HALFORD, Thomas (Grimwade p.531)

[MCB]

Apprenticed in 1799 he was made free in November 1806 rather than 1786 as noted by Grimwade.
Charles H D Edmonds, son of Henry, a victualler from Spitalfields, signed indentures in 1814 to be his apprentice.
Also in 1814 he married Martha Elizabeth Ramsden at St Leonard, Shoreditch. He was from St Luke, Finsbury parish.
Christening records of their children at St Leonard, Shoreditch show their address in 1815 as Plumbers Street and in 1817 as Craven Buildings. Their father was shown as a goldsmith.
Christening records for more of their children at St Luke, Finsbury in 1819 show their address as Cross Street and in 1821 at All Hallows, London Wall their address as Wormwood Street. In both cases their father was a victualler.
The 1841 UK Census for East Street, Stratford, shows Thomas aged 55 years again as a goldsmith. Grimwade reports Thomas having entered a mark at Goldsmiths Hall from there in 1829.
Four of his sons applied for freedom by patrimony in the Goldsmiths Company: in 1845 Frederick born in All Hallows in 1821 and Edmond born in West Ham in 1824; in 1869 Vincent John born in West Ham in 1834 and in 1870 Augustus born in Stratford Marsh in 1837.
The 1851 UK Census detail for the family has not been found.
The death of a Thomas Halford registered at West Ham in 1855 without further detail is probably relevant since Volume I page 203 of The Directory of Gold and Silversmiths Jewellers and Allied Traders 1838-1914 by John Culme records Frederick Halford (see above) entering a mark at Goldsmiths Hall from 19 East Street, Stratford in 1854.

[silverly]

There's a Thomas Halford listed in the 1851 UK census as a beer seller on East Street. His wife's name is Martha. He was born in London; the wife was born in Shoreditch and two of the children shown were born in Stratford. A son, Frederick R, is listed as a thirty year old silversmith. Their last name was poorly written by the enumerator of this census.

[silverly]

10 May 1855 Thomas Halford East Street Stratford Marsh Working Silversmith Licensed Beer Retailer will proved at London. Reference: TNA PROB 11/2212/252