John William Nicholson 1887-1949

John Nicholson was the eldest of 11 children of Ralph John Nicholson and Elizabeth Taylor of Sheffield. He was born on the 14th May, 1887 and baptised at St. Anne’s Church, Sheffield on 5th June, 1887. By 1891 he was living with his family in Meadow Street, Sheffield. In 1901 they were living in Channing Street, Nether Hallam, Sheffield. On 9th May, 1910 he married the 18 year old Gertrude Bridges at St. Philip’s Church, Shalesmoor, Sheffield. On 2nd April, 1911 he was living with his parents and siblings at Dixon Street, Sheffield but not with Gertrude. Gertrude was living with her family and her one year old daughter, Dorothy Nicholson Bridges. Clearly he was accused of being the father as she gave the child his surname as a middle name. He was working as a grinder in the steel industry at H. Bradley, Spital Works, Spital Hill, Sheffield. In October 1911 he was convicted of b@stardy arrears and was fined 28 shillings.He was 5 feet 2 and a half inches tall with light brown hair. In May 1912, he was convicted of the same offence and was fined 32 shillings and sixpence. Gertrude delivered twin boys on 14 April,1913, John William junior and Stanley, but both died within days. He volunteered for the army at the outbreak of war at Pontefract and was in the York and Lancaster Regiment, 3rd Reserve Battalion, His address was given on 18th August, 1914 as No1, 42 Court, Wentworth Street, Sheffield which is where Gertrude lived ( This was a one up, one down, back to back without sanitation, demolished in the slum clearances of the 1950s). On the 20th October, he started training as a drummer but by May,1915 he had reverted to being a private (service number 104331).  He was evacuated from Gallipoli in 1915 and the served in Egypt. He had a number of episodes of trench fever and was wounded in France in 1917. He was sent to the Blackpool Military Hospital which was on the site of Blackpool racecourse and is now part of Blackpool Airport. He met 20 year old Ruth Hannah Jackson on Blackpool Promenade and married her at Holy Trinity Church, South Shore on 19th November, 1917. He was charged with bigamy at Blackpool and sent for trial at Lancaster Assizes. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 4 months hard labour which he served in HMP Wakefield. He then returned to the army in France but was transferred to the Durham Light Infantry (service number 1178). He left the army in 1920. He received the British War Medal, the Silver War Star and the Victory Medal. At the time of the 1939 register, he was living with Ruth Jackson at No 2 house, 41 Court, Martin Street, Sheffield where he was listed as a married hoe finisher and she as a single housekeeper. He married Ruth Jackson for the 2nd time in about May, 1947 in Sheffield and he died in Sheffield in about February, 1949.  
The new piece of information is that the twins and their mother were admitted to Ecclesall Workhouse on the day that the twins were born. Both twin boys died in that second quarter of 1913. I can’t find when their mother left the workhouse or any evidence that the twins were baptised. It’s known that his wife was at Martin Street at the time of the bigamy. She was not there in 1939 but presumably was still alive in 1939 as he was listed as married. As he remarried in 1946, she must have died in the interim or they divorced which was still rare for the time. I can find no further record of the daughter born in 1910 including her baptism.
Did Gertrude stay in the workhouse after her confinement? How soon after birth did the twins die? What happened to Gertrude after WW1? Where was she in 1939? Where are they all buried? I really hope nothing nasty happened to poor Gertrude but I do wonder with her husband’s track record.
John William Nicholson was my great uncle.

Hi
I along with a friend complied an index to the admission register for EB workhouse. Below are the details from my copy.
Date of admission/Surname/Forename/ Date of birth/ Status Page number and archives reference.
3 Apr 1913 Nicholson Gertrude 2 Apr 1892 Wife 157 NHS21/5/6/3
4 Apr 1913 Nicholson John William 4 Apr 1913 Legitimate 157 NHS21/5/6/3
4 Apr 1913 Nicholson Stanley 4 Apr 1913 Legitimate 157 NHS21/5/6/3

This is only an index and in the register there are more details on the corresponding page.

Angela

Hi

A possible marriage for daughter Dorothy Nicholson Bridges b.1909 is to

George Briggs Ecclesall B 2nd qtr 1932 9c 767

There are two possible births for this marriage



Briggs Dorothy Bridges Ecclesall B. Sep 1932 9c 560
Briggs Roy Bridges Sheffield Jun 1938 9c 708


Hope this is a lead

Sue

Gertrude Nicholson/Bridges married in Sheffield 1947 to Fred Cousins. They are together as man and wife in 1939. Her birthday 2nd April 1892 so matches to the birthdate quoted for her by Angela. She and John William must have divorced (very possible following the Matrimonial Causes act of 1936).
The male Nicholson twins born 4th April 1913 (see Angelas reply). Their death registration was together on page 447 in the Register. that calculates to about May 10th. To be sure you would need to buy the cert(s).
Dave

Hi

In 1911, Dorothy Nicholson was living with her daughter Dorothy Nicholson Bridges at her parents house. The address was ct42, 1 house Wentworth Street.

Following on from my find of the marriage of Dorothy N Bridges b.1909 to George Briggs, their daughter's baptism-
first name(s) Dorothy
Last name Briggs
Birth year 1932
Birth date 26 Jul 1932
Baptism year 1932
Baptism date 10 Aug 1932
Place Sheffield, St Stephen, Netherthorpe
Father's first name(s) George
Mother's first name(s) Dorothy
Occupation Miner
Residence 42Court 1House Wentworth Street

So that marriage may be the correct one

Sue

Take a look at the Burial over to the left for Gertrude Cousins who died in 1967. The other people in the grave all fit together.
Dave

Hi Dave

I think you have some numbers the wrong way round- easy to do-I am always doing it!

Gertrude Cousins died in 1959 aged 67 years.

From this site-

BRIDGES, Dorothy Nicholson (of 6 Burlington, born 1910-03-21).
Baptised April 13, 1910, by George Dart at St Philips Church, Shalesmoor.
Parents name(s) are Gertrude & ~ (~).

There this death registration

Name: Dorothy Briggs
Death Age: 79
Birth Date: 21 Mar 1910
Registration Date: Oct 1989
Registration District: Sheffield
Inferred County: South Yorkshire
Volume: 3
Page: 2100


Sue

Sue, thanks. Yes it is a recurring fault of mine. And advancing years is not the excuse because I already did it when I was much younger.
Dave

Wow. A massive thank you to you all. I thought I had done quite well to find out what I had but that is terrific. I’m relieved that Gertrude survived and hopefully found happiness. I will pass this on to our family both here and in Australia.

Hello Paul

I have checked Gertrudes plot at City Rd and there is a headstone, You are welcome to a copy of the photo I have of it. Let me know if you would like it.

Cheers Tony Morton

There's an article in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph of Thursday 14 July 1927 which says that "John William Nicholson (40), hoe finisher, of 72, Moore Street, Wolverhampton" had come up to Sheffield for his mother's funeral, and that the coppers arrested him at the funeral. In Sheffield Police Court he was given 3 months in the slammer for being £454/3s/6d in arrears on maintenance payments to his wife, of Eyre Lane, Sheffield (maintenance order granted in April 1919).

Cheers,

Andrew P.

Hello Tony,
If I could have a copy of the photo that would be very kind. Many thanks in anticipation. Paul

Hi Paul

Photo sent.

Cheers Tony Morton