Samuel Ridpath played for Toowoomba team Western Suburbs between 1912 and 1914. He first appeared in the Toowoomba electoral rolls in 1912, working as an ironmonger, having originally come from Berwick in Northumberland. He would move to the mining community of Mount Morgan by the time he enlisted in February 1916 but gave his next of kin as “friend” Mrs Jessie Elizabeth Glasgow, who lived back in Toowoomba. This was despite his namesake father still being alive back in England.
Jessie (nee Podmore) was a widow whose husband, Toowoomba watchmaker David Glasgow, had died in 1912. But by 1915 Jessie was the hotelkeeper of the Downs Hotel, where Ridpath was now working as a barman. It was not unusual for U.K. born enlistees to nominate a friend in Australia as next-of-kin, and this did not mean a romantic relationship occurred. It appears unmarried enlistees choose such friends in their adopted home as those who should be informed of their fate.
Ridpath departed Australia in September 1916. He reached France in December where he joined the 9th Battalion. A year later his war was interrupted by traumatic orchitis in his left teste, which could be caused by mumps or a sexually transmitted disease. This saw Ridpath in hospital in England until August 1918 when he rejoined his unit in France. He was gassed a week later but recovered in France within a fortnight.
Jessie was sent a message about Ridpath’s gassing, but by this time had moved to Rockhampton. She had directed Base Records in Melbourne to forward any messages about Ridpath to the Rockhampton Post Office. Ridpath arrived back in Australia in August 1919.
It is unknown whether he followed Jessie to Rockhampton. Electoral rolls show he was working as an ironmonger or labourer in Breakfast Creed, Brisbane in 1922, Warwick in 1934, Gladstone in 1939 and Bundaberg in 1943. Jessie was still living in the Rockhampton region in the same year.
Ridpath died in Brisbane in 1954.