SOCIETY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION: Walford of Castle St Holborn proposed member 20.7.1792 by John Augustus Bonney 2nded Bush (Atkinson or Michael?)
Three apothecaries named John Walford left PCC wills, in 1802 of Garlickhithe, London, in 1807 of Bell Savage Buildings, Ludgate Hill, and in 1822 of Castle St, Holborn. This last was also of Castle St Holborn when his daughter was baptised in 1793 so is most likely the SCI member, but his directory entries gave different Holborn addresses, SunFire 1777 John Walford apothecary chymist corner of Featherstone Buildings Holborn, SunFire 1781 & 1784 John Walford apothecary Queen Sq Ormond St, Universal British Directory 1791 John Walford surgeon Red Lion Sq. He seems to have been a Middlesex magistrate from 1770 and then surgeon to several prisons including Cold Bath Fields, see his petition Middlesex Sessions 10.1.1783 of Constitution Row, Grays Inn Lane to be appointed governor of Clerkenwell House of Correction, and Middlesex Sessions 23.10.1793 Messrs Walford & Good elected surgeons & apothecaries to Clerkenwell House of Correction, Nat Arch HO 42/31/73 f180 letter (signature illiegible) dated 10.6.1794 reporting that John Walford, formerly coal merchant of Stratford, Essex, late apothecary of Holborn, London, and now apothecary and man midwife of Ware, Hertfordshire, is a member of the constitutional society and an intimate friend of John Stone, now in Paris,. He had also been a friend of William Stone, now in Newgate, until they had fallen out and become inveterate enemies. Middlesex Sessions letter from John Walford 16.2.1795 blaming shortcomings on his former partner Mr Good. John Walford son of Edwin Walford late of Bocking, Essex, deceased was apprenticed 1743 to Thos Green of the Apothecaries Company, and John Walford was apprenticed 1769 to his father John, citizen & Apothecary, and a John Walford was apprenticed 1765 to Robert Freeman, surgeon of Uxbridge. There was also a Theophilus Walford attorney of Red Lion Sq his will PCC 1813 who was variously of Chipping Norton, Red Lion Square, Upper Mall Hammersmith, and Waldershare, Kent who died 16.7.1811, his wife was Agnes Gibbs and his brother William Walford of Banbury will PCC 1812, A John son of Thomas Walford of Sibford, Oxon was made free of the Apothecaries Company in 1795 so there may have been some family connection between Theophilus Walford whose family came from Sibford, and some of the John Walford apothecaries. The SCI John Walford married 31.3.1792 as John Walford junior bachelor at St Andrew's Holborn Harriet Shakeshaft Cooper spinster of All Saints Hertford, wits John Walford, H Killingley.. The will PCC 8.5.1792 of Robert Harris Cooper of Brabant Court, Philpot lane, London merchant and of Hunsdon & Stanstead Abbott, Herts farmer dated 25.12.1790 codicil 7.3.1792 mentioned his intended wife Esther Dench mother of five of his children, and also his daughter Harriet Cooper whose proper name was Shakeshaft, and made Hannah Killingley and John Augustus Tulk (QV* Swedenborgians) two of his executors. Robert Harris Cooper had married Mary Lambe in 1769 and his wife was presumably still living. Hannah Killingley was the widow of Robert Hare Killingley will PCC 25.11.1809 who was baptised 25.4.1733 at Castle Court Independent, Nottingham, died 13.11.1809, and who had married, as bachelor of St Mary Axe, St Andrew Undershaft, London at St Peter Birstall, Yorks on 15.1.1756 Rachel Priestley spinster and minor, wit Joseph Priestley (this witness was possibly Joseph Priestley DNB 1733-1804 who came from Birstall though at this time he was becoming estranged from his family). I haven't found the record of Robert Hare Killingley's marriage to his later wife Hannah but her name may have been Shakeshaft and she may have already been the mother of Harriot by Robert Harris Cooper when she married Killingley, as she was witness at Harriot's wedding to John Walford, and in her will PCC 5.1.1821 dated 31.1.1812 she asked to be buried with her late husband at Cowbridge meeting house Hertford and left her estate to Harriot wife of John Walford of Guy's Hospital London, surgeon, and her children. The first child listed, Mary Ann or Marian, I haven't found a baptism record for, but the second child, Hannah Killingley Walford, was baptised 19.5.1793 at St Andrew Holborn, born 18.2.1783 dau of John & Harriot Walford of Castle St Holborn. Unless the 1783 is a mistake (and year of birth was only usually added if different from year of baptism) then she was probably born out of wedlock and Harriot's marriage to John Walford may have been postponed until her father Robert Harris Cooper's death. John & Harriot Walford's next child, Robert Augustus, was baptised 1.1.1795 as of Great Amwell, Herts, and the next child, George Henry James Walford was baptised as an adult (a silversmith) at St Andrew Holborn on 6.4.1820, having been born on 16.3.1798 at Treworth, Constantine, near Falmouth, Cornwall ("father an apothecary"). Their last two children Angelina & Edwin, were baptised 8.3.1807 at Cury, Cornwall, having been born, presumably as twins on 24.3.1801. All six were mentioned in Hannah Killingley's will but in the will PCC 1822 dated 1819 of John Walford, Edwin is not mentioned so had probably died young. Harriot his wife was still living and his daughter Hannah Killingley was the wife of Edmund Briggs of Leadenhall St, woolllen draper.