Hudson’s of Bridlington

The Hudson family have been traced back as far as the mid-18th century and the towns of Bradford & Bingley in the West Riding of Yorkshire. However at least four generations called Bridlington home, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, where the family were carpenters and building contractors. Our 2nd great grandfather, Joseph Henry HUDSON, expanded the construction business to include banks, churches, and a large number of houses. Joseph married Jane Elizabeth FUSSEY, from a family of farmers and lay preachers with a long history in the East Riding. As the family’s reputation grew Joseph was elected to the Lords Feoffee from 1911 until his death in 1930.

The legacy was passed onto his son, Bernard HUDSON, who married Elsie HARDACRE, daughter of two teachers who settled in Nether Poppleton, near York. Elsie was the granddaughter of a cooper from Settle, North Yorkshire, and letterpress printer from Bury, Lancashire. Shortly before the outbreak of WWII Bernard tragically died during a blackout, falling over a railing to his death. Elsie was left widowed to raise four children, aged between 6-15 years.

Our grandmother Sheila Mary HUDSON was the second of the four children. Born in 1925, Sheila was too young to join the war effort until 1941 when she joined the Land Army. While waiting to reach the age of 16 she attended dances in Bridlington and met her future husband, Albert Wear “Nobby” CLARK of Darlington. Nobby was stationed with the 54th Searchlight Battery in Filey, just a short bicycle ride away from Bridlington. The couple married after the war and settled in York. They purchased a house in Burton Stone Lane, recently vacated by Sheila’s late grandfather, James HARDACRE.

Hudson Family Stories