Ridgeway was born into an ecclesiastical family: his father Joseph Ridgeway was
Vicar of Christ Church,
Tunbridge Wells; his younger brother of
Frederick became
Bishop of Salisbury. He was educated at
St Paul's School, and matriculated in 1860 at
Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. in 1864, M.A. 1885 and D.D. 1906.
Ordained in 1866, Ridgeway spent a
curacy at Christ Church,
Tunbridge Wells before becoming
Vicar of
North Malvern,
Rector of
Buckhurst Hill, Vicar of Christchurch
Lancaster Gate and
Rural Dean of
Paddington. From 1891-1894 he was a member of the
London School Board, representing the
Marylebone Division. A
Freemason, Ridgeway was under the jurisdiction of the
United Grand Lodge of England. In 1897 he was granted the honorific rank of Past Grand Chaplain in recognition of his services to English Freemasonry, as part of a series of similar honorary promotions intended to mark the diamond jubilee of
Queen Victoria. After two years (1906–1908) as
Dean of Carlisle Ridgeway was appointed Bishop of Chichester in 1908. His appointment was at the age of 66, and the result of a dispute between the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prime Minister, who was then the key figure in the nomination process for bishops. There was disagreement over rival candidates, and Ridgeway appears to have been a compromise. During
World War I, Ridgeway provided support for soldiers in the large military camps in Sussex, and encouraged the recruitment of temporary chaplains. Ridgeway died on 28 February 1927 aged 85 in London, and was buried at
Limpsfield. ==Legacy==