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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Essex => England => Essex Lookup Requests => Topic started by: elsie ellen on Wednesday 05 October 05 23:39 BST (UK)
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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I'm almost lost for words! :o
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! ;D ;D ;D
Thank you, thank you for so generously sharing this information with me.
What a wonderful afternoon!!!
Elsie
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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.
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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)
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Two things to remember here: the name Shelford sounds fairly mainstream, but it is an extremely rare surname: everyone with the name is related to some degree. Secondly, Great Chesterford is a tiny place and neighbouring Ickleton and Littlebury the same. Originally the Shelfords had land in the area, and this meant they stayed put: one was obliged to move a few miles to work as a baker, but he came back. Sometime in the 18th Century there was a change of taxation, which meant that it became uneconomic to have a small land holding, and so most smallholders sold up. But after that the landless folk were still tied to the parish, because parishes could refuse to admit new parishioners, and nobody wanted poor people who might become a charge on the parish. So unless they could think of some way of enriching themselves, not always easy in a remote village, they had to stay put.
I think most of the info I gave you, and more besides can be found on the Mormons' site: go to:-
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp
and enter Shelford and England and you'll get all the baptism and marriage records. I did use a marriage register and apprentice binding register at the Society of Genealogists, but that's all: the rest of the info comes from the IGI.
There is one early Shelford will in the PCC:-
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/willsdeathduties.asp
but I have already transcribed that at
http://genforum.genealogy.com/shelford/messages/58.html
There are a lot more Shelford wills in the Essex Record Office and they can be purchased online
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P.S. A very good book on the area nearby and the use of historical records for the period is "The Common stream", which can be obtain for 1p plus postage:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Common-Stream-Foxton-Rowland-Parker/dp/0586082530/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287262878&sr=1-1
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Hi,
Not sure if the following Thaxted Shelfords are of any interest to either of you but noting the remark by Kilburn that the Shelford name is "extremely rare", I thought it worth a mention.
William Shelford married Elizabeth Goodey 21 Oct 1707 at Thaxted.
I found three children baptised at Thaxted:
Elizabeth 14 Dec 1708.
Ann 1 Dec 1710.
James 19 Dec 1714.
Checked through to 1720 no other children found, William died in 1719.
I descend from Elizabeth (jnr) who married into my Thorowgood line.
James married Mary Caton 12 Feb 1737 at Thaxted.
Regards
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Hi! :)
I am working my way through these names now and will take note of the names you mention. I would be surprised if there wasn't a connection. We just need to find it!
Be in touch soon.
Elsie
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After considerable amount of trying to work out the relationship with the St Kitts family, I have now decided that my original information was wrong.
There were in fact two Edward Shelfords living in Gt Chesterford at the time: they were first cousins. One of them was born in 1796 approx, married Ann Moore, and had a brother in St Kitts.
Another was baptised 19th Feb, 1793 and married Jane Hinkkins (in 1814), then Susan Brooks. He was the the father of Edward and Lucy (by Jane Hinkkins) and Oliver, Jane and William by Susanna Brooks.
Jane Hinkkins- I have not yet found her baptism, but she was presumably the sister of Lucy Hinkkins baptised in Ickleton, Cambridgeshire, and thus the daughter of Thomas Hinkkins and Ruth Cater, who married on the 23rd of October 1784 in Chrishall.
Thomas Hinkkins appears to be the son of another Thomas, who married Mary Hales in 1768 in Ickleton.
Ruth Cater, christened 2nd May 1764 in Chrishall, was the daughter of Arthur Cater and Ruth Chessy, who married on the 21st April 1760 in Chrishall.
Thus we have a family which for a hundred or more years has gone precisely nowhere. All of these parishes nowadays are served by the same vicar!
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:)Hello I am not sure how old this thread is but I am another Shelford from NZ. My g.g.grandfather was Oliver Edward Shelford who came out to NZ with 58th Regiment and married Iritana (the Maori lady mentioned). Then they of course had children here in NZ and I come off of one of these Maria Shelford who married James Robinson then they had Daisy who married Clement COLE and then had my dad Thomas COLE. So there is as said a lot of Shelfords around the world. But isn't it interesting to how we are all related and it would be nice to come to some of the countries. Or to gather at Great Chesterford for a BIG reunion one day!! ::) Wouldn't that be so great... ???
Lyn
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I believe the Shelford whanau is having a reunion in NZ this or next year. I don't think I shall be going, but it will be interested to hear what transpires. I maintain contact with my 1st cousins, 2nd cousins and even one of my 3rd cousins, but the NZ and Melbourne branches are 4th cousins and beyond and there are rather a lot of them.
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Hi
I have just read your last post about a Shelford reunion in NZ. I have recently found out that I part of the lineage and am interested to find out more of the reunion. Do you know anything more or could you give me an indication where I may be able to find out more - that is, of course if it is not too late. I live in Australia and Oliver Edward was my gr-gr-gr-grandfather.
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It's not till next year (December) You need to be on Facebook to see it:-
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/shelfordwhanaukotahi.reunion
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Thanks for the information about the Shelford Whanau on FB. My cousin has just started a similar one for the Wiperi Whanau.
;)