George Widdowson

George Widdowson was the son of John and Emily Widdowson (née Sanday). His father John was born in Gunthorpe in January 1849 and his mother Emily Sanday was born in 1850, also in Gunthorpe. They were married on 7 October 1872 at Lowdham St Mary and had eight children, three of whom died before 1911. All the children were born in Gunthorpe and baptised at Lowdham St Mary: Hannah birth registered 1874 (J/F/M) bap. February 1874 d. 18 February 1874; George b. 27 September 1875 bap. 25 December 1876; Annie Elizabeth b. 1877 bap. 1878 d. 1880 (A/M/J); Arthur b. 1881 bap. 1881; Henry b. 1883 bap. 1883; Annie Mary b. August 1885 bap. 1885 d. 1885 (J/A/S); Charles (Charlie) b. 1886 bap. 1887 and John b. 17 June 1889 bap. 24 August 1890. In 1881 John, an agricultural labourer, and Emily were living on Principal Street, Gunthorpe, with their surviving child, George (5). Two daughters, Hannah and Annie Elizabeth, had died in 1874 and 1878 respectively. A third daughter, Annie Mary, died in 1885. By 1891 John was working as a shepherd on a farm and living on Main Street, with his wife and five sons, George a farm boy, Arthur (9), Henry (7) Charlie (4), and John (1). The family was still living on Main Street in 1901 and the five sons were still living at home: George a gardener, Arthur a lace hand, Harry a groom on a farm and Charlie and John who were still at school. By 1911 only four sons were still in the home with their parents: George a farm labourer, Arthur a lace warehouseman, Charlie a ledger clerk (surgical appliances) and John a warehouseman (gentlemen's outfitters). Henry, a journeyman (butcher) had married Althea Swift earlier in 1911 and they were living in Lowdham. John snr. died three years later in 1914. His widow Emily died in 1937. Their youngest son John was killed in action in France in 1918 serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers. (See 'Extra information'). The three surviving sons, Arthur, Henry and Charlie, were all married and living in Lowdham in 1939 when the England and Wales Register was compiled and were still residents at the time of their deaths.