William Allderige

American, 1829-1916

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William Allderige was born in England about 1829, and arrived in the US in 1857. His youngest daughter Kittie was born in Massachusetts about 1859, though documentation of the family in Massachusetts was not found. He was proprietor of the Alderige House hotel in Bristol, Connecticut as well as a photographer. He had two sons, Frederick W. and John W., who followed him into the photography business. Both the wife and elder daughter died within two months of each other in 1888, the daughter by accidental poisoning, thinking she was taking sleeping medicine she needed because of spinal problems. In February, 1889 his hotel burned to the ground. Allderige remarried that September. He rebuilt the hotel, and after it was raided multiple times for selling liquor, he challenged the local temperance laws. It is unclear what the outcome of that was, but Allderige was involved in local politics as alderman or councilman thereafter. In 1890 it was noted that he had a photograph car and was headed for Unionville when it was stuck in a swamp. And in 1903, his photograph car is described as large- "with three rooms" and pulled by 6 horses. It was apparently too big for some bridges and suffered damage, with William and wife Fannie inside. His son John died in 1904, and Frederick, who had also become active in local politics, died in 1909. He died in Plainville in 1916.