Shadford, Essex (?)

[LouiseB31]

The 1891 census in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, shows my Great Great Grandfather Charles Hilton, aged 41,  as a Sergeant in the Royal Gunners at Throxenby Barracks.

It gives his birth place as Shadford, Essex

I have looked over several maps and googled and cannot find any such place.

Can you help?

I did find somewhere called Shalford near Braintree, are there any other possibilities?

I don't know the first thing about Essex, I live in the north of England, this is the first of my ancestors to come from the county.

I would welcome any suggestions

Regards

Louise

[willow2670]

I wonder if it could be Shalford

Districts in ESSEX
Sub-districts : Bocking; Braintree; Coggeshall; Finchingfield; Witham.
GRO volumes : XII (1837-51); 4a (1852-1930).
Black Notley, Bocking, Bradwell, Braintree, Cressing, Fairstead (from 1880), Faulkbourne (from 1880), Feering (from 1880), Finchingfield, Great Coggeshall (from 1880), Great Saling, Hatfield Peverel (from 1880), Kelvedon (from 1880), Little Coggeshall (from 1880), Markshall (from 1880), Panfield, Pattiswick, Rayne, Rivenhall (from 1880), Shalford, Sisted, Terling (from 1880), Wethersfield, White Notley, Witham (from 1880).
Registers now in Braintree district.

Sue

[lizdb]

Tried to find him in 1881.
Nearest I found was:
Charles Milton born approx 1844, Felstead essex
Wife, Hannah, bn approx 1846, Felstead Essx
Children:
George 1849 Felstead
Emily 1873 Felstead
Charlie 1876 Forcett yorkshire
Harry 1879 Greta Bridge Yorkshire
Frank 1880 Rokeby yorkshire

All living at Mortham, Rokeby, Yorkshire

Have you other evidence it is Hilton, not Milton? Or this could be a mistranscription, or it could be a completely different family., who also moved from essex to Yorkshire.

Felstead is also near Braintree.

[LouiseB31]

Thanks for this Willow2670, I shall probably assume it is Shalford for the moment and search records there for his birth.

I dont know where he would have been living in the 1881 census Lizdb, but my great grandmother was born in Weedon Barracks in Northants in 1882, so it could have been there. Her older brother was born in barracks at Shoeburyness, so it could equally have been there.

He was definitely a Hilton

Thanks for your help

Louise

[donna-paul]

louise,

    this is a longshot but i had a census entry for some of my family that looked like it read shalford but on further investigation narrowed it down to stratford which at the time was in essex as was leyton and in some cases east ham
     just a thought

donna x

[Valda]

This may be a total red herring but on the censuses a lot of the Hiltons born in Essex seem to have been born in Waltham (north of Stratford). One of them is George Hilton born Waltham circa 1843 who was a sergeant major in the Royal Horse Artillery. As being in the army can run in families I thought he might be useful to know about, particularly since few men progressed as far as sergeant major in their army careers.
Have you tried to find Charles Hilton's army record at the National Archives? As he was also a sergeant in the Royal Artillery he should have a reasonably detailed record which would give you further information on him and which might explain why he is difficult to find on censuses.

Regards
Valda

[LouiseB31]

Dear Both

Thanks for your help with this.

I wonder if between you, you might have solved this mystery.

I have not looked at Charles' army records because I assume you have to go to London to do that. Living 'oop North, I dont get the chance to visit much.

However, thinking about it, I am in London next month and could spare a few hours in the afternoon. Where would I need to go, do you know? and would I need to book?

I will take myself off to the army threads and see if anything pertains.

Thanks again for some great suggestions

Louise

[donna-paul]

louise

see they are right no matter how small the piece of information.............. i'm a newbie so i'm impressed i could have been any help to anyone  :-

regards
donna x

[Valda]

The National Archives are at Kew - so out on the underground from central London - give yourself enough time as the National Archives can be daunting on a first trip. The TNA is open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays but those days tend to be busier. To obtain a readers ticket you will need some form of identification with your address. You don't need to book.
You will find directions to Kew here
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/visit/where.htm?source=ddmenu_visit5

Once there it would be easiest for you to ask a research assistant to help you find Charles Hilton's attestation papers (and George's, if from Charles you think they might be useful to see) and help you order them - documents usually take around 30 minutes to arrive. The TNA does organise walks round the archives to help explain the systems and records to people who are new to Kew.

The National Archives does produce research guides
http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/researchguide
You need to look under British Army
and then
Soldiers' discharge papers
and Soldiers' pensions
in that order

Tell us how you get on.

Regards
Valda