GEORGE HALFORD 1808 to 1879 (General)
Please can someone help? I'm trying to get to the truth! My 3 x great grandmother was a Mary Ann Halford born in about 1830. Her father was George Halford they lived in Blakeney and were native to there as far as I know. George was a Sawyer.my problem is that there was more than one George Halford at the time. But which is mine? One is connected to the Newland area and one in Blakeney. However Mary Ann Halford married James Thomas who was born in the Newland area. See my confusion! I'm thinking they may be connected by don't know how. Father/son? Uncle/nephew? Or no connection at all and which one is Mary Ann's Father? There is also an on going debate as to the 1841 census when the family appear to be listed as Jenkins ( not Halford) but this could be the fault of the person who took the census and wrote it down wrong. Just wondered if any of you kind people had an opinion
GEORGE HALFORD 1808 to 1879
Ive spent all evening looking again at this and have come to the conclusion that George Halford was born George Jenkins the illegitimate son of Ann Jenkins of Awre. At some point after 1841 but before 1849 the name was changed to Halford. Maybe one of the Halfords in that area was his Father? And that's why he started using the name!
GEORGE HALFORD 1808 to 1879
by J Thorne 
, Friday, January 19, 2018, 11:22 (2503 days ago) @ Debbielakin
Hello,A bit of a coincidence my Great x4 Grandather was John Halford Jenkins born 1802 to a single mother Nancy Jenkins,he married a Ann Willetts in 1826 as a Jenkins and some of his children were baptized as Jenkins but in the census's,Death and Will he was a Halford.
GEORGE HALFORD 1808 to 1879
Yes this is all very strange isnt it? The Ann Jenkins that I found, who I think was George's mother later married a James Virgo. Although im not sure that what I'm seeing is correct. I wonder if there is some sort of connection. I don't understand the name change and very funny that you have found the same thing with a Jenkins and Halford. I don't know where we go from here. This really is a brick wall!
GEORGE HALFORD 1808 to 1879
by probinson , S. Oxon, Sunday, January 21, 2018, 09:10 (2502 days ago) @ Debbielakin
There's some prior threads relating to Halford/Jenkins at:
http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=21636
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/fodmembers/index.php?mode=thread&id=29197
GEORGE HALFORD 1808 to 1879
by J Thorne , Monday, January 22, 2018, 16:48 (2500 days ago) @ probinson
Thank you for posting the links,in the 1st link and the 15th comment list's Nancy Jenkins that's my family line she is my 5th Great Grandmother.
Also she had another child out of wedlock Sarah Coles Jenkins baptized 1797.
GEORGE HALFORD 1808 to 1879
by probinson , S. Oxon, Sunday, January 21, 2018, 16:57 (2501 days ago) @ Debbielakin
James Thomas was a resident of Yorkley Slade at the time of the marriage, which is in a detached part of Newland parish and adjacent to Blakeney Hill. So he may not have been from Newland itself.
GEORGE HALFORD 1808 to 1879
Thank you for this. I am not local so information such as this is really helpful.
I discovered today that James Thomas was one of the witnesses at the wedding of Harriet Halford who was Mary Ann's older sister. She got married a few months before James Thomas and Mary Ann Halford were married. So i'm on the right track. Just don't understand the Jenkins / Halford name change. Why do This? Or am I looking at the wrong people. Don't think so. There's a lot of us that are seeing the same thing.
GEORGE HALFORD 1808 to 1879
by probinson , S. Oxon, Saturday, January 27, 2018, 11:57 (2495 days ago) @ Debbielakin
For what it's worth. Having now spent some time looking at this, and even though I started with a good deal of scepticism, I'm of the opinion that George did change his name. Why? I don't know. But, as you suggested, maybe he discovered who his father was and then changed it.