Personal papers relating to Joseph Wardle (b. 1839), insurance officer and Methodist lay preacher 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 years with the Prudential Insurance Company' (1911), reprinted from the Nottingham Trader. This also provides a list of subscribers. Other ephemeral items in the collection include a printed guidebook to Bakewell and Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, and the notice of a lecture on General Charles Gordon given by Wardle. A sheaf of receipts and bills relates to purchases made by Joseph Wardle of College House, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, including garden and domestic supplies. The papers in the collection cover the years 1910 to 1915.

Joseph Wardle was born in Derbyshire in 1839. He became a Methodist preacher in 1862. He was chaplain of Manchester Royal Infirmary and became connected with Manchester City Mission where he met General Charles Gordon (1833-1885) and showed him the city's slums and ragged schools. One of Wardle'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 Prudential Assurance Company. He started as a travelling agent and within a year became assistant superintendent in Derby. He was promoted to the superintendence of Warwickshire and Coventry. Later he held the same post for Leicester, Bradford and Birmingham before moving to Nottingham in 1893. He became Inspector for 'I' Division in 1896. In 1911 he retired from the company, and continued to live 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 the description belongs to the University of Nottingham.

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

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

The collection was acquired by the University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts in August 1979.