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John Thomas's birth reg:

John Thomas Drayford
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1897
Registration district: Wolverhampton
Inferred County: Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands
Volume: 6b
Page: 599 (click to see others on page)

The family in 1901 - John T's DOB now given as 1897 and there is another child. Mary's POB given as Lymm, Lancashire (now in Cheshire):

1901 England Census
about John T Drayford
Name: John T Drayford
Age: 4
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1897
Relation: Son
Father's Name: John Drayford
Mother's Name: Mary Drayford
Gender: Male
Where born: Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England

Civil parish: Wolverhampton
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Wolverhampton
Sub-registration district: Wolverhampton Eastern
ED, institution, or vessel: 9
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 150
Piece: 2680
Folio: 16
Page Number: 24
Household Members: Name Age
John Drayford 27
Mary Drayford 25
William Drayford 1
John T Drayford 4

Do you have the John Thomas and Winifred Amos marriage cert, for his father's name and occupation? Could this be him with his family in 1911:

1911 England Census
about John Drayford
Name: John Drayford
Age in 1911: 37
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1874
Relation to Head: Master
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Stoke Upon Trent
Civil parish: Woolwich
County/Island: London
Country: England
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: WORKER CANAL BOATMAN
Registration district: Woolwich
Registration District Number: 30
Sub-registration district: Woolwich
ED, institution, or vessel: 34
Household schedule number: 51
Piece: 02882
Household Members: Name Age
John Drayford 37
Mary Drayford 33 b ? Manchester - first word is difficult to read but looks like Lium
John Drayford 12 b Wolverhampton
Joseph Drayford 7 ditto
Frank Drayford 5 ditto
Richard Drayford 4 b Dudley
Albert Drayford 1 ditto

John and Mary married 16 years; 5 children all living. The name of the boat was Sandon and John made his mark instead of signing.

This looks like Frank's birth:

Births Jun 1921 (>99%)
Drayford Frank Amos Foleshill 6d 1381

Hi thank you for replying.

Yes John Audley did marry Beatrice Hadley in 1946 which is my Nan. (she remarried in 1960)

As far as we know my Mums dad and his older brother Frank, were never registered at birth, as he never had a birth certificate for the marriage to my nan, they had to get one. We have his Birth Certificate, Christening cert and marriage cert. My Mums Dad was born on 28 January 1923. Frank was born in 1921. We think his Dad married, a Winifred Annie Amos, I've traced her to Canterbury Kent. From what I have found out on here, John Thomas b1899, had 5 sons and my nan told me they had two daughters, but these can not be found on 1911 census, could be born after this? Two of there sons, died as children and the other we presume got killed in the Coventry Blitz in 1941.

Thank you both for your help, never thought this could be so hard work and frustrating!!

Kind Regards

Georgina

Hi Georgina,

Also......if you are looking for connections on this site, then put the names you are researching into the Search Trees box above to see if anyone has them in their tree.

If you find a connection, you can contact the tree owner.

Regards, Cx.

Oh, dear, this looks as if it is going to be as difficult as Sinead's search!

I have looked on freebmd but cannot find John Audley's birth! I can find a Harold and a Winnifred, but they have different mother's maiden names!

Did John Audley marry a Beatrice Hadley in 1946? If so, do you have the marriage cert?

Edit:

Could this be John's birth reg:

Births Mar 1923 (>99%)
Drakeford John A Amos Foleshill 6d 1172

There is also this birth:

Births Sep 1928 (>99%)
DRAYFORD Winifred F Amos Foleshill 6d 1054

and this marriage:

Marriages Dec 1920 (31%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drakeford John T Amos Foleshill 6d 1504
Amos Winifred A Drakeford Foleshill 6d 1504

Hi Georgina and welcome to the boards.

You have posted on Sinead's thread - she may not still be following it. If you click on her name, you can send her a PM (personal message) to see if your two families are connected.

To trace your own tree, the best advice is to start with what you know and work backwards. If you look on this site:

http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

you should be able to find his birth registration which would have his mother's maiden surname. You can then buy his birth cert which will have his mother's full name. Then, using the same site you should be able to get their marriage cert, which will give their ages, occupations and father's names and occupations. You will probably then be back to before 1911 and can start searching the census.

If you get stuck, come back to the boards and start a thread of your own, giving all the info you have.

Good luck!

Hi, I've been trying to do my Mums family tree, her maiden was Drayford, and her Father, who was John Audley Drayford, born in Bedworth in 1923, he had a brother called Harold (he never married) and a sister called Winnifred. Sadly my Mums dad passed away in 1958 at the age of 35, so we know nothing else of his family apart from what my Nan has told us. His father was also called John Drayford and his Grandfather, and we know they worked on the canals and and were miners. I've come across two John Drayfords on the 1911 census, one from the Wolverhampton area, which we presumed were my Grandads Grandparents, due to location, names etc but after talking to my Nan again, we understand that John had two sisters, names unknown. After looking again, we have come across another John Drayford, who on the 1911 census lived in Skipton,Yorks, children, John Drayford (poss my grandads Dad) his brothers and two sisters.

I'm new to this family history and am now completely stuck as to which is my mums Great Grandparents! Not sure if they are all related some where along the line.

Any help would be much appreciated. Many thanks Georgina

Come back when you have got the birth cert, Sinead. Post all the info from it and we will see if that helps.

It is possible they never married or the name could be mistranscribed.

Do you know if there were any children born after the 1911 census?

I am confused. I must be missing something

John Drayford and Mary Drayford are on the 1901 and 1911 census with my Great-Uncles and Great Grandad. The 1911 census says they have been married for 16 years and and that John was 37 which would tie in with him being born in 1874.

I have searched under the births for all Drayfords and the only one in the 1870s is a Joseph Drayford.

I have searched under marriages for Drayford and the only one I can find is of a Mary Anne Drayford. Even if she got married again, wouldn't I be able to find a marriage record for John/Joseph Drayford?

I am new to this but am thinking I am doing something wrong so I think I will do as suggested and get my Great-Grandfather's birth cert to see if that sheds any light.

Not that it helps but John Hampton is still a Canal Boatman in 1901. I was hoping that the names of the children would give us a lead.

Name: Mary A Hampton
Age in 1901: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1871
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: John Hampton
Gender: Female
Where born: Stoke Upon Trent, Staffordshire, England

Civil parish: Llangollen
Ecclesiastical parish: Llangollen
Town: Trevor Isa
County/Island: Denbighshire
Country: Wales

Street Address: Difficult to read but living on a Boat

Registration district: Corwen
Sub-registration district: Llangollen
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 278
Piece: 5248
Folio: 67
Page Number: 42
Household Members: Name Age
John Hampton 32
Mary A Hampton 30
Mary E Hampton 9
Eliza Hampton 8
Joseph Hampton 7
Clarah Hampton 2
Harriet Hampton 1

I think the 1890 marriage ends up as:
1891 census transcription details for: Canal Boat, Wolverhampton
RG number: RG12 Piece: 2236 Folio: 137 Page: 2

Reg. District: Wolverhampton Sub District: Wolverhampton Eastern
HAMPTON, John Crew Married M 23 1868 Master Boy
Stone
Staffordshire
HAMPTON, Polly Crew Married F 21 1870
Stone
Staffordshire
DRAYFORD, John Crew Single M 17 1874 Mate
Stone
Staffordshire

So there's definitely a connection there!!!!

I keep wondering if the name has changed from Drakeford or Trafford or something!!

Maureen

This could be the missing man:

LEDBATTER Ephraim Stoke T. 6b 2_8
LEDBETTER Ephraim Stoke T. 6b 298*

Staffs bmds confirm Mary Ann Brunt married Ephraim Ledbetter.

Co-incidence or interesting not sure which.

There are only 2 Drayford marriages on FreeBMD up to 1911.

This is one of them.

Marriages Sep 1890 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drayford Mary Ann Wolverhampton 6b 844
Hampton John Wolverhampton 6b 844
YATES James Wolverhampton 6b 844
YORK Annie Emily Wolverhampton 6b 844


If she married Yates, this could be her?

1891

Name: Mary Ann Yates
Age: 37
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1854
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: James Yates
Gender: Female
Where born: Hanley, Staffordshire, England

Civil parish: Stoke Upon Trent
Ecclesiastical parish: Shelton
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Stoke Upon Trent
Sub-registration district: Shelton
ED, institution, or vessel: 27
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 2174
Folio: 95
Page Number: 2
Household Members: Name Age
James Yates 39
Mary Ann Yates 37
John William Yates 14
Mary Ellen Yates 10

1901

Name: Mary Ann Yates
[Mary Ann Brunt]
Age: 47
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1854
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: James Yates
Mother's Name: Sarah Brunt
Gender: Female
Where born: Shelton, Staffordshire, England

Civil parish: Hanley
Ecclesiastical parish: Shelton St Mark
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Stoke upon Trent
Sub-registration district: Shelton
ED, institution, or vessel: 26
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 1
Piece: 2607
Folio: 43
Page Number: 1
Household Members: Name Age
James Yates 49 Collier underground
Mary Ann Yates 47
Mary Ellen Yates 20
Sarah Brunt 74



Her first marriage - there is a male missing here.

Marriages Sep 1873 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brunt Mary Ann Stoke T. 6b 298
Goodwin William Stoke T. 6b 298
Stanley Christina Stoke T. 6b 298

???

Name: John Drayford
Birth Date: abt 1874
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1959
Age at Death: 85
Registration district: Nuneaton
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Volume: 9c
Page: 853


Name: John T Drayford
Birth Date: abt 1898
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1963
Age at Death: 65
Registration district: Nuneaton
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Volume: 9c
Page: 1220

the 1911 says they have been married for 16 years their eldest is 14 and born Wolverhampton so they may have married in that area.

I think you need to get your great-grandfather's birth cert. That would give you his mother's maiden name and then you could search for John's marriage cert, which would confirm his father's name and occupation.

The William Thomas in prison is a coal miner.

This birth certificate will give the mother's maiden surname.

Births Jun 1897 Drayford John Thomas Wolverhampton 6b 599

1901

Name: John Drayford
Age: 27
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1874
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary Drayford
Gender: Male
Where born: Stoke Upon Trent, Staffordshire, England

Civil parish: Wolverhampton
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Wolverhampton
Sub-registration district: Wolverhampton Eastern
ED, institution, or vessel: 9
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 150
Piece: 2680
Folio: 16
Page Number: 24
Household Members: Name Age
John Drayford 27 Canal Boatman
Mary Drayford 25
William Drayford 1
John T Drayford 4

1891

Name: John Drayford
Age: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1874
Relation: Crew
Gender: Male
Where born: Stone, Staffordshire, England

Civil parish: Wolverhampton
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Wolverhampton
Sub-registration district: Wolverhampton Eastern
ED, institution, or vessel: 43
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 2236
Folio: 137
Page Number: 2

I'm not sure whether my great great Grandfather was called John or Joseph as I have found different docs under different names and both my Nan and great Aunt knew him as Jack. I have found birth cert with Joseph but census with John on.

My Great-grandad was born on a barge and so were some of his brothers but I think they were originally based around Staffordshire.

I haven't been able to find a marriage cert for John/Joseph but think he married a lady called Mary-Anne based on the 1911 census which lists Mary Drayford and John Drayford as living on a barge in Woolwich, I know this is correct as my great-Grandfather is on it.

I think the William Thomas listed above is the Father of my John/Joseph based on location, age and the limited number of Drayfords out there but can't find anything else about William other than on the census mentioned above.