Richard Hannaford was my great-great grandfather and was born in circa 1819 in the Hamlet of Prince Town, which is in the Parish of Lidford (Lydford), and the County of Devon (Also known as Devonshire), England. This is his story:
The following links can be visited for further information on The County of Devon and The Hannaford Family Tree:
Map of Devon County
The Hannaford Family Tree
Richard was the second eldest of six children born to Samuel and Elizabeth Newman between about 1818 and 1830. His brother John was the eldest, then after Richard came Thomas, James, George and his only sister, Maria.
Richard and his siblings grew up in Price Town. This little hamlet was described as a bleak and exposed town in the heart of Dartmoor, with an abominable climate of fog, snow, wind and rain. The town originally grew around the barracks of the french Prisoners of War, constructed in 1806.
It is evident that Richard was not fully educated as a child, he could read but could not write. His marriage certificate bears his mark "X". Contract documents signed by Richard in the 1860's also bear his mark "X", and letters were written by his scribe.
In his early twenties, Richard married Elizabeth Rowe in the Parish Church, in the Parish of Stoke Damerel, County of Devon on 4th April 1839. The marriage certificate states that;
"Richard and Elizabeth were married by Banns. Richards occupation was a mason, and that he was a bachelor of official age. Elizabeth of no specified occupation was a spinster and a minor. At the time of their marriage they both lived in King Street, Richard at number 11 and Elizabeth at number 13. Richards father is noted as Samuel Hannaford and Elizabeths father is James Rowe, a blacksmith"
In the March Quarter of 1841, James Richard, the first of their surviving children was born, and his birth registered in Tavistock, in the Parish of Lydford, Devon, England.
The census records of 1841 state that Richard 22, Elizabeth 20 and James Richard an infant, were living at No 2 Chapel Row, Prince Town in the Parish of Lidford.
Jane Ann was born in the March Quarter in 1844 and her birth also registered in Tavistock
It was not until 1850 that another child was born. This child Emma, did not survive through childhood. Emma was listed as living with her parents in the 1851 Census, but was not listed on the immigration passenger list therefore; it is assumed that she had died prior to the family immegrating to Australia in August 1854.
It has been noted that there was about seven years (1843 - 1850) between the birth of Jane Ann and Emma. Elizabeths death certificate states that five children had died prior to her passing away in 1863. It is possible that some of these children were born and died during this period of time.
Another daughter named Elizabeth was born in 1851. Her birth was probably after August of that year as she is not noted on the 1851 Census. This Census indicates that Richard 32, Elizabeth 28, James 10, Jane Ann 8 and Emma 1, were living at 24 William Street, in the Parish of Stoke Damerel, Ecclesiastical district of St James, Borough of Devenport in Morice Town.
Henry Rowe was the next surviving child to be born. His birth was registered in the December Quarter of 1854 in the District of Stoke Damerel, Devon, England.
Richard now 40, Elizabeth 22 and their four children, James Richard 13, Jane Ann 10, Elizabeth 3 and Henry an infant child, immigrated to Australia. With Government assistance and a 5 pound fare the family boarded the Lady Kennaway departing from Plymouth England on 24th August 1854 and arriving in Sydney, Australia on 8th or 9th December 1854.
Richard, his wife and children settled in the New South Wales township of Braidwood.
Braidwood was then the meeting place of rough tracks that went from Goulburn, Bungonia and Nowra in the north, to the Monaro in the south, from the Limestone Plains and Queanbeyan in the west and to the coast at Moruya and Batemans Bay in the east.
Once arriving in this progressive township, Richard leased 216 acres in Clyde Road called "Devon Farm." The farm was not fully worked by Richard as he was a builder-stonemason by trade and continued with this profession
During the next few years Richard and Elizabeth's family grew with the birth of John (known as Jack) born in 1856, Emaline born 1860 and a daughter Rosina born 1861 who died at the age of 1 month and 24 days.
On the 25th December 1863, his wife and the mother of his children passed away. Elizabeths death was caused by complications during the birth of a child. The child did not survive and Elizabeth died seven days after the birth.
Richard and Elizabeth had eleven children together, with only 6 surviving to adulthood. According to Elizabeths Death Certificate she left behind six children, James 22, Jane 19, Elizabeth 13, Henry 10, John 7 and Emaline 3.
A short time after Elizabeths death, Richard met Matilda Jermain (nee Newton). Matilda had arrived in Sydney from Somerset, England in 1858. She travelled to Goulburn where she married Edmund Sinclair Jermain and had two children, Elizabeth born 1860 and Matilda Newton born 1862.
Throughout Richard and Matilda's union they had twelve children with only one (Herbert) not surviving to adulthood.
| Childs Name | Born | Died |
|---|---|---|
| James Richard Hannaford | 1841 | 1897 |
| Jane Ann Hannaford | 1843 | Unknown |
| Emma Hannaford | 1850 | Bef 1854 |
| Elizabeth Hannaford | 1851 | Unknown |
| Henry Rowe Hannaford | 1854 | 1898 |
| John (aka Jack) Hannaford | 1856 | 1948 |
| Emaline Hannaford | 1860 | 1902 |
| Rosina Hannaford | 1861 | 1861 |
| Childs Name | Born | Died |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Newton Hannaford | 1865 | 1960 |
| William Sinclair Hannaford | 1868 | Unknown |
| Ada Hannaford | 1872 | 1961 |
| Richard Hannaford | 1873 | 1949 |
| Alfred Hannaford | 1875 | 1970 |
| Arthur Hannaford | 1877 | Unknown |
| Edith Pearl Hannaford | 1878 | 1948 |
| Maude Hannaford | 1879 | 1933 |
| Robert Hannaford | 1881 | 1920 |
| Herbert Hannaford | 1882 | 1886 |
| Mary Hannaford | 1883 | 1973 |
| Walter Hannaford | 1885 | 1967 |
Richard established himself as a builder-stonemason in the district. He was contracted to complete extensive removations to the Braidwood Court House and Gaol, he also completed part of the construction of St Bede's Catholic Church in Braidwood, he built St Patrick's Catholic Church in Cooma and the Braidwood Literary Institute. It has also been said that he built a bridge over the Shoalhaven River unfortunately, documentation has not yet been found to substantiate this story.
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