George Henry Widdows was born in Norwich, Norfolk on 15 October 1871. In 1887 he was articled to Arthur John Lacy and remained with him as his assistant until 1894. During this period he also attended Norwich School of Art. From 1894 to 1897 he worked as assistant to A. C, Havers in Norwich; William Henry White (1862-1949); Walter Green Penty (1852-1902) in York; Arthur Basil Cottam (1861?-1911) in Taunton, Devon; and to Jonas James Bradshaw (1837-1912) and John Bradshaw Gass (1855-1939) of Bradshaw & Gass in Bolton. He then worked as Chief Architectural Assistant for Derby Corporation from 1897 to 1904.
In 1904 Widdows qualified as an architect and that year was appointed Architect to Derby Education Committee. Within a decade, was the chief architect of Derbyshire County Council.
Widdows was elected as an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1904 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1913.
His address was given as 21 Park Lane, Derby, Belper Derbyshire in 1939. By this time he had retired as an architect. He died in Allestree, Derby on 11 February 1946.
Long Eaton Secondary School; Chesterfield and Buxton Girls' High Schools; Ilkeston, Heanor and New Mills Secondary Schools; Wirksworth Grammar School; various elementary schools. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1914]
For details of 37 architectural projects by George Henry Widdows see Historic England [link below]; and for a list of 50 schools in Derbyshire by Widdows see Wikipedia [link below]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
Gray, A. Stuart. Edwardian architecture: a biographical dictionary. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co., Ltd., 1985
Who's Who in Architecture 1914. London: Technical Journals Ltd., 1914