The Ely Bidwells
(Anne Muriel & Charles Bidwell)
By Gareth Abbey
Anne, was the second eldest of Robert’s daughters, she was born in Ely in 1791. Little is known of her early life, but, in 1813, she married Charles Bidwell, born in 1786, the third son of Shelford Bidwell esq of Thetford, the owner of the Thetford Brewing Company. They settled in Ely.
Anne’s father, Robert, refers to his son-in-law Charles Bidwell as “been under the necessity of calling on me for pecuniary assistance from time to time”. Charles had remained in the brewery business, but his finances, may have been of some concern to Robert, who expressed that a sum of £1200.00, Robert was to leave to Anne “shall not be liable to the debts engagements control or inter-meddling of her husband.”
Charles and Anne had the following children:
Charles Muriel Bidwell (Ely,1814 - Ely,1874) Surveyor & Land Agent
Robert Muriel Bidwell (Ely,1816 - Ely,1834)
Ann Muriel Bidwell (Ely,1817 - Ely,1836)
George Muriel Bidwell (Ely,1819 - Cheshire,1867) Public Accountant
Mary Muriel Bidwell (Ely,1821 - Tunbridge Wells,1903)
Sarah Muriel Bidwell (Ely,1823 - Tunbridge Wells,1896)
Annette Muriel Bidwell (Ely,1824 - Tunbridge Wells,1906)
Jannette Muriel Bidwell (Ely,1824 - Tunbridge Wells,1910)
Elizabeth Muriel Bidwell (Ely,1826 - Tunbridge Wells,1904)
Fanny Muriel Bidwell (Ely,1828 - Tunbridge Wells,1904) married Robert Muriel (1826-1873) Surgeon Of Ely
In March 1829, Charles met with a fatal accident, aged 43:
“Friday evening last, a fatal accident occurred to Mr Charles Bidwell as he was returning in his gig from Cambridge to Ely. Being obliged to get down to open a fallgate, his horse becoming restive started off at full speed before he could regain his seat, and melancholy to relate, turned suddenly round a sharp angle of the road, upset the gig, and hurled the unfortunate gentleman with such violence upon the ground as to cause his death in a few hours after.”
Charles’s and Anne’s eldest son, Charles Muriel Bidwell, aged 15 at his father’s death, was articled to Mr William Medland of St Neots, to study the surveying and land agent profession and spent some time in London, before returning to Ely. In 1844, Charles married Clara the youngest daughter of Henry Balls esq of Panton House in Cambridge and as their family started to grow so did Charles’s business, he acted as land agent for many of the Cambridge colleges, including Trinity where his ancestors had attended.
Throughout his life Charles was held in high esteem and remained a strong family man assisting the Muriel family, as they had once assisted his family, helping his uncle, John Muriel, with the purchase of “Chantry House” in Ely, and no doubt assisting John with the building of the house on St Mary St, now known as “Cathedral House”, which was built, by John, for his son Robert Muriel (1826-1873), Surgeon of Ely, following his marriage to Charles’s sister Fanny Muriel Bidwell. Charles was among the first 30 members of the Surveyors institution, his health was said to have been impaired following a fall from a horse in November 1872. Charles died in 1874.
In 1861, Anne, was living at 83 Albert St, St Pancras with daughters Mary, Sarah, Annette, Jannette, Elizabeth and Fanny and the sisters would later move to a house called “Peristead” at 21 Lansdowne Rd in Tunbridge Wells.
Charles Muriel Bidwell’s daughter, Emily Bidwell, married Harry Beaumont, a solicitor. Their daughter, an actress, Muriel Beaumont, named after her Muriel ancestors, married actor Gerald du Maurier - their daughter was the famed author Daphne du Maurier, who wrote such timeless classics as Rebecca and Jamaica Inn. In a 1971 BBC interview, Daphne was asked “if you hadn’t been a writer what else do you think you might have been?” Daphne replied, “it would have been fascinating to have been a Doctor, or if not a Doctor some form of Chemist.” - the family trade of her Muriel ancestors.
Charles’s eldest son Charles Bidwell jnr (Pictured above), born in 1845, attended Trinity College, Cambridge. He was a successful student and rower at the college and followed his father into the Surveyor & Land Agent business. He greatly increased the business establishing an office in Cambridge, about 1880. Charles Bidwell jnr, married Kathryn Anne Evans of the Evans family of Ely, in 1869. Kathryn’s family were solicitors by trade. Charles and Kathryn first lived in the Babylon area of Ely, later moving to St Mary St. His great energy and interest in affairs of the community in which he lived led to him being appointed as a Justice of the Peace and county Alderman for the Isle of Ely. It is said that “In his home Mr. Bidwell was seen at his best. He was an ideal and generous host, and those who have enjoyed the hospitality of Mr and Mrs Bidwell in their charming old world house at Ely possess an experience upon which they must always look back with pleasure.”
Charles Bidwell jnr died in 1922, and was followed into the family business by two of his sons John and Phillip. The company started by Charles Muriel Bidwell, now known as Bidwells, still thrives today.