Tracing Footsteps: The Bidgood's Return to Tavistock

Chris Bellers from Tavistock Local History Society shows the Bidgoods their ancestors headstone

This June, Tavistock Heritage Trust had the pleasure of welcoming the Bidgood family to Tavistock for a very special private heritage tour — one that not only explored the town’s rich 19th-century mining past but also helped reconnect the family with their own ancestral roots.

The Trust, together with five other members of Tavistock Heritage Alliance collaborated to produce an afternoon not to be forgotten. THT, Tavistock Local History Society, Guildhall Gateway Centre, Tavistock Museum and the Bedford Hotel pulled together research and planning to build a bespoke tour for their short time in Tavistock.

The mixed media installation at the entrance to the Guildhall Gateway Centre

Jason Bidgood and his family — visiting from the United States — were in Tavistock for just a day, but it was a day packed with meaning. With the support of local partners including Tavistock Guildhall, Tavistock Museum and Tavistock Local History Society, we were able to build a bespoke tour centred around the lives of their ancestors who lived, worked, and ultimately emigrated from Tavistock in the 1800s.

The Bidgoods’ journey began with Nicholas Bidgood, born around 1780, and followed the line through Abraham Bidgood — a miller turned mine labourer — to Jacob Bidgood, who emigrated to New Jersey in 1868, with his wife Jane and their children, including young Richard. Their family story echoed that of many Tavistock families in the later 19th century: hard-working men and women caught in the changing tides of industry, economy, and empire.

Our tour began at the Guildhall Gateway Centre and wove through the heart of Victorian Tavistock, exploring the transformation of the town under the Dukes of Bedford and the profound impact of mining on the local community. Chris Bellers , Chair of Tavistock Local History Society with the help of historic maps, old census entries and local knowledge, we were able to highlight where the Bidgood family likely lived in the area of Newton — a now-vanished mining hamlet just outside the centre of town. Located on the River Lumburn Newton Mill was the home and workplace of Bidgood ancestors.

Image Courtesy of OS Map online of Newton

Overlooking Newton in the Lumburn Valley

Particularly moving moments were visiting, the graves stones in Abbey Chapel churchyard and the Dolvin Road cemetery where several Bidgoods are believed to be buried. Although headstones from this period are often hard to read or may have been lost, thanks to the work of Chris Bellers ( Chair of TLHS )  the family were able to stand where their ancestors once stood, and in some cases, are still remembered.

Thanks to the efforts of local heritage volunteers, we were also able to access archival material from the Tavistock Museum and draw on the deep knowledge of the Local History Society to paint a fuller picture of life in Tavistock in the 1800s — including the kinds of conditions miners faced, what schools and churches were like, and why emigration to places like New Jersey became such a compelling option.

It was an afternoon filled with stories, discovery, and a deep sense of connection — between past and present, between continents, and between people who care deeply about preserving heritage.

The Bidgoods' visit was a reminder of the power of local history to reach across generations and oceans. It was a joy to help bring their family’s story to life — and we’re proud to be able to offer bespoke tours like this to others seeking to reconnect with their roots in Tavistock

Are you a Bidgood ? Do you know any local Bidgoods?? Why not let us know and we can help the US Bidgoods find more of their extended family.