Rudler family

Join me on a guided churchyard walk at St Mary's Church, Lydiard Park this Sunday, June 19 between 2-4.30 pm.

You'll find several memorials to the Rudler family in the churchyard at St Mary's and it is most likely they are all related.

The first time the name appears in the burial registers is when Richard and Anne, the son and daughter of Richard Rudler, were buried on December 16, 1679.

More than a hundred years later John York Rudler married Ann Lock (sometimes called Lockey) in the same church on March 14, 1794. Their seven sons were christened at the 13th century font, where baptisms take place to this very day.

Two of the Rudler brothers are buried in the churchyard. Richard was innkeeper at the Prince of Wales Inn, Coped Hall Road for many years. He died on January 12, 1875 and shares an elaborate tabletop tomb with other Rudler relatives.

Henry, his younger brother, died at Banner's Ash Farm on October 9, 1884. His less elaborate headstone contains a lot of family history, which still takes a bit of working out, but revealed that Henry's first and second wives were sisters.

If, like me, you enjoy reading headstones you probably like reading wills as well. Here are a few excerpts from Ann's will.

This is the last Will and Testament of me Ann Rudler of Liddiard Tregooze in the County of Wilts Widow Whereas Thomas Lockey father of the said Ann Rudler Widow Formerly of Liddiard Tregooze aforesaid in and by his last Will and Testament bearing date on or about the second day of January one thousand eight hundred and five gave devised and bequeathed his whole fortune of money plate jewels goods chattels stocks funds securities and all other his personal estate whatsoever unto Gabriel Hollister and Ralph Broome their executors and administrators In trust that they or the survivor of them his executors administrators or assigns should convert such parts as did not consist of money or securities for money into money and invest the same upon Parliamentary or real securities or in the purchase of stock in the public funds and yearly pay the interest dividends and produce thereof to his daughter the said Ann Rudler then the wife of John York Rudler during her life for her own sole and separate use And from and after her decease in trust to pay his said personal estate or assign or transfer the stocks and securities in which the same should be then invested to and amongst all or any more or one of her children of the said John York Rudler on the body of the said Ann Rudler his wife ...

..... do by this my last Will and Testament in writing by me signed and published in the presence of and attested by the two credible persons whose name s are hereunder written as witnesses hereto direct limit and appoint that now and after my decease the said personal estate so bequeathed by the Will of the said Thomas Lockey deceased and the stocks funds or securities in which the same may be invested shall go remain and be and I hereby give and bequeath the same unto my four sons Richard Charles Henry and Cornelius equally to be divided between them share and share alike I give and devise All that my moiety or equal half part of and in All that freehold meadow ground called Lambourn Ground situate in the parish of Minety in the County of Gloucester (the entirety of which was devised to me and John Rudler Sheldon as tenants in common by the Will of Margaret Rudler deceased and all other my real estate whatsoever and wheresoever unto my friend William Priddy of Spittleborough Farm in the parish of Liddiard Tregooze aforesaid Farmer and Francis Templer of Purton in the said Count of Wilts yeoman To hold to them the said William Priddy and Francis Templer their heirs and assigns nevertheless upon the trusts hereinafter declared concerning the same (that is to say) Upon trust with all convenient speed after my decease to make sale and absolutely dispose of the said hereditaments and premises either together or in parcels and by Public or Private sale and to convey and assure the same unto the purchaser or purchasers thereof or as he she or they shall direct and to receive the monies arising from the sale or sales thereof and give effectual discharges for the same ….

.....And in the next place to pay unto all and every the children of my deceased son William who may be living at my decease the sum of ninety pounds to be divided amongst them share and share alike and if but one such children to such child wholly Also to pay to Sophia Rudler the widow of my said deceased son William the sum of ten pounds Also to pay to Thomas Hall of Hook in the parish of Liddiard Tregooze aforesaid labourer the sum of twenty pounds

This is a Codicil to the last Will and Testament of me Ann Rudler of Liddiard Tregooze in the County of Wilts Widow Whereas by my said last Will and Testatment in writing bearing date the fifteenth day of September one thousand eight hundred and forty six I have devised and bequeathed All my real and personal estate whatsoever and wheresoever unto William Priddy of Spittleborough Farm in the parish of Liddiard Tregooze aforesaid farmer and Francis Templer of Purton in the said County of Wilts Yeoman Upon trust to make sale and dispose of my said real estate and such part of my said personal estate as should not consist of money or securities for money and to collect get in and receive the remaining parts of my said personal estate And I have thereby declared my Will to be that the said William Priddy and Francis Templer and the survivor of them his executors or administrators should stand possessed of as well the monies to arise from my said personal estate as the monies to be produced by the sale of my said real estate Upon trust after payment of my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses and the expense incidental to the trust thereby related to pay unto all and every the children of my deceased son William who might be living at my decease the sum of ninety pounds to be divided amongst them share and share alike And also to pay to Sophia Rudler the Widow of my said deceased son the sum of ten pounds and upon certain other trusts in my said Will particularly mentioned Now I do hereby revoke the trust and bequest of ten pounds to the said Sophia Rudler contained in my last Will and Testament And I do hereby direct that the said William Priddy and Francis Templer and the survivor of them his executors and administrators shall and do pay out to the said trust funds and premises a further sum of ten pounds to the said children of my deceased son William to be divided amongst them share and share alike And I do hereby bequeath the same sum of ten pounds to them accordingly And in every other respect I hereby confirm my said last Will and Testament In witness whereof I the said Ann Rudler have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty sixth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty eight – The Mark and Seal of Ann Rudler X Signed sealed published and declared by the said Ann Rudler as and for a Codicil to her last Will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same time who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses – Francis Wiltshire Wootton Bassett E. Dodd Clerk to Messr Pratt Solicitor Wootton Bassett

Proved at London with a Codicil 28^th January 1851 before the Judge by the oaths of William Priddy and Francis Templer the Executors to whom Admion was granted having been first sworn by Comon duly to administer