HANFORD/HANDFORD

[kateblogs]

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the correct place, so my apologies if it should be somewhere else.

My great, great, great grandmother, Harriet HANDFORD lived in Nottinghamshire from at least the age of 10. She married there in St Pauls, Hyson Green in 1849, then moved to Birmingham in the 1850s. The problem I have is finding a correct birth place for her. I have 3 possible alternatives, Edinburgh, Ireland (no town mentioned) and Basford, Nottinghamshire. Obviously, these places are nowhere near each other, so it's not a case of someone calling an area one name, when it is in fact known by another.

She mostly says she was born in Edinburgh but I can't find any record of a baptism for her and a friend spent hours actually searching at the records office there for some mention of her, or her family but found nothing. However, in 1861 her birthplace is listed as Ireland. In 1891 it states she was born in Basford.

Does anyone have any idea why these discrepancies have occurred? It might help me to locate her actual birthplace which may, or may not, be Edinburgh.

[Magpie1]

I think I might have solved a couple of your riddles but still not got a birth place for Harriet Handford though but narrowed it down to scotland for you I think.

Harriet Handford married Alfred Thomas Wayne 29 April 1849 at Hyson Green, St. Paul, Nottinghamshire.

Alfred Thomas Wayne
Born 30 January 1827
Bapt. 24 August 1830
Parish St. Mary, Nottinghamshire
Abode Mansfield Road
Father Thomas Wayne Lace Manufacturer
Mother Elizabeth (sorry no surname)

I'v found Harriet Handford/Wayne on the following census and think I can see whats happened about birthplace mix up.

1861 Census transcript on Ancestry says birthplace Ireland, but upon looking at the actual census image you can see it's really Scotland so it's a transcription error on Ancestry.

1881 Census it says birthplace is Edinbourgh

1891 Census says birthplace is Beeston Notts, I think this was where her husband Wayne was born and who ever took the census in 1891 just did ditto below His place of birth so it looks like she was also born there.

Hope that helps.

[Magpie1]

Hehe i'm haveing fun and games with ancestry tonight. I'v now found your family on the 1871

again it's been miss transcribed the name is listed as MAYNE

Harriet Mayne (Wayne) birth place is listed as
Edinbrugh, Leicstershire, England on the transcription but the actual image shows it as Scotland, Edinburgh

also on this census is a mother in law listed

Haribah Handford age 70

I'm assuming this will be Harriet's mum but don't know if the spelling is right, I got that off the transcription, I have to admit the Image of the name was not too clear but it does look like the right spelling.

but with all this I'd say Edinburgh is the place to look for Harriet's birth info.

[janbooth]

Well spotted Magpie. Looking at the actual census image, I would say that the name of Harriet's mother as written is Hepsebah, another version of which could be Hepzibah.

Good luck

Janet

[Julie Tyrell]

Hi

I have found her mother on the 1851 census: HO107; Piece: 2130; Folio: 17; Page: 27.

Hepzibah Hanford age 51 - born Alford Lincolnshire

she is visiting the home of Thomas and Emma Starr, in Radford, Hyson Green


Julie

[Magpie1]

So we get back full circle to Hyson Green

Hehe well spotted to you as well Julie and Janet, It's fun this searching isn't it.

|jumphappy

[Magpie1]

Just had another thought, seeing as you have allready had a good search of Edinburgh records office and so far not found her, I wondered if you had checked the Army records of births and marriages? It's just a thought that with them moving about, Harriet's father may have been in the Army.

I have had this with some of my lot, with my great grandmother being born in Ireland when her father was serving in the Army.

[kateblogs]

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply, I forgot to bookmark the forum and couldn't remember where it was.

Thanks for your help! I think you are right, and the Beeston reference is an error by the enumerator. Maybe, Harriet and Alfred weren't in and someone else gave the wrong information. Edinburgh does seem to be the most likely place for her birth.


Kate


I think I might have solved a couple of your riddles but still not got a birth place for Harriet Handford though but narrowed it down to scotland for you I think.

Harriet Handford married Alfred Thomas Wayne 29 April 1849 at Hyson Green, St. Paul, Nottinghamshire.

Alfred Thomas Wayne
Born 30 January 1827
Bapt. 24 August 1830
Parish St. Mary, Nottinghamshire
Abode Mansfield Road
Father Thomas Wayne Lace Manufacturer
Mother Elizabeth (sorry no surname)

I'v found Harriet Handford/Wayne on the following census and think I can see whats happened about birthplace mix up.

1861 Census transcript on Ancestry says birthplace Ireland, but upon looking at the actual census image you can see it's really Scotland so it's a transcription error on Ancestry.

1881 Census it says birthplace is Edinbourgh

1891 Census says birthplace is Beeston Notts, I think this was where her husband Wayne was born and who ever took the census in 1891 just did ditto below His place of birth so it looks like she was also born there.

Hope that helps.

[kateblogs]

Yes, she was called Hephzibah! LOL You'd think with a name like that she'd be really easy to find.

Kate


Well spotted Magpie. Looking at the actual census image, I would say that the name of Harriet's mother as written is Hepsebah, another version of which could be Hepzibah.

Good luck

Janet

[kateblogs]

Harriet's father William was in the Scots Guards - Harriet is living with him at Oakham Barracks near Newark in 1841. William's brother Robert is also there along with an Elizabeth who may be the wife of Robert, and a little girl Emma. There's no sign of Hephzibah, although I did wonder if for some reason she might have been the Elizabeth who was there - does that make sense?

Unfortunately his service record isn't much use. I've recently discovered the army didn't routinely add information about marriages and children until the 1880s.

Kate


Just had another thought, seeing as you have allready had a good search of Edinburgh records office and so far not found her, I wondered if you had checked the Army records of births and marriages? It's just a thought that with them moving about, Harriet's father may have been in the Army.

I have had this with some of my lot, with my great grandmother being born in Ireland when her father was serving in the Army.