William Frederick Ridley was born on 7th April 1887 in the New Brompton area of Chatham/Gillingham, Kent, one of eight children to John and Elizabeth Ridley. John was an engine fitter in the nearby naval dockyard and, as the key employer in the area, William followed in his father’s footsteps.
Sadly, John died in 1904, and this seems to have been what spurred his son on to a better life. In 1907 William emigrated to Canada, settling in the town of Wentworth, on the banks of Lake Ontario.
It was in Ontario that William met his future wife. Edith Wass was the daughter of a local labourer; the young couple married on 5th June 1909, and went on to have two children, John, born in 1910, and Wilfred, who was born five years later.
During this time, William was putting his engineering skills to the test; his marriage banns confirm he was a machinist. While there is nothing to confirm any specific trade, given his proximity to the coast, dockyard employment seems probable.
On the other side of the Atlantic, war was breaking out; keen to do his part for King and Country, William enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 28th July 1915. Initially enlisting in the 76th Overseas Battalion of the Canadian Infantry, he was shipped to England a year later and transferred across to the 4th Battalion.
Once on the Western Front, Private Ridley was thrown right into the thick of things. His battalion fought at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette – part of the Battle of the Somme – and it was here, on 18th September 1916, that he was wounded.
William received shrapnel wounds to his head, hand and right leg. Initially treated on site, he was quickly evacuated back to England, and admitted to the 2nd London General Hospital in Chelsea. Sadly, however, his wounds appeared to have been too severe; Private Ridley passed away from them on 30th November 1916, aged just 29 years old.
With his widow and children still in Canada, William’s body was taken back to Kent. He lies at rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, close to where his mother was still living.
(from findagrave.com)
Death and Service 
William was my grandfather, and the details of this account are consistent with, and augment, what my grandmother reported to me as a child. I am touched and deeply appreciative to find it here. Also of interest, on learning of his wounding, my grandmother embarked by train to New York and sailed to England, along with Harold, her five-year old, and my father, Wilfred, who was not yet two, to be with him. Sadly, she arrived on the day of his funeral, and having little history or connection with his family, returned to Canada three days later.
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Hi there, Ted. Thank you so much for getting in touch: I genuinely appreciate hearing from relatives of those I have researched. The whole aim of the Death and Service project is to bring to life the people whose names are etched on headstones, and remember their individual sacrifices more than a century on. Thank you too for the additional information of your grandmother’s journey to your grandfather’s side. Best wishes, Richard
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Nice to see this, decided the other week, to do more digging on our Ridley side… I am from Florence Pentony nee Ridley, sister to William Ridley.. now in NZ..
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What upsets me is, buried in one grave in Gillingham, then they closed that cemetery in Grange Road, then they had another cemetery where the headstone is at Woodlands. Gillingham Kent. I had hoped to have get there in 2014, but after the flight from New Zealand had Vertigo, couldnt do anything except wait for my flight back to New Zealand… I do a lot of local soldiers research here in New Zealand.. do hope some more off this family find this website! thank you.
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Hi there, Adele,
Many thanks for your message. It’s always lovely to hear from relatives of those I have researched. The burial ground in Grange Road may have closed, but Woodlands Cemetery is a fitting place to be commemorated, and the military section is a surprisingly moving spot.
I’ve researched a fair few ANZAC troops on the site as well. From the main page I have added links to the Australian and New Zealand regiments.
Best wishes,
Richard
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Ted….. brother Arthur received something from his work in 1950.. it was checked out by someone here in NZ the other day for me… once I get a new printer to go with the new computer will print it out… came from the person here in NZ who deals with Royalty so its genuine!
when home in UK back in 2014, my best intentions were to visit William’s grave but Vertigo came and didnt leave me until I returned to NZ so could do anything at all in my few weeks home in UK..
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