Hi Karen.
Thanks for the links, It really is so interesting to find out all this extra information. I feel really 'in touch' with our ancestors now, especially as the Hackford side was kept so secretive for so many years.
I was chatting to my mom, and she has been going through my grandma's (Annie) 'diary' (a book of family births etc.,) and remembering snippets of info passed to us through the generations, I'm very lucky in that I spent most of my childhood with my Grandma (and Uncle Will lived with us) in Ross on Wye.
And from what we can glean, although we didn't know the Hackford surname before. Thomas Henry (the 4 month old baby in the 1891 census) was actually the son of William Gammond, although my Grandma and Uncle Will were George's children. So it looks as if George and Elizabeth were divorced (perhaps on her infidelity, or maybe he had already left her and then she got with William Gammond).
There seems to be a 6 year gap from Thomas Henry's conception/birth to when both Elizabeth and George remarried the others, perhaps they had to wait that long for a divorce?
As William Gammond, and the Gammond family, owned a few farms, and had servants, perhaps this is where the illigitimate child of master/servant rumour came from. I know the story has come down our branch of the family, and it looks as if it has come down your side too. I think we must have rather 'racy' ancestors.
I'll continue questioning my mom, and looking at all the sites I've joined, I've managed to view many birth/wedding/death records. And last night I found Annie's husbands military record and his two brothers too (all three were killed in WW1).
I'll see what else I can find out about Ruth for you, and let you know.
I seem to be running into a dead end with Richard Hackford (Hereford Dick) perhaps he isn't on the census's as he was in prison quite a lot.
Take care and hope to find out more for you,
Sheryl
