Joseph was born on the 15th January 1849 in Wymeswold and baptised on the 18th, his parents were Samuel & Sarah Wootton (nee Warner). Her original family name is used as a middle name by quite a few of the Woottons.  Joseph was born just a few months before his Father died of Consumption or Tuberculosis, his Mother made a living from working as a Seamstress. 

Tuberculosis or TB, also known as the "white death" and consumption is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria. It was one of the most common diseases of the 18th & 19th Centuries. The last stage was known as consumption in the Victorian era and was usually fatal.  

Joseph is noted in the 1851 Census, aged just 2. The family are living at Goddards Yard, Wymeswold. He is living with his Mother Sarah, she is employed as a Lace Worker. Also there are Joseph's Brother William, age 8 and Sister Emma, age 6. It must have been difficult for Sarah at this time after being made a widow and having three children to care for.

Joseph was earning money as early as age twelve, he is noted as working as a Plough Boy in the 1861 Census and the family have moved to Clay Street. Later on he would earn a living as a builder, the building trade became a Wootton tradition with many branches of the Woottons becoming builders. Many people will know of  Woottons the builders in Wymeswold, Joseph Wootton followed his Brother who was already working as a bricklayer, their Father had actually been a shoemaker, but their Grandfather was  involved in the building trade.  Joseph built and owned houses all over Wymeswold, he also built Jubilee Cottages where I grew up, situated at the bottom of Clay Street, you can see a picture of this being built below. 

Ellen Smith (Nell to us) wrote several excellent books on Wymeswold and the Wootton family. She was Joseph & Mary's Granddaughter.

*Extract 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.*

As well as being a builder in several directories, Joseph was also noted as being a Cottager (small holder) and Grazier (cattle or sheep farmer), although it was primarily his wife Mary along with her daughters Sarah and Florrie who looked after the livestock, as well as taking care of domestic duties.

*Extract from 'Memories of a Country Girlhood' by  Ellen Smith   :-

*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.*

Mary Mills was born in 1851 in Wymeswold. When she was young she lived in an area known as Little London at one end of London Lane, Wymeswold. In 1861 she is age 9 and living there with her Father Henry Mills, an Agriculture Labourer and her Mother Ann Mills. By the time of the 1871 Census she is 20 years old and working at home as a housekeeper for her Father in Little London, he is noted as a Grazier of 17 acres, her Mother had passed on the year before in 1870. 

Quite a few branches of my family worshiped under the Baptist faith.  Joseph and Mary married at the General Baptist Chapel in Baxter Gate in the nearby town of Loughborough on the 2nd of March 1872.  It was in 1753 that a small group of Baptists first met in a house in the town and seven years later the first pastors for the growing Church were appointed. The first dedicated Church building was erected on Wood Gate in 1792. In 1828 the present building on Baxter Gate was erected which was needed because of the increasing membership, this is where Joseph and Mary were married.  They were extremely strict with their children and Grand children.  If Mary caught any of them reading books other than the Bible on Sunday  they would be in deep trouble. 

*Extract from 'Memories of a Country Girlhood' by  Ellen Smith   :-

* 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. *

In the Census of 1881 Joseph is aged 30 and his profession is noted as a Builder & Grazier. They are still living in Clay Street, also there at the property are Mary, Joseph's wife, age 29 and Daughters Sarah Ann, age 8, Son Thomas, age 7 and young Florence aged 1.  They are noted as living at Clay Street until in the Census of 1901,  where they have moved to Swifts Lane.  In the 1911 Census it does record that they have had a total of 4 children with 3 alive. I  presume the 4th child died at a very young age.  

Mary became ill after a series of strokes.  Joseph employed a housekeeper to look after them but that did not work out so Florrie, their Granddaughter became their full time carer. When Mary became very ill Florrie and her Aunt Sarah (my Great Grandmother) took turns looking after her until she passed away on the 16th April 1924.

Joseph faded away after Mary passed on and he himself  died the year after on the 17th March 1925.  Joseph is buried at the Rempstone Road Cemetery, Wymeswold along with Mary.

Above : Joseph Wootton and his men building Jubilee Cottages (2/4 Clay Street) Wymeswold.
Joseph is 2nd from the left. I believe it may be William Hardy on the far right. c 1897

Above : On a stroll ... !
2nd - Lottie Wootton, 3rd - Edna May Wootton,