Notes for: Thomas Edgley Kefford
A Thomas Edgley Kefford was buried in 1961 in Farmingdale, New York, USA. But his date of birth is given as 24 Sep 1883. However, at http://www.thekeffs.freeserve.co.uk/Scottish%20Keffords%20&%20Kiffords.htm appears:
Thomas E Kefford
Although indexed as Thomas G Kefford, an examination of the original 1901 Census entry suggests the initial should be E. Thomas appears at a house called Culdees in Muthill, East Perthshire as a butler aged 28, so born about 1873. His birthplace is given as England. Interestingly, he was one of the servants of Robert T N Speir and Emily (nee Gifford) his wife, mentioned above. This appears to be pure co-incidence.
There do not appear to be any Thomas Keffords born c1873 but a Thomas Edgley Kefford was born at Cambridge in the December quarter 1878, the son of Joseph and Ellen Edgley Kefford (nee Hudson) who married in the December quarter 1877 at Cambridge. They were living in Trumpington, Cambridgeshire in 1881, where Joseph was born c1856. They were all still living there (indexed as Kofford) in 1891 but by 1901 Thomas was no longer living with them. He has not been found on the 1901 Census for England, so could well have been in Scotland.
Thomas Edgley Kefford appears on the 1910 US Federal Census for Manhatten, New York with his wife Mary J Kefford. It would appear that they had only recently married from the "number of years married" column which stated 0. The marriage in 1909/10 has yet to be found. Thomas is shown as 30 and Mary as 23. His occupation was as a valet, which could be consistent with being a butler in 1901.
Thomas applied to become a naturalised American citizen on 2 January 1918. His US Army WW1 Registration Draft card is dated 12 September 1918 and shows his wife's full name as Mary Josephine Kefford. Unfortunately the card is not very legible so hard to read for any further information other than his date of birth on 24 September 1878.
On the 1930 US Federal Census he was living in Brooklyn, King's County, New York State with his wife Mary J Kefford. His age is given as 51 (so born about 1879) and age at marriage as 31(so married about 1910). Mary's respective ages were 42 (so born about 1888) and 22 and her birthplace given as the Irish Free State although her nationality was English.
Thomas died on 19 November 1961 and is buried in Long Island National Cemetery along with Mary who died on 22 November 1963. Their last address was 2040 Wellwood Avenue Farmingdale , NY. The dates of Thomas' service as a Private in the US Army are given as 14 Oct 1918 to 8 Jan 1919. His date of birth is given as 24 September 1883 and that of Mary as 18 July 1889. The years of birth seem to differ from those previously identified, particularly for Thomas.
At present no firm conclusions can be drawn as to whether Thomas E Kefford on the 1901 Census for Muthill and Thomas Edgley Kefford were the same man. The main doubt arises from his age in 1901 being 5 years overstated as 28, but this may have arisen by 23 being mistranscribed as 28 from the original enumeration book.
Also, in 1919 Thos Kefford age 41, Dept Man Hotel, and his wife age 30 arrived in Southampton from New York on SS Adriatic. Their address in the UK was given as 14 Alpha Terrace, Cambridge