HISTORY OF THE PICKFORD NAME :

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Pickford is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the parish of Pitchford found in the counties of Salop and Shropshire. The name has been spelt many ways including Peckford, Pikford, Pitchford, Peckfearde, Pecforth and many more.

The earliest evidence of the name Pickford was found in Shropshire. In their early history the family was recorded as Lords of the manor of Pitchford in Shropshire. Members were also recorded in Salop where John de Picford was living in 1273. In 1288 Alcock de Pykeford appeared in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire. Thomas Pikeford was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1332.The Pickford name spread to many different counties in England, where members of the family were enlisted into military, political, or religious service.

Early immigrants to North America include Mary Pickford who landed in Virginia in 1663, Isaac and John Pickford who arrived in New York in 1820, and John Pichford who landed in Philadelphia in 1823. John Pitford arrived in the Barbados in 1689.

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This interesting name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational surname deriving from either of the places called "Pickforde", in Ticehurst, Sussex, or "Pitchford", in Shropshire. The latter is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Piceforde", and in the Shropshire Fees Court records of 1242 as "Picford", and means "the ford where pitch could be found", derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century "pic", pitch, used here of mineral pitch, with "ford", ford. "Pickforde" in Sussex means "the pig ford", derived from the Olde English "picga", pig, and "frod", as before.

Locational names were usually given to the lord of the manor and to those former inhabitants who left to live or work in another area. One Robert Picford was one of the early settlers in the New World. He was granted a ticket for Virginia from Barbadoes in September 1679. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Picford, which was dated 1273, in the "Shropshire Hundred Rolls", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307.



Elm tree (Ulmus minor)
East Coker, Somerset

Our Pickford family including EVERITT, DAVIDGE, WHITAKER and MAY

Small numbers by a name refer to personal number in listing eg GABRIEL 2 PICKFORD - see 2


 

GENERATION ONE :

1. ~ ~ ~ DANIEL PICKFORD was born around 1700, and died 28 July 1772 in Elm, Somerset, England.  Daniel married JANE (surname unknown).  Jane was also born around 1700, and died 18 December 1761 in Elm, Somerset.

Children of DANIEL PICKFORD and JANE (PICKFORD) included:

   MICHAEL PICKFORD, born about 1717; baptized 28 October 1717, Elm, Somerset.

   GABRIEL 2 PICKFORD, born 1724; baptized 2 September 1724, Elm, Somerset.

   MARY PICKFORD, born about 1726; baptized 11 March 1726/27, Elm, Somerset.

   JANE PICKFORD, born 1729; baptized 8 December 1729, Elm, Somerset.

GENERATION TWO:

2. ~ ~ ~ GABRIEL PICKFORD (DANIEL) was born in 1724 and was baptized on 2 September 1724 in Elm, Somerset, England. Gabriel married ANNE CURTIS on 15 May 1743 in Elm, Somerset. Anne was born around 1728.

Children of GABRIEL PICKFORD and ANNE CURTIS were:

   JANE PICKFORD, baptized 5 November 1744, Elm, Somerset.

   DANIEL PICKFORD, baptized 6 March 1747/48, Elm, Somerset.

   JOHN PICKFORD, baptized 13 October 1751, Elm, Somerset.

   JAMES 3 PICKFORD, baptized 20 March 1753, Elm, Somerset.

   ANNE PICKFORD, baptized 3 July 1757, Elm, Somerset.

GENERATION THREE:

3. ~ ~ ~ JAMES PICKFORD (DANIEL > GABRIEL) was born around 1753 and was baptized on 20 March 1753 at St Mary Magdalene, Great Elm, Somerset, England. James was the third son of GABRIEL PICKFORD and ANNE CURTIS.  James married ELIZABETH (Betty) EVERITT on 13 September 1775 in Great Elm, Frome, Somerset.  Elizabeth was baptized on 31 July 1754 in Elm, Somerset and was the daughter of JOHN EVERITT and SARAH GULLY.

   Refer to the EVERITT family for more information about Elizabeth's family.

In July 1775 James and Betty were living in Sojourner in Elm.  Betty died on 7 November 1821 in Elm.

Children of JAMES PICKFORD and ELIZABETH EVERITT were:

   ELIZABETH PICKFORD, baptized 3 March 1776, St Mary Magdalene, Great Elm, Somerset.

   BETTY PICKFORD, baptized 23 January 1780, St Mary Magdalene.

   JAMES PICKFORD, baptized 5 January 1783, St Mary Magdalene.

   JOHN PICKFORD, baptized 18 September 1785, St Mary Magdalene.

   SARAH PICKFORD, born 1788, baptized 20 July 1788, St Mary Magdalene.

   WILLIAM 4 PICKFORD, baptized 1 September 1791, Great Elm, Somerset.


Church of St Mary Magdalene, Great Elm

GENERATION FOUR:

4. ~ ~ ~ WILLIAM PICKFORD (DANIEL > GABRIEL > JAMES) was baptized on 1 September 1793, St Mary Magdalene, Great Elm, Somerset, England and was the third son of JAMES PICKFORD and ELIZABETH EVERITT.  William married MARY ANN (surname unknown)  She was born around 1778 in Mells Village, Somerset and died on 11 April 1860 in Elm, Somerset.

Census entries for WILLIAM PICKFORD:

Census 1: 1841, Great Elm, age 55, Ag. Labourer

Census 2: 1851, 63 Elm Village, age 60, Ag. Labourer

Census 3: 1861, 26 Great Elm, Widower, age 70, Labourer

Census entries for MARY ANN (PICKFORD):

Census 1: 1841, Parish of Great Elm, age 60

Census 2: 1851, 63 Elm Village, aged 70

Children of WILLIAM PICKFORD and MARY (PICKFORD) were:

   ELIZA PICKFORD, baptized 4 August 1816, St Mary Magdalene, Great Elm, Somerset.

   MARY PICKFORD, baptized 11 October 1817, St Mary Magdalene; died 10 February 1829, Elm, Somerset.

   WILLIAM 5 PICKFORD, born Abt. 1820 and baptized 22 May 1825, St Mary Magdalene.

   JAMES PICKFORD, born around 1823.

   JANE PICKFORD, born around 1823, baptized on 22 May 1825, St Mary Magdalene.  Jane was recorded aged 18 years on the 1841 Census.

   JOB PICKFORD, baptized 22 May 1825 St Mary Magdalene; died 12 June 1825, Great Elm, Somerset.

   BETSEY PICKFORD, born 6 October 1825, baptized on 6 November 1825, St Mary Magdalene.

   LOUISA PICKFORD, born 25 November 1827, St Mary Magdalene, Great Elm, Somerset; baptized 23 March 1834.

   JOB 6 PICKFORD, born around 1829, Great Elm, Frome, Somerset, baptized 23 March 1834, St Mary Magdalene, Great Elm.

   EMMA PICKFORD, born around 1832, Great Elm, Somerset, baptized 23 March 1834, Elm.  Emma was recorded aged 9 years on the 1841 Census.

GENERATION FIVE:

5. ~ ~ ~ WILLIAM PICKFORD (DANIEL > GABRIEL > JAMES > WILLIAM) was born about 1820 and was baptized on 22 May 1825 at St Mary Magdalene, Great Elm, Somerset.  He was the eldest son of WILLIAM PICKFORD and MARY (PICKFORD).  William was recorded as an Agricultural Labourer aged 20 years on the 1841 Census.  William married MARY ANN DAVIDGE on 23 August 1841 in Frome, Somerset.   Mary Ann was the eldest daughter of WILLIAM DAVIDGE and ANN ASHLEY.

   Refer to the DAVIDGE family for more information about Mary Ann's family.

Children of WILLIAM PICKFORD and MARY ANN DAVIDGE were:

   WILLIAM PICKFORD, born 1836.

   ALFRED PICKFORD, born 1843.

   MARY ANN PICKFORD, born 1845; died 1854.

   WILLIAM PICKFORD, born 1846.

Mary Ann died in 1852 and WILLIAM later married FANNY WHEELER.  Fanny was born in 1829 and died in September 1911.

Children of WILLIAM PICKFORD and FANNY WHEELER were:

   FANNY PICKFORD, born 1860; died as an infant the same year.

   JOHN (Jack) 7 PICKFORD, born 1861.  

   WILLIAM  8 PICKFORD, born 15 March 1863.

6. ~ ~ ~JOB PICKFORD (DANIEL > GABRIEL > JAMES > WILLIAM) was born around 1829 and was baptized on 23 March 1834 at St Mary Magdalene, Great Elm, Somerset, England.  Job was the forth son of WILLIAM PICKFORD and MARY (PICKFORD)  Job married SARAH ANN DAVIDGE on 31 January 1853 in Frome Holy Trinity, Somerset.  Sarah was born around 1832 in Orchardleigh Village, Laverton, Somerset and was the eldest daughter of WILLIAM DAVIDGE and ANN ASHLEY.  She was baptized on 12 February 1832 in Laverton.    Job died in April 1882 in Elm, Somerset.  Sarah died in 1891.

   Refer to the DAVIDGE family for more information about Sarah's family.

Census entries for JOB PICKFORD:

Census 1: 1841, aged 11

Census 2: 1851, 63 Elm Village, age 21, Ag. Labourer

Census 3: 1861, 26 Great Elm, married, age 32, Labourer

Census 4: 1871, 21 Newlands, married, age 42, Ag. Labourer

Census 5: 1881, 56 Elm Village, married age 52, Farm Labourer

Census entries for SARAH DAVIDGE:

Census 1: 1841, Buckland, Denham, Somerset, age 9

Census 2: 1851, Elm, Somerset, unmarried, age 19

Census 3: 1891, Elm Village

Children of JOB PICKFORD and SARAH DAVIDGE were:

   CAROLINE PICKFORD, baptized 7 May 1854 in Elm, Somerset. Caroline married GEORGE FORD in December 1874 in Chepstow, Gloucestershire, England.

Census entries for CAROLINE PICKFORD:

Census 1: 1861, 26 Great Elm, age 7

Census 2: 1871, Marston Bigot, Little Reyford, Frome, Somerset, Servant to Hannah Sheppard, Under Housemaid.

   JOB PICKFORD, baptized 30 December 1855 in Elm, Somerset. In 1871 Job was living in Newlands, and was working in the Iron Works. By November 1877 he was a resident of Elm and he married CHARLOTTE WILKINS on 15 January 1878 in Frome, Somerset.

Census entries for JOB PICKFORD:

Census 1:1861, 26 Great Elm, age 5

Census 2: 1871, 21 Newlands, age 15, Labourer in Iron Works

Census 3: 1891, 44 Windsor Yd, St Lukes, London, age 36

Census 4; 454 Dottridge Mews, Shoreditch, London, Horse-Keeper

   JOHN PICKFORD, baptized December 1857 in Elm, Somerset; died 16 March 1859 Elm, Somerset.

   JOHN HENRY PICKFORD, baptized 16 December 1859 in Elm, Somerset; died 03 July 1861 Elm, Somerset.

   WILLIAM PICKFORD; baptized 02 February 1862 in Elm, Somerset.

Census entries for WILLIAM PICKFORD:

Census 1: 1871, 21 Newlands, age 9, Scholar

Census 2: 1881, 56 Elm Village, aged 19, Edge Tool Worker

Census 3: 1901, Bellbroughton, Worcestershire, age 39, Hook Finisher

   EMANUEL 9 PICKFORD, born 09 August 1863 in Kilmersdon, Frome, Somerset and baptized on 30 August 1863 in Elm, Somerset.

Census entries for EMANUEL PICKFORD:                         

Census 1: 1871, 21 Newlands, Great Elm, age 7, Scholar

Census 2: 1881, 56 Elm Village, age 17, Farm Labourer

   ROSA EMMA 10 PICKFORD, born 13 July 1864 in Great Elm, Bath, Somerset, England.

   ELLEN PICKFORD, born 09 May 1867 in Great Elm, Somerset, England. Ellen was baptized on 30th May 1867.

Census entries for ELLEN PICKFORD:

Census 1: 1871, 21 Newlands, age 3, Scholar

Census 2: 1881, Hapsford House, Kilmersdon, Elm age 14, Scholar

Census 3: 1901, Clapham, London, age 33, Cook, Domestic Servant

   ELIZA (or ELOISE) JANE PICKFORD; baptized 11 April 1869 in Elm, Somerset.

Census entries for ELIZA PICKFORD:

Census 1: 1871, 56 Elm Village, age 2

Census 2: 1881, 56 Elm Village, age 12, Scholar

   FLORENCE ANNIE PICKFORD, baptized 03 December 1871 in Elm, Somerset. Florence was recorded as a Domestic servant to Mr Hyman Davis & family and aged 20 years on the 1891 Census. Florence married ARTHUR HENRY BARNSDALE in June 1893 in Shoreditch, London. She died in 1940 in Hendon, England.

Census entries for FLORENCE ANNIE PICKFORD:

Census 1: 1881, 56 Elm Village, age 9, Scholar

Census 2: 1891, 145 Highbury New Park, Islington, London, age 20, Domestic servant

Census 3: 1901, 69 Liverpool Rd, Islington, London, age 28

GENERATION SIX:

7. ~ ~ ~ JOHN (Jack) PICKFORD (DANIEL > GABRIEL > JAMES > WILLIAM > WILLIAM) was born in 1861 and was the eldest son of WILLIAM PICKFORD and FANNY WHEELER.  John married MARY JANE COLEMAN on 21 August 1883.  Mary was born on 17 December 1865 and died in 1940.  John died in 1941.

Children of JOHN PICKFORD and MARY COLEMAN were:

   WILLIAM THOMAS PICKFORD, born December 1883 in Frome, Somerset.  William married CATHERINE KENNEDY in December 1911.  William died in Bristol, England in 1921.

   ERNEST PICKFORD, born September 1884 in Frome, Somerset.  Ernest married LAURA HILLIER in 1918.

   SARAH PICKFORD, born 1887 in Frome, Somerset.

   REGINALD JESSE (Joe) PICKFORD, born 28 February 1897 in Frome, Somerset.  Joe married ELSIE MAY WILLIAMS in 1922.  Elsie was born on 30 January 1898.

   PATIENCE PICKFORD, born December 1902.  Patience married NORMAN FREDERICK WHITE in Frome in 1922.

   SELINA PICKFORD, born December 1903.  Selina married JOHN LEESE in Wirral, Merseyside, England in 1932.

   CONSTANCE PICKFORD, born January 1907.  Constance married WALTER J TROTT in Taunton, Cornwall, England in 1939.  Constance died in 1967.

8. ~ ~ ~ WILLIAM PICKFORD (DANIEL > GABRIEL > JAMES > WILLIAM > WILLIAM) was born on 15 March 1863 and was the second son of WILLIAM PICKFORD and FANNY WHEELER.  William married EDITH KNAPMAN on 21 July 1895 in Totnes, Devonshire, England.  Edith was born in 1898.

Children of WILLIAM PICKFORD and EDITH KNAPMAN were:

   WILLIAM HENRY PICKFORD, born 1896.

   RICHARD ERNEST PICKFORD, born 1899.

   GEORGE EDWARD PICKFORD, born 1901.

   WILLIAM GEORGE PICKFORD, born 1902.

   DOROTHY SUSAN PICKFORD, born 1903.

9. ~ ~ ~ EMANUEL PICKFORD (DANIEL > GABRIEL > JAMES > WILLIAM > JOB) was born 09 August 1863 in Kilmersdon, Frome, Somerset and was baptized on 30 August 1863 in Elm, Somerset.  Emanuel was the fifth son of JOB PICKFORD and SARAH DAVIDGE. At age 17 he was recorded as working as a Farm Labourer / Shepherd.

Emanuel immigrated to New Zealand on the ship “Ionic” in 1884 and settled in the Hawkes Bay area of the North Island. He found employment as a Ploughman at "Longlands Station" south of Hastings and after 1886 settled in the Rangitikei district where he later farmed on his own account.

Emanuel married KATHERINE ELIZABETH WHITAKER on 28 December 1887 in Hastings, NZ. Katherine was the eldest daughter of GEORGE WHITAKER and ELIZABETH HANNAH ROBOTTOM. Katherine had arrived in NZ from Sydney, Australia with her mother around 1873. Emanuel died on 14 October 1937 in Marton, NZ.

   Refer to Emanuel Pickford for more information about his and Katherine's descendants.

   Refer to the WHITAKER family for more information about Katherine's family.

10. ~ ~ ~ ROSA EMMA PICKFORD (DANIEL > GABRIEL > JAMES > WILLIAM > JOB) was born 13 July 1864 in Bath, Somerset.  Emma was nominated by her elder brother Emanuel and immigrated to New Zealand on the maiden voyage of the ship "Rimutaka". Her occupation at the time was listed as a Cook.

Emma arrived in New Zealand on 3 March 1885 and married AUGUSTINE THOMAS MAY on 09 February 1886 in Sandon, Fielding, NZ. Augustine was born on 4 April 1954 and was the son of JAMES MAY and SUSANNAH WEAVER. He had arrived in NZ on the same ship as Emanuel and they became friends on the voyage. Rosa died on 04 September 1948 in Raetihi, NZ aged 83 years.

   Refer to the MAY family for more information about Augustine's family and descendants of Rosa and Augustine.

Please note that in keeping to genealogy publishing protocol I have not included information about later generations including living persons. If you have a family connection please contact me for further information.

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