JOSEPH   WOOTTON (1849)* He was born 15 January 1849 in Wymeswold, and died 17 March 1925.  Son of SAMUEL WOOTTON  and SARAH WARNER. He married MARY ANN MILLS 2 March 1872 in General Baptist Chapel,Baxter Gate,Loughborough, daughter of HENRY and ANN MILLS .

 

DATES:

Born - 15 January 1849 in Wymeswold

Baptism - 18 January 1849

Census 1851. Joseph Wootton Age 2.
  Address - Goddards Yard, Wymeswold.
  Living with Mother Sarah Age 44. Profession - Lace Worker.
  Brother William(8) & Sister Emma(6).

Census 1861. Age 12 Profession - Plough Boy
  Address - Clay Street , Wymeswold.
  Living with Mother Sarah (54) Profession - Seamstress
  Brother William Wootton(18) (Bricklayer)
  Sarah's Grand-Daughter Eliza(1).

Census 1871. Age 22. Profession - Bricklayer.
  Address - Clay Street , Wymeswold.
  Living with Mother Sarah Wootton (64) (Housekeeper).

Married at General Baptist Chapel,Baxter Gate,Loughborough on the 2nd of March 1872. Aged 23.
Present were Henry Mills Junr & Sarah Miller.

Census 1881. Age 30. Profession - Builder & Grazier.
  Address - Clay Street , Wymeswold.
  Living With Wife Mary(29) and Daughters Sarah Ann(8) & Florence(1)
  Son Thomas(7) .

Directory of Leicestershire 1888
BUILDERS, &C.
Wootton Joseph, & cottager, Clay Street

Directory of Leicestershire 1888
COTTAGERS AND COWKEEPERS
Wootton Jph, & bricklayer, Clay Street

Census 1891. Age 42. Profession - Builder & Grazier.
  Address - Clay Street , Wymeswold.
  Living With Wife Mary(40) and Daughters Sarah Ann(18) & Florence(11)
  Son Thomas(17) .

Kelly's Directory of Leicestershire & Rutland 1900
Wootton Joseph, bricklayer, Brook st

Census 1901. Age 51. Profession - Builder. Status - Employer working at home.
  Address - Swifts Lane , Wymeswold.
  Civil Parish - Wymeswold. Ecclesiastical Parish - St Marys.
  Living With Wife Mary(49) and Daughters Sarah Ann(28) & Florence(21)
  Son Thomas(27).

Kelly's Directory of Leicestershire & Rutland 1908
Wootton Joseph, grazier

Kelly's Directory of Leicestershire & Rutland 1912
Wootton Joseph, grazier

Died - 17 March 1925.
Buried - Wymeswold Cemetery

 

NOTES:

Joseph was born just a few months before his Father died. Many people will know of  Wootton's the Builders, Joseph Wootton was also in the Building Trade, his grand-father was also a bricklayer. He built and owned houses around Wymeswold, he built Jubilee Cottages where i grew up, situated at the bottom of Clay Street, my parents still live there today. As well as being a builder in several Directories, he is also noted as being a Cottager (small holder) and Grazier (cattle or sheep farmer), although it was probably his wife Mary who looked after the livestock.

Notes from 'Memories of a Country Girlhood' by Ellen Smith © :-

* When i was eleven years old, my grandfather Wootton asked me if i would collect the rents from the dozen or so cottages that he owned and let to families of various sizes. The rent for most of these cottages was 1/6d per week, but for two of them it was only 1/3d per week. When Grandfather died the cottages were sold.

Grandfather had two new large cottages build called Jubilee Cottages. (2/4 Clay Street) These had two large front rooms, a large kitchen and a pantry that was down some brick steps.

Grandfather and Grandma Wootton were both extremely strict with us children in every way. We dared not step into their house without taking off our boots or cleaning them thoroughly, and we always had to wash our hands before sitting down to eat. We girls were made to sit properly in our chairs, never lounge, nor cross our knees or even our feet, and we were constantly ordered to sit with our knees together. We were told always to be ladylike and behave well when we were out. Our Wootton grandparents were staunch church people, until the church dignitaries wanted to start a raffle in aid of church funds. Grandfather totally disagreed with this form of betting and after words had been exchanged, he left the church and became a Baptist, his wife (Mary) and daughter, our Aunt Sarah, followed suit.

After his wife died (1924) he moved back in with Nell's Family back into the house where he had lived during his young working years. He never really recovered from his wife's death. Although he was quite active, he just faded away.*

 

He married   :-

MARY ANN MILLS (1851) * She was born about 1851 in Wymeswold, and died 16 April 1924. She married JOSEPH   WOOTTON 2 March 1872 in General Baptist Chapel, Baxter Gate, Loughborough, daughter of HENRY and ANN MILLS .

DATES:

Born - Wymeswold Abt. 1851

Census 1861. Age 9. Profession - Scholar
  Address - Little London , Wymeswold.
  Living With Father Henry Mills(44) - Ag Labourer
  Mother Ann Mills(46).

Census 1871. Age 20. Profession - Housekeeper
  Address - Little London , Wymeswold.
  Living With Father Henry Mills(55) - Profession - Grazier 17 acres

Married at General Baptist Chapel,Baxter Gate,Loughborough on the 2nd of March 1872. Aged 21.
Present were Henry Mills Junr & Sarah Miller. (Brother & Sister-?)

Census 1881. Age 29.
  Address - Clay Street , Wymeswold.
  Living With Husband Joseph(30) and Daughters Sarah Ann(8) & Florence(1)
  and Son Thomas(7) .

Census 1891. Age 40.
  Address - Clay Street , Wymeswold.
  Living With Husband Joseph(42) and Daughters Sarah Ann(18) & Florence(11)
  and Son Thomas(17) .

Census 1901. Age 49. Status - nullworking at home.
  Address - Swifts Lane , Wymeswold.
  Civil Parish - Wymeswold. Ecclesiastical Parish - St Marys.
  Living With Husband Joseph(51) and Daughters Sarah Ann(28) & Florence(21)
  and Son Thomas(27) .

Died - 16 April 1924
Buried - Wymeswold Cemetery

NOTES:

Notes from 'Memories of a Country Girlhood' by Ellen Smith © :-

* We were not allowed to read newspapers on Sunday in case our Grandma Wootton came to see us. If she caught us reading newspapers or non-religious books on Sunday , we were in deep trouble with her. We loved and respected her so much that this telling-off made a great impression on us.

The children and Nell's mother caught scarlet fever and Joseph had to isolate himself from the family, for he could not risk getting the disease because of building commitments. Grandma Wootton, who fortunately lived only a street away, was wonderful at this dreadful time: she not only looked after father, she left hot dinners at the door and fetched sticks and coal for the fires.

In her Young days Grandma Wootton, along with her daughters Sarah and Florrie, worked terribly hard. She had a large flock of poultry and a herd of cows which she milked herself. She used to drive into Nottingham, a matter of twelve miles to sell the butter and Colwick cheese she had made, along with eggs and poultry which she killed, plucked and dressed. As she got older she found killing the birds became more difficult, her hands grew weaker and she was unable to do the job throughly.

Grandma spoiled my grandfather terribly. Everything and everybody came second to him. She did many hard jobs that he should have done.

In the 1920's she became very ill indeed and after she had suffered two minor strokes, grandfather employed a housekeeper to look after them both. This proved unsatisfactory , so Florrie my eldest sister, who was still in her teens gave up her job to look after them. Grandma's condition known as creeping paralysis, gradually became worse and my mother and Aunt Sarah took turns to sit up at night with her. After slowly deteriorating over several months, Grandma died of her stroke.*

Children of JOSEPH WOOTTON and MARY MILLS are:

	i	SARAH ANN WOOTTON *	b. 21 June 1872, Wymeswold; d. 25 September 1948.
	ii	FLORENCE HARRIET WOOTTON	b. 4 October 1879.
	iii	THOMAS WARNER WOOTTON	b. 21 January 1874.