My goodness! You have all done in moments what I've struggled with for months--found poor Harriet and linked Paul Edward Rainford, the vice consul, to an earlier identity as Edward Rainford, noted historical artist of the pre-Raphaelite genre.
I'm an American and I was doing some simple research on my English ancestor George Rainford when I became distracted by Edward Rainford's brilliant but short career. I did see that in 1851 he is in St Pancras married to Elizabeth Nickholds, has a toddler dau named Elizabeth and shortly after a dau Harriet b 1852. He is offered an opportunity to go to Sicily in 1858, exhibits some work in 1864 at major London exhibits and then disappears. His daughters are staying with maternal relatives. Even the recent Cristy's auction writeup had no folowup info about what became of him. And I lost his dau Harriet completely.
Many thanks for your skillful research and prompt replies.
I hope that the Edward and Maria brother and sister at St Andrew Holborne turn out to be another family I'm looking for--Maria Rainford b 1821 is the grandniece of actor and theatre owner William Evans Burton (her mother is Maria Burton, father Edward Rainford). Maria Rainford married William Shakespeare Burton--the son of William Evans Burton by his first wife. I suspect that her brother Edward took Milton as a stage name and moved to the US, where he was mentored by WE Burton and became a successful comedic actor. But I haven't proved that yet.
Robin Rainford
