HACKFORD Family Overdine and Wellington?

[Potatoes]

George and Harriet Hackford farmers at Overdine. Would be in their 50s when they appear at this farm on the 1901 census. Resident with them are Rhoda and Ada - daughters. The eldest daughter is Ruth who is married to a man called (George or Arthur)Walker with two baby son's Rumply and Dudley Walker. Ruth and her husband were running a boarding house on Cinderhill Rd, Kidderminster per 1901 census. Ruth was about 30 and her husband was 60+ !!

I am interested in

 a) ancestors of George and Harriet Hackford.

 b) any information about Ruth Hackford. She is my great grandmother. In 1896 she had a son Reginald Hackford Walker illegitimately in a servant/master scenario. Ruth is shown as married to Walker (then a Birmingham fruit dealer) on Reginald's birth cert. This is not correct. Ruth did not marry Mr.Walker until c1898. So Rumply and Dudley are Mr.Walker's sons and Reginald was the son of another man. Reginald was fostered out to William and Emma or Emily Passey who lived in Lower Mitton, Stroud and were childless themselves. Here Reginald was known as Reginald Hackford Passey and is shown on the 1901 census as an adopted son! However Reginald lived as a Walker in his adult life and told his family that he was illegitimate. I do know that his mother was working as a parlour maid in 1891 for an estate agent called Greene in Bromley, Kent per 1891 census. The Greene family ran estate agencies in London which I believe is where they were from originally. In the 1891 census they had a nine year old son called Reginald Greene. In 1896 is it possible that that a 14 year old Reginald Greene had a liaison with a 25 year old parlour maid. Yes it is. But it could also be that could also be that Ruth liked the name Reginald so gave it to her own her son. I do not know if Ruth was still in the employ of the Greene family in 1896; my grandfather must have been conceived c Feb 1896 in order to born in Nov 1896.

Reginald Hackford Walker is my grandfather. He told me that he never met his mother in his life. He also told me that when he was small that his natural father did visit him once. He arrived by car!! The man got out of the back of the car wearing a top hat and gave him some sweets. Money was settled on Reginald to raise him in a manner as would befit his father. Papers did exist until about 1959 but Reginald burnt them when his wife died. There is a suggestion that his foster/adoptive father William Passey embezzled the money. William Passey was a drinker and burnt the house down accidently whilst inebriated. Reginald did have a high regard for his foster/adoptive mother. She may have died leaving Reginald alone with William. Reginald ran away and worked on a coal ship or boat whilst a teenager before enlisting in WWI. At some point he dropped the name Passey and became known as Walker inline with his birth certificate. Also Reginald had an abhorrence of alcohol because of his experience with William Passey.

[Puffcat]

In 1891 they are in Woolhope

George aged 55 born in Lugwardine
Harriet aged 55 born in Kingstone

aslo in Woolhope are shown
Elizabeth aged 28 born Little Dewchurch
Ada aged 12 born in Withington
Anne 2 born Sollars Hope
Mary A 6 born      ..
William G born     ..
Thomas 4 born Woolhope

[Puffcat]

George Hackford was born in  12 JUL 1835   Lugwardine to Ann Hackford [no father is mentioned on IGI]
 In 1851 George John Hackford aged 15  is in Mordiford

On 1881 census they are at Wellington Village
 George HACKFORD   43  born Lugwardine,    Ag Lab     
 Harriet HACKFORD   Wife   43 b  Kingstone,
 Ruth HACKFORD   Dau  11 b  Wellington, Scholar     
 Rhoda HACKFORD   Dau   9  b Wellington,
 Ada HACKFORD   Dau   2  b Wellington
they also had a lodger
   

[Potatoes]

Dear EBN,

Thankyou for your help. I think George Hackford moved around during his life as a farmer. Today we tend to think that farmers always stay put on the farm where they were born.

I don't think the name Hackford is that common in Herefordshire. Random searches often show Hackfords in the Norfolk/Cambridge/East Anglia area.

Many Thanks.

[Puffcat]

The ones I listed are the only ones in Herefordshire on the 1891 Census.

Any idea how they fit into your family tree ?
Ada is identifiable, but what about Elizabeth and the children who was she

Geroge John is what he was baptised and shows on the 1851 census, so why did he drop the John after that I wonder.

Has anyone got the 1861 and 1871 census for Herefordshire to check on his whereabouts then.  And also the 1841, was he with his mother then, and did she marry ?  He seems to have moved about working as an agricultural labourer around Herefordshire.
Do you have a copy of the marriage certificate from the Hereford Register Office which will give more details of Harriet's maiden name and fathers will be shown if given. ?

[Potatoes]

Thanks EBN

I'm not sure about the Elizabeth and the other children. Could she be a sister or sister-in-law with her children? I'm not sure. I don't think they are in my line of immediate descent although they may be a branch.

I think that now I'm going to contact the Herefordshire Registrar.

Many thanks

[Puffcat]

Address
Hereford Register Office
County Buildings
Bath Street
Hereford HR1 2HQ

[sherylnorthcott]

I am a direct descendent of Elizabeth Hackford, Anne (Annie Laurie) was my Gt Grandmother who died when I was 18.  William George was my Gt Gt uncle, and so was Thomas Henry.

Elizabeth Hackford went back to live in Sollers Hope, about 1892,and married william Gammond, they had two other children (one, Rose died at about 5 years old).

Elizabeth died aged 35 in June 1898.

I am currently trying to research all branches of the Hackford family.

[Potatoes]

Hello Sheryl,

Thanks to EBN who posted on this chat earlier I realised there was an Elizabeth Hackford in the picture. Anne, your great-grandmother was the the daughter of Elizabeth and the granddaughter of George and Harriet Hackford. Have I understood correctly?.

I am the great-granddaughter of Ruth Hackford ( gr. gr. granddaughter of George Hackford. Have you read my first posting and if so have you ever heard a story of an illegitimate birth in the family.

I think that Hackfords are uncommon in Herefordshire. They seem to be more common in East Anglia. There is a Hackford village in Norfolk. Perhaps the Herefordshire Hackfords are ultimately East Anglian.