying with his uncle and aunt, Charles and Ann Jones in Daresbury. Ten years later Jim was still living with his uncle and was employed as a canal clerk.

Jim married Helen Antrobus, the sister of James Antrobus in 1916.

After the war the government passed The Land Settlement (Facilities) Act in 1919. This act allowed local authorities to provide small holdings and allotments to ex-servicemen; they  could be allocated between 1 acre and 50 acres of farmland per person and be given priority over other applicants even if they had no previous agricultural experience. Jim went into partnership with James and Ben Antobus and were allocated 150 acres on Union Farm, Northwich Road, Dutton.

In 1939 Jim was living at Newton Lane Cottages on Summer Lane. During the Second World War, he was a “traveller” for Manchester Farmers selling cattle feed.

Arthur Ryder

Arthur Gerrard Ryder was born on 21st September 1895 in Runcorn registration district and baptised on 3rd November that year at All Saints, Daresbury.

In 1911, Arthur was an apprentice engineer.

Arthur served with the Army Service Corps in the Great War. His service number was 023650. (Some records stated that he was in the Army Ordnance Corps.) At the end of the war he was living at Newton Lane Cottages in Newton-by-Daresbury. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his war service.

In mid-1933 Arthur married Ellen Moorefield from Astley, near Leigh, at Holy Trinity Church in Runcorn. She was four years younger than Arthur. They had two sons: James born in August 1934 and Frederick, born in 1938. Ellen had been in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in the Great War.

The 1939 Register showed Arthur and Ellen living at Sunny Hill, Preston-on-the-Hill, with James who was at school and Frederick. Arthur was a builder’s labourer, deemed able to do heavy work.

Ellen Ryder died in 1972, seven years before Arthur passed away.

Tom Ryder
Tom Ryder was born on 14th March 1899 in Daresbury and baptised on 16th April that same year, at All Saints, Daresbury.

Tom served in the Royal Naval Air Service in the Great War. This was the air arm of the Royal Navy. It existed from 1st July 1914 until 1st April 1918, when it merged with the Royal Flying Corps to form the R.A.F. Tom had the service number M29034. He served from February 1918 until being demobilised in late February 1919. On enlistment he gave his occupation as apprentice blacksmith. He was 5’5 tall, with brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. He was stationed at HMS Pembroke 11, which was a shore station at Eastchurch on The Isle of Sheppey in Kent. It was an accounting base.

In early 1924, Tom married Georgina Gregory Lyall, at St. Thomas’, Stockton Heath. She was a year younger than him. They had three children: Donald, born in March 1925, Frank Lyall in July 1927 and Jean Ann in July 1932.
The 1939 Register showed the family as living at Sunny Hill, Preston-on-the-Hill. Tom was a haulage contractor, Georgina was a housewife and the three children were at school.

Tom had been a bellringer at Daresbury when he was younger and a member of the parish council for a while. He was also a pigeon fancier.

Sadly, his son Donald died in 1951.

Tom Ryder died on 22nd August 1956, at his home at Newton Bank, twenty years before Georgina passed away. He was 57 years of age.