Personal papers relating to Joseph Wardle (b. 1839), insurance officer and Methodist laypreacher of Nottingham, 1910-1915

The majority of items in this small collection refer to the later years of Joseph Wardle's life.Biographical information about his early life and career is provided in copies of the printed'Souvenir of Presentations to Mr. Joseph Wardle ...on the occasion of his retirement after 42 yearswith the Prudential Insurance Company' (1911), reprinted from the Nottingham Trader. This alsoprovides a list of subscribers. Other ephemeral items in the collection include a printed guidebookto Bakewell and Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, and the notice of a lecture on General Charles Gordon givenby Wardle. A sheaf of receipts and bills relates to purchases made by Joseph Wardle of CollegeHouse, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, including garden and domestic supplies. The papers in thecollection cover the years 1910 to 1915.

Joseph Wardle was born in Derbyshire in 1839. He became a Methodist preacher in 1862. He waschaplain of Manchester Royal Infirmary and became connected with Manchester City Mission where hemet General Charles Gordon (1833-1885) and showed him the city's slums and ragged schools. One ofWardle's later publications was a booklet of reminiscences from his time working with Gordon.

In 1869, following a breakdown in his health, Wardle began his career with the PrudentialAssurance Company. He started as a travelling agent and within a year became assistantsuperintendent in Derby. He was promoted to the superintendence of Warwickshire and Coventry. Laterhe held the same post for Leicester, Bradford and Birmingham before moving to Nottingham in 1893. Hebecame Inspector for 'I' Division in 1896. In 1911 he retired from the company, and continued tolive at College House, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire into his eighties.

No archival arrangement has been necessary.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

LANGUAGE: English

• This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright on thedescription belongs to the University of Nottingham.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposesonly, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from this collection must be soughtin advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections(email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). TheDepartment will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this can be difficult and theresponsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishingto publish.

The collection was acquired by the University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts in August1979.