My Grandfather Thomas James Bedford

[Bedford]

Still at the same stone wall for several years. Hoping to find someone researching my Grandfather and his Sister.
Thomas James Bedford b. 20 Jan. 1872 in Liverpool. Found him in Kirkdale industrial school at age 10. His sister Elizabeth Ann Bedford.b. abt. 1874, Blundell Sands.

They were orphans. Elizabeth Married Joseph William Green, 30 Jan. 1895 at St. Helen's Church Sefton. She and her family are in the 1911 census, nothing after that. We had contact with her around WW11, my uncle visited her where she lived in Hale, Cheshire. We have had no other contact since then.

Thomas settled in Nova Scotia, married Amanda Tanner and raised a large Family there.

[Tina]

Hi I'm not sure they were orphans.
I have found one Eliza A Bedford 7yrs bn Lpool in Gt Crosby (close to where she married)
in 1881 census, Thomas Hughes joiner bn Manchester 44, Mary 30 bn Manchester.
Did their mother remarry?

[jan44]

Hi Bedford,

Where did you get your grandfather's date of birth from? Do you have his marriage cert or birth cert?

I think I found Thomas and Amanda on the 1901 and 1911 census of Canada, also Census in USA, on the 1901 Canada census it gives Thomas's date of birth as 8th Aug 1876 and on the 1911 it gives Jan 1873!

Do you have a copy of Elizabeths Marriage cert? does it give a father's name and occupation, address, witnesses? Sorry for all the questeions but it may help.

Jan

[jan44]

I found this marriage on the familysearch website

Thomas Bedford, "Canada, Marriages, 1661-1949"
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About this collection groom's name: Thomas Bedford
groom's birth date: 1872
groom's birthplace: Liverpool, Eng.
groom's age: 21
bride's name: Amanda Tanner
bride's birth date: 1876
bride's birthplace: Pt. Medway
bride's age: 17
marriage date: 06 Jul 1893
marriage place: Port Medway, Queens, Nova Scotia
groom's father's name: Wm.
groom's mother's name: Mary
bride's father's name: Peter
bride's mother's name: Eliza
groom's race:
groom's marital status: Single
groom's previous wife's name:
bride's race:
bride's marital status: Single
bride's previous husband's name:
indexing project (batch) number: M53464-2
system origin: Canada-EASy
source film number: 1298993
reference number: p 159 cn 33

Jan

[dickiesam]

His sister Elizabeth Ann Bedford.b. abt. 1874, Blundell Sands.

I assume you found the Blundell Sands reference in the 1901+10 census. You do not appear to have her birth certificate so do you have her father's name from her marriage cert?

Blundell Sands would have been in the Registration District of West Derby and there is only one birth registered for an Elizabeth Bedford between 1870 and 1880:
Births Mar 1879: Bedford, Elizabeth - W. Derby - 8b - 468.

It is possible she was not registered as Bedford? Do you have the birth cert for Thomas Bedford bn 1872? Haven't found a match for him in Lancashire yet.

[Bedford]

On Elizabeth's Marriage License from Saint Helen's It says her father was deceased, his name was Thomas Bedford a ships carpenter. However my Grandfather stated on his marriage License from Port Medway, Nova Scotia that his parents names were William and Mary, but always told the family that he did not know who his parents were.

The Blundell sands I got from the 1911 census of England and Wales. I tend to believe his name was Thomas as she said, he named my Grandfather Thomas and when Elizabeth came to Boston to visit(they found each other) before the war, she mentioned their parents and he became angry and ended the conversation abruptly.

The reference to the Hughes family, is correct, they raised her, but she kept the Bedford surname. Poor Thomas went to Kirkdale Industrial school, and later to sea as a merchant seaman.

I have Thomas's Immigration papers when the family Came to The US from Canada in the 1920s. It has his birth date as 20 January 1872. To add a little more mystery it also says race Irish, Nationality British.

All the marriage information from Canada is correct, except probably the name of his parents. I really appreciate all the help, everyone on this site are always wonderful. I feel a closeness to Liverpool, although I have never been there.

[Hilary]

Do you have Eliza's marriage certificate? Does that name her birth father or her adoptive father?

[Bedford]

I sent for her marriage certificate. On it she lists her father as Thomas Bedford, deceased ships carpenter.

[dickiesam]

To add a little more mystery it also says race Irish, Nationality British.

Could be a clue as to his origin! As Ireland was, pre-1922, part of the United Kingdom anyone born in Ireland would have been British. In 1922 the country was partitioned and the Irish Free State was created to later become the Republic of Ireland.

It is conceivable that Thomas' parents were Irish and moved to Liverpool soon after his birth, perhaps falling on bad times. He could remember Liverpool as his 'birthplace' if he was still a baby when he arrived.

Familysearch has this birth:
name: Thomas Bedford
registration district: Dublin South
registration year: 1872
volume number: 7
page number: 769

You can purchase a photocopy of the birth entry in the Irish Register for 4 Euro. It is exactly the same as a certified copy but has no legal standing. A certified copy will cost you 20 Euro! If you decide to order a copy do not specify any parents, just the year and place. http://www.groireland.ie/

The IGRO do not at present have a facility to purchase online. You have to download the application form, either complete it on-screen and fax it back, or print it, complete it and either fax or post it back. Delivery takes about 14 days for overseas orders.

[dickiesam]

However my Grandfather stated on his marriage License from Port Medway, Nova Scotia that his parents names were William and Mary, but always told the family that he did not know who his parents were.

It is not unusual for someone who does not know who their parents were, especially not knowing who their father was when they marry, to literally invent a name to fill what could otherwise be an embarrassing blank space on the marriage certificate.

What is the family story relating how Elizabeth and Thomas eventually met after many years of separation? If Elizabeth was raised by the Hughes family, presumably as a foster-child from a very young age and Thomas was in Kirkdale, how did she know she had a brother and vice-versa?

[Bedford]

I am not sure how, but she found him in the 1930s. She made several trips to visit our family.

[Bedford]

Thank you for that information, I am going to write to Dublin, for a copy of the birth record.

[dickiesam]

Thank you for that information, I am going to write to Dublin, for a copy of the birth record.

Remember you have to download the application form first. And if you can find a friendly fax machine you can trim at least a week off delivery time.