Clair Parker (clairparker @t hotmail.com) of Leeds says: Help! I am trying to find out more about my Ryder side of the family. They are listed in the 1901 census as living in Bovingdon, Herts and this is the info I already have: RYDER FAMILY: George born  19th Nov 1848, he married an Emma Bolton.

John born  13th Oct 1852,
Charles Born 24th May 1856,
Mark born  17th April  1861,
Daniel born 29th March 1865.
Emma Ryder nee Bolton died  1894 age 69
George Ryder died 13th  July 1921 aged 75.

I cannot find anything else to do with this family on the Latter Day saints search or anything else. Please can you help?.

As you will know from the "Ask Chris" instructions I only answer directed questions about specifically identified individuals - rather than "give me everything" questions about a family. However I am happy to give some general advice as to how you can find out more yourself - and give a warning that there may some problems in the information you have.

The information you give relating to Bovingdon is misleading. Of the people you name, only George Ryder is actually in Bovingdon in the 1901 census - and you failed to mention the key information that he was born in "Chorley Wood". John Ryder (50, gardener) was still living in Chorleywood and Mark Ryder (39, carter on farm) was living in Watford, both being born at Chorleywood. Charles Ryder (44, carman on farm, born West Hyde) may be your Charles, as West Hyde is not very far from Chorleywood. The 31 year old Daniel (born at living in Chalfont St Peter, Bucks) may also be worth investigating - as Chalfont St Peter is also quite close to Chorleywood.

Advice on how to find out more about your family is included on this site - and you should look at the "How To ..." pages - particularly those relating to the census and family events, The page "The Limitations of Familysearch" will explain why it is not surprising that you could not find relevant entries there. Some of the records are online - but others will require a visit to an LDS Family History Centre (addresses on familysearch) or some other library/records office near you.

One of the online sources is the 1881 census (part of familysearch)- and a quick peek shows that in 1881 George was living in Bovingdon and was married to a 34 year old Jane Ryder - not Emma - so certainly something needs to clarified - and you will undoubtedly need to buy some birth and marriage certificates to find the answer.

March 2003

Andy Bolton (andylbolton @t yahoo.co.uk) writes:  Under the section on the Ryder family you list an Emma nee Bolton. Emma Bolton was born around 1826 to William and Lydia Bolton (nee Green). They were married on the 28th September 1810 in Chenies Bucks. In the 1841 and 1851 census they were listed as living in the Swillett, Chorley Wood, with their four children, including Emma. In 1841 Emma was 15 and listed as a straw platter.

William Bolton was probably the one born in Rickmansworth and baptised on 3 Oct 1790, to William and Elizabeth Bolton (nee Bettesworth). They were married in Chalfont St. Peter where William (Sr) was born. I have traced this line back to Thomas Bolton who married in Chalfont St. Peter in 1703.

July 2004

Linda Anderson (cander9267 @t aol.com) writes: I stumbled across Clair Parker's question about George Ryder and Emma Bolton, the cause of her stumbling block, I believe is that according to the parish registers of Chorley Wood, Daniel Ryder married Emma Bolton 10 Aug 1846 at Chorley Wood, their first born son was the mentioned George he married Jane, the other children are listed correctly but are the children of Daniel not George. They are George's siblings. Daniel's father was Joseph Ryder. I have been following the lives of the Rickmansworth Ryders for sometime trying to track down my Fanny Ryder born between 1848/1850, have found several likely Fanny's but they have all led to dead ends!

February 2005

John Woods (john @t woods37.fsnet.co.uk) writes: You may be interested to know that there were Ryders in West Hyde as late as the mid to end 1900's. They had a small light engineering firm along the Old Uxbridge Road not far from the Royal Oak pub. The firm closed but who knows the family may still be there. In the late 1800's there were also Ryders living in Harefield. [just over the county boundary into Middlesex].

August 2005

Patricia Butler nee Ryder (shortstuff65 @t hotmail.co.uk) writes: I am not sure if my family is the one you are researching. My dad was born in West Hyde near the canal in Rickmansworth , his name was John Arthur Ryder born in 1928, one of nine children. I have forwarded this to the others interested in the name to see if there is a link.