VAD John Thomas Judson
Convoy and hospital duties
Born in Bingley on 2nd September 1878, John Thomas and his twin sister Mary Hannah were later baptised in Bradford on 30th October 1880. Their parents were John Judson and Mary Elizabeth Judson nee Midgley.
The baptism record of John Thomas and Mary Hannah Judson
In 1881 they were living with Mary Elizabeth's parents Thomas and Hannah Midgley at 66 Joseph Street in Bradford, along with another granddaughter of Thomas and Hannah, and a 'nurse child' called Percy Bailey, born 17 days previously in Northowram. I have not been able to establish who Percy was to the Midgley family, the term 'nurse child' was often used to describe a child being taken in by another family due to the death of a parent, a parent needing to work away or even to be wet nursed, usually for payment.
The Judson and Midgley Family on the 1881 census
Sadly Mary Elizabeth died a year later in 1882, and John was left to raise his three year old twins alone. He may have stayed with his wife's parents for some time but they died in 1887 an 1888 so by 1891 he was living in Bingley at 16 Burrage Street, working as a woolcomber. Although only 12 years old, John and Mary were working as worsted spinners.
John Thomas died in 1897 when his children were 18.
The twins were living at 16 Prospect Street in Bingley in 1901. John was working as a paper tube sorter and Mary as a worsted weaver.
In 1902 Mary married John Barwick Sunderland, though he died in 1910 leaving her a widow. John married Minnie Rushton on 16th November 1907 at Bingley Parish Church. I haven't found a record of them having had any children.
The marriage of John Thomas Judson and Minnie Rushton
In 1911 they lived at 39 Marion Street, and Mary Hannah was living with them. John was described as a machine man - paper manufacturer, Minnie a cloth weaver and Mary a stuff weaver.
From 20th July 1916 until 3rd May 1919 John worked as a VAD, undertaking over 1,000 hours of hospital duties and convoy work at Morton Banks War Hospital and Spencer Street Auxiliary Hospital.
By 1921 John had changed occupation and was working as a radial driller at J. Parkinson's and Sons, machine tool makers of Canal Iron Works in Shipley. Minnie was engaged in home duties. They were living at 10 Stanley Street in Bingley.
They appear to have stayed at this address until John's death on 25th October 1937. Minnie died in 1954.
Sources:
West Yorkshire, Non-Conformist Records, 1646-1975
1881 England Census
1891 England Census
1901 England Census
1911 England Census
1921 England Census
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935
England and Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
England and Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
England and Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
