John Thomas Woodward's parents weren't married - his mother's father's surname was given as Woodward on his mother's marriage to Thomas Highcock. It looks like his father was John Atherton, who he was with in the 1871 census, but I haven't checked the image to make sure the index is correct, and it's a somewhat odd one as the head of household isn't shown.
BMD
Birth
Birth registered Sep q 1863 Prescot 08B 552 WOODWARD, JOHN THOMAS mother -[1]
↑ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27L-YVC7 : 13 December 2017), Thomas Highcock, Sutton, Lancashire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 13, Piece/Folio 3738/116, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,775,077.
Is John your ancestor? Please don't go away! Login to collaborate or comment, or contact
the profile manager, or ask our community of genealogists a question.