The Ritso Family
The Ritso family was probably the first family to live in No 12 Prior Park Buildings (at the time it was No 13). Captain John Ritso (1772-1866) moved there in 1825 after a long and distinguished career in the Army. His ancestors came from Germany and had close connections with the Royal House of Hanover. Ritso is an anglicised form of the German Ritzau. John was born in Surrey in 1772. In 1790 at the age of 18 he travelled to India and joined the 76th Regiment as a volunteer.
In 1791 he was promoted to Ensign and fought in the Mysore wars against Sultan Tipu, most notably in the siege of Seringapatam in 1792, when Tipu was killed and his sons surrendered. By 1804 he had reached the rank of Captain and was appointed as ADC to the Governor General to India the Marquis of Wellesley (brother of the Duke of Wellington). He returned to the UK in 1806 and initially settled in Kingsbridge in Devon. He transferred to the Royal Artillery and was made Professor of Fortifications at Woolwich Arsenal.
In 1807 he married Charlotte Boyce. They had 6 children together some of whom were born in Somerton. He retired in 1823 and moved to Prior Park Buildings in about 1825. He died in 1866 at the age of 93! As a child John’s father George Ritso was a play mate of the young George III. Later George married Louisa Grimm who was an attendant to Queen Charlotte. Louisa was born in 1743 in Gotha, Saxony, Germany. They had 11 children together. She died on 3 March 1825 at the age of 82 years, and was buried in Bathwick.
John’s Grandparents (George’s parents) were Frederick and Sophia Ritzau. They were both born in German but came to the UK and were the private secretaries to the Prince and Princess of Wales. John’s daughter Ellen was Christened in the same gown in which George III was Christened. Ellen lived to the age of 103.
The Wylde Family
Edward Wylde (1791-1860) and his family lived in 3 Prior Park Buildings from 1838 until 1843. Edward was a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval. His wife Magdalena (1796- 1861) was born in Paramaribo the Capital of Suriname which at the time was a Dutch Colony in South America. They Married there in 1816 and had 8 children – 3 sons and 5 daughters of whom 5 worn born in Bath. Edward and Magdalena died in 1860 and 1861 in the Naval Hospital in Greenwich. Two of their sons went into the military. One, Charles went into the Navy and reached the rank of Captain and is buried in Ross Bay, British Columbia and the other Edward Andree went into the Marines and reached the rank of Major General. Edward’s father was the Rev Sydenham Teast Wylde who was was born in Bath in 1756.
The Silversides Family
William Silversides moved into 3 Prior Park Buildings around 1870 with his wife Sarah and daughter Eva Jane and ran a boarding school from there. Both William and Sarah were born in Hereford and in the 1841 census William is listed as a footman. The school did well and over the years migrated from No 3 to No 2, and for a period was in both houses, and then to No 1. Then in around 1894 the school was moved to 5 Widcombe Crescent as the Clarendon School whilst the family remained in No1. William died in 1885 whilst conducting a service at the Christian’s Meeting House in Princess Street. Eva continued to live in No 1 and continued to run the school. In around 1904 she had moved to 5 Widecombe Crescent. The School was seen as prestigious and was attended by the daughters of Aldermen Bush and Silcock. It was known for its low fees and generous prizes By 1911 there were 72 children at the school. The school closed in 1919 and Eva died 24/6/1930 and is buried in the Abbey Cemetery.
William Bowler
William Bowler a local businessman lived in No 13 Prior Park Buildings from 1925-52. He was born in Bath in 1863 and was the son of Jonathan Burdett Bowler (1834-). His grandfather Frederick E Bowler was a publican at the Kings Arms, 3 Walcot Street. After an apprenticeship at Stothert & Pitt, William became manager of the mineral water making business in the 1880s. At the time his father J B Bowler had suffered a serious stroke which left him unable to run metal working and mineral water making businesses alone and his two sons, William and Charles, were responsible for these two aspects of the business, whilst their father retained overall control. In 1889 WW Bowler married Lydia Jane at Thomas a Becket church at Widcombe while he was living at Springfield Place, Holloway. The family – which by 1905 included nine children – moved in various addresses in Widcombe and Entry Hill. After moving to 7 Macaulay Buildings in 1920 the family eventually moved to 13 Prior Park Buildings in 1924. In 1911 J B Bowler died and WW Bowler took over the running of the mineral water aspect of the business entirely. After a period of decline, during his father’s infirmity WW Bowler revived the operation with more modern equipment and investment in the firm. Unfortunately, the disruptions to the business of two world wars in the 20th century condemned the mineral water firm to decline. WW Bowler died on 25 April 1942-during the Blitz of Bath-although his death was unconnected to the bombing. We have a copy of WW Bowler’s will and along with a host of other property and shares in businesses is 13 Prior Park Buildings. The property was sold in February 1956 for £1185.00. On the subject of Bath businesses, one of WW Bowler’s daughters, Dora, married Edward Cross whose uncle was Rodney Cross – the founder of the successful precision engineering company Cross Manufacturing of Midford Road. WW Bowler and Lydia Jane’s wedding in 1889 and William Woodman in a family portrait a little later.
Horstman Family
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