Background
Claridge was born in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England, to David Claridge and Elizabeth Pratt Hopkins.
bishop patriarch founders of Orderville
Claridge was born in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England, to David Claridge and Elizabeth Pratt Hopkins.
In 1853, they emigrated to Utah Territory, settling in Nephi. In 1868, Wilford Woodruff appointed Claridge to preside over the Latter-day Saints living along the Muddy River in Nevada (then in Utah Territory). The eastern border of Nevada was later shifted east, and with the attempt to charge back taxes to those living there, the Latter-day Saints moved away.
Claridge moved to Kane County, Utah.
In 1875, Claridge was one of the founders of Orderville, Utah. After his mission, Claridge lived in Orderville until he moved to Thatcher, Arizona, in 1883.
He served as the bishop of the Thatcher Ward and later as the first patriarch of the Saint Joseph Stake, which was headquartered at Thatcher. Among those who received patriarchal blessings from him was Spencer West. Kimball.
South. George Ellsworth, a grandson of Claridge, wrote a biography of Claridge titled Samuel Claridge: Pioneering the Outposts of Zion.
One of Claridge"s sons, David Claridge, was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives.
