Chapter 3 – The Watts Family Joseph WATTS (1822-1901) How related: 2nd Great-grand uncle of Peter Frederick WATTS Brother of John Willson WATTS (1811-1887) Birth: 1822 at Dunton Bassett, Leicestershire Father: George WATTS (1769-1852) Mother: Alice WILLSON (1782-1867) Spouse: Ann Sharpless THOMPSON (1822-1883) Marriage: 1843 at St. Margaret's Church, Leicester Children: Sophia Ann WATTS (1844-1849) Henry Thompson WATTS (1847-1925) Joseph WATTS (1850-1871) Elizabeth WATTS (1852-1853) Arthur James WATTS (1854-1920) Eliza Alice WATTS (1856-1949) Eleanor WATTS (1862-1868) Death: 13 March 1901 at Attercliffe, Sheffield, Yorks oseph is an important family member, and because of his position in the community of Attercliffe we have learned a J great deal about him and his family. His place in this chapter therefore, encompasses quite a few pages. Rosemary wrote a short piece some time after we discovered his gravestone in the small cemetery behind Zion Congregational Church in Sheffield and I think it summarises his life pretty well, so I’ll let her tell the story to start with. “Joseph Watts was born in Dunton Bassett, Leicestershire, the son of George Watts and his wife Alice (née Willson). He was the eighth of nine children. He may have learnt the trade of chemist in Leicester, since there was a Joseph Watts, Chemist listed in Granby Street in White’s 1846 Directory. In 1849 White’s listed John Watts, Druggist in Attercliffe, and this is also the entry in the 1852 edition. However the 1854 Kelly’s Directory refers to Joseph Watts, grocer and druggist. Joseph Watts in the Melville Directory 1859 It possible that about this time Josephs’ older brother John Wilson Watts may have joined him to run the grocery side of in the census was 196 and 198 High Street. By 1895 Sheffield the business. John Wilson later acquired his own shop in City Directory lists Joseph Watts, Chemist as 630 and 632. Attercliffe, and was for a time Grocer and Sub-postmaster. He However it is possible he may by then have moved to new was the direct ancestor of my husband, Peter Watts. premises since The Story of Old Attercliffe refers to a building Joseph seems to have lived above the shop, in the same of 1893. building but with a changing address as additional shops and Joseph Watts was an active member of Zion houses were built along the High Street. In 1864 Joseph Watts, Congregational church, just behind Attercliffe High Street. Chemist and Druggist is at 89 High Street. In 1881 his address This was demolished some years ago in 1987 having first been 110 Chapter 3 – The Watts Family a furniture repository and then victim of a serious fire. The In 1849 his daughter, Sophia Ann, died aged four. Her cemetery adjacent to it still remains and contains Joseph’s sister, Elizabeth died in 1853 aged one. The gravestone can be tombstone. There was an obituary for him in the Sheffield seen in Attercliffe cemetery (see photo on the next page). Local Register for 1901 After Joseph’s death the family seem to have held on to the premises, and as late as 1911 the shop (now 596 Attercliffe Road) is listed as “Joseph Watts (Execs. of) in White’s Directory. There are a number of references to Joseph Watts in The Story of Old Attercliffe by G.R. Vine. The numbers refer to a map of Central Attercliffe based on the 1853 survey. (Henry Thompson Watts was a chemist at 84 Harcourt Road in 1908). Page 173 Number 12: Chemist’s shop next door to number 11, built about 1893 in front of ancient premises used by Mrs. Mary Ann Whiteley as a hay and straw place. Henry Watts, son of Joseph Watts, both Zion members. The business is still carried on in yet newer premises adjacent to Montague Burton’s. Page 176 Number 24: Joseph Watts, Druggist. Number 23: the 1871 Directory shows Joseph Watts on this side, with his brother John at the corner of Baltic Road (number 27), grocer and postmaster. In The Dissenting Academies of England the author Irene Parker is described as.....”the daughter of William Parker, assistant in the 1870’s to Joseph Watts a well known Attercliffe chemist, both master and man being members of Zion Congregational Church. Leaving Mr. Watts, he trained for the ministry at the Rotherham Independent College”. Joseph Watts - Attercliffe’s First Chemist by Peter Davis (husband of Barbara Watts) Another excellent article about Joseph’s life and his family was written by Peter Davis for The Flowing Stream, the Sheffield and District Family History Society Journal. “Joseph Watts was born in 1822 in the rural village of Dunton Bassett, Leicestershire. His father, George, was a farmer and grazer of 130 acres, like his grandfather Samuel, who was also born in the village in 1746. An insight of how Joseph’s parents may have regarded education can be glimpsed from a sampler completed by his mother Alice in 1793 when she was 12. She embroidered….. ‘Delight in learning soon will bring a child to learn the hardest thing’. In 1837 when Joseph was 16 years old he was apprenticed to Richard Reading Druggist Grocer of Warwick. Some of the conditions of his six year indenture that cost his father £60 were that he could not frequent ale or playhouses. A further condition was that he did not marry. Shortly after he finished his apprenticeship he married Ann Thompson in 1843 and his first daughter Sophia Ann was 1853 Map of Attercliffe showing the shops of Joseph and John Willson Watts on Attercliffe High Street born in 1844. After a brief period in Leicester and Liverpool he opened his Druggist Grocers shop in Attercliffe, Sheffield. 111 Chapter 3 – The Watts Family On 31st May 1858 Joseph and Ann were admitted to membership of Zion Congregational Church Attercliffe, where he was a senior deacon for 30 years. Business must have been going well for Joseph with servants and assistants being recorded in the census of 1861. In that year his brother, John left his small farm and occupation as Pig Jobber to bring his wife and 8 children (ranging from 5 months to 22 years old) to live next door to Joseph in High Street, Attercliffe. He ran the grocery shop and later became Post Master. Joseph was a Liberal in politics, and when the building of the Attercliffe Liberal Club on Attercliffe Common was suggested he made the scheme possible by lending the money. The Chemist shops that Joseph and his sons had are recorded at various addresses on High Street and Attercliffe Road and Darnall. There is a photograph from the 1940's showing a chemist shop Watts & Co. close to Littlewoods store. The last address for Joseph's shop shows it was replaced by Banners Department store. Under the act of 1868 Joseph became a registered member of the Pharmaceutical Society. On his death in 1901 Joseph was reported as the oldest working chemist in Sheffield, aged 79, where he was in business for 54 years. He left a considerable sum of money to his daughter Eliza Alice. His Sons Arthur James and Henry Thompson continued Memorial at Attercliffe Cemetery for Joseph’s children, running the business. His grandsons Albert Arthur and Herbert Sophia Ann and Elizabeth Watts Watts became MPS (Member of Pharmaceutical Society) Chemists as did his great grandson Donald Porteus Watts.” Death Announcement Sheffield Independent, 15th March 1901 On March 13th, Joseph Watts, chemist, Attercliffe, Sheffield, in his 79th year. Interment at Zion Congregational Burial Ground, Saturday, March 16th at 2 o`clock. Joseph Watts Obituary Pharmaceutical Journal, 23rd March 1901 WATTS - On March 13, Joseph Watts, Chemist and Druggist, Sheffield. Aged 79. Mr. Watts was the oldest chemist in Sheffield, and had been a member of the Pharmaceutical Society since 1892. He originally commenced business in Leicester, afterwards moving to Attercliffe, Sheffield, where he remained in business for over forty years He was long connected with the Zion Congregational Chapel, Attercliffe, and was senior deacon for thirty years. Mr. Watts did not take much active part in public life, but he was a Liberal in politics, and when the building of the Attercliffe Liberal Club was suggested he made the scheme possible by lending the money necessary. Deacons Meeting 3rd April 1901 The death of our Brother and Senior Deacon Joseph Watts who joined our communion in May 1858 from which time it was testified that Mr. Watts was faithful in duty and that he had Embroidery sampler by Alice Willson, age 12 been a true and devoted friend of the church he loved so well. 112 Chapter 3 – The Watts Family Nevertheless, I empower my Trustees notwithstanding Will of Joseph Watts 18th May 1896 Nevertheless, I empower my Trustees notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained if they in their This is the last Will and Testament of me Joseph Watts of uncontrolled discretion shall think fit (but not otherwise) to Attercliffe in the City of Sheffield, Chemist. pay to the said Eliza Alice Atkinson at any time or times I revoke all Wills and Testamentary dispositions the whole or any part of the capital moneys to which she heretofore made by me. I appoint my Sons Henry may be entitled under the trusts of this my Will. Thompson Watts and Arthur James Watts and my And as to the remaining two equal portions or shares of Daughter Eliza Alice Atkinson, the Wife of Herbert the residue of my said Estate. Upon trust as to one such Atkinson of Reading in the County of Berkshire now or portion for the said Henry Thompson Watts absolutely recently a Commercial Traveller, to be Executors and and as to the other of such portions for the said Arthur Trustees of this my Will.