Frederick and Louisa Burridge

Frederick George Burridge was born in the parish of St John Evangelist, Westminster on 20 July 1829, not far from Westminster Abbey. His father was a coal merchant and the family of nine lived in Millbank street (1841 census) and Vincent Square (1851). 

Frederick's occupation was a “Clerk to a builder” on the 1851 census and “Commercial traveler” on his wedding certificate.

Several miles away, Louisa Harriet Grant was born on 18^th November 1834, the 4^th of 12 children in Kensington. In the 1851 census she was 16 and her father was a "Builder employing 2 men" (possibly Frederick as clerk?).

They married in January 1858 when she was 23 and he was 28 and very soon afterwards emigrated to Australia aboard the "Black Swan" arriving in Melbourne in May 1858. Their first child - Sarah Elizabeth (named after her grandmothers) - was born on the 30th December 1858. A big year!

Upon arrival, they contributed to a testimonial published in the newspaper thanking the Captain and Officers for their treatment on the voyage. 

They lived in Carlton - Rathdown and/or Reeves Streets - and went on to have 8 children altogether over the next 15 years. Sadly, the youngest two died at the ages of 3 and 4 respectively. 

In 1877, Cricket's inaugural Test match between England and Australia was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Frederick was probably working as a gate-man or ticket collector at the match as he was several months later, when he was tried and acquitted of embezzling the proceeds. He is mentioned in Sands directory after 1878 several times but without details. He was convicted of laceny in March 1879 and served 14 days in Pentridge when he was 50. Frederick died in the Melbourne hospital aged 54 in 1884. The extract of his death certificate lists as "unknown" the names of his parents and wife. He was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery.

In 1881, Louisa reported her next-door neighbour in Rathdowne street to the police for serious abuse of a three year old child. The resulting court case was reported in the Argus. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5974432 

Frederick and Louisa's 2^nd son, Frederick Lacey Burridge, died in a freak work accident leaving his widow with 6 children.

    A FATAL FALL.       [The Argus, 3^rd June, 1903]

Frederick Burridge, 38 years of age, met with death yesterday by falling through a trapdoor to a brick floor at Cooley's Shot Factory, Little Lonsdale-street. Burridge, who was a workman employed at the factory, was at work on the top story of the building. He stepped back, forgetting that there was an opening. Through this he fell 15ft., and, when picked up, was found to be bleeding from the ears and a wound at the back of his head. He was taken to the Melbourne Hospital, where he died shortly after admission. The cause of death was fracture to the base of the skull. The deceased was a married man, and resided at Sydney-street, Collingwood.  trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/9816818

                         [The shot tower is now part of the Melbourne Central complex]

In 1904, Louisa was listed as a nurse living at 487 Rathdowne street, Carlton with her son Henry Charles and his family. She died the same year and was buried with her son, Frederick and (eventually), his wife Annie. https://billiongraves.com/grave/Harriet-L-Burridge/24468858