d. 27th April 1942 at 24 Arran Street, Cardiff, Wales, aged 78 of "Coronory Thrombosis"
Parents:
Father - George Ashford (1826 - 1915)
Mother - Elizabeth Higgins (???? - 1907)
Siblings:
(Information from the 1871/81 Censuses and freebmd.org.uk)
Anna Ashford (born c1856)
Silas Ashford (born c1858)
Oliver George Ashford (born 1861)
Ellen Ashford (born 1866)
Thomas Ashford (born 1868)
Henry Charles Ashford (born 1870)
Mary Ann Ashford (born 1873)
Married:
1) Jim Hitchcock (1860-1889) on 27th December 1884 (Marriage Certificate)
2) George Henry Edwards : 14th October 1891 at Cardiff, Wales (Marriage Certificate)
Children:
Solomon Hitchcock (1886-1931)
Lilian Mary Elizabeth Hitchcock (1887-1889)
Henry Charles Edwards (1894-1950)
Information: I found Elizabeth's maiden name from her son Henry's Birth Certificate. The 1901 Census gives her birth details as 1862 in Sutton, Somerset. However, the 1881 Census does not quite tally - there is a mention of an 18 year old unmarried Elizabeth Ashford, Occupation - General Serv(Domestic) born in 1863 in "Sutton Near Castle Cary", which is in Somerset. In 1881 she worked for a woman named Maria Salamon , and they resided at 10 Charlotte Street, Walcot, Somerset, England. Pretty tenuous links, I'm afraid.
Elizabeth moved to Cardiff from Somerset to work "in service". She met and then married Jim Hitchcock (son of Solomon Hitchcock) of Harold Street, Roath, Cardiff in December 1884. At the time of this marriage, she was 22 and lived at 50, Richmond Road, Roath, Cardiff. They had two children, Solomon (named after Jim's father) and Lilian (see below). When widowed, she married George Henry Edwards in October 1891, who was 8 years younger. In 1892, Thomas George Edwards was born, followed in 1894 by Henry Charles Edwards
George and Elizabeth's Marriage Certificate (14th Oct 1891) gives their address as 24, Talworth Street, Roath, Cardiff . Information received tells me they lodged at the same property after she was widowed. George probably moved to Cardiff from Tredegar to find work. The certificate also shows that 3 years were added to his age, and 2 years taken off Elizabeth's, showing their ages as 23 and 26 respectively. It would seem that eyebrows may have been raised by an 8 year age gap in 1891?
By 1894, Elizabeth and George lived at 20 Blanch Street, Roath, Cardiff, where Henry Charles was born.
Seven years later, the 1901 Census states that they lived at 156 Cyfartha Street, Roath, Cardiff. Elizabeth and George lived in 21 Deri Road, Roath, Cardiff by 1917. After George's death in 1929, Elizabeth moved to 24, Arran Street, Roath, Cardiff.
Henry was posted to India during the first world war, where he met and married Faith Marjorie Bartley, and had three children. The family visited Elizabeth in 1938, after a six week sea voyage, and are pictured at 24, Arran Street, Roath, Cardiff in Elizabeth's album
Also found this photo, which tells a very sad story. (Click it to enlarge)
This shows us that Elizabeth and Jim were married (1884), had their first child Solomon in 1886, and then a daughter, Lilian in 1887. Lilian died at the age of just two, on October 11th 1889. Only two months later, on December 11th 1889, Jim also died, aged 29, leaving Elizabeth to raise Solomon alone. Stories handed down say that Jim's death was a direct result of Lilians. Solomon died in 1931, aged 45 of an epileptic fit while his mother was away looking after her grandchildren in London, who had Scarlet Fever. It's possible she may have saved him had she been at home. Elizabeth outlived at least two of her children, and both husbands.
Location of the grave: CATHAYS CEMETERY (Cardiff) Section: U Grave No: 651)
The headstone was removed in the 1970's when new grass-cutting equipment was purchased by Cardiff Council, which needed more space to operate!