Wilford, Wilforde, Wylford, Wilsford, Wyllesford, Willesford

[zameni]

Yes a "Y Wilford" etc could be a good idea. Faced with the information that I have re my branch of the Wilfords is that most were all professional soldiers, and good soldiers judging by their records. The names Ernest Christian seem to have been passed onto all 1st sons regardless of whether they were eldest sons of the eldest son. The name Christian does intrigue me as it seems to be present in the Wandsworth branch a few generations back Probably coincidence and possibly a popular name in Victorian times anyway. Whatever their forebears did or didn't do, my Wilfords certainly travelled all round the globe, I cannot see their forebears being " stay at homes ". The fact that Ernest Christian went to Pilton, near Barnstable, to retire also seems strange as back in those days people didn't hop in the car, go for a drive and decide to end their days in a beauty spot. People are like homing pigeons, something attracts them unwittingly sometimes to their home range. Might be twaddle but I think its often true.

[Lovely Cove]

Thank you for the very informative reply.  You can tell your wife that the full user name is "Lovely Cove" which is the name of the body of water that we live on.

It will take me a while to analyze the links and information that you sent but at first glance, the data agrees with some of what we have.  Since my post of several weeks ago, I believe that I have untangled the knot that had us stopped.  It was in the "Visitation of Kent 1619" where James (b. 1370)  was listed as Jacobus (Latin for James, which I did not know at the time). That thread eventually led to Thomas Williford 2nd (1618 - 1676) who died in Northumberland, Virginia.  From that person we have been able to track the American branch to my wife's grandmother (Ruth Williford) who spent most of her life in Texas.

[PWillie]

I could imagine the math working from William to Robert (presumably of the "Eagle" in Exeter) to James - particularly if one or more May-December marriages are involved - but, like you, I'd like to see the receipts!

There are two Wilsford pedigrees in the Visitation of Kent, 1619-1621. Both show William, then Robert, then "Jacobus" (James?), sheriff of London.  The second pedigree shows offspring of Thomas's second marriage to Rosa (Rose) Whetenhall.  In fact, the second is likely the source (albeit in Latin) for the pedigree in The Pedigrees of the Families of the County of Kent (1830).

Pages below.

At least a name is given for William's wife (Robert's mother) in the Pedigrees  and Visitation: Margaret Cornens (elsewhere "Corneus").  But I don't find her grandfather (Sir Walter Cornens/Corneus) or anyone of the family name mentioned independently elsewhere - not even Visitation of Devon, 1620.  (All references seem to originate from these pedigrees.)

[PWillie]

That thread eventually led to Thomas Williford 2nd (1618 - 1676) who died in Northumberland, Virginia.  From that person we have been able to track the American branch to my wife's grandmother (Ruth Williford) who spent most of her life in Texas.

Yes, Captain Thomas (1618-1676) is in my direct line.  You mentioned tracing your line from North Carolina.  I have four generations living in Bertie County, NC, for about 100 years starting with Richard Williford Sr (ca 1701-1776).  My great-great-grandfather Stephen B. Williford (1828-1888) moved his young family and, sadly, "a few slaves" (per his son's two-page history) from Bertie County, NC, to Shelby County, TN, in 1854 and farmed on 80 acres there.  His brothers Solomon Freeman Williford (1813-1864) and Henry Brooks Williford (1818-1880), as well as his mother Sarah Freeman Williford (1780-1863), also moved to Shelby County, but I'm not sure if they all moved at the same time.  I was born and grew up in Shelby County (Memphis), and still have family there.

Would be interested to know where our lines diverge.

Paul Williford

[Conan-the-Barbadian]

Although we probably should open new threads for different family names, could I just add a bit on the wife of William Wilford of Exeter who died in 1413?

If we start with Vivian's “Visitations of Devon” (1895) at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002002213917&view=1up&seq=9, on page 59 this records that Margaret Cornu, daughter of Walter Cornu, married first Robert Cruwys and secondly William Wilford. With her first husband she had a son named William Cruwys. No mention of any Wilford children.

Page 256 confirms this, stating that Robert Cruwys, a gentleman alive in 1381, married Margaret Cornu, daughter of Walter Cornu, who after his death married William Wilford. They had two sons: Thomas Cruwys, gentleman, and William Cruwys. Again, no mention of any Wilford children.

A different account on page 597 says that Elizabeth Pollard, daughter of Walter Pollard, of Way in the parish of St Giles in the Wood, and his wife Elizabeth Cornu, second daughter and co-heiress of William Cornu, of Horwood, married William Wilford. No mention of any Wilford children.

When we turn to the “History of Parliament” online (1993) (I've no access to the print version) at https://historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/wilford-william-1413, it is quite explicit that between 1393 and 1400 William Wilford married Margaret Cornu, widow of Robert Cruwys and daughter not of Walter Cornu but of Sir Robert Cornu, knight and MP, of Thornbury.  It adds that this Sir Robert Cornu in 1385 was a retainer of Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon, as was Robert Wilford, MP for Exeter and father of William. There is no mention of Elizabeth Pollard and the only Wilford children mentioned are Robert (named after both grandfathers!) and Elizabeth

[PWillie]

Interesting, Conan!

I think the strongest evidence for William having a son named Robert is William's will itself, which predates the Visitations by more than 200 years.  Attaching pages 401-402 from The Register of Edmund Stafford, (A. D. 1395-1419).  Robert is mentioned several times - notably, "his son Robert, a minor" - and appears to have been the primary beneficiary.  Margaret is named as William's wife and also an executor of his will, but there is no indication of her maiden name or previous marriages.  A daughter named Elizabeth, wife of John Parkere, is also mentioned.

It's a shame we don't know the date of William and Margaret's wedding, so we cannot calculate whether the "minor" Robert was her child or perhaps the child of a previous marriage.

The Visitations seem primarily concerned with tracing patrilineal lines.  Where a daughter is named and a marriage shown, one must nearly always  turn to her husband's line to see if there were any offspring.  By the time of the Visitations (1619 and following), it appears there were no male Wilfords/Wilsfords in Devon (or at least none of note), so they don't merit their own section and we have few details on what became of Robert - with the exception of his daughter Elizabeth marrying John Farringdon and having five children (p. 339-340) of The Visitations of Devon) and his daughter Julyan marrying John Kelly Esq and having a daughter named Jone who married Richard Drewell (p 479). And sadly, the Visitation of Kent lacks the specifics we crave for James/Jacobus, Robert, and William.

Interestingly, St Petrock's Church, mentioned prominently in William's will, is still standing.  It's about a block down the street from William's house, "The Eagle," on High Street in Exeter.

Paul Williford

[PWillie]

You'll notice that William also leaves  "a jewel worth 4 marks" to a John Wilford.  And "his brother" is named as an executor.  In an appendix, The Register of Edmund Stafford, (A. D. 1395-1419) also includes a will for John Wilford, but it is in Latin (pp. 480-481).  I'm attaching those pages as well.  Here is a quick-and-dirty Google translation of John's will:

In the Name of God, Amen.—On the penultimate day of February, in the Year of the Lord 1417, I, John Wilsford, citizen of the City of Exeter, comp mind, I make my will in this manner. First of all, I read and recommend redeem my soul to the Almighty God Who earns the precious blood of Sao, and my body my sacred burial Also, I give and bequeath to John Melbury and Thomas Montegu, to the guardians of the Church of St. Kyrany, in Exon, one acre of my land with the appurtenances in Velewill, lying outside the Boreal Gate of the aforesaid City of Exon, in the suburbs of the same State, between the land of the late Roger Askerswille, which William Shaplegh holds, on the west side, and land late of John Sleghe on the east side, and land called Starcombe on the north side, and a lane leading towards Starcombe on the south side. Also, I give and bequeath to the same John Melbury and Thomas, to the aforesaid keepers, one of my tufts with a garden adjoining belongings, on the hill of St. David outside the aforesaid Gate, in the suburbs of the same City, between the tenement of Robert Hoigge on the south side, and the land of John Lange on the north side, and the royal road leading towards Coulegh on the east side, to have and hold the aforesaid land, toft, and garden, with all the trees growing in the same ground, the toft, and the garden, together with to each and every one of his belongings and heirs, to his guardians, and theirs to the successors who were for the time, from the day of the making of the presene until to complete the end of the term of ninety-nine years in the next sequence, paying thence annually to the principals of the Lords of those fees, and the services which are due therefrom; under this condition, however, that the aforesaid guardians, and their successors who have been for the time being, shall hold my anniversary in the aforesaid church of St. Kyran every year on the Tuesday next before the Feast Kyrani Bishop, with the Rector of the same Church and with five other presbyters and two clerics: so that the Rector from there has, if he is present at the funeral than at the Mass, iiijd., and any of the said presbyters thus present iiijd. and every one of the clergymen thus present ijd. ; and for the light burning there iiijd., and every keeper of the said Church present there for his work iiid. And after at the end of the aforesaid term of ninety-nine years I will that the aforesaid toft land and garden with its appurtenances be sold by the guardians of the said Church who for in time, and I want the proceeds of the money to be for the use of the said Church be converted Also, I give and bequeath to the undersigned executors all the remainder my messuages, lands and tenements with the appurtenances which I have in the City of Exon and in the suburbs of the same to be sold in perpetuity; and the money from it therefore I desire that all my debts be first and foremost in full paid And of the residue of the same money, after my aforesaid debts have been thus fully paid, I will that Walter Leye shall have thence decern marks of sterling, if so much remained at that time; and this under the following condition, namely that the executors of Thomas Poleworthy, | Baker, for the aforesaid sum decern marks all the debt which the same Walter owes them for the acquisition of that tenement of the late said Thomas Poleworthy, which of the aforesaid executors he recently inquired whether they wished to forgive him completely and relax under thirty days after the sale and settlement of the same messuage of my aforesaid lands and tenements. And if the said executors Thomas Poleworthy if they do not agree to this, I will that my executors below write among other remainders to dispose of the aforesaid decern marks of my goods well and faithfully, as they shall think best expedient. But the remainder of my goods not bequeathed above I bequeath to my executors to find one presbyter celebrating in the aforesaid church for my soul and the souls of those to whom I owe it, as long as it lasts the said residue may last. For the good and faithful execution of this will, I order, make, and appoint my executors, Thomas Cooke, clerk, and Edward Langyuow.

[mohun]

This Exeter family owned my house in Devon, and I have over several years researched the family's genealogy from the 14th to 17th centuries in some detail. Needless to say the various Visitations as well as secondary sources have several errors. William Wilford (d.1413) acquired the House/Manor as a result of the Cornu/Cruwys marriage. His son Robert of Exeter (d.1476) inherited the manor and acquired Oxton. Robert's third son was James Wilford (merchant/alderman of London and founder of the Kent branch); Robert's fourth son was Edmund DD, Prebendary of Oxford; Robert's fifth son was William the younger of London; Robert's eldest son and heir, William the elder, was mayor of Exeter 1511, and father of Peter Wilford of Oxton, whose sole child and heir Joan married Jasper Horsey who thereby acquired the family's Devon estates. I have considerable info on the overall family, and I would be happy to share this should anyone contact me direct via Rootschat.

[Conan-the-Barbadian]

A very quick reply to your very interesting post, since I hope we can explore this family in more depth.

The line of Robert Wilford (died before 28 August 1396) to his son William Wilford (died before 19 July 1413) to his son Robert Wilford (died 1476) seems fairly well documented and accepted. It is over their descendants that surviving records differ.

To keep things simple, might we perhaps look first at James Wilford (died after 27 April 1526), alderman and sheriff of London in 1499. Could you perhaps say which sources you've relied on to prove his parentage?