Moretonhampstead Contents & Search

Bidder, Ann (1799-1844)
- Daughter of William Bidder and Elizabeth Parker; sister of GPB: 8-9
- 1834, married Jacob Thompson: 8

Bidder, Bartholomew (1809-1850)
- Son of William Bidder Sr. and Elizabeth Parker; brother of GPB: 8-9, 12
- Phenomenal memory for numbers: 12
- Actuary at Royal Exchange Assurance Company: 12
- Married Harriot Noakes: 9

Bidder, Bertha (1846-1937)
- Daughter of GPB and Georgina Harby: 8-9, 14
- Lived at Stoke House until 1937: 14

Bidder, Edwin (1837-1872)
- Son of John Bidder and Ann Soper; nephew of GPB: 8-9, 12
- Civil Engineer: 6-7
- 1872, died in Lahore, India: 7
- Death recorded at St. Andrew's, Moretonhampstead: 12

Bidder, Constance (1852-1922)
- Daughter of GPB and Georgina Harbey/Harby: 9
- Married Barton Travers Wire; they had one son: 9

Bidder, Edyth (1848-1942)
- Daughter of GPB and Georgina Harbey/Harby: 8-9
- Married Edward Owen; they had 5 children: 8-9

Bidder, Elizabeth Mary (1803-1822)
- Daughter of William Bidder and Elizabeth Parker; sister of GPB: 8-9

Bidder, Elizabeth Mary (1819-?)
- Daughter of John Bidder and Ann Soper; niece of GPB: 8-9

Bidder, George (1821-1874)
- Son of John Bidder and Ann Soper; nephew of GPB: 8-9, 12
- Civil engineer: 12
- Death recorded at St. Andrews, Moretonhampstead: 12

Bidder, George Parker (1806-1878)
- 1806, born in Moretonhampstead; son of William Bidder and Elizabeth Parker: 1, 2, 8-9
- c1813, met Jacob Isaac, who tested his reading and math abilities: 2
- c1813-1816, appeared as "the Calculating Prodigy" at Brighton, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Dudley, Worcester, Birmingham, Oxford, Cambridge, Norwich, Great Yarmouth, and London: 2-3
- 1816, attended school in Camberwell: 3
- 1816-7, answered questions posed by Queen Anne: 3
- 1819, exhibited in Edinburgh: 3
- 1819, came to the attention of Sir Henry Jardine: 3
- c1819-20, tutored privately: 3
- 1820-1824, attended classes in math and natural philosophy at Edinburgh University: 3
- 1824, left Edinburgh for Cardiff and then for London: 4
- c1824-5, trainee with the Ordnance Survey: 4
- 1825, joined Institution of Civil Engineers, served on council and as VP and President: 10
- c1825-6, assistant to Henry Palmer in Civil Engineering, working on surveys for the London Docks and with railway and canal surveys: 4
- 1827, worked part-time as clerk at Royal Exchange Life Assurance: 4
- late 1820s, assistant engineer with Walker and Burges: 4
- 1834-5, joined Robert Stephenson working for London & Birmingham Railway: 5
- c1834, met Georgina Harbey/Harby in London: 12
- 1834 or 1835, married Georgina Harbey/Harby: 9, 12
- 1840s to 1854, made trips to Norway with Robert Stephenson to construct railway: 6
- before 1846, lived in Walworth [Surrey?]: 12
- 1846, he and Georgina bought Mitcham Hall, Surrey: 12
- 1846, promoted the formation of the Electric Telegraph Company, later helped run it, and worked on development of transatlantic cables: 6, 11
- 1850s, visited Switzerland with Robert Stephenson to plan Swiss Federal railway system: 6
- 1850s, introduced gas lighting to Denmark: 6
- 1853, acquired the yacht Mayfly: 13
- 1854, met King of Norway at opening of the Norwegian railway: 7
- 1856, lectured to Institution of Civil Engineers, in which he explained how he did calculations: 14, 16
- 1860s on, consultant engineer to various Indian railways: 6
- 1860, he and Georgina bought land and house at Paradise Point, Dartmouth, and renamed it Ravensbury: 12
- 1860-1, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers: 10
- 1860, gave Presidential Address to the Institution of Civil Engineers: 7, 16
- 1864, he and Georgina moved family to Ravensbury Park House, which they had built on the Ravensbury estate: 12
- 1868-71, served on Dartmouth Town Council; advised on drainage and water supply plans: 13
- 1869, gave Presidential Address to the Devonshire Association: 7, 10, 16
- 1869, entertained by the Emperor of France while with a delegation from Institution of Civil Engineers: 7
- 1870, chairman of the Danish Gas Company: 6
- 1877, transferred Ravensbury Park House to George Parker Bidder, Jr.; bought Stoke House at Stoke Fleming: 14
- 1878, two days before he died, had a philosophical discussion with chaplain of HMS Britannica: 14
- 1878, died; buried at Stoke Fleming Churchyard; left Stoke House to Georgina and their unmarried daughters: 14
- 1879, obituary memoir published in Min. Proc. ICE, 57: 294-309
- Child mathematical genius: 1,2
- Established the Jardine Bursary, a scholarship at Edinburgh University: 3-4
- Appeared before Parliamentary Committees: 5
- Worked with Robert Stephenson for the London & Blackwall Railway, London-Brighton line, the Bilsworth-Peterborough branch of the London & Birmingham, the Yarmouth & Norwich and Norwich & Brandon lines, the North Staffordshire, and the London, Tilbury and Southend: 5
- Contributed to East Anglian railways and Great Eastern Railway: 5, 7
- Persuaded the London & Blackwall Railway to install the electric telegraph: 5
- Used the electric telegraph on the Yarmouth and Norwich line: 5
- Promoted employment of women as telegraph operators: 6
- Met King Leopold of Belgium while consulting with him on railways: 7
- Met King of Denmark while visiting the Danish railway: 7
- Consulted in plans for main drainage of London: 7
- Worked on plans for London Docks, Victoria Docks, and dock changes in Lowestoft: 7
- Competitor of I. K. Brunel's: 10-11
- Published "Bidder's Tables", a calculating device for working out volume of earth to be moved in a cutting or embankment: 10
- Invested in and was active with the Torbay and Dart Paint Company, Buckland Slate quarry, coal mines, a Welsh slate quarry, and Indian trading ventures: 11
- Invested in land in England and Norway: 11
- Enabled parents to move from Moretonhampstead to Exeter: 12
- He and Georgina had 8 surviving children and 28 grandchildren: 13
- Contributed to a new road and bridge across Warfleet Creek, Dartmouth: 13
- Friend of William Froude's in Dartmouth; loaned him his steam-launch for his experiments in ship design: 13-14
- A founder of the Dart Yacht Club; instrumental in its acquisition of the Royal warrant: 14
- Partnered with Samuel Lake, a Dartmouth trawler owner, in experiments with team in local fishing industry: 14

Bidder, George Parker (Jr.) (1836-1896)
- Eldest son of GPB and Georgina Harbey/Harby: 8-9, 13
- Read mathematics at Cambridge: 13
- Became a QC [Queen's Counsel?], specializing in parliamentary work: 13
- Married Anna McLean; they had 7 children: 8

Bidder, George Parker (3rd)
- Son of George Parker Bidder, Jr.: 13
- President and benefactor, Marine Biological Association: 13
- President, Devonshire Association: 13
- Zoologist: 13

Bidder, Georgina (1850-1922)
- Daughter of GPB and Georgina Harbey/Harby: 9
- Married Septimus Crowe; they had one son: 9

Bidder, Elizabeth Harby (1839-1931)
- Daughter of GPB and Georgina Harbey/Harby: 8-9
- Married John Stanton; they had 13 children: 8

Bidder, Florence (1853-1908)
- Daughter of GPB and Georgina Harbey/Harby: 9
- Married J. S. Excell; they had one son: 9

Bidder, Henry Jardine (1847-1923)
- Son of GPB and Georgina Harbey/Harby: 8-9

Bidder, Henry John (1817-?)
- Son of William Bidder Sr. and Elizabeth Parker; brother of GPB: 2, 8-9
- 1835, married Grace Tozer: 9

Bidder, John (1797-1847)
- Son of William Bidder Sr. and Elizabeth Parker; brother of GPB: 2, 8-9
- Taught GPB to count using face of his watch: 2
- 1819, married Ann Soper: 8
- 1819+, father of Edwin, George, Elizabeth Mary, Sally, William, & John: 6, 8, 12
- Builder in Moretonhampstead: 12
- Stonemason: 2

Bidder, John (1823-?)
- Son of John Bidder and Ann Soper; nephew of GPB: 8-9

Bidder, Sally (1833-?)
- Daughter of John Bidder and Ann Soper; niece of GPB: 8-9, 12

Bidder, Samuel Parker (1811-1871)
- Son of William Bidder Sr. and Elizabeth Parker; brother of GPB: 8-9, 12
- Railway engineer: 12
- General Manager, Grand Trunk Railway, Canada: 12
- Worked on London & Birmingham Railway: 12
- Married Mary Gregg: 9

Bidder, Selina (1804-1869)
- Daughter of William Bidder and Elizabeth Parker; sister of GPB: 8

Bidder, William (1768-1844)
- 1793, married Elizabeth Parker: 2, 8-9
- 1794+, father of GPB, Ann, Elizabeth Mary, Selina, William, Bartholomew,
- Samuel, Henry John, and John: 2, 8-9, 12
- 1816, unenthusiastically accepted invitation for son GPG to attend school at Camberwell: 3
- Stonemason: 2
- Moved with wife from Moretonhampstead to Exeter: 12

Bidder, William Jr. (1794-1861)
- Son of William Bidder Sr. and Elizabeth Parker; eldest brother of GPB: 2, 8-9
- 1813, married Jane Hill: 8
- Non-conformist minister: 2

Bidder, William (1831-?)
- Son of John Bidder and Ann Soper; nephew of GPB: 8-9

Brunel, I. K.
- Competitor of GPB's: 10-11

Clark, E.F.
- Great-great-grandson of GPB: 1
- Held designations of MA, MMIMechE: 1
- 1983, published George Parker Bidder, The Calculating Boy, KSL Publications: 1, 16

Crowe, Septimus
- Married Georgina Bidder; they had one son: 9

Excell, J. S.
- Married Florence Bidder; they had one son: 9

Froude, William
- Friend of GPB's in Dartmouth: 13
- Experimented in ship designs: 13-4

Gregg, Mary
- Married Samuel Parker Bidder: 9

Harbey/Harby, Georgina (1808-1884)
- c1834, met GPB in London: 12
- 1834 or 1835: Married GPB: 9, 12
- She and GPB had 8 surviving children and 28 grandchildren: 13
- Before 1846, she and GPB lived in Walworth [Surrey?]: 12
- 1846, she and GPB bought Mitcham Hall, Surrey: 12
- 1860, she and GPB bought land and house at Paradise Point, Dartmouth, and renamed it Ravensbury: 12
- 1864, she and GPB moved family to Ravensbury Park House, which they had built on the Ravensbury estate (near Mitcham Hall, Surrey): 12
- 1878, widowed; inherited Stoke House with her unmarried daughters: 14

Hill, Jane
- 1813, married William Bidder, Jr.: 8

Isaac, Jacob
- Baptist minister: 2
- c1813, met GPB and examined him for reading and math: 2
- Schoolmaster: 2

Jardine, Sir Henry
- Undertook GPB's education in Edinburgh: 3
- Found GPB a post in the Ordnance Survey : 4
- GPB's friend and mentor until his death in 1851: 3-4
- 1851, died: 4

Lake, Samuel
- Dartmouth trawler owner: 14
- Partnered with GPB in experiments with steam in local fishing industry: 14

Locke, Joseph
- 1859?-1860, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers: 10

McLean, Anna
- Married George Parker Bidder, Jr.; they had 7 children: 8

Noakes, Harriot
- Married Bartholomew Parker: 9

Owen, Edward
- Married Edyth Bidder; they had 5 children: 8-9

Palmer, Henry
- Former pupil of Thomas Telford: 4
- c1825-26, was assisted at Civil Engineering by GPB: 4

Parker, Elizabeth (1769-1844)
- From a family of stonemasons: 2
- 1793, married William Bidder: 2, 8-9
- 1794+, mother of GPB, Ann, Elizabeth Mary, Selina, William, Bartholomew, Samuel, Henry John, and John: 2, 8-9, 12
- 1816, enthusiastic about invitation for son GPB to attend school at Camberwell: 3
- Moved with husband from Moretonhampstead to Exeter: 12

Pengelly, W.
- 1886, published anecdote about Bidder being examined by Jacob Isaac, 16

Solly, Isaac
- Chairman, London Dock Company: 11
- Chairman, London & Birmingham Railway Company: 11
- Director, Royal Exchange Assurance Company: 11

Soper, Ann
- 1819, married John Bidder: 8
- 1819+, mother of Edwin, George, Elizabeth Mary, Sally, William, John: 6, 8, 12

Stanton, John
- Married Elizabeth Harby Bidder; they had 13 children: 8

Stephenson, George
- Father of Robert Stephenson: 3
- Railway engineer: 3

Stephenson, Robert
- Son of George Stephenson: 3
- 1829, designed the Rocket for the London & Manchester Railway: 5
- 1840s to 1854, made trips to Norway with GPB to construct railway: 6
- 1850s, visited Switzerland with GPB to plan Swiss Federal railway system: 6
- 1860, died: 4
- Friend of GPB's: 3
- Hosted GPB on his yacht: 13
- Met King Leopold of Belgium while consulting with him on railways: 7

Telford, Thomas
- Taught Henry Palmer: 4
- 1825, drove steam locomotive for the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway: 4-5

Thompson, Jacob
- 1834, married Ann Bidder: 8

Tozer, Grace
- 1835, married Henry John Bidder: 9

Wire, Barton Travers
- Married Constance Bidder; they had one son: 9

Last updated: 27 Jun 2006 - Brian Randell