William John Bridges was born on 24 May 1854, the fourth of the six children of William John Bridges (c.1824-c.1865) and Mary Bridges (born c.1815). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1854 in the St Luke Registration District, Middlesex.
In the 1861 census he is shown as aged 6 years and a scholar, living at 36 Vere Street, Westminster, Middlesex, with his parents and his five siblings: Mary Ann Bridges (b.1845) - shown as a servant; Emily Bridges (1847-1883) - a scholar; George James Bridges (b.1849) - a scholar; Rhoda Bridges (b.1856) - a scholar and Jessie Bridges (1858-1900). His father was described as a smith.
On 30 July 1869 he enlisted as a Boy 2nd Class in the Royal Navy, service number 9644B, at HMS Fisgard, a Royal Navy shore establishment primarily used for training engineers and artificers at Woolwich Dockyard. He was promoted to Boy 1st Class on 1 August 1870. The census held on the night of 2 April 1871 shows him as aged 16 years and a Boy 1st Class serving aboard HMS Lord Warden, an armour-plated wooden 3rd rate ship that was in port in Naples, Italy.
On 24 May 1872, his 18th birthday, he signed on for 10 years as a Ordinary Seaman. He was awarded the Albert Medal (A.M.) for his actions involving a fire in a magazine whilst serving as the Quartermaster on board HMS Thunderer on 2 January 1879. The award was conferred on 6 June 1879.
When the 1881 census was undertaken he was shown on a list of Petty Officers and serving as a Gunner's Mate aboard HMS Moorhen, a screw composite gun boat, attached to the China Station and which was located in the Singapore Roads on 3 April 1881.
Following his discharge from the Royal Navy, he joined the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and on 25 December 1883 he married Margaret Alice Rayner (1860-1923) at St Mark's Church, Old Street, Hackney, Middlesex, where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 29 years, a bachelor and a fireman, residing in the parish, the son of William John Bridges, a blacksmith, whilst his wife was described as aged 23 years, a spinster, also living in the same parish, the daughter of Alexander Rayner, a hairdresser.
His death was registered as aged 31 years in the 2nd quarter of 1886 in the St Olave Southwark Registration District, Surrey. He was serving as a 4th Class Fireman when he died on 8 May 1886 in Guy's Hospital from fatal injuries he received from being thrown from a horse as result of a stone being thrown by boy at the horse he was riding on a duty journey from the Elephant and Castle fire station to Brigade HQ, Southwark.
He is shown as 'W. J. BRIDGES' on the London Fire Brigade Memorial in Highgate Cemetery, Swain's Lane, London, N6. He is also commemorated on the National Firefighters Memorial, Sermon Lane, London, EC4 and on The Firefighters Memorial Trust's website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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