HACKFORD Family Overdine and Wellington?

[sherylnorthcott]

Thankyou SO much, EBN, and strangely when I lived with Grandma in Ross, we had a neighbour called Mrs Prosser

Am presently trying to research the 1871 census, trying to find out the maiden name of Elizabeth, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Hopefully Mr Prosser will be able to help both myself and Karen fit together a few more pieces of the puzzle.

[Puffcat]

If you know George married Elizabeth in 1883 then try Hereford Regsiter Office for the marriage certificate, and then you will also have her father's name too.

[sherylnorthcott]

Hi EBN,

By putting in Elizabeth's first name, DOB and area I've managed to trace her family back to 1861.

Her maiden name was Powell and she was an only child, her father was a stone mason. He seemed to have spent his entire life in Little Dewchurch.

I'm off now to try and find out more about George.

Must update my list of family.

Thanks for all the info and help,
Regards,
Sheryl

[Puffcat]

On the IGI a marriage is shown between Geroge Hackford and Bessie Powell
17/4/1883 Hereford St Nicholas.  Father William Powell

Interesting to know she was called Bessie makes her more intersting .

[sherylnorthcott]

WOW, thanks so much again, EBM, they are becoming more real by the hour.

And it confirms that Ruth's brother George married my Gt Gt Grandmother.

The divorce must have been a bit of a scandal in those days.

[Potatoes]

Thanks EBN

Hello Sheryl,

So we now have four notorious relatives, Ruth Hackford the mother of an illegitimate son, George and Elizabeth Hackford the "divorcees" and Richard Hackford the criminal. When I realised that Richard had pulled a knife in the police officer he was lowered in my estimation.

One interesting point George snr was born in 1835 to Anne per one of EBN earlier posts. Richard is said to have been born in 1813. That  makes for a 22 year age gap between brothers! That's by no means impossible but could it be that they were nephew and uncle?

If Richard Hackford was in gaol at the time of the 1901 census he would still have to be listed.

The juicy bit about Ruth's son was common knowledge amongst his children (my mum and her siblings), that he was illegitimate. Reginald died aged 90 in 1986 when I was 23. On his 90th birthday, despite being shown a birth cert showing Arthur Walker to be his dad, he was still insistent  that he was illegitimate - no small matter for someone of his era!!!!

Ruth went on to have at least 2 more sons with Arthur Walker. We never knew about these until I found them on the 1901 census.
Ruth was living with Arthur and her two little boys Dudley and Rumply aged under 3 in Kidderminster running a boarding house. In the meantime Reginald Hackford Walker, her illegitimate son, was living in Lower Mitton under the name of his foster parents. He appears on the 1901 census as Reginald Hackford Passey aged 4.
 The family story was that Reginald was the illegitimate son of an earl and until 1959 there was supporting vellum documents with red seals supporting this as "fact". Reginald destroyed the items upon his wife's death. My late mother had seen the the documents when she was a girl. They were handwritten in copperplate style. She did manage to decipher one bit which said that Reginald was to be educated in the manner of a gentleman as would have befitted his father. This never happened because his foster father William Passey was said to have been a drinker, who both violently abused Reginald as he grew up and embezzled his trust fund - somehow. Reginald did love his foster mother but when she died Reginald ran away. Reginald lived a difficult life and was a difficult person for anyone to deal with - all due to his early life, his WWI experiences and his financial struggles in the 1930s. He was very well read and extremely articulate he had risen to be an army officer after the war but struggled with authority something which blighted him all his life.

All the best

Karen

[sherylnorthcott]

Hi Karen,

We are managing (with the help of EBN, much appreciated) to build up quite a family history. 

My mom has told me there were family rumours about some member of Grandma's family being illegitimate and half gentry,  so it must have been Ruth's son, Reginald, who would have been my Grandma's cousin.

My mom has also told me that both Grandma and Uncle Will, inherited some property in the 1960's.  That couldn't have come from the Gammonds, or the Powell's, because Thomas and Fanny would have inherited some too.

So I'm assuming the property must have come from the Hackfords.

I've done a bit more research on Richard and George Snr....same area of birth and also same names for parents (although mother Ann was spelt Anne on one record).    I suppose they could have had Richard in their early 20's and then had George Snr in their early 40's, I have noticed large age gaps, and children being born to parents in their 40's on all sides of my ancestry.


I'll pry a little more re Reginald, see if between us we can find some hard evidence. I suppose no-one could say our family history is boring.

I haven't been this absorbed in a subject since I graduated (many years ago) from uni.

Take care,

Best wishes, Sheryl

[Potatoes]

Hello Sheryl,

I googled a Hackford Farm on the outskirts of Staunton On Wye. Per the web site, it is a post medieval (1540-1899) dwelling.

www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/db.php/p/parish_Staunton%20on%Wye/p/period_Post%20Medieval/type_Dwelling - 62k - Supplemental Result -

AND

a pdf of Conservation walks at

cwr.defra.gov.uk/DisplayImage. aspx?Type=Mapboard&IFN=172280002.pdf - Supplemental Result

The Herefordshire Hackfords may be the original farm owners. Or they could be the descendants of labourers who worked on the farm, who upon leaving, were referred to by the name of their previous abode "Hackford" farm.

[sherylnorthcott]

Hi Karen,

Thanks for the above info, I'm still totally amazed at how much we are finding out.  My mom just phoned me, and has found a reference to Reginald in Grandma's note book, but she said it is really faint and she can hardly read it, but she thinks it might be November 8th 1896/7.  I'll have a proper look at the book when I next visit my mom, hopefully I can find out even more.

Best regards,
Sheryl