The Ford Family

Born	April 16, 1821 Michael Church, Herefordshire, England
Died	August 21, 1896
Father	John Williams
Mother	Rachael Williams
Siblings	Bridget Williams John Williams James Williams Margaret Williams Edwin Williams Sarah Williams Elizabeth Williams

Spouse	William Ford
Married	May 12, 1849 Fownhope
Children	Mary Ann Ford Sarah Ford James Ford William Ford Ellen Elizabeth Longworth Thomas Albert Ford

Bio
While we do not have a lot of information on Anne Williams Ford, there is much we can conclude from census and other records. She was born in 1821 in the small town of St. Michael's church, just outside of Herefordshire, England. This town is found on the western side of England, right on the border with Wales.

She was the oldest of 8 children born to her parents, Rachel and John Williams. We know from census records that she left her parent's home by the time she was 19. In fact, it is very likely that she found a position as a female servant working for a wealthy lawyer named Thomas Gallison and his wife and young daughter. She lived in their home which was listed simply as "The Castle" in the Munsley Census records. Munsley is another small, but old town to the east of Hereford. She lived there along with another female servant, 2 male servants and an "indentured" couple!

Somehow she met this carpenter/builder named William Ford. We believe William was moving north from the county of Sussex and must have met her in his travels. They married in April of 1849, when Anne was already 27! (A spinster at this time) She and William have their first child, Mary Anne, a year later and then settled into a home in Fownhope. Sarah Anne was born in 1853 and James followed in 1856, with William not far behind in 1858.

Anne had a sister just one year younger than her named Bridgett. One by one, more siblings came into their lives - John in 25, Margaret in 28, Mary Anne in 33, Edwin in 35, Sarah in 38. Perhaps poor Anne had a lot to do with taking care of these siblings and maybe she even escaped before little Elizabeth was born in 1841. Bridgett, however, stayed home and in fact, she is still stuck at home, unmarried, in 1851 at the age of 28. Interestingly, census records show a visitor living with the Williams family too. He is a young man of 23 named Charles Pocknell.

Public records also show that in 1861, Bridgett is living with her big sister Anne. She is listed as a widow named Bridgett Pocknell! It seems that in just one decade, Ann's sister snags young Charles and marries him only to find herself a young, childless widow. No wonder her loving sister Anne takes her in. We will never know the whole story but one thing is clear, Bridgett never left the home of her benevolent sister and brother-in-law, even after her sister dies! Bridgett was likely a great help to her sister in raising the additional two children, Ellen in 1861 and of course, the baby of the family, my great grandfather, Thomas Albert Ford born in 1864.

Certainly in 1861 Anne is a very busy woman. She is 40 years old and is living in a home with 11 people! Besides her husband and 4 of their children, they have Bridgett and Anne's mother Rachel living there and then three boarders who may have been apprentices of William. He is a successful Builder and employs 5 men, 3 apprentices, 2 laborers, and 2 boys. She is also pregnant and gives birth to Ellen that year.

Beyond this, little is known. Her parents appear to have died about one month apart of each other but it is difficult to confirm. Her last appearance in the Census records of England is 1891. She was 68 and living in the beautiful home her husband built named "Woodview". Her husband is now retired and little sister Bridgett is still there! We know that Anne died at the age of 75 in April 1896, so that William was listed as a Widower in the 1901 census.

Sarah Anne has moved back into the family home at that time. Why does a 58-year-old woman do that? To care for her father? Why, when Bridgette is there? Could there be any truth to the hearsay rumor from a distant cousin that Anne took her own life? There are no death records, no death certificate, no obituary. Could Ann have discovered a relationship between her sister and husband that sent her into despair?

I will continue to search, but I believe in my heart that Anne was a wonderful and kind woman, wife, and big sister who went to death a happy woman.