I couldn’t resist buying this old postcard recently as it not only has information printed on the front, but also Alf has signed and dated it 28 September 1915.

Last Friday, I shared it on my social media accounts and got a great response from followers with information about Alf E Kefford.

Here is the information from various followers that helped me compile a small family tree and provided a great start for continued research by me about Alf and his family, which has resulted in this blog. Huge thanks to everyone who also put forward suggestions for Alf Kefford, much appreciated.

Sarah on Twitter was the first to discover Alf on the 1921 census, where he was listed with his wife. They were both staying with Alf’s brother, Bertie, and his family at 93 Leverton St, St Pancras, London.

Bertie was a Printer’s Warehouseman for the News of the World, and Alf here is described as a Comedian working for Mr Guy, Circus Manager in Brighton.

Sarah also identified that “Alf and Bertie’s father was Edward Kefford, a railway porter from Cambridgeshire, England in the 1901 census“.

Meanwhile, on my Facebook page, David had also found “the 1921 Census Alfred Edward Kefford, Comedian, born 1891 Holloway, living with his brother Bertie in Islington“. Plus, he’d also identified both of Alf’s parents, “Alfred. (Born as Alfred Edward Kefford, so Sarah and David were both correct,) and Ellen, nee Nash. The Census says Alfred junior was married, and there’s a marriage in 1915, St Pancras, to a Lizette Frampton”

David also said “not sure if it’s him but there’s a death in Plymouth in 1929 for that name roughly the right age. Can’t see anything for Lizette (his wife?)”

David followed on by “Looks like it probably is him dying in Plymouth. There was a daughter Louvain Elizabeth May Kefford born in 1916 in Luton. There are a couple of marriages for her in Plymouth in 1937 and 1948”

Karen also on my Facebook page said “Apparently Fred Ginnett wrote and stared in the 1906 silent film Dick Turpins last ride to York. I think the Ginnett family were big Circus entertainers. Famous in the Brighton area.”

Further Research

I found Alfred Edward Kefford as ‘Sammy’ in the newspaper Archives in 1915, matching the postcard.

By the time I’d added all the information to my growing tree for the family, I had loads of hints popping up for them all. So I spent a bit of time sifting through them and filling in the family tree with census details, adding siblings, maiden names, parents, births, marriages and deaths.

I always find it interesting looking at all the occupations written down on the various census records, as sometimes you get some surprises.

Alf, Alfred Edward Kefford, was born in July 1891. Alf was 25 years old in the 1911 census, his occupation just says ‘Stage‘. He married Lizette (born Elizabeth) Frampton in October 1915. Then in the 1921 census, he was a Comedian.

Alf’s father…Alfred Edward Kefford was born in 1860 in Stapleford, Cambridgeshire. In 1881 he was a Porter at a Conservative Club. He then married Ellen Jane Nash on 25 August 1883, and they had three children together, the youngest was Alf. Ellen died at the beginning of 1894, The following spring he married Edith Mary Perrin and had three more children. On the 1901 and 1911 census he is a Railway Porter as Sarah said. He died in January 1919 in Lambeth, Surrey, at the age of 59.

Alf’s paternal grandfather…Stephen Kefford was born in 1834 in Pampisford, Cambridgeshire. He had one son and two daughters with Mary Ann between 1857 and 1860. In the 1861 census, he was a Parish Pauper, and his wife worked at the Paper Mill.

Alf’s mother…Ellen Jane Nash was born in 1854 in Finchley, Middlesex. She died in March 1894 in London, London, at the age of 40. Ellen’s parents were Samuel Nash who was born in 1837 in Middlesex. He had married Ellen Inch on 31 January 1856. They had three children. Ellen died in 1862, and Samuel remarried Louise Lucas and had at least three more children. Samuel was a Wheelwright by trade.

Lizette’s father was George Henry Frampton, who was born on 28 January 1853 in Shillingstone, Dorset, the son of Caroline and George. He married Martha Meadley in April 1873 in Kington, Herefordshire. They had 14 children. His occupation in 1881 was an Iron Dresser at Works. I cannot find him in 1891, but by the time of the 1901 census, he was a Travelling Showman, assisted by three of his daughters, Isabella, Mary and Margaret. Elizabeth(Lizette) was still at school. Then on the 1911 census, he’s back to being an Iron Dresser again. He died on 22 September 1916 in Plymouth, Devon, at the age of 63.

Lizzette’s paternal grandfather was George Frampton. His occupation was a Coachman, a domestic servant. He married Caroline Ann Newman on 2 October 1849 in Childe Okeford, Dorset. The couple had at least four children.

Lizette’s maternal grandfather was Daniel Meadley who was born in 1810 in Durham. He married Isabella Preston on 13 August 1838 in Liverpool, Lancashire. They had at least seven children. Daniel was an Engine Fitter. He died on 24 January 1879 in Nantwich, Cheshire, at the age of 69.

Alfred and Lizette’s Children.

Alf and his wife Elizabeth, known as Lizette, had three children, firstly a daughter: Louvain Elizabeth M Kefford was born on 4 January 1916 in Luton, Bedfordshire. She married Thomas Charles, who was a Lorry Driver at the Dockyard (His father Thomas was an Amusement Caterer), so she may have known Thomas from when they were young, around the Circus or Fairground. And they had two daughters together. Louvain then married George Lock (His father Joseph was a Travelling Showman) in January 1948 in Exeter, Devon; they had no children. Louvain died in August 1995 in Exeter, Devon, at the age of 79.

Then a son: Noel Edward W F Kefford was born on 19 December 1927 in Stonehouse, Devon. He married Irene P Putt in January 1954 in Plymouth, Devon. They had two children during their marriage. He died in July 2006 in Exeter, Devon, at the age of 78.

Then a second son Joseph Albert M Kefford was born on 12 July 1929 in Cornwall. He married Violet E M Bailey in April 1951 in Truro, Cornwall. They had four children during their marriage. Joseph died in 2009 in Plymouth, Devon, at the age of 80. He was just a few weeks old when his father Alf’s died on 30 August 1929.

Bertie Stephen Kefford, Alf’s brother, with who he was staying in 1921, died in 1926 aged 41. He died at St Columba’s Hospital, The Elms, Spaniards Rd, Hampstead. As you can see below, his cause of death was TB, Tuberculosis.

From Lost Hospitals of London: “Operational 1885-1981. In 1915, when it had 50 beds, its name was changed to St Columba’s Hospital (Home of Peace for the Dying). Terminally ill women were also admitted. It was funded largely at the expense of its instigator, Frances Mary Davidson, a Scottish lady who became its Honorary Superintendent. Intended to provide care for poor people in the last stages of acute disease, such as tuberculosis or cancer”.

Three years later, Alfred Edward Kefford had an awful ending at such a young age when his youngest son was just a few weeks old. I admit I was shocked and saddened when I saw his cause of death.

1a. Pyelonephritis. A kidney infection is an inflammation of the kidney parenchyma (tissue) and renal pelvis (the funnel-like structure that collects urine) caused by a bacterial infection. It often occurs when bacteria from a urinary tract infection (UTI) travel up to the kidneys. 

1b. Syphilis. In 1929, syphilis caused a significant number of deaths in the UK, estimated to be 10% of total deaths, according to a study published by The Guardian. This study found that syphilis was a major cause of mortality, highlighting its impact on public health in the 1920s.

“Infection rates soared as a result of the First World War. In the mid-1920s, syphilis was killing 60,000 people a year in England and Wales, compared to tuberculosis, which was causing 41,000 deaths a year. An enormous propaganda effort unfolded, led by governments and a whole variety of voluntary associations, for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases“. 

On May 29, 1940, HMS Wakeful was sunk by a German E-boat while participating in Operation Dynamo, the Dunkirk evacuation. The ship was carrying 640 rescued troops from Bray Dunes when it was torpedoed off Ostend. The attack resulted in the deaths of most of the passengers and crew, with only a handful of survivors. The wreck of HMS Wakeful remains on the seabed 17 meters (57 feet) deep, 13 miles off the Belgian ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge.

Here’s the small family tree I have compiled on Ancestry for the family: Alf E Kefford Family Tree

A few images from the Newspaper Archives.

This next report from May 1917 is about Alfred E Kefford deserting the Army! I haven’t been able to find out anything more about this. I wonder if they caught up with him?

Bonus Postcard!

After I had shared the Alf E Kefford postcard on social media, I had a message from Catherine Green, a follower on my Facebook page, and she kindly shared this super old postcard from her own personal collection, of Claude Ginnett as Dick Turpin.

Isn’t it absolutely brilliant? Huge thanks to Catherine for allowing me to share it with you all on this blog.

I found a little out about Claude Ginnett and the Ginnett’s Circus from the Sussex History Forum:

“Jean Pierre Ginnett founded Ginnett’s Circus at the start of the 1800s. He died in 1861, just after he had handed the Circus over to his son John Frederick Ginnett. In entertainment circles, this is acknowledged at the start of the ‘Ginnett Circus Dynasty’, and this continues to this very day.

Jeanne Pierre Ginnett is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery in London.  His son John Frederick Ginnett died in 1892 but before he did, he had a large vault built in Brighton’s Woodvale Cemetery, which is there to this day, well cared for and looked after.  After John Frederick Ginnett died, the circus was owned by Claude Ginnett, Frederick Emile Ginnett and Albert Ginnett – all interred in the family vault“. More here: Circus Ginnett

Till next time then…….