Sue from Southend
23-08-22, 14:45
Is anyone up for a challenge?
I’m looking at this for someone else who may join the forum later.
Frederick Whitford married Ellen Elizabeth Marsh (nee Chandler) in Orsett, Essex, qtr 2 1912. They have two children, Reginald, 1912 and Alfred, 1914. We know about Ellen and the children, the mystery is Frederick. The marriage certificate has been misplaced and we don’t have his father’s name at present. His sons rarely spoke about him and contact believes he may have desrted the family.
In 1911 he claims to be a widowed music teacher, b 1857 Bury, Suffolk. He is boarding in Grays, Essex. https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2352&h=53185320&tid=&pid=&queryId=d624e3c54c2e8b30cff97fad81048229&usePUB=true&_phsrc=rSH6199&_phstart=successSource
In 1901 claims b 1858, Bury, Suffolk occupation, Musician. He says he is married but is visiting the Fridd family in Chadwell St Mary, Essex. (same area as 1911 and marriage) https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/9642960:7814?tid=&pid=&queryId=6c51d34cdf139e5467e8ac18e5c226d0&_phsrc=rSH6197&_phstart=successSource
We can find nothing on Frederick as described above before 1901. Happy to be proved wrong!
The person whose tree this is believes that her Frederick Whitford is this chap:
Frederick John Whitford b 1856 in Stoke Damerel, Devon who is traceable from birth to death in 1932 in West Ham, Essex. He has moved to London by 1881 and marries Emma Doerffer in Bow, 1884. They have several children with distinctive names. Emma dies in 1907 (note that our Frederick is married 1901, widowed 1911) Frederick is granted probate. He witnesses his daughter Perlina’s wedding in 1912. He is not a musician, he works in a Warehouse and is with his family in 1901, 1911 and 1921. He is buried next to Emma in Chingford Mount Cemetery in 1932. You may have gathered that I’m not convinced these are the same person!
There is another Frederick Whitford worth considering. Born Frederick Norman Whitford, 1858 St Lukes, Middlesex. Parents Daniel Morris Whitford and Mary Ann Norman died in 1861 (after the census) and Frederick and his brother, Thomas, are admitted to the workhouse https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/3274750:60391?tid=&pid=&queryId=56876f4003c8b512d8dcdb5a0d73dbed&_phsrc=rSH6196&_phstart=successSource I can find Thomas from 1881 but not Frederick. Is this our Frederick making up facts to suit himself?
Other info that may be relevant Frederick allegedly spent time in Durban, South Africa in the years prior to his marriage to Ellen, as a farmer. I can only find a F. Whitford going to and from S Africa at that time who claims to be miner and is probably too young.
Any ideas where we can look next? What have we missed?
Apologies for the length of this post.....
I’m looking at this for someone else who may join the forum later.
Frederick Whitford married Ellen Elizabeth Marsh (nee Chandler) in Orsett, Essex, qtr 2 1912. They have two children, Reginald, 1912 and Alfred, 1914. We know about Ellen and the children, the mystery is Frederick. The marriage certificate has been misplaced and we don’t have his father’s name at present. His sons rarely spoke about him and contact believes he may have desrted the family.
In 1911 he claims to be a widowed music teacher, b 1857 Bury, Suffolk. He is boarding in Grays, Essex. https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2352&h=53185320&tid=&pid=&queryId=d624e3c54c2e8b30cff97fad81048229&usePUB=true&_phsrc=rSH6199&_phstart=successSource
In 1901 claims b 1858, Bury, Suffolk occupation, Musician. He says he is married but is visiting the Fridd family in Chadwell St Mary, Essex. (same area as 1911 and marriage) https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/9642960:7814?tid=&pid=&queryId=6c51d34cdf139e5467e8ac18e5c226d0&_phsrc=rSH6197&_phstart=successSource
We can find nothing on Frederick as described above before 1901. Happy to be proved wrong!
The person whose tree this is believes that her Frederick Whitford is this chap:
Frederick John Whitford b 1856 in Stoke Damerel, Devon who is traceable from birth to death in 1932 in West Ham, Essex. He has moved to London by 1881 and marries Emma Doerffer in Bow, 1884. They have several children with distinctive names. Emma dies in 1907 (note that our Frederick is married 1901, widowed 1911) Frederick is granted probate. He witnesses his daughter Perlina’s wedding in 1912. He is not a musician, he works in a Warehouse and is with his family in 1901, 1911 and 1921. He is buried next to Emma in Chingford Mount Cemetery in 1932. You may have gathered that I’m not convinced these are the same person!
There is another Frederick Whitford worth considering. Born Frederick Norman Whitford, 1858 St Lukes, Middlesex. Parents Daniel Morris Whitford and Mary Ann Norman died in 1861 (after the census) and Frederick and his brother, Thomas, are admitted to the workhouse https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/3274750:60391?tid=&pid=&queryId=56876f4003c8b512d8dcdb5a0d73dbed&_phsrc=rSH6196&_phstart=successSource I can find Thomas from 1881 but not Frederick. Is this our Frederick making up facts to suit himself?
Other info that may be relevant Frederick allegedly spent time in Durban, South Africa in the years prior to his marriage to Ellen, as a farmer. I can only find a F. Whitford going to and from S Africa at that time who claims to be miner and is probably too young.
Any ideas where we can look next? What have we missed?
Apologies for the length of this post.....