Hello all, I'm new to the list and wondering if anyone can tell me who Mr WIDDY was. I've been researching the WIDDY surname for over 10 years but this is the first time I've found it in Yorkshire. I found the following reference at the Access 2 Archives site: "ARCHIVES OF THE SHEFFIELD TOWN TRUSTEES Creator(s): Town Trustees, Sheffield Deeds (with a few papers) Deeds relating to land near Crookesmoor and Bellefield St., Sheffield, acquired by the Trustees in 1873 for improvements (4099) FILE - Sale particulars [proof copy] - ref. TT/123/5 - date: 6 Aug 1873 Of plots of building land in Winter St., St. Stephen's Rd., Weston Rd., Hope St. and Latimer St., rents from premises in Weston Rd., Rockingham House in Rock St., Yew Trew Farm at Malin Bridge, and a close of land called the 'Round Field' at Malin Bridge, all in Sheffield, to be sold by auction by Mr. Widdy at his Bank St. Mart, Sheffield [The Trustees bought lot 4, as TT/123/3 above]." I have looked through the censuses for Mr WIDDY with no success and wondered if (as with so many instances of the name) it's a mistranscription of something else? Perhaps someone with local knowledge can tell me something about the properties mentioned that might provide a clue - I live in Australia so I can't check them out for myself. Any help would be much appreciated. Cheers, Loretta Melbourne, Australia

Hello Loretta, Welcome to the list! Bank Street has always been full of professionals - solicitors, accountants, insurance agents and those who service them - stationers and pubs. In White's 1879 directory (online at http://www.historicaldirectories.org) there are two auctioneers: Appleyard and Smith at 3-5 Bank Street and Wm Harvey at 13-15. No sign of a Widdy or similar. There's Wilby and Dransfield, auctioneers in the High Street which might have moved from Bank Street. Hugh ----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Family" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2007 1:57 AM Subject: [SHEFF] "Mr WIDDY at his Bank St. Mart, Sheffield" > Hello all, > > I'm new to the list and wondering if anyone can tell me who Mr WIDDY was. > I've been researching the WIDDY surname for over 10 years but this is the > first time I've found it in Yorkshire. I found the following reference at > the Access 2 Archives site: > > "ARCHIVES OF THE SHEFFIELD TOWN TRUSTEES > Creator(s): Town Trustees, Sheffield > Deeds (with a few papers) > Deeds relating to land near Crookesmoor and Bellefield St., Sheffield, > acquired by the Trustees in 1873 for improvements (4099) > FILE - Sale particulars [proof copy] - ref. TT/123/5 - date: 6 Aug 1873 > Of plots of building land in Winter St., St. Stephen's Rd., Weston Rd., Hope > St. and Latimer St., rents from premises in Weston Rd., Rockingham House in > Rock St., Yew Trew Farm at Malin Bridge, and a close of land called the > 'Round Field' at Malin Bridge, all in Sheffield, to be sold by auction by > Mr. Widdy at his Bank St. Mart, Sheffield [The Trustees bought lot 4, as > TT/123/3 above]." > > I have looked through the censuses for Mr WIDDY with no success and wondered > if (as with so many instances of the name) it's a mistranscription of > something else? Perhaps someone with local knowledge can tell me something > about the properties mentioned that might provide a clue - I live in > Australia so I can't check them out for myself. > > Any help would be much appreciated. > > Cheers, > Loretta > Melbourne, Australia > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Just found this in the White's 1871 Directory, indexed at http://sheff-indexers.thewholeshebang.org Waddy, Isaiah D. (Auctionr.). 1 Bank Street Bank Buildings There are twin sons of Isaiah Danks WADDY buried 8 Sep 1870 in the General Cemetery (Sharrow). Home address Crescent Road, Sharrow. The grave owner, listed at http://www.gencem.org/ was 'Rev L.D. WADDY.' In 1881 Isaiah D. WADDY, auctioneer & valuer, is boarding in Littlehampton, Sussex. (Samuel Danks WADDY, possibly a brother of Isaiah, was elected an MP in Sheffield in a by-election in 1879 but lost in the General Election in 1880; he later became MP for Edinburgh; retired from polotics 1894 and became a County Court Judge in Sheffield). So the evidence so far suggests the 1873 reference relates to a WADDY rather than a WIDDY. It is very likely that the sale would have been advertised in the local newspapers which should confirm the name of aucutioneer. Hugh