My father’s family tree has roots that stretch back to the Alford family. My great grandmother was Rose Ella (Brumfield) Brown, born 18 July 1867 in Mississippi. Her mother was Martha Elizabeth Alford [daughter of Edwin Barksdale Alford & Martha P. Smith].
John Alford, 1645 – 1710, is the earliest Alford who we can point to with confidence, and say, this is our direct ancestor. John was born in Virginia c 1645.[i] The names of his parents have been lost with time. We can find John in the records of eastern Virginia in the County of New Kent, established in 1654. The area’s early inhabitants were of English stock and the area was named for Kent, England.[ii] The boundaries of the county changed over time but we know our ancestor was granted land there. In 1682 John Alford had two land grants in New Kent County.
John died in New Kent, Virginia on 14 March 1709/10.[iii] We do not know the name of his wife but we know the couple had at least five children born in New Kent County: James Alford, Elizabeth (Alford) Winfrey, William Alford, Mary (Alford) Wood and John Alford. These children and other Alfords are included in the records of the county and the parish.
[i] Saunders, C. A. (2005) My Alford Heritage (Limited Edition). Texas: Morgan Printing.
[ii] New Kent Chamber of Commerce, ‘New Kent County Virginia History’, http://www.newkent.net/history.html.
[iii] The Parish Register of Saint Peter’s New Kent, County, Virginia 1680-1787 (Parish Record Series, No. 2). (1904). Richmond, VA: National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Virginia: Reprint, Greenville, S.C., Southern Historical Press, Inc.
TIMELINE of the ALFORD Family.
Read More About
- Edwin Barksdale Alford 1792 – 1878
- Ina L. (Brown) Alford 1890 – 1972
- Ira P. Alford 1822 – 1901
- Jacob Alford b. 1761
- James Alford c. 1687 – c. 1730
- Julius Alford 1717 – 1771
- Julius N Alford 1838 – 1916
- Martha E (Alford) Brumfield 1846 – c1910
- Martha P (Smith) Alford 1802 – 1861
Websites
- The Alford American Family Association This is a great site!
Selected Sources
- Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Pike County, Mississippi. Deluxe. Norman, Oklahoma: Arphax Publishing Co., 2005. [Other counties available from publisher]
- Clawson, Alma Dell Magee, Fields of Bloom. Privately Printed, 1972.
- Conerly, Luke Ward. Pike County Mississippi, Pioneer Families & Confederate Soldiers, 1798 – 1876. 2008 Edition. Madison, Georgia: Southern Lion Books, 1909.
- Conerly, Luke Ward, Source records from Pike County, Mississippi 1798 – 1910. South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1989.
- Creel, Bevin J. A Patriot’s Legacy: The Family of Richard Dillon and Ann Lawrence From Bertie County, North Carolina To Southern Mississippi and Louisiana. Franklinton, Louisiana: Privately Printed, 2002.
- Haymon, Serena Abbess. Pike County, Mississippi School Census, 1885. Greenwell Springs, LA.
- Haymon, Serena Abbess. Pike County, Mississippi School Census, 1890. Greenwell Springs, LA.
- Heard, Ruby Alford and Gil Alford, ‘Early Mississippi Alfords,’ AAFA (1990) p. 35and (1991) p. 22.
- Magee, Zuma Fendlason. Selected Obituaries from Louisiana (Washington & Tangipahoa Parishes) and from Mississippi (Pike, Walthall & Marion Counties). Volume II. Franklinton, Louisiana: Privately printed, 1976. From Franklinton Library, LA.
- Parish, Ray and June Sartin. Cemetery Inscriptions of Pike County, Mississippi.
- Saunders, Carolyn Alford. “Getting to Know Warren Jackson Alford.” AAFA Action Official Publication of the Alford Maerican Family Association XIX(2006): 6 – 7.
- Saunders, Carolyn Alford. My Alford Heritage. Texas: Morgan Printing, Limited Edition, 2005.
- Williams, E. Russ. Abstracts of Obituaries from the Minutes of the Magee’s Creek Baptist Association (Mississippi and Louisiana), 1882 – 1924. Monroe, Louisiana: Privately printed, 1978. From the Louisiana Archives, Baton Rouge, LA.
- Williams, Jr., Ernest Russ. A Potpourri of Historical Data concerning the Founding Families and Individuals of Washington Parish, Louisiana, 1798 – 1860. Monroe, LA: Northeast Louisiana University, 1990. FHL 976.311