John Widdowson - from Southwell Workhouse to shoemaker
John Widdowson was born in 1835 to a single mother and was baptised later that year on 6 September in the parish of Halloughton, near Southwell.
He was living in Southwell Workhouse by 1841 as shown by the census of that year. Having been deserted by his mother, he was bound over to Thomas Bradley, a Nottingham shoemaker, in 1850. A record of this event can be found in the Guardians' Meetings Minutes for Southwell Workhouse (reference: SO/PU/S/1/1/4).
See the extract from the minute book in more detail here [PDF 476KB] 
See a transcript of the extract from the minute book here [PDF 17KB]
By the 1861 census he had become a cordwainer (a shoemaker) in his own right living on Newcastle Street, just off Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham, in the household of another former inmate of Southwell Workhouse, Charles Astling.
He was married to Jemima Jane Lilly in 1865 at St Mary's Church, Nottingham, giving his father's name as John Widdowson (reference: PR/3,786).
See the marriage register entry in more detail here [PDF 1206KB]
See a transcript of the marriage register entry here [PDF 26KB] 
They had two children, John and Elizabeth and they lived on Bluebell Hill Road, St Ann's, where John carried out his trade of shoemaker. This map of Nottingham by Tarbotton dated 1877 shows Bluebell Hill Road, as well as Newcastle Street (reference: BL 96.2)
See the map in more detail here [PDF 4102KB]
Jemima died in 1888 and was buried in the Church Cemetery on Mansfield Road, Nottingham. The grave is known to have cost £5. John married again to Mary Price in 1889.
He was admitted to Mapperley Asylum in July 1899 suffering from dementia where he died in February 1902 with his wife, Mary, by his side. A photograph was taken of him when he was admitted to the hospital (reference: SO/HO/6/2/1/6).
See the photograph of John Widdowson in more detail here [PDF 1384KB]
He was buried in the Church Cemetery in the same grave as his first wife Jemima. The register entry records details of his interment (reference: CA/CC/8/25)
