THE GAINFORD FAMILY

The name GAINFORD which was borne by my grandmother Mary Catherine, was always a source of puzzlement to us - since we knew we were from Irish stock ; and because this name sounded so English, we often wondered if some ancestral tinker  had taken it from the village outside Darlington - not far from the Witton Park area -sometime in the last century - a place  which we also knew had  some source of historical connection with the family So it was a great revelation for me to find, after making enquiries in Carrickmacross, a family of Gainfords in existence, after a chance conversation with the owners of a gift shop in the Main Street. I was unable to visit the family but from the address gained from the directory I wrote to Tom Gainford of Carricksedge, Carrickmacross. His reply confirmed our suspicions and revealed the true source of the family name. Our name was originally FORD  from a place outside of Carrickmacross called CORVALLEY.

1790        Birth of Patrick Ford

1810            Around this time, Patrick Ford of Corvalley happened to find himself working on the Lord Shirley Estate in the                     Carrickmacross area of Corduffkelly along with three other FORD families. This predominance of FORDS seemed to                     confuse the rent collectors and managers of the estate so they decided to  "re-name"  the FORD families : - as,

BASHFORD, GLASSFORD, ASHFORD AND GAINFORD...so that in

1814            Patrick Gainford was born - son of Patrick Ford of Corvalley and Cordufkelly

This man later became a linen supplier to the Shirley estate and died in 1881.Tom Gainford was able to supply the lineage relating to Patrick Gainford - see drawing - but was unaware of any other Gainford brothers around this time. It is my contention therefore that Patrick had another son called John around this time, who was the progenitor of our side of the family - a brother who had his first child George in c 1836

[ see census records ]

c181?           Birth of John Gainford

                    son of Patrick Ford of Corvalley and Cordufkelly

1816            Birth of Catherine.--?--........later Gainford

1835            Death of Patrick Ford  re-named Gainford

                    probably in Cordufkelly - estate worker for Lord Shirley.

1843            Marriage of John Gainford and Catherine -?-

1844            Birth of Thomas Gainford

1845-7         THE FAMINE

1845            Birth of Rose Gainford

1846            Birth of George Gainford ? 

1850            Birth of Susannah Gainford

                    Emigration to England for John�s family

The precise year that the Gainford family emigrated to England is unknown but we know that Susannah was here in 1864.  It woud be interesting to compare notes with the Thomas Gainford family in Carrickmacross and check when their relatives emigrated to the U.S.

1864            Susannah Gainford  is a witness to a wedding in  St Mary's Stockton of a Helen Waterson and a John                     Clarke.  The best man is a Michael McParland.

                    This suggests that the family emigrated to the area about this time - say 1863 - Susannah would have been 17 years old.

1869            Marriage of Susannah Gainford to Thomas Wood

                    Mbro Census Records of 1871 suggest that Susannah could be living in Darlington.She actually married a Tom Wood who                     was born in Darlington. ( See1881 Census Records for Brunton St)

1870            Death of Catherine Gainford

                    The mother of George and our great, great, grandmother?  Aged 54 yrs died a widow, of a stroke,  in Arthur                     Street Mbro after 4 years.  - Informant Thomas Gainford.

                    We wonder now about her maiden name ?  She was probably from the Carrickmacross area and married                     John about 1843.  Just before the great famine.

1871            Census Records for 53 Arthur St Middlesbrough

                    Thomas Gainford           Head          28  s        Labourer       Monaghan Ire

                    Rose Gainford                sister          27  s                            Monaghan Ire

                    George Gainford            Brthr           25  s         Labourer      Monaghan Ire

                    Susannah Wood                              24  m                          Monaghan Ire

                    Bridget Sheaking            Visitor          7                                Stockton-on-Tees

                    Robert Wood                 Visitor          1                                Darlington

                    Thomas Sheaky              Ldger        40 m                            Monaghan Ire

Since  John's children, George b.1846, Thomas b.1844, Rose b. 1845, and Susannah b. 1847 were actually living in Middlesbrough  in 1871, we must assume that growing flax for them was not a very profitable concern because they appear to have emigrated about 1864 - as  Susannah is a witness to a Stockton wedding in the same year. But to date, there is no real evidence to confirm this - So an investigation of the old Stockton electoral registers seems necessary before we can  confirm this. ......Study electoral records for Stockton / Darlington.

It also appears that John Gainford was probably deceased at this time ( 1871 ) as he does not appear in the census records. But there is no record of his death in County Monaghan prior to 1871 - so either he died in Ireland before the year of compulsory registration -1864 -...say 1863 and the family emigrated soon after ...or he died in England - possibly Stockton or Darlington -maybe living with Susannah ? before 1871..  between the years 1864-1871. He would be only 43 years old in 1863.

On Feb 13 1872 Peter Vallely -father John of Mbro married a Alice Cassidy- father Peter.

The witnesses were James McGarrell and Rose Gainford. If same , Rose is 29 yrs.


What is so strange here is that later in this family -George's daughter  Rose Gainford marries a Michael Vallely of Mbro and a Timothy McGarrell marries Bella Fox's daughter in c1900. Could these be earlier ancestors of both families ? Was Michael the father of Peter Vallely ? Look for marriage of Peter Vallely and Rose Gainford c1900.

1873             Death of Thomas Gainford

                    According to the Mbro Index of Registered Deaths..  I now realise why it was so difficult to locate THOMAS                    later....He was only 30 years old.

1873            MARRIAGE OF GEORGE GAINFORD TO BRIDGET CALAHAN

Nov 22          George Gainford - of full age - Shearer in Ironworks-

of Arthur Street Linthorpe 

father- John Gainford a General Labourer ( deceased)

married Bridget Calahan - of full age -

of Duncombe St Middlesbrough

father - Owen Calahan - a General Labourer

Signed : George Gainford and Bridget Calahan [X]

Witnesses - Patrick McClusky [X]and Annie McCann

In 1871 a Patrick McCluskey is living in 13 Arthur St Mbro as a lodger aged 26 and in 1881 a Patrick McCluskey  is living in 40 Branch St South Bank with his wife Elizabeth and 3 children and a niece Mary O' Neill aged 14 yrs. George Gainford moves to 35 Branch St in c 1885

1874             Birth of Mary Catherine Gainford - married  Michael Traynor

Oct 9            daughter of George Gainford and Bridget Calahan

1876             Electoral Register Householder :

                     George Gainford of 79 Duncombe Street Middlesbro'

1876             Birth  of John Gainford

 son of George Gainford and Bridget Calahan

 baptised in St Mary's Chapel Middlesbrough

 Godparents -

1877             Birth of Rose Gainford -  married Michael Vallelly

                     daughter of George Gainford and Bridget Calahan

                     Baptised in St Mary's Chapel Middlesbrough

                     Godparents -

Rose had six children :- Alice, Cissie -a nurse, Philomena, Rosie d. 14yrs, John and Edward - They lived in St Georges Rd Middlesbrough; Mother Rose died aged 38 yrs - Contact was lost with the family -

Annie tried to visit one of them who lived in the West of England but was unsuccessful.

There is no mention of Mary Catherine Gainford in the Cathedral Records,born in c 1874-5-

So it is possible that George and Bridget were living somehere else for the first two years of their marriage - this could be confirmed with a birth certificate or a discovery  in the records of another church ...St Peter's South Bank ? But the census records of 1881 do state that she was born in Middlesbrough whilst the 1891 records state that she was born in South Bank - along with John, Rose and Anne.

We might also assume that George and Bridget were living with the rest of the family in Arthur Street - Thomas, Rose and lodger Thomas Sheaky and moved to another family house in Duncome Street when Thomas Gainford and Rose decided to move on 1874-5...Did they return to Ireland ? Interesting ?

1878            MOVE TO WITTON PARK Co DURHAM

1880            Birth of Owen Gainford

son of George Gainford and Bridget Calahan

Baptised in St Wilfred's RC Bishop Auckland

                    Godparents - Patrick Callaghan and Bridget Hannaway

1881            Census Records for 3 Queen St Witton Park

George Gainford        38            Labourer                  Ireland

Bridget Gainford        29            Wife                         Ireland

Mary Catherine           7             dau                Middlesbrough

John                          6             son                Middlesbrough

Rose                          4             dau                Middlesbrough

Owen                         1             son                    Witton Park

Bernard Shea             32            brdr                         Ireland

James McQuade         28            brdr                         Ireland

George's age is recorded as 38 which should be his brother Tom's age - not his - George should be now 45 - if we accept the recorded ages from the 1871 census - and  it would appear that Bridget now aged 29 - was  married at the age of 21, which I suppose was of full age as recorded at the wedding. So in 1873 on his marriage, George was about 38 and Bridget 21 - a difference of 17 years....quite a lot. No wonder he seems to reduce his age every census.

1881            Susannah is discovered in  Brunton Street Darlington

Here we have the 1881 Census of Susannah Gainford and Thomas Wood

with their 3 sons living in Darlington...Thomas is a Boilersmith.

1884            Move to South Bank?

Electoral registers would confirm the actual year of arrival and address of the family         

1885           Birth of Annie Gainford - married Ernie Bradbury

daughter of George Gainford and Bridget

Baptised in St Peter's ?

Godparents -

1891               Census of 35 Branch Street South Bank

                      George Gainford          Head      42      Labourer                Ireland

                      Bridget Gainford          Wife      37                                    Ireland

                      Mary Catherine            dau       16                                    South Bank?

                      John                          son        15        Scholar                 South Bank

                      Rose                          dau       13        Scholar                  South Bank

                      Ann                           dau        6         Scholar                  South Bank

                      Patrick Gallagher         brdr      22        Labourer                  Ireland

Owen Gainford is missing from the records - So we presume he died sometime between this year and the previous census of 1881.  Next door is a boarder Patrick Callaghan aged 27 years living with the McKeown family - Patrick and Susan McKeown and their five children under 14 - The other boarder is a Patrick Laherty aged 20 or 30 yrs.

Perhaps he Patrick Callaghan is the brother of Bridget - and the godfather to Owen Gainford who did not appear to survive - but he appears to be ten years too young. George Gainford has grown remarkably younger as the years go by - from each ten-year census .In  1871 - aged 35, 1881 aged  38, to 1891 now aged only 42 - a remarkable achievement. His wife Bridget seems to have been more truthful . Her ages have been 20, 29 and 37 respectively - only losing 3 yrs to George's  13 yrs.

Annie Gainford must have been born in 1885... in South Bank .. Records would be useful.

1894             Move to 43 Holden Street Grangetown

1895             TRAGIC DEATH of JOHN GAINFORD aged 19 yrs

Oct 16            John caught an illness after swimming in the slems.            

                     He was highly intelligent and gifted scholar and this photograph along with others was supplied by Winnie                      Bradbury who was unsure about the identity - It could be Owen - a search of the records might indicate age of                      death.

                    ( see Memorial Card )

                    The family must have rued the decision to move to Grangetown after this tragedy.

My mother suggests that there was another boy in the family besides Owen and John - who also did not survive to adulthood -called George - although I have no records of this as yet.

1900           The Gainfords were still living in 43 Holden St Grangetown when Mary Catherine perhaps met Michael Traynor -                    her future husband. They moved to 7 Laing St - the adjoining street - after living in 1 Holden St for many years.                    She would be 26 years old and he 25 - fighting in the latter stages of the Boer War as a soldier in the Durham                    Light Infantry.

1901           Census Records 43 Holden Street Grangetown

                    George Gainford    Head    51     M    Married    Labourer Steel Works          Worker             Ireland

                    Bridget Gainford    Wife     40      F   Married                                        Undefined              Ireland 

                    Mary Gainford       Dau      25      F   Single       Dressmaker         Working at Home     Middlesbrough

                    Annie Gainford      Dau      16      F   Single                                          Undefined      Middlesbrough

                    John Hannaway   Boarder  24      M   Single                                         Undefined      Middlesbrough

1902           Marriage of Rose Gainford to Michael Vallely in St Peters South Bank

                  Annie Gainford was bridesmaid aged 18.  James Murray was Best Man.

                  Rose was 25.

1904          Moved to 113 Stapylton St Grangetown

                  ANNIE GAINFORD'S EDWARDIAN POSTCARDS

                   A number of postcards still survive from this period - kept by Annie Gainford - and now in her daughter's                    possession in Acklam : Winnie Chambers formerly Bradbury, addressed to  :-

                   Miss A Gainford - 61 Beecham St South Bank -from L Calvert 1904                       Annie age about 19 yrs

                   Miss A Gainford - from Nellie Middlesbrough Dec 31st 1904

                   Miss Gainford - from M.B. Middlesbrough Dec 30th 1905

                   Miss A Gainford - from F.D. Brighouse

                   Miss Annie Gainford - from Lily B Middlesbrough April 25th 1905

                   Miss Annie Gainford - from Nellie Middlesbrough July 27th 1905

                   Miss A Gainford - from Nellie - Christmas 1906

                   Miss Gainford - from Hilda Barnard Castle August 20th 1905/06

                   Miss Mary Gainford from Bridget McShane S'th Bank Jan 1st 1906

                    Miss Gainford - from Annie South Bank Jan 28th 1907

                    Miss Gainford - from Te. Fitz Middlesbrough August 15th 1907

                   To see more of these postcards of the Edwardian era just click on this link

       George: 1846 - 1907           1907   Death of George Gainford of 113 Stapylton St  on Jan 29^th

buried in St Josephs Feb 2nd Age given as 56 yrs - which would make his birth year 1851 - which would suggest that the year of his birth of 1846 was probably correct.

1908    Marriage of Mary Catherine Gainford to Michael Traynor

Since Mary gave birth to Uncle Johnny Traynor on October 23rd 1909, after an earlier miscarriage , we can assume the marriage was celebrated about 1908 - almost certainly at St Mary's Grangetown.

         M C could be obtained from Register Office possibly Guisborough now -  �6

1914         Death of Bridget Gainford  in  7 Maria St  North Ormesby on June 2

                    buried in St Josephs June 4.

Taken in Maria Street North Ormesby, next door to the corner shop owned by the Bradbury's - Bridget  Gainford nee Callaghan is standing on the step holding the hand of Uncle Johnny Traynor who looks about one year old or so. This would date the picture to 1910 - four years before she died. I presume that she lived with her daughter after the death of her husband George in 1907. Although, George was actually buried in Joseph's Catholic Cemetery IN 1907. So it is possible that dad George was living in Maria Street with his wife before his death.

                    Electoral Records might perhaps confirm this.

                    Midi Music :"She Moved Through The Fair": Courtesy of Barry Taylor