The Barfoot Family - Kent/Surrey/London areas

My great-great-grandfather, Harry (or Henry) BARFOOT(BAREFOOT)was born in about 1805 in Kent (?Chelsfield) and baptised in Plumstead, the son of Joseph BARFOOT and Mary (nee ROUND). He married Mary Ann AVIS (1804-?1887), daughter of John AVIS and Sarah (nee STRATFORD), from Amersham, Bucks in 1826. Their first two children were born there before the family moved to London where Henry snr. became one of the first wave of men to be recruited to the Metropolitan Police, in September 1829. He became an Inspector by 1833, remaining as such until he resigned in 1847. The family lived at various addresses in the Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea areas during this and later periods. After leaving the police force, Henry was variously described as "clerk", "house agent" and "painter"!
He and Mary Ann had at least 11 children, several of whom died in infancy.

Their second son William was my Gt-Grandfather. He married Eliza Sarah SAUNDERS (c.1830-1864), daughter of John Saunders (hatter) and Ellinor (nee PHAIR), on Christmas Day 1853. William, like his father,had a range of jobs, being variously shown as "whitesmith", "general smith", "blacksmith", "gas fitter". Eliza,33, died of typhoid and William was left with six young children - Eliza Eleanor Mary Ann (b.Dec. 1855); Harriet Elizabeth Sarah (b. June 1857); William Joseph (b. Oct. 1858); Harry John (my grandfather - born Oct. 1860); Etna Teresa, (b.1862); and Emma Isabella (b.Feb. 1864 - just six months before her mother's death). William may have remarried to a (Julia) Louisa, a tailoress from Oxfordshire.

My grandfather, Harry John BARFOOT, and his wife Marie Annie Lucy (nee POOLE) had six children and a "foster" son, George POOLE. Harry John served in the army in Egypt, having joined up when only 11 or 12. He and his brother, William Joseph, both served with 1st battalion Gordon Highlanders, Harry being promoted to Serjeant by the age of only 22. He returned from Cairo in 1884 and by April 1891 was at an address in Deptford, shown as "mercantile clerk". He remains as clerk or "bank/company messenger" until his death in 1937.

Harry John and Marie's children - all born before the couple's marriage on January 29, 1901 - were Elise Marie Harriette ("Elsie") (later MAHONEY, BISLEY and ROWSELL) (1886-1980); Ellen Dorothy Constance ("Pip")(1888-1987);Edgar Harry William (1890-1918); Archibald Victor Graham ("Archie" or "Duggie")(1892-1974); Muriel Agnes Cecilia ("Maisie") (later HALE);and Cecil Redvers Gordon (1900-1985) - my father.

Any information on any of the above - and particularly on the POOLE side of the family - would be much appreciated.

Related Links

• Richard Smith's homepage re. Hampshire Barfoot families