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ElizabethHerts
17-02-13, 12:38
I am transcribing some Buckinghamshire wills and am presently working on one for William Hayward, surgeon, of Aylesbury for 1830. He is the brother of the girl who married John Parrott, the solicitor brother of my ancestor Ann.

Anyhow, he mentions his sons in great detail so I thought I'd look to see what happened to them.

Charles Francis Hayward, baptised 1814, became a solicitor and in 1851 is with his married brother Henry in Aylesbury.

I found a death for him in Dec qr 1881 at Edmonton, so then I found him in 1881 at Edmonton.

1881 Census
HAYWARD, Charles F
EDMONTON, Middlesex
RG11 piece 1389 folio 129 page 47

His entry:
St George's Castle Charles F Hayward Heir Unmarried 65 Duke (can't make out the writing added next to it) Bucks Aylesbury

In 1871 he is at Harwich:

1871 Census
HAYWARD, Charles F
TENDRING, Essex
RG10 piece 1680 folio 27 page 12

This time he says "Esquire by Ancient Royal Grant".

Hmm, interesting!
ElizabethHerts
17-02-13, 12:44
There is a death notice for him in the Bucks Herald which just gives him as "Esq.".
kiterunner
17-02-13, 14:26
I haven't found anything to explain the heir / duke stuff, but have you seen his entry in the Articles of Clerkship database on ancestry? He seems to be related to a John Hayward, gentleman? (Also the document is signed by John Parrott junr)

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=View&r=5538&dbid=2380&iid=40180_626640_1345-01443&fn=Charles+Francis&ln=Hayward&st=d&ssrc=&pid=51857
kiterunner
17-02-13, 14:29
He was buried at Edmonton 11 Nov 1881, address on the burial record is S James Road, and there is no mention of a title.
ElizabethHerts
17-02-13, 14:42
Thanks, Kate. I have downloaded his articles of clerkship. The Roses, Haywards and Parrotts all seemed to have had solicitors in the families.

The John Hayward from Dartford, Kent, keeps popping up, with family down there on some censuses but I haven't made the connection yet. (Not that the Haywards are my line - I'm just nosy!)

I wonder if it was tongue-in-cheek or if he really thought he was a Duke. It certainly wasn't in the family.

Kate, thanks for the burial which I didn't have.
kiterunner
17-02-13, 14:43
He doesn't seem to be in the National Probate Calendar. I've been looking at some Edmonton entries in street directories for the 1870's but not found a St George's Castle listed yet - a St George's Terrace is the nearest I can see! Also there is no Hayward listed in Edmonton in the 1878 Post Office Directory which is the closest to 1881 I've found so far.
ElizabethHerts
17-02-13, 14:45
In 1861 Charles is down in Dartford with the Hayward family:

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/CensusHouseholdSearchServlet?censusYear=1861&uir=405e28bb8cbaf978c604a49a26b59cf0&lineNo=22&lineNoSuffix=0&UIRStamp=3fbb3c83d1298cdf35af57c954260cffeaa199ba4 67b108ddc93f2c011c72ffba01aa50f8414e6dc&pagetype=6#
ElizabethHerts
17-02-13, 14:49
Kate, thanks for looking. I wonder if he was rather an oddball.
kiterunner
17-02-13, 14:54
If it was just the one census, it might be a joke, but the "esquire by ancient royal grant" on the other census does suggest he believed it, don't you think? There may have been one of those family stories that they were the true heirs to something or other.
ElizabethHerts
17-02-13, 15:36
He was the 5th son so way down in the pecking order!
Very intriguing, though.
Merry
17-02-13, 16:49
Very interesting, Elizabeth!

My late father-in-law appears on a 1920 census for Barcelona. He was from a working-class family and his father was born in a small farm in the countryside not far away, however, on the census his father (who presumably gave the information) said he was born in a royal palace many miles away (I forget which one at the moment!).
ElizabethHerts
17-02-13, 17:44
Very interesting, Elizabeth!

My late father-in-law appears on a 1920 census for Barcelona. He was from a working-class family and his father was born in a small farm in the countryside not far away, however, on the census his father (who presumably gave the information) said he was born in a royal palace many miles away (I forget which one at the moment!).

Perhaps he was, Merry, but as a son of a member of staff?
Or perhaps he wanted something interesting to record.

In a scenario like this, there are three alternatives, as far as I can see.

1. They are having a joke - perhaps they have an issue with the whole census concept and the collection of personal data.

2. What they say is true.

3. They believe what they say is true.

I love the name of his abode in 1881 - St George's Castle. :D
Shona
17-02-13, 18:41
There was a story in the OH's family about them being born in a castle. Lots of scoffing at the idea that a working-class Belfast family were born in a castle. Most of the stories told by the OH's garrulous family have been shown to be tall tales. Well, I ate my words - sort of. One of the OH's great-grandparents' sons WAS born in a castle - Dover Castle when OH's great-grandfather was posted there as an army gunner.

A kernel of truth that grew with each telling of tale.
ElizabethHerts
17-02-13, 18:48
Shona, every family has their tales. As the name Newton appears frequently in OH's tree, and they are from Lincolnshire, it has come down in family lore that they are descended from Sir Isaac. This is highly unlikely, as he never married and there is no evidence of children. However, we did prove a tenuous connection with Thomas Barnardo.