Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.115 | |
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 34C GQS | |
| 3. Memorial: | Liverpool Masonic Hall War Memorial | Col.1. Hope St. | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
The majority of this legend is courtesy of Geoff Cuthill of the Province of West Lancashire, to whom the project is grateful.Frederick’s birth was registered in the last quarter of 1882 at Toxteth Park, Liverpool, the son of William John Aldridge a clockmaker, and Henrietta (nee Foxley). His parents had married on 11 May 1876 at St Thomas Church, Walton on the Hill, Liverpool, William, age 22, and Henrietta 20, their address given as 27 Nickleby Street.
The family lived for many years at 135 Salisbury Road, Everton, and Frederick had at least eleven siblings, six brothers and five sisters. Frederick appears on the 1891 census at this address aged eight but is missing in the return of 1901. Liverpool crew lists for that date however show him at sea aboard the ’SS Caledonian” a vessel of the Leyland Line. Surviving crew lists show he completed numerous voyages aboard this vessel between 1900 and 1902. Other similar surviving lists for 1907 and 1908 show him aboard the “SS Alcinious” of the Ocean Line, which was owned by Alfred Holt and Frederick is given as Chief Cook of 9 Lea Road, Egremont. Other previous vessels mentioned in these records in which Fred was a crew member are the Leyland Line ”Indian” and the Cunard Line “Etruria”, the last one covering the Liverpool to New York route.
Living at Netherfield Road at the time of his initiation into Prudence Lodge, he moved over to the Wirral side of the River Mersey the following year, and the lodge records him at 7 Lea Road, Egremont until 1910, before going to 90 Green Lane in Egremont, then in 1913 to 79 St Domingo Vale in Everton, Liverpool. During this period he married to Ada Rebecca Parry, a shop assistant in a drapers shop, the daughter of William and Mary Parry of 26 Rutland Street, Everton, William an engineer pattern maker. The wedding was registered in West Derby, Liverpool, for the June Quarter of 1911. It is possible that the couple would have a son William I Aldridge, born in 1914.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: SS Parisian (Leyland Line) |
| Action : Naval Campaign |
Naval Campaign is defined as to include all sea operations where attrition rates are in ones and twos and which do not fall within specific naval battles such as Jutland, Coronel, Falklands etc. This includes Merchant Navy losses.
Detail :
The masonic Provincial Return sheet for 1916 gives his address as 79 St. Domingo Vale, Everton, and later Lodge records, give Frederick as lost at sea in November 1916 while serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve. In the Marine Death Indices for 1916, his death was recorded for 2 December age 32 years, Chief Steward, as “presumed falling overboard” at 36.15 N and 23.33 E, while sailing on the “Parisian”. His address was confirmed as 79 St Domingo Vale, and that he was born in Liverpool.
This vessel of 7,548 tons had been built in 1899 as the “Bethania” by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Glasgow, for Sir C Furness of the Furness Withy Group of shipping companies. It was later sold to the Hamburg America Line, and was captured in 1914 by HMS Essex, being taken as a prize to Kingston, Jamaica. It was re-registered to Kingston and renamed the “Parisian” coming into service with the “Leyland Line” by 1916. In 1918 the vessel was sold to the Dollar Steamship Company and re-named as the “S.S. Esther Dollar” pictured here as such at Vancouver docks, Canada.
The National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), for 1917 has; Frederick Aldridge, 79 St. Domingo Vale, Everton, ships steward died 2 December 1916 at sea. Probate granted at Liverpool 25 January to Ada Rebecca Aldridge, widow. Effects £332. 6s. 4d.
Frederick is the first name on column 1 on the Liverpool Masonic Hall Memorial in Hope Street, and is recorded on page 67 of the Masonic Roll of Honour Book published by United Grand Lodge in1921 as, 2114 PRUDENCE, Aldridge, F. Lieut. R.N.R. No commemoration has been found on the other local memorials in Liverpool and the Wirral.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Prudence No. 2114 E.C. | West Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
18th April 1906 | 19th July 1906 | 21st January 1907 |
Frederick Aldridge was initiated into Lodge of Prudence No 2114 on 18th April, 1906, at the Masonic Hall in Hope Street, Liverpool, proposed by George Price, seconded by Harry Oddy. Described at the time as being a Chef, 23 years of age and residing at 110 Netherfield Road North, Everton, Liverpool. He was passed to the Second or Fellow-Craft Degree on 19 July 1906, and raised to the degree of Master Mason on 21 January 1907 with his Grand Lodge certificate issued on 30th January 1907. The contribution register shows "Died at Sea November 1916."
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley