Some early male American lawn tennis players

[*Sandra*]

Mrs Gladys Widdowson was Nina Gladys Archer born Q3 - September 1883 - birth registered Croydon England 2a 268

Nina immigrated to the USA with Mother Arabella and sister Evelyn under- Nona G Archer - 1884 London and aged 23 years. Also travelling Mother Arabella aged 62 years and sister Evelyn aged 31 years. All going to William Widdowson, Side Winder Mine, Victorville, San Bernadino. California.
Port of Departure: Southampton, England to New York arriving 3 rd February 1907 on the SS New York.


Nina married William Widdowson 1 st September 1909 Santa Barbara. California

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0sr8/

1910 Census - https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVLZ-2RQ

1930 Census - https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XCD3-L5W  (shows Gladys and William with sister Nina)

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Husband William Widdowson died November 29th 1930 - article in the Prescott Evening Courier -19th January 1931

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0sr9/

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Southern California Cricket Pioneers 1888 - 1913 mentions Gladys Widdowson as one of the main pioneers of the event - article mentions she was a "well known tennis star"

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0sra/


Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Nina G Widdowson  - Birth Date: 30 Jul 1883
Death Date: 10 Feb 1965  Los Angeles
Mother's Maiden Name: Allan

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Gladys was not naturalized until 1956.
Gladys Widdowson  - Birth Date: 30 Jul 1883  - Aged 73 years.  Resides Rancho Los Amigos. Hondo. California.
Court District: California  30 Nov 1956 - Petition - 195169  Alien Redg :- 2 366 055

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

It is quite difficult to trace the female lines sometimes when they marry but with very scant information that we have here it is more than extremely difficult. Literally hours and hours of research.
Haven't come across the marriage of this couple so far but these pieces seem to fit.
Probably a little more detail than you actually need.

Mrs Frank Godfrey - found alot of references to matches played in New York and referring to Brookline. Massachusetts.  This leads to the following census:-

1920 - https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MX1G-RYQ

1930 - https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XQ59-PL2 (This says that Anna's mother was born in Wisconsin and her father New York. Anna had been married for 16 years - she was married at 21 years.)

1940 - https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KWM2-1W7

1945 - Sarasota Florida -  http://www.rootschat.com/links/0srf/

The WW1 Draft for her husband Frank - Frank Harriman Godfrey born 1 st feb 1890 Milton Massachusetts.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0srg/

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Came across an article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune - December 28th 1947 that the second born daughter was about to make her "debut" at a Sarasota tea.  This confirmed that the middle initial "T" used in some of those census could well have been Anna's maiden name - "Townsend".

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0srh/


Anna was born about 1892 New York with a New York father and a Wisconsin Mother.  This would appear to fit them in 1900 - unfortunately her father has died. The following shows her on census with her mother. The death of her mother confirms her father. Interesting the name Jerone shows up again in Ida's death details.

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MS6M-X5F

and 1910 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M546-X22

Her mother Ida appears in Brookline Massachusetts in 1940

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K4N7-4Y8

Last saw Ida listed ion the 1944 City Directory for Brookline.

Menands, New York, Albany Rural Cemetery Burial Cards show Mrs Ida W. Jerone Townsend (Cremated)
Born about  1866  and died 15 Jul 1946 - Aged 80 years. Brookline, Massachusetts. Burial (of ashed presumably)  27 July 1946
Spouse: Rufus King Townsend
Forest Hills Cemetery. Jamaica Plains Boston Massachusetts - Interred Townsend and Townsend Lot - Section number of burial was 28  - Lot number of burial was 60

Rufus Townsend and Ada (Ida) 1892 - New York

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-14754-12546-3?cc=1529100&wc=10934647

Rufus King Townsend - Birth 18 March 1853 in Albany County, New York, and died 21 December 1895 in Albany, Albany County, New York.
(Steam engine manufacturer)

Ida was Ida Jerone Willey

Marriage of Rufus and Ida
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0sri/



"King" came into the name of Rufus through the maiden name of his mother - parents were -
Franklin Townsend - Born 28 SEP 1821 in New York.
and died 11 September 1898 in Albany, Albany County, New York.




Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Sarasota, Florida, City Directory, 1956

Anna T Godfrey (Frank H) 480 Gulf View Drive. Sarasota. Venice. Florida.

Florida Death Index shows :-   Anna Townsend Godfrey
Death Date: Apr 1956  Sarasota  Florida.

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VVN6-X7W

Sandra
 
 

[*Sandra*]

Husband Frank Harriman Godfrey died March 1964 Sarasota. Florida.

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VVN1-FS5

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JK8K-HJM

Frank also remarried (to Alice) after the death of Anna

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VJVB-2MP

Sandra