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Ogden & Bridge Families
With credits to Alan Jennings on Facebook and the geneology performed by William Bridge
James Ogden of Highfield, which stood on Glebelands Road, married Emma Knott of Clough Farm in 1882.
[ Read about Clough Lane here ]
James and Emma lived at Highfield and had a daughter, Margaret, who married Clement bridge, they in turn had a son, Arthur Ogden Bridge.
Highfield has been knocked down and a modern complex of flats has been built called 'Highfield Gardens'. Only the gate posts remain from the original Highfield.
Inside St Mary's tower room, is a wooden plaque commemorating the installation of a new clock in 1918, given by Emma and her daughters in memory of her late husband.
Clement's son, Arthur Ogden Bridge, was educated at Oundle where he was a Cadet Sergeant in the Officer
Training Corps (OTC), and gained his BA in Commerce from Manchester University.
At 0930 on the 29th, 2/Lieut Bridge was ordered to collect tools from abandoned trucks and to take 4
men to dig the right section area. He went off with one L.M.G. (Light/Lewis Machine Gun)
and one Anti/Tank rifle. (Only 4 guns remained with 'A' Coy). Two more machine guns
arrived later.
The following letter was received in acknowledgment of their brave rear guard actions:
Arthur married Hillary in 1941, and went on to join 9th Army in the Middle East in 1943, where he put his fluency in German to use, working in Intelligence in Beirut until the end of the War.
Arthur and his wife are buried in the Ogden family plot in St Mary's
Upon passing her exams in 1880, Emma had recieved a letter from Canonn Birch, who tutored the Prince Of Wales, later to become Edward 7th. He was also Chaplain to Queen Victoria before falling out of favour with Prince Albert and being appointed Rector of St Mary's.
Dear Emma Knott,
I am very glad indeed to hear by your letter received this morning, that you have passed your examinations so successfully. It is very exciting both to yourself and Miss Hulme, and I sincerely hope that you may prosper during your residence at Warrington. You must try to maintain the honour of your native village, and to gain fresh distinction. That a much happier lot is yours than that of many girls, who at your time of life throw off all restraint, and think only of amusement and dress.
By God's helping a useful career is now before you. That he may vouchsafe his blessing, and keep you in the path of virtue, from that so many young women go astray, is the heartfelt wish of your rector,
Henry M Birch
He worked in Hamburg before the Second World War for family firm JB and Co which
manufactured and printed cotton, during which time he became fluent in German, and became a 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th Battalion Cheshire Regiment on the 3rd May 1939.
This was a Territorial Machine Gun Battalion.
The battalion was one of the first Territorial battalions to go overseas as part of the British
Expeditionary Force (BEF), and the battalion was responsible for guarding the FrenchBelgian frontier near Armentieres just south of Ypres between November 1939 and February
1940, during an exceptionally hard winter with heavy snow and 17 degrees of frost recorded.
Jame's father, Clement, died on the 26th February 1940 aged 57, and is buried in the family plot in St Mary's and James was granted compassionate leave for the funeral. He also took this opportunity to get engaged to Hillary Warbreck Howell, daughter of the Town Clerk of Halifax.
The Battalion first served as traffic and refugee control around the Brussels area in 1940,
Then on the 20th May they were ordered to withdraw back to near their original positions at
Perenchies near Armentieres, before acting as a rear-guard battalion trying to hold up the
German advance. This allowed the rest of the British Expeditionary force to regroup and withdraw
to Dunkirk after the French had lost Cambrai on their right flank and the Belgians had
surrendered on their left flank.
On the 26th May, they were ordered to withdraw.
'All men very tired. Area being heavily shelled. Destroyed Company docs and disposed of all Company baggage'.
After further withdrawals, on the evening of the 28th, 2nd/Lieut A.O. Bridge was put in charge of 5 Platoon on a railway bridge over the river Yser, covering withdrawal of the forward sections.
All spare personnel were sent towards the coast with the Colour Sergeant and at 1200, the last of the British troops appeared to be going past the bridge. The neraby village of Rousebrugge, was now undergoing heavily shelling, but the two Machine Gun sections were told to expect to hold out until 2200 hrs and were now under command of East Lancs and that the rear Coy Cmdr would tell them when they could withdraw.
Acting Officer Bridge defended the bridge with 4 men, 3 machine guns and an anti/tank rifle from 0930 to 2000 on Wednesday 29th May
1940 until the last of the British troops had passed through.
At 1600 on the 30th May 5 platoon arrived at the beach east of DUNKIRK. Reported to 1 Div and ordered to embark with 2
Cheshires. After 24hours on the beach under enemy strafing, they embarked for home.
The Commander 2nd Corps has asked me to convey his warm congratulations and thanks to
the 5th Division and to other troops who fought so gallantly in co-operation with the 5th
Division on May 27th and 28th.
It is his opinion that it was entirely due to our action that the whole Corps was able to effect
a withdrawal and that unless we had held the YPRES - COMINES Canal so successfully the
safety of the whole B.E.F. might have been put in serious danger.
I am confident that this fact will be confirmed by History.
It is a matter of great satisfaction to all of us that we were able to carry out such a vitally
important task with complete success.
It was not done without heavy loss. This must be so always when troops are asked to hold
wide frontages to the last.
It is sad to see such fine Units reduced by casualties to their present small number but it
would be much worse if they had not achieved a vital task and inflicted far heavier losses on
the enemy.
I am indeed proud to have under my Command such a splendid body of Troops and to all
Commanders and troops I offer my sincere congratulations and thanks.
Signed H.E. Franklyn
Major-General
Commander 5th Division.
He was later promoted to Major.
After the war he went back to work for family firm JB and Co and then founded his own hotel together with
wife Gywneth at Tremadog, Portmadog.
Other Ogden families of note:
Engraved above the South porch of St Mary's Jonathan Ogden is listed as a Warden of the church in 1756.
A notably shaped grave stone (in the shape of a coffin with bevelled surface) lies not far from the tomb of Canonn Birch. Here lies James Ogden, who died 1880 aged 72 (also interred are his wife Sarah and daughter Ellen), he had also been a church warden at St Mary's for 27 years.
