He represented York North in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal member from 1875 to 1888.

[1] Widdifield was born in Whitchurch, Upper Canada in 1845, the son of Charles Ellis Widdifield, and studied medicine at Victoria College and St Thomas's Hospital Medical School in London.

On his return to Canada, Widdifield set up practice in Newmarket.

He served as a coroner and justice of the peace of Victoria County.

In 1888, he resigned his seat in the assembly to accept the position of sheriff for York County.