BUFORD F.L~MILY 1N America
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A Genealogy OF THI! BUFORD F.L~MILY 1n America With Records of a number of Allied Families By Marcus Bainbridge Buford 5A1' FRANCISCO, IQCl "A life is not a dream to be forgotten, nor an old garment to be thrown aside at will. Life is an ever-present thing, and all our past is as much a part and parcel of to-day as the marks we bear in our bodies are portions of ourselves, no matter how we c:tme by them, nor when. "-F ..'\,farion Crawford. TO MY WIFE Without whose encouragement and assistance this work would never have seen the light. THE Bl"F<lRJJ "O.,VIIIE.,T .IT (;ETT\"SBl"RG [The gnu in the left fon.:·J.:rcn1nd is the 0111: irom \,-llii:li tile lirsl ~liol oi tlw lia!tk \YaS lirt'd.J I. BEAUFORT, BEAUFORD, BUFFORD, AND BUFORD. The name Beaufort-or, as it came to America, Beauford-is French, and as a family name extremely rare, being essentially a place name. Meaning "beau tiful fort or castle," it grew into a family name during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, from the ownership of such places, the lords or masters being spoken of as "de Beaufort," of, or belonging to, the beautiful castle. The given names of both the English and American families-such as John, Thomas, William, Richard, and Robert-are Norman and came to England with the Northmen. By referring to the extracts given below from old English wills and deeds, it will be seen that the pro genitors of the Bufords in America were in England long before John of Gaunt adopted the name of Beau fort for his children or the French Huguenots had emigrated. John of Gaunt came into possession of the castle of Beaufort, in the Province of Anjou, in France, at the close of the thirteenth century, and from it named his children, by Catherine Swinford "Beaufo1t," with the 5 title of Duke of Somerset This family became extinct with the John, who was exiled to France, and was killed in the Battle of Tewksbury, in 1471. An illegitimate branch of this family was given the name of "Somerset," and in 1682 the title Duke of Beaufort. There has been, from the earliest day, a tradition in the family in America that they were descendants of John of Gaunt; but this could be only through the female side of the house, and they could then have no legitimate claim to the name of Beaufort and could come by it only by adoption. The French Beauforts originated with the children of Henry IV and Gabrielle d'Estrees, who became Duchesse de Beaufort, from an estate of the name in Champagne, France, which belonged to her family in 1590 to 1600--too late for the English Buffords to be descended from them. Some members of this family, French Huguenots, emigrated to England after the edict of Nantes, and their descendants are still found in that country and this. They are "Beauforts," having never changed the spelling of their name. The first English Beauforts came over with the Conqueror, and got their name, as did the Dukes of Beaufort in Belgium, in the tenth century from the castle of Beaufort, in Namur, Belgium. If they brought any titles with them, none have survived in England, and they became knights, dignitaries of the church, merchants, G husbandmen, yeomen, and men of position in every walk of life. It is not possible, with the data now in the posses sion of the writer, to connect the American family immediately with the English Buffords. While this is most unsatisfactory, there is no doubt that they are one and the same, and the search for documentary proof which is still going on will probably establish the fact and show which Richard or John was the emigrant to this country and the progenitor of the family in America. Many members of our family in the United States still spell the name Beauford, having never allowed the change to Buford, which gradually came to be the accepted form. It is readily seen how the change to Bufford would come about in England when one remembers that few people in the tenth, eleventh, and even down to the thirteenth centu1y could read or write, and that literary attainments were confined chiefly to the clergy, lawyers, clerks, etc. Of course it was impossible to convey to a clerk any way of spelling a name other than phonetically, and he wrote what seemed to him correct. There are few of the old wills and deeds examined which do not contain several ways of spelling the name of the same person, and often it 1s only by close study and comparison that the web is untangled. 7 Notes made from wills and otlter documents at Somerset House and various places in Eng land of Bufford, Baford, and Beauford. I 370. Thomas Bufford, 1370-7 5. Children-Ann, wife of John Yong and William, born about 1410, who was a citizen and mercer in London,-wife, Elizabeth. lived in St. Mary's Woolchurch Parish, near where the Bank of England now stands, and was a considerable possessor of lands at Merton, Surrey, now included in London. Children-Richard, died 1490; Rose, who married Whaplode; Elizabeth, Agnes, Lettys, Robert, and Harry; two last not mentioned in their mother's will. William and his wife both died in 1488. William had a brother named William, not an uncommon thing in those days. Prerogath:ic Court of Cantcrbm:1 1• I 5 I 7. In Northiam Church, in Sussex, there is an epitaph that has probably never before been in print, as follows: "Of yo' charite pray for the Soule of Syr Robert Beuford sumtyme person of this Church of Northia the which deceased the xxviii day of Aprill in the yere of 8 C of lord MVXVII on whose soule Thu have mercy, amen.'' I 530. George Bayford, r 5 30-40, of Great Haddam, Hert fordshire. Daughter, Margaret, I 577; married, I 597, William Gladwyn, of Chigwell, Essex. Prerogativt· Court of Canterbur)'. I 5 55- Richard Bufforde, Colforde Newland, County Glou cester, April 16, I 5 5 5. Mentions his wife, Margaret; sons, Christopher, Henry, and Anthony. Consistory of Gloucester, file for I555- I 573- Christopher Bufforde was of Whittle, in Essex, in I 573. Married Elizabeth Boyes, of Halstead, Essex. Prerogatz'vc Court of Canterbur)'. I 578. Anne Bufford, widow, Colford, I 8 Julie, 1578. Men tions daughters-Joan, Eleanor, and Elizabeth-son and heir, Robert Morgan, and Ann, his wife. Consistor)' of Gloucester, file for I 578. 9 I 584. August 23, I 584, administration of Ellen Baford ( deceased). All Hallows, Staynong, to her husband, John Baford. Commissm:1' ef LoJldon, Act Book, I582-I593, folio 50. 1626. William Bufford, of Riding Court, Hornchurch, County of Essex. Will dated May 5, I 626. Wife's name Mary; had son, William, and daughter, Elizabeth. Sister, Elizabeth, who married William Gladwin (Glad wyn ?) of Dunton; brothers, John (of Dunton;, and Richard; brother-in-law, James Mansfield. Mary Bufford's will was probated June 4, 1627. Arclzdcarnm:v ef Essex filed wills, file for 1626-27, 1Vo ..p. 163 I. Elizabeth Bufford, widow, In grave, Essex. \Vill dated October I 6, 163 I. Buried in Layndon Church, near her husband. Children-Henry, John, Rowland, James, and Elizabeth. Henry had four children; John had four; Elizabeth married Norton and had two children, John and Elizabeth Norton; James had two children, William 10 and Elizabeth Bufford; son-in-law, Richard Bufford, had two daughters. Consistory of London, Register "Allen," _folio IOO. 1636. Mary Bufford, of Hursley, County Southton. In denture May 3 I, 1636. I2. C!tar!cs I, Close Rolf, part 4- (3078), No. 24. r638. Philip Bafford and wife :Mary, of St. Mary Malfellon als, Whitechapel, February 5, 1638. I September, 1638. John Bafford (Hereford in Act book). Mentions brother, Styles, minister of Pomfret, in Yorkshire; sis ters, Margaret, Elizabeth, and Prudence. John Bafford evidently died in Italy, as his will is witnessed by Basil, Lord Fielding, H. M's ambassador to Italy, and vVm. Pettie. He leaves legacies to his servant and others who cared for him during his illness. \Vill was proved December r, 1638, by his widow and executrix, Fortune Bafford. 1639. John Bufford, of Dunton, Essex, October .::?O, 1639. Mentions sons, John and Rowland; daughters, Eliza beth, Ann, and Alice; brother, Rowland Bufford, \\"ho iS appointed guardian during- minority of his sons. etc. A1-cltdcacmuJ' of Essex, register " IV/zitchrnd,'' I638-I65.3,_fo/i(I 7I. 1641. William Bufford, of Ruarden, diocese of Gloucester, .::?2 March, 1641. Mentions his wife, Ann, who was the daughter of John Nelmes; his sons, John and \\Tilliam; his brother, John Bufford; his nephews, John Bufford and Henrie Catchmie-son of his sister-and his nieces, Joan Bufford and Eleanor Catchmie. Prcrogati7,c Court of Cmztcrbzn:1', " Campbell," 85. 1648. John Bufford, of Landogo, County Monmouth, 23 December, 1648. Prcrogati71c Court [!( Dmtcrbm)', " Fai1:fax." I29. 1654. \Villiam Bafford, of Chillo\\'orth, South Hants; will February IO, 1654. I2 1654. Christopher Bauford, of Eisley, County Surrey; will March r r, r 6 54; wife, Maiy. Children-Christopher, John, and Ann, who married John Berryman. Prerogative Court of Canterbury, register "Aylett," folio 4-28. In Essex and Hcrts, Prerogative Cozwt of Can- terbury.- 1660-6 r. Susanna Bufford. 1661-63. Thomas Bayford, Farnham. 1663-66. George Bufford, Colchester. Edward Bayford, Little Hadley. John Bayford, Bishop Stortford. William Bayford, Bishop Stortford. 1669-97.