Thomas William Widdowson

Thomas was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Widdowson (née Marshall). His father Thomas was born in Cropwell Butler, Nottinghamshire, in 1867, the son of William and Frances Widdowson who had at least 13 children. In 1881 the family was living on Hoe Lane, Cropwell Butler; Thomas snr. was a blacksmith and cottager while his son Thomas was a farm boy. His mother Elizabeth was born in Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire, in about 1864. In 1881 Elizabeth and her daughter Frances Lucy (Marshall, b. 1880) were living in Cotgrave with her parents George and Ann Marshall. Her father was an agricultural labourer. Thomas and Elizabeth were married in 1890 (reg. Nottingham) and had six children: Thomas William b. Cotgrave 1890 and George Edward birth registered 1893 (J/F/M), Walter b. 1895, Harold b. 1898, and Ada Frances and Constance Lavinia b. 1901 who were all born in Cropwell Butler. In 1891, the year after their marriage, Thomas, an agricultural worker, and Elizabeth were living in Papplewick, Nottinghamshire, with ten year old Frances Lucy (surname Widdowson) and their son Thomas William (under 1 year). By 1901 Thomas and Elizabeth had moved to Village Street, Cropwell Butler, where they were living with their four sons, Thomas (10), George (8), Walter (5) and Harold (2). Their twin daughters were born later that year. Frances Lucy had married Henry Spencer at Normanton le Heath, Leicestershire, in 1899 and had left the area. The family was still living in the village in 1911 when Thomas' occupation was given as 'farmer's son, working on farm.' Their sons William and Walter were both farm labourers while Harold, Ada and Constance were at school. The second son, George, has not yet been traced on the 1911 census. William's parents were still living in Cropwell Butler when the later CWGC record was compiled. Thomas snr. probably died in 1930. His widow Elizabeth was living on Back Lane, Cropwell Butler in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. She died in 1950.