Hello Sarah,
Sorry I haven't replied but I have received no notice of your request until today.
Re Thomas Kift b1835 and Mary Ann Hannah Collamore b 1836
Thomas and Mary are the great great grandparents of my husband Ian. Their son Francis (Frank) married Helen French, they had one child, a daughter named Annie Lauder Kift. Annie married James Lilley Valentine they were my husbands grandparents.
I am afraid I have very little to relate regarding Thomas and Mary as they disappeared between the years of their son Francis' birth in 1854 and the census of 1861.
They married on 19th July 1854 just 2 months prior to the birth of Francis (Frank) on 10th September 1854.
As far as my research shows there were no more children,
I also checked through ships passages for emigration but found nothing. It isn't helped by the fact that the spelling of Kift is different through the generations.
1851 Census Sample:
Preview
Address: Knowl, Knowl
Enumeration District: Braunton Barnst
County: Devonshire
Mary Keift Braunton Barnst, Braunton, Devonshire, England Female 55
George Keift Braunton Barnst, Braunton, Devonshire, England Male 25
Samuel Keift Braunton Barnst, Fremington, Devonshire, England Male 60
Thomas Keift Braunton Barnst, Braunton, Devonshire, England Male 16
Thomas was the youngest son and still at home at the time of the 1851 census.
Regarding Frank:
1881 - Frank is in Scotland a boarder in Rosebank Building, Main Street, Cambuslang, Lanark, his occupation... Clerk in the Steelworks, the head of the family is recorded as Lorn Cameron, age 30 and Stocktaker in the Steelworks.
At the time of his marriage to Helen French, Frank is 30 years old, (giving a DOB of 1858) he is living at 165 St Georges Rd Glasgow.
Extensive research has found that although found to be living in Scotland Frank was born in Georgeham Devon, his parents were in fact Thomas Kift and Mary Ann Hannah Collamore, there is a birth certificate in confirmation.
Francis (Frank) lived with grandparents Samuel Kieft and Mary Coneybear from an early age.
There are two recorded Frank Kifts (one named Francis) claiming to be born around 1858 in Braunton, Devon. One marries and his life is recorded through the Census, this Frank is aged 2 at the 1861 census living with his parents Richard and Elizabeth Kift.
The other is 'our' Francis (Frank) the grandson of Samuel Kieft, a Farmer and is recorded in the census 1861 aged 8... b Georgham. Samuel was a Farmer of 17 Acres, Mary was named Coneybear prior to marriage (which took place 11th March 1815) (information taken from - ‘Descendents of William Kieft of Devon, England’ )......
I would be interested to know your connection, you may have discovered some facts I have missed.
Regards Patricia
PS. Where did you have your DNA test undertaken, we used My Heritage and Living DNA for Ian, Ians brother used Ancestry, if you used either of these we should have a connection if related.
