It is known that William was farming in the townland of Cloonfeacle in the parish of Kiltoghert, near Carrick-on-Shannon, in 1833 because he is listed in the Tithe Applotment Books which were compiled for Co. Leitrim in that year. We know William's approximate year of birth from his death certificate which gives his age at death as 96.
Bertridge is a very rare surname in Ireland, as are the names of Bertrige, Bertidge, Bertige, Bertredge, Betridge, Beterige, Betteridge, Bartridge, etc. which seem to be synonymous with Bertridge. It appears the name has now died out in Co. Leitrim. Nor does it seem to be present in Co. Roscommon which borders the parish of Kiltoghert. In the Irish Linen Board's 1796 list of flax growers there is an entry for a John Beteredg (sic) who grew flax in Kiltoghert, so it is possible that John was the father or a brother of our William above. In Griffith's Valuation, carried out for Co. Leitrim in 1856 and 1857, the only Bertridge listed for the entire county is William Bertridge (which would be either William above or his son William), although there is a Patrick Betridge (sic) listed for the townland of Fearnaght in Annaduff parish. There is only one other Bertridge listed in Griffith's Valuation for the whole of Ireland, and he occupied land in Co. Dublin. There are no Bertridges at all - or anyone with a similar name - listed in the 1901 census for either Co. Leitrim or Co. Roscommon. It appears the name had died out in these counties by the end of the 19th century.
A search on the LDS FamilySearch website (www.familysearch.org) has revealed a Bertridge family from Templemore, Co. Mayo in the 18th century, details of which are as follows:
John Bertridge, born abt 1738
His wife (no name provided), born abt 1743
Their daughter Anne, born abt 1760
And in the IGI (International Genealogical Index) pages of the FamilySearch site we can see the following marriage records for the Diocese of Elphin (in Co. Roscommon):
Elizabeth Betridge (sic) and James Langford (born c.1775 and c.1771 respectively), married in 1796
William Betteridge (sic) and Catherine Reynolds (born c.1775 and c.1780 respectively), married in 1801
Birchall Bettridge (sic) and Winifred Carty (born c.1786 and c.1790 respectively), married in 1815
Unfortunately no details regarding parish are available. However, it is a possibility that William Betteridge who married Catherine Reynolds may be our William Bertridge above.
Another Bertridge located was an actor, poet and playwright named John Bertridge Clarke who was born in Co. Roscommon about 1780 and attended Trinity College Dublin. He died, apparently in poverty, at his lodgings in Covent Garden, London in 1825.
A search of Irish civil registration indexes on the FamilySearch site has uncovered three people with a surname of Bartridge which may be synonymous with Bertridge:
Esther Bartridge, born about 1868, death registered in quarter Jan-Mar 1894 in Dublin North
Bridget Bartridge, marriage registered Apr-Jun 1927 in Dublin North
Mary Bartridge, born about 1881, death registered Jul-Sep 1909 in Cork
It may be less difficult to link the following records, located by the Leitrim Genealogy Centre, to our family:
Marriages:
Patrick Betridge (sic) and Ellen Stanford, in Mohill, 24 November 1851
Bridget Beterige (sic) aged 23 of Finnalaghta, Annaduff, daughter of Patrick Beterige, labourer, and Andrew MacDonnell aged 24 of Aghintass, Annaduff, son of Andrew MacDonnell (deceased), farmer, 9 May 1882 in Drumsna. Witnesses were William Crowley and Mary Mulvey.
Burials:
Patrick Berthridge (sic), no date given
Bridget Betridge (sic), of Finnalaghta, Annaduff, died 5 January 1851, buried Annaduff
Bridget Betridge (sic) of Finnalaghta, Annaduff, died 13 June 1873, buried Annaduff
Eleanor Bertridge of Finnalaghta, Annaduff, died 19 December 1880, buried Annaduff
If the origin of our Bertridge name is actually Betridge, then it is possible that our Bertridge family may have originated in Gloucestershire in England as Betridge is a name associated with that county.