
Rebecca Culliford
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[cullname]
Culliford This was originally a Saxon place name predating the Norman invasion and apparently first used in Devon. It is place-derived, probably from two places both called Cullaford, one near South Tawton and the other near Buckfastleigh. Alternatively another suggestion is that there is some connection to Coleford in Gloucestershire, some cite an Old English form Coleford, literally meaning ‘the dweller at the ford belonging to Cula’. Still others suggest a link with Gulliford in Dorset. So it is securely a West Country name, and Somerset is home to many Cullifords. There are many variants – Colliford, Collyford, Culliford, Cullyford, Collaford, Cullaford, Culiford, Coliford, Culliforth, Colliforth, Collaforth, Collyforth… Significiant Colefords: Robert Culliford (1617-1698) was an English pirate from Cornwall who worked with the more notable Captain William Kidd. Culliford and Kidd met as shipmates aboard the French privateer Sainte Rose in 1689, they and other British comrades mutinied against a French prize crew, taking the ship and renaming it the Blessed William, with Kidd put in command. But in February, 1690, Culliford led his own mutiny and deprived Kidd of his command. Culliford sailed with the pirates through the Caribbean, sacking ships and attacking a town. They went on to New York to sell their booty. Culliford eventually made his way across to India in 1692, where they robbed and abused the local population. The Gujaratis captured Culliford and seventeen of his comrades. Culliford spent the next four years in a Gujarati prison. In 1696 Culliford and some of his comrades escaped and made their way to Bombay, where they signed aboard the East India Company ketch Josiah. In Madras they commandeered the ship, returned to piracy, and sailed for the Bay of Bengal. Pierre Culliford (1928–1992), aka Peyo was the Belgian creator of the Smurfs. |
[culltree]
Culliford family tree
We were able to trace the lineage from GGM1 – Rebecca Culliford to GGF5 – Nicholas Culliford:
GGF1 – Wiliam Charles Allen 1851-1935 – 36 Kingsmead Street, Bath, Somerset GGM1 – Rebecca Culliford 1851-1918 – Walcot, Bath, Somerset married 21 May 1871 Parish of Widcombe, Bath | Ada Louise Allen (Hales) 1871- William Charles Allen 1874-1922 GF – Walter Thomas Allen 1877-1930 Henry F Allen 1819-1961 Dennis Allen 1879- Alfred A Allen 1880-1967 Rebecca Allen 1882- Reginald Herbert ‘Bertie’ Allen 1884-1957 Elizabeth Maggie Allen (Piles) 1886-1961 Caroline Louisa Allen (Power) 1888- Frank Allen 1889- Elsie Ellen Allen (Humphries) 1890-1992 Kate Allen (Millar) 1892-1977 |
GGF2 – Walter Culliford 1817-1876 – Walcot. Bath, Somerset GGM2 – Rebeccca Brockbrow 1821-1884 Wiltshire married 26 Jan 1846 • Bath, Somerset | Elizabeth Culliford 1846-1918 Emma Culliford 1848 Emily Culliford 1849-1912 GGM1 – Rebecca Culliford 1851-1918 |
GGF3 – George Culliford (II) 1778-1860 – Bampton Devon GGM3 – Susanna Jenkins 1779- – Richmond, Surrey married 29 Aug 1802, St Marys, Putney, London — GGF3- Chris Long 1779- married 1816 | George Culliford 1803-1814 Thomas Culliford 1805-1864 William Culliford 1807-1816 Mary Anne Culliford (Lamb) 1808-1924 Sophia Culliford 1811- GU – James Culliford 1812-1901 – Eton’s head butler Frederick Culliford 1814-1875 George Culliford 1815-1878 — GGF2 – Walter Culliford 1817-1876 Emma Culliford (Adams)1819-1881 |
GGF4 – George Culliford (I) 1739-1805 – Bampton, Devon GGM4 – Jane Jenny Philips 1740-1785 – Devon married 1769 | John Culliford 1771- Betty Culliford 1772- Hugh Culliford 1776-1859 GGF3 – George Culliford (II) 1778-1860 Mary Culliford (Tobin) 1780- Jenny Culliford 1783- |
GGF5 – Nicholas Culliford 1710-1757 – Bampton, Devon GGM5 – Jane Charity Goodman 1714-1780 – Bampton, Devon married 10 Jul 1737 | Hugh Culliford 1738- GGF4 – George Culliford (I) 1739-1805 Mary Culliford 1743- John Culliford 1746- |
[ggm1Rebecca]
GGM1 – Rebecca Culliford 1851-1918
Rebecca is the first of the Culliford family tree. Rebecca married my wife’s great grandfather GGF1 – William Charles Allen on 21 May 1871 and they had thirteen children together across the next twenty years.
On 10 Oct 1873 at twenty-two years of age Rebecca is recorded as receiving a two-month jail sentence in Shepton Mallet gaol, for stealing an umbrella at Bath on 3 October, worth ten shillings and sixpence, the property of Matilda Slade. She served her sentence until 12 Dec 1873.
The gaol register recording this sentence shows that she could read and write ‘well’, but also adds her ‘priors’. In June 1867 Rebecca, just 16 years old, had been given six months in jail for stealing a dress and an umbrella. In July 1868 she was convicted of obtaining a dress worth ten shillings by false pretences from Sophia Wallace, and separately endeavouring to obtain a dress from Ann Webb. For this she was sentenced to nine months and a day. For this earlier offence her occupation was shown as ‘servant’.
Between the two offences, the 1871 census shows her occupation as ‘laundry’. She was aged twenty, living at home with her 54-year-old labourer father, Walter Culliford, and her 50-year-old charwoman mother Rebecca [Brockbow] Culliford.
These reflect on the harsh regime applied to someone who was clearly very poor. However, the later 1873 offence was when she had been married to William Charles Allen for two years and had two infants.
At the time of the 1881 census William and Rebecca lived at 24 Bathwick Place in Bath. William was a ‘draper’s porter’ – presumably working with his father William Charles Allen, Rebecca was shown as a laundress and they had four children living at home – Ada (10), William Charles II (6), Walter Thomas (4) and Alfred A (6 mths). I found no subsequent records of any misdemeanours by Rebecca.
A full list of their thirteen children is here.
[ggf2Walter]
GGF2 – Walter Culliford 1817-1876
Walter was born at London Street, Walcot Bath in 1817, and baptised on 26 Jan 1817 at Walcot St Swithins, Bath, Somerset. His parents were GGF3 – George Culliford (II) (1778-1860) from Bampton, Devon and his second wife Chris Long (1779- ), they married in 1816 at St James, Bath. [George had previously married Susanna Jenkins (1779- ) of Richmond, Surrey, they married at St Mary’s Putney in 1802 and they had nine children.]
George Culliford (1803-1814) | died young |
Thomas Culliford (1805–1864) Rachell Raymond (1805- ) married 1823 | Thomas Culliford (1815-1875) John Culliford (1828-1895) Frederick Culliford (1829- ) Alfred Culliford (1834- ) Abigail Maddie Culliford (1837-1897) Nathaniel Culliford (1837- ) Emma Culliford (1838- ) Emily Culliford (1839-) Elizabeth Culliford (1841- ) Louisa Culliford (1842- ) |
William Culliford (1807–1816) | died young |
Mary Anne Culliford (1808–1868) John Edward Lamb (1805- ) married 1828 | Emma Mary Ann Lamb (1851- ) |
Elizabeth Culliford (1809–) James Adams (1808- ) married 1839 | Alexander Adams (1846- ) |
Sophia Culliford (1811–) | No data on spouse or issue |
![]() James Culliford (1812–1901) Eton head butler – more below Eliza Bull (1812- ) married ? | James Culliford (1850- ) George Culliford (1852- ) Sarah Culliford (1853- ) |
Frederick Culliford (1814–1875) Eliza Ann Roberts (or Duffield?) (1836–1912) married? | Frederick Culliford (1851–) James Culliford (1853–1921) Emma Culliford (1855–1937) Samuel Culliford (1858–) Amelia Culliford (1860–1885) Thomas Culliford (1862–) Alexander Culliford (1863–1866) Walter Culliford (1864–) Eliza Annie Culliford (1866–1868) Elizabeth Culliford (1868–) |
George Culliford (1815–1878) | In 1861 at 58 yrs old, George is unmarried, with four servants, declared as a miller and farmer. 1871 Census shows as 68 yrs, unmarried, living in Tolland Taunton, operating as a miller and farmer of 15 acres, with one labouurer and his household has a housekeeper and two servants |
— | |
GGF2 – Walter Culliford (1817–1876) GGM2 – Rebecca Brockbow (1821-1884) married 26 Jan 1846 at Bath | Elizabeth Culliford (1846–1907) Emily Emma Culliford (1848–1912) Rebecca Culliford (1851–1918) |
Emma Culliford (1819–1881) William Adams (1820-1885), a dairy farmer married 1841 Woodbridge Farm at Brislington Bristol, employing one dairy maid | Elizabeth Harriet Adams (1841-1897) |
[ggu2James]
GGU2 – James Culliford (1812-1901)
![]() Portrait of liveried James Culliford | ![]() Rear of portrait – inscribed ‘James Culliford the last Chief Butler at Eton College to wear the Eton livery. Died 1901 aged 89. Scene – The College Pump in the Cloisters. Presented to Eton by Lord Rosebery, March 1951.’ |
Born in Somerset, by the 1851 Census James at 38 was living at 103 Praed Street, Paddington and described as a servant, his wife Eliza (39) was an Embroiderer.
But by 1861 he was living at Eton College in the Headmaster’s Servants’ Lodge as the Butler to the Headmaster. By 1871 he and his family lived in Cotton Hall, an Eton College Boarding House, as Head Butler of Eton College. His daughter Sarah is shown as a dressmaker.
By 1881, still Head Butler, at 68, he now lived at 35 High Street, Eton. His son George is shown living there and described as a tailor’s clerk. In 1891 he was living at 29a High St, Eton and, now 78, was described as a Butler.
James died in 1901 at Eton.
[ggf3Georgetwo]
GGF3 – George Culliford (II) 1778-1860
George (II) was born in Bampton Devon, his parents were George (I) 1739-1805 and Jane Jenny Phillips (1740-1785).
See above, he married twice, first to Susanna Jenkins in 1802 at St Marys, Putney, London with whom he had nine children, and then to Chris Long in 1816, with whom he had two children. Susanna was declared as un upholstress in 1851 and a seamstress in 1861.
He died in Bath Somerset in October 1860.
[ggf4Georgeone]
GGF4 – George Culliford (I) 1739-1805
George (II) was born in Bampton Devon, his parents were GGF5 – Nicholas Culliford and Jane ‘Charity’ Goodman 1714-1780. He married Jane Jenny Phillip (1740-1785) in 1769 and they had six children – see above.
George (I) died in Bampton Devon in 1805
[ggf5Nicholas]
GGF5 – Nicholas Culliford 1710-1757
We can find no record of the parents of Nicholas, though he was born and died in Bampton Devon. Married in 1737 to Charity Goodman at St. Michael and All Angels, Bampton, they had four children – see above..
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