Edward Shelford

[elsie ellen]

Hello!

I am trying to trace Edward Shelford and his family prior to 1852 when he emigrated with his wife Elizabeth Howe and daughter Susan to Australia.

On his death certificate it states that he was born in Great Chesterford in 1825. 

His parents are noted as Edward and "Unknown".

Thought the 1841 and 1851 censuses might be a starting point and would appreciate if someone could look them up for me. Thanks.

[cep]

Lots of Shelford in Great Chesterford, 1851.
Not so many in 1841.

This looks possible for 1841, though I might have transcribed as Shifford.

1841 Great Chesterford   HO107 340 03 10 p14

Law (Saw?) Street
Edward Shelford, 50, Ag Lab
Susan Shelford, 40?
Edward Shelford, 15, Ag Lab
Lucy Shelford, 10
Oliver Shelford, 8
Jane Shelford, 5
William Shelford, 1

All b. Essex


1851 is a mess. Images are illegible and the index does not give relationship.
Several Edward and Elizabeth, but not the right age. No Oliver.

I will try some more.   CP

[cep]

This from the 1851 Index, modified as best I could by reference to the images.
No other Shelford, b. Great Chesterford, found in Essex.



Surname Forename        Age Birth Place      County  Folio   Census Place   From Image
                                               
SHELFORD EDWARD         55                   LONDON  233 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Head Farmer
SHELFORD ANN            53 THAXTED           ESSEX   233 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Wife
SHELFORD EDWARD         19 ST KITTS BR. SUBJ.        233 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Nephew
FULLER   RICHARD        12                                                   Nephew

SHELFORD EDWARD         45 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   233 GREAT CHESTERFORD
SHELFORD ELIZABETH      45 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   233 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Can't find these 3
SHELFORD ELIZABETH      44 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   233 GREAT CHESTERFORD

SHELFORD EDWARD         59 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   241 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Head  Ag Lab
SHELFORD JANE           13 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   241 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Dau?
SHELFORD WILLIAM        09 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   241 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Son
SHELFORD THOMAS         06 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   241 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Son

SHELFORD SUSAN          29 HADSTOCK          ESSEX   241 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Wife
SHELFORD ELIAS          23 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   241 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Head  Ag Lab
SHELFORD ELIZABETH      02 HADSTOCK          ESSEX   241 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Dau
SHELFORD MARY ANN       0  GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   241 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Dau

SHELFORD BETSY          35 DUXFORD           CAMBRID 243 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Wife
SHELFORD WILLIAM        31 HINXTON           CAMBRID 243 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Head  ??
SHELFORD EDWARD         06 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   243 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Son
SHELFORD WILLIAM GEORGE 05 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   243 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Son
SHELFORD ANN            05 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   243 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Dau
SHELFORD ELEN           02 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   243 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Dau
SHELFORD JOHN           01 GREAT CHESTERFORD ESSEX   243 GREAT CHESTERFORD   Son
?        MARY ANN       20?                                                       Servant?




Regards   CP

[elsie ellen]

The 1841 census does seem to have some possibility...it would seem to put Edward, aged 15, in the right time slot, the father is Edward and drawing a long bow his first child was named Susan, and frequently children were named after their grandparents.

Edward and Elizabeth had two very young children before 1852. Susan was apparently born in 1849 and Elizabeth 1851.

Some musings:
*I wonder if Edward and Elizabeth married in Great Chesterford?
*Would it be possible for the Howe family to be on the 1841 census and living in Great Chesterford? Her parents were Elizabeth and William Howe.
*Was there a census in 1861 that might help locate the siblings and parents of Edward?

I appreciate your help and would welcome your thoughts on these musings.

[cep]

Some musings on your musings.

1841 Great Chesterford   HO107 340 03 21 p36

Grumble Hall
William Howe, 60, Bailif
Elizabeth Howe, 55
Sarah Howe, 30
John Howe, 20
Rachel Howe, 15

Only John & Rachel b. Essex

Saffron Walden is the Registration District for Great Chesterford.

How sure for Howe?

Bishop, Elizabeth   1845 June  Marriages   Saffron Walden  Essex
Kent, Edward        1845 June  Marriages   Saffron Walden  Essex
Lilly, Susannah     1845 June  Marriages   Saffron Walden  Essex
Shelford, Edward    1845 June  Marriages   Saffron Walden  Essex

vol 12 p 335

There is Bishop family too, Great Chesterford, 1841
No suitable marriage for Elizabeth Howe is found.


SHELFORD, Susan   1848 September Births  Saffron Walden Essex

vol 12 p 229

Susan Shelford/Shalford/Shilford, b. ~1848 not found in Essex, 1851



Shelford, Alice Elizabeth 1852 December Births Saffron Walden Essex

vol 4a p 323

This is the only Elizabeth Shelford b. Anywhere, ~1851



<  The 1841 census does seem to have some possibility >
<  first child was named Susan >

Everything points to this being the right family.
And, just as important, there is no likely alternative.



1861 Gt Chesterford   RG9 1121 7 p8

20 High Street
Edward Shelford, head, wid, 70, Ag Lab, b. Gt Chesterford
Thomas Shelford, son, unm, 15, Ag Lab, b. Gt Chesterford


Believe Lucy m. John Parsons 1848


Where did you get the information you already have?


Regards   CP

[elsie ellen]

Good morning CP.

The information I already have is from the death certificates of Edward Shelford and his daughter Susan, as well as Susan's birthdate and place of birth provided by another descendant of Edward's in Australia.

I have also got a letter from another descendant that states "Because of the fact that her (Susan's) mother was 19 years older than her father and that Elizabeth had been married before tells me that there should be half brothers and sisters somewhere, wouldn't you think?" I have until now not pursued any of this...That's all I have to go on.

Otherwise I have no information about them prior to their time in Australia.

Whilst Edward and Elizabeth only had two children, and sadly their young daughter Elizabeth died soon after their arrival in Australia, Susan went on to have 16 children from two marriages! So they were blessed with many grandchildren.

Thank you for sharing my musings...and helping me learn more about my family

[Kilburn]

The Edward Shelford you speak of was my Grandmother's Great Uncle.

My grandmother's grandmother was Lucy Shelford. Edward was her elder brother: a younger brother, Oliver, went to NZ with the Army for the Maori war and married a Maori, Iritana.

Their father was also called Edward. He was christened 10th Feb 1793: he worked as a carter.

He married three times, first to Jane Hinkkins in 1814; then to Ann Moor (of Thaxted) in 1819; then to Susan Brooks in 1832.

This makes his son Edward the son of Ann Moor. The reason he put his mother as unknown being she died when he was 6 and he never knew her Christian or maiden name.

Edward the carter was the son of yet another Edward, who married Mary Richardson. He was baptised in 1749.

His father was Richard Shelford, bapt 2 Oct 1726 in Chshall, Essex.

He was the son of another Edward Shelford, who was apprenticed to James Cornell, Baker of Gt Chesterford in 1718: he married Ann Carter.

His father was Thomas Shelford who married Ann Cole.

Thomas's father was Richard Shelford, bapt 15th Oct 1637, who married Mary Buck

He was the son of Robert Shelford who married Ellen Searle on the 13th and 14th November 1631 in Gt and Little Chesterford.

His father was Reynold Shelford who married Isbell Smith on 20th Sept 1595 in Ickleton, Cambridgeshire.

[elsie ellen]

I'm almost lost for words!   

This has to be one of the most incredible postings ... you always hope, but I thought I'd never know this awesome information.

I am so happy!   

Thank you, thank you for so generously sharing this information with me.

What a wonderful afternoon!!!

Elsie

[Kilburn]

It's just a lot of names though, isn't it?

You have a family that in 1598 lived in Gt Chesterford, and by 1851 they're still living in Great Chesterford, having done nothing of note in the intervening 253 years except one man's brief excursion to Chishall to open a baker's shop (apprenticeship rules meaning he couldn't open up in Chesterford in competition with his master).

There is one centrally stored will from the commonwealth period which I transcribed at http://genforum.genealogy.com/shelford/messages/58.html; there are a lot more in the Essex record office.

Great Chesterford is all right I suppose: Germaine Greer lives there by choice:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1346664/Stalker-jumped-on-Greer-crying-Mummy-Mummy.html

If you ever see the film Tamara Drewe you may get a feeling of what living in the English countryside is like today.

Only one ancestor of note in this lot: he was called John Richardson, he was a professor at Cambridge, and was part of the team that translated the King James Bible: his section was the non-prophetic books of the Old Testament: Ecclesiastes etc. But really, given a 400 year gap, you can't really be totally certain about that.

The New Zealand branch is more interesting: there are such luminaries as Charlie Shelford http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/photo/charlie-shelford and Wayne Shelford http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Shelford.

What I would like to know more about at the moment is the St Kitts connection: at the beginning of the 19th century Richard Shelford, uncle of the man you enquired after, sailed out there but returned some decades later with one of his sons.

[Kilburn]

For some reason one of those links didn't work: try

http://genforum.genealogy.com/shelford/

and then go down to the 14th post, by 'Christopher' (me, that is)