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Dr George RIGDEN

Male 1815 - Bef 1904  (88 years)

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  • Name George RIGDEN 
    Prefix Dr 
    Birth 20 Dec 1815  Wingham, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2] 
    Gender Male 
    _UID 41C19B5092FD44B5ABECFBC25B099B784052 
    Death Bef 24 Mar 1904  Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Burial 24 Mar 1904  Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Notes 
    • 1841 census: in Watling Street, St Mildred Canterbury, George RIGDEN (25, surgeon) and two servants plus the 9 week-old daughter of one of them.

      1851 census: at 61 Burgate Street, St Mary Magdelen Canterbury, George RIGDEN (35, member of Royal College of Surgeons, born Wingham), Mio-gen [Imogen] RIGDEN (28, born Canterbury), George W RIGDEN (son, 7, born Canterbury), Jane RIGDEN (3, born Canterbury), Walter RIGDEN (2, born Canterbury), Sarah RIGDEN (sister, 25, born Ash) and two servants, Rebecca ANDREWS (20) and Job W HOLMES (20).

      1861 census: at 61 Burgate Street, St Mary Magdelen Canterbury (all RIGDEN), George (head, 45, general practitioner, member of Royal College of Surgeons, born Wingham), Imogen (wife, 38, born Canterbury), George W (son, 17, medical student, born Canterbury), Harry H (son, 15, scholar, born Canterbury), Jane (13, scholar, born Canterbury), Walter (12, scholar, born Canterbury), Brian (son, 4, born Canterbury) and Maude (daughter, 1, born Canterbury). Also three servants, Darah MURPHEY (20, house servant), Ellen Bangham (18, nurse servant) and William KIRBY (19, groom).

      1871 census: at 61 Burgate Street, St Mary Magdelen Canterbury (all RIGDEN), George (head, 55, general practitioner, member of Royal College of Surgeons, born Wingham), Imogen (wife, 48, born Canterbury), Jane (23, born Canterbury), Brian (son, 14, scholar, born Canterbury), Maude (daughter, 11, scholar, born Canterbury), Alan (son, 8, scholar) and William (brother, married, 48, merchant from Paris, born Ash, Kent). Also two general servants, Charlotte BROOKMAN (22) and Susan GOODHEW (18)

      1881 census: at 60 Burgate Street, St Mary Magdelen Canterbury (all RIGDEN), George (head, 65, surgeon, born Wingham), Imogen (wife, 58, born Canterbury), Jane (unmarried, 33, born Canterbury), Brian (son, 24, surgeon, born Canterbury), Maude (daughter, 21, born Canterbury), Walter (son, married, 32, surgeon, born Canterbury), Cecelia F (daughter in law, married, 32, born Doncaster, Yorks), and Mabel C (granddaughter, 2, born London). Also two domestic servants, Ellen RICHARDSON (17) and Annie M TUCKER (17).

      1891 census: at 60 Burgate Street, St Mary Magdelen Canterbury (all RIGDEN), George (head, 75, surgeon, born Wingham), Imogen (wife, 68, born Canterbury) and Maude (daughter, single, 31, born Canterbury). Also two general domestic servants, Elizabeth J BRETT (30) and Annie E ----field (20).

      1901 census: at 30 St Georges Place, Canterbury (all RIGDEN), George (head, 85, reired surgeon, born Wingham), Imogen (wife, 78, born Canterbury) and Maude (daughter, single, 41, born Canterbury). Also a cook Emily Jane HARVEY (21) and a housemaid Winifred J HARVEY (18).

      Both George and Imogen died before the next census. Dr George Rigden's obituary appeared in the British Medical Journal on 9 April 1904. The original can be viewed at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2353665/?page=1

      Received in February 2014:
      "Greetings from Canterbury Library,

      I came across the Minter Exchange on entering George Rigden (1815-1904) into Google in my role as a volunteer history researcher at the above. Housed in the refurbished & extended landmark High Street building which reopened in Sept 2012 and was renamed 'The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge'.

      To celebrate this event I published a £5 guidebook 'Uncovering the Beaney backstory' where I traced the history of Canterbury Library from 1769 to 2009 and outlined the 'rags to riches' life story of James Beaney MD (born Canterbury 1828 & died Melbourne 1891). He achieved his burning ambition to become a doctor and later emigrated to Melbourne where he made his fortune. He shared out his wealth to various causes in his will including a 'munificent bequest' of £10,000 to build an institute Canterbury.

      George Rigden LSA MRCS (born Wingham 1815 & died Canterbury 1904) son of Henry Minter Rigden (1792-1883) was the popular long serving medical officer to Canterbury Dispensary (1837-1900) but he is now almost forgotten. He employed Beaney at the Dispensary from 1842-7, first as an errand boy and finding him 'very intelligent and very assiduous in carrying out his duties' he taught him the art of compounding and dispensing medicines. This led to a lifelong friendship and Beaney gratefully acknowledged Rigden's help in starting him on the long ladder to qualifying as a doctor.

      Having amassed plenty of information about James Beaney and George Rigden (with 6 pictures of JB and 2 of GR) I'm toying with publishing a joint biography as a companion to my guidebook.

      I'm contacting the Minter Exchange to let you know about my research and to ask if you have contact with any living descendants of George Rigden. I've read that his wife Imogen (née Masters) owned a 'beautiful scrapbook' and it would be great if it could be found, together with any family stories and pictures of George Rigden. I realise it's a very long shot but worth attempting.

      I hope to hear back from you in due course, many thanks

      Alan Barber."

      I replied saying that unfortunately I could not help.

      March 2016: email from Margaret Rigden:
      "My husband Antony (deceased) and our two sons are direct descendants of Dr George Rigden of Canterbury."

      Feb 2018: email from Alan Barber asking for Margaret's contact info - given by reply.

      June 2026: from William George (Bill) Rigden:
      "I came upon this site [Minter Exchange] by chance as I asked AI to "tell me about Dr George Rigden of Canterbury." I don't know if Alan Barber - or anyone else - is still interested in this topic. However...

      Dr George Rigden is my great, great grandfather. In fact, I am the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son of his eldest son.

      The Antony Rigden (deceased) mentioned by my aunt Margaret was my late father's youngest brother."
    Person ID I3101  Ickham, Kent
    Last Modified 2 Jul 2026 

    Father Henry Minter RIGDEN,   b. Bef 10 May 1792, Wingham, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Jun 1883, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 91 years) 
    Mother Judith ELGAR,   b. Bef 26 Apr 1791   d. Jun 1872, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 81 years) 
    Marriage 27 Jun 1815  Wingham, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Family ID F304  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Imogen MASTERS,   b. Abt 1823, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Mar 1904, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 81 years) 
    Marriage Dec 1842  Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Children 
     1. George William RIGDEN,   b. Dec 1843, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 12 Apr 1920, Folkestone, Kent Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years)
     2. Harry Hodgson RIGDEN,   b. Sep 1845, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 24 Mar 1895, Mill Hill, London Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 49 years)
     3. Jane RIGDEN,   b. Sep 1847, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown
     4. Walter RIGDEN,   b. Mar 1849, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown
     5. Arthur RIGDEN,   b. Mar 1852, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Dec 1852, Canterbury RD Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
     6. Dr Brian RIGDEN,   b. Dec 1856, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Mar 1927, Westbury on Severn RD Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years)
     7. Maude RIGDEN,   b. Dec 1859, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown
     8. Basil Algernon RIGDEN,   b. Sep 1861, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Dec 1861, Canterbury RD Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
     9. Alan RIGDEN,   b. Mar 1863, Canterbury, Kent Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown
    Family ID F803  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 6 Feb 2013 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 20 Dec 1815 - Wingham, Kent Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - Dec 1842 - Canterbury, Kent Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - Bef 24 Mar 1904 - Canterbury, Kent Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - 24 Mar 1904 - Canterbury, Kent Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Sources 
    1. [S211] 1851 census.

    2. [S212] BMJ obituary at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2353665/?page=1, Febraury 2013.

    3. [S3] BMD index, aged 88, Q1 1904 Canterbury 2a/___. (Reliability: 3).

    4. [S209] George Murdoch, February 2013, quoting FamilySearch: indexing project (batch) number: I04954-6
      system origin: England-EASy source film number: 1835834 (Reliability: 3).

    5. [S3] BMD index, Q4 1842 Canterbury 5/134. (Reliability: 3).


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