When we visited Combwich on the River Parrett in Somerset last weekend I noticed this beautiful house Walford House. Now, one of my family names is Walford; my family were originally Moses, but changed their names some time in the 1850’s, 1860’s in Tasmania, to Walford. There are loads of other Walfords all over the place who are not related to us in any way, and I’m sure whoever the Walfords were after whom this lovely property is named, have no connection to my family.
In 1851, there were a family of Walfords living in Combwich, in Salmon Lane, yes we used to have salmon in the Bristol Channel. There was Thomas, a master mariner, and his wife Jane his brother Henry who was just an ordinary mariner and his wife Sarah, and their two sons Albert and Henry who was an errand boy. Thirty years later in 1881, Thomas is still in Combwich but now he is described as a retired inn keeper.
There was another family of Walfords, Charles and his wife Jane living in Combwich; he was described as a locker and H.M. Customs, and lived in the Quay Custom House … I’m not sure he’d have been very popular, there was a lot of smuggling in Somerset in those days. They had four children, Elizabeth, Thomas, Charles and Jeffrey.
So… I’m sure there is no connection at all, but it was still nice to see our family name on such a nice old building.
Lois Elsden 