Heathfield Haffenden Hunters ...anyone out there??

[rosas84]

Hi

I am researching my Haffenden ancestors, who seem to like living in Heathfield in Sussex. Having spent several hours last night going through the census' for Heathfield and noting down the Haffendens there seem to be loads an loads of them.

Ive looked for a specific topic for Haffendens, but only find passing mention of them in other topics...surely I can't be the only one who's trying to trace and figure out their seemingly huge family 

I looking forward (hopefully) to hearing from other Heathfield Haffenden Hunters...

Amy  

[Roy G]

Look on Genes Reunited for well over 300 entries for those with Heathfield Haffendens in their ancestry, so there are lots of people interested. 
Who is it that is your prime focus and when were they born?  Roy G

[rosas84]

Hi Roy,

Thanks for the tip, I'll look into to Genes Reunited.

I'm particularly interested in the family of George Haffenden b.1850 (abt) in Heathfield, who married Sarah Ann Sharwood in 1883. I know George had a sister called Ruth who married a Thomas Bird.

George's son John Haffenden b. 1879 in Eastbourne, was my great grandfather, and my grandmother know relatively little about his family so I'm trying to find out as much as I can tell her about her father and his family.

Amy

[Roy G]

Ruth's marriage (Eastbourne 1877) is indexed on FreeBMD as Evenden not Haffenden.
A copy of that certificate should give you Ruth's and therefore George's father and hopefully separate him from the other George Haffenden who was born in the Heathfield district about the same time.  The 1881 census has her as a 23 year old Ironer living in Leslie Street Eastbourne.  With that information you should be able to find her with George on the various earlier censuses and identify his other siblings.

I could not find a John Haffenden of Eastbourne born anywhere near 1879 on the 1881 census or on FreeBMD, so wonder if his mother and George were just living as partners?

Roy G

[rosas84]

Hi Roy,

I am going to go trough my research again to make sure, I am currently of the opinion that George Evenden and Haffenden are the same person, but this does not mean I am right (as I have learnt over the years)  .

Whilst on some occasions the family went by Evenden, they also appear on census records as Haffenden, Haxenden etc.
 I know my great grandfather used several surnames over his lifetime but he did consistently use Haffenden and having found some military records he used Haffenden and named his father as George.
I have found George and his sister Ruth as both Evenden's and Haffendens on different census'. So either I am very unlucky and there are two sets of siblings both named Ruth and George Haffenden and Evenden or the spelling of the names has varied over the years.

I am going to double check as I'd hate to lead astray everybody who has been kind enough to reply to my posts and try to help me. Plus I need to make sure I keep on the straight and narrow.

Thanks

Amy

[omega 1]

Hi Amy

On the 1881 i found a John,aged 1 & brother Alfred Evenden with their Auntie & Uncle Thomas & Ruth Bird in Eastbourne.John born in Eastbourne.

Still looking for George.

 My Husband has 2 lines like yours using 2 surnames,so & so`s

Hope this helps

omega

[rosas84]

Hi Omega,

This line are 'doing my head in' but I am determined to try and make sense of it all. They all just seem to chop and change their surnames as they feel like it  .

For George so far I have found Evenden, Haffenden, Havenden, Haxenden variations of his surname.

For John on his birth cert his name is John Evenden Sherwood but over the years he has gone by Sherwood, Shurdwood, Sherewood, Haffenden, Evenden, and then just to confuse anyone else he took on my great grandmothers married name (she was widowed during WW1) and became known as a Townsend.

Thanks for your help Omega, its all appreciated!

Amy

[Roy G]

Yes it is a pain when rellies chop and change their surnames. 
I found the birth cert you have (J E Sherwood, Eastbourne, Sept quarter 1879) but so far, Omega's 1881 census entry has eluded me. 
I found George's sister Ruth and Thomas Bird in Leslie Street, Eastbourne and they only had their daughter Emily with them. 

I did however find an unmarried George (as Haxenden) with an unmarried Sarah A Sherwood living at 20 Nonparel Cot Eastbourne.  They seemed to have a number of other children, so it would need an investigation to see if they were all theirs or from Sarah's previous relationship.
George HAXENDEN      28      Heathfield, Surrey, England      Brickmaker      
Sarah A. SHEREWOOD   28      Brighton, Surrey, England            
Caroline S. SHEREWOOD Daur  7      Willingdon, Sussex      
George H. SHEREWOOD Son   5      Willingdon, Sussex      
William H. SHEREWOOD  Son   3      Willingdon, Sussex           
John H. SHEREWOOD  Son   1      Eastbourne, Sussex     

If FreeBMD is anything to go by, one birthplace is a bit suspect too. 
Caroline and John Sherwood were born in the Eastbourne area, George Havenden Sharwood too. William however, may have had his birth registered in Ticehurst

I have been unable to locate the above family on the 1891 census to see if George remarried or entered into another partnership.

Sarah SHARWOOD may be less of problem for you for if it is her, her birth appears in Brighton on FreeBMD as 1855.  The 1861 census index has an entry for her in Brighton St Peter but there is no mention of her on the 1871 census.   The IGI  (1845-1855) also has an unusual number of base born Sharwood births in Brighton, suggesting early partnerships rather than marriages may have been more acceptable in the Sharwood family.   
(note the surname could also appear as Shearwood)
Roy G

[omega 1]

Hello Amy

Found some info for you.

Baptised at Eastbourne  Christchurch
Children of George & Sarah Ann
Caroline Evenden Sherwood
11 Apr 1883,AGED 11

William Evenden Sherwood
11 Apr 1883, AGED 7

James Evenden
22 Apr 1885
Dad labourer
Abode 20,Nonparrell
Notes,Private.MOTHER died 6 Apr

Burials
Eastbourne St Marys

Sarah Evenden
9 Apr 1885,Aged 34

James,4 WEEKS,4 May 1885

OH,has ANOTHER line, Greatgrandmother changed her name,Greatgrandparents never married.Greatgrandmother confessed to a daughter her real name.I spend a small fortune on Certs,but if need must !!!!!!!!!!!!! SO on Grandfathers Birth Cert his Mum gave a Fictious Name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Hope all this will help you & your Nan with sorting out her Family.

Kind Regards
omega