James Barnabas Widden - a Butcher died 1928

[Procat]

Can this thread be moved to a more appropriate forum? Middlesex forum, please.

I'm interested in his family and want to develop more.

Hi Colin.

Moved.

[lesleys]

Have you seen his "freedom of the City paper" at Ancestry? He is described (11 Feb 1924) as master butcher, (born 12 Jun 1877, 13 Gynns Place Marylebone, son of John Widden, late of 107 Kensal Road, Westbourne Park, Laundry man dec) occupying premises 417 Caledonian Road, Islington

[lesleys]

What else did you want to know about him?
His father John was b SLinfold Sussex abt 1834 son of John & Hannah and can be found in all censuses up to 1901. (although transcriptions vary - one was Widders) he married 3 times. In 1857 to Jane Balchin ( with him in 1861), in 1866 to James's mother Mary Preece and in (oops didnt write the year down but before 1891) to Sarah Rowley whose mother Ellen is with the famiily in 1891.
all three marriages are in the Ancestry London Marriages and Banns and the signatures match. He changes his occupation from Police Officer to Green Grocer to Laundryman but his father was consistently a farmer.

[lesleys]

and the Cousins in the 1861 would be relatives on his mother's side - John Widden married Hannah Burchall 17 Nov 1830 at Itchingfield, Sussez (Family Search)

[Colin Rowledge]

I want to say a personal "thank you" to lesleys. You have confirmed much of what I had been finding.

His 1st marriage - John, that is - the father James Barnabas - grew up on a farm and in 1851 was working for his father.

He is the 1861census with wife which should read Jane but is shown as Sofia. His occupation is down as a Laundryman. This is from FMP - RG09, Piece 85, Folio 2, Page 5. That really bugged me.

Then his 2nd marriage to Mary Preece - indicated his occupation was a Greengrocer, which seemed a more likely occupation for a son of a farmer.

Colin

[lesleys]

That's OK Colin I needed a break from my lot and in fact got quite close to some of mine on the way - my maternal gtgtgrandmother was from the same part of Sussex as the Widdens!

[Colin Rowledge]

Contrary to my original thought that James Barnabas and Elizabeth Ann Widden were childless - which was based solely upon the transcription of the 1911 census when they were at 417 Calednian Road, Holloway and employing Elizabeth Ann's sister - Jane - in their household, I then looked at the image. Elizabeth Ann did have a child that was living.

Then in view of the date of marriage, I found the following birth - James Widden - born June 7, 1907. At the time of the 1911 census James was with his grandparents - William and Margaret Brown. Margaret was the mother of Elizabeth Ann and Jane. Margaret married William Brown on March 4, 1905 after the death of her previous husband.

James Barnabas died June 20, 1928 and Elizabeth Ann never remarried. She died in Dacorum, Hertfordshire in 1974.

Young James married a Evelyn May Handisyde in Barnet in 1940. They lived in Dacorum until their deaths - James on December 23, 1982 - death notice in the Times - and Evelyn May in 1995.

That just about closes this particular chapter in the book, unless I've missed something.

Colin

[Colin Rowledge]

At the time of the 1911 census James was with his grandparents - William and Margaret Brown. Margaret was the mother of Elizabeth Ann and Jane. Margaret married William Brown on March 4, 1905 after the death of her previous husband.

Colin

The address on the 1911 census for William Brown is 15 Fletcher Road, Acton Green and his occupation was a Locomotive Engineer. Can someone with better vision than me decipher the writing about his employer?

Thanks