John Henry Holford

[Gale49]

John Henry Holford was born about 1820 and on his death certificate it states that he was born in Jersey. I can't find any proof of this. Does anyone have any information? He became a Master Mariner and ended up in New Plymouth in New Zealand. I would love to find out his origins. Thanks

[Schoch]

Hi,

Do you have any information on when John left the UK (voluntarily or not).  As you will have found in your searches there are more than a few John Henry Holfords around at that time ( but none that I can find in Jersey/Guernsey) .  If you add in the spelling variations ( Halford/ Alford etc.) the list grows.

Did he get his Master Mariner certificate in the UK or New Zealand. I see there are a few trees on Ancestry with the same dilemma which may indicate there is something missing in your information.

Richard

[KGarrad]

This from jerripediabmd.net:

Baptism, 24th December 1820 at St Helier
John Henry Halford son of Serjt. John and Sarah Halford


Looks like a brother?
Baptism 23rd October 1822 at St Helier
William Halford, son of John and Sarah Halford


JH's baptism suggests that his father was a military man?

[Schoch]

Good find ... Are military members included in census?

[KGarrad]

Only if they were based in the UK, Channel Islands etc. on the night of the census.

I think the 1911 census was the first to include military serving overseas?

[Schoch]

So he should appear in the appropriate census for those years before he went to New Zealand? At least the 1841 version.
Noted the spelling change for the bapt record

[KGarrad]

The problem is that, if he was serving in the Army and based in Jersey 1820-1822, he probably wasn't still there in 1841?

Regiments tended to be based in places like Jersey for maybe 5 years.

[la grande-méthe]

Sometimes regiments were based in Jersey for as little as 6 months.

John Henry's godparents were John Miles, John Freestone, Mary Miles and Susanne Freestone.

William Halford's godparents were his father and William Longworthy plus his mother and Sarah Ann Halford so it's possible that there were other family in Jersey. The registers usually say if proxies are being used for godparents.

According to the proper parish registers there was another son, George, baptized on Dec 26th 1824 under the name of Holford, godparents the Father, William Langwothy and Ann Langworthy.

[martintraill]

Ann Langworthy's maiden name was Sara Ann Holford and probably John Holford snr sister or cousin. She married William Henry Allford Langworthy in St Heliers, Jersey on 22 January 1924 and the marriage record has her from Hacbeing kney near London and William from Devonshire.