John Henry James Dunford (1900 - 1940)

Born 19 Apr 1900 in South Norwood, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Violet Annie (Chapman) Scott — married 27 Feb 1922 in South Norwood, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Died 9 Sep 1940 at age 40 in Thornton Heath, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

John Henry James Dunford was born in South Norwood, Surrey in 1900. He was the son of Henry James Dunford and Charlotte Wawman.^[1][2]

John attended school at Whitehorse Road Infants School, Thornton Heath (1904), Whitehorse Road Junior School, also in Thornton Heath, (1907-10), and Portland Road Boys School in Croydon (1913-14).^[3][4][5]

On 27th February 1922, John married Violet Annie Chapman in St. Alban's church, South Norwood. Both John and Violet were then living at her parents' house at no. 85, Whitehorse Lane; John was a butcher by trade.^[6][7]

On the evening of September 9th/10th, John and his son, Kenneth, were visiting with Violet's parents at no. 85 Whitehorse Lane. It was the fourth successive night of bombing raids on London and environs. John and Kenneth were killed during that night's 8-1/2 hour long blitz.^[8][9][10]

Entry in "Civilian War Dead in the United Kingdom, 1939–1945" —

Dunford, John Henry James, age 40. Son of Henry James Dunford, of 65 Grange Park Road, Thornton Heath, and of the late Charlotte Dunford; husband of Violet Dunford, of 48 Benhurst Gardens, Selsdon. Died at Whitehorse Lane.^[11]

The city of Croydon raised a monument “to the memory of the men, women, and children who lost their lives as a result of enemy action in Croydon during the Second World War 1939–1945.”

Census enumerations

1911 census (England)

• Henry James Dunford, head, age 46, married, occupation: electrician; born in London, Middlesex
• Charlotte, wife, age 47, married 24 years, 11 children born and 10 living; born at Exeter, Devon
• Albert George, son, age 23, single, occupation: baker’s vanman; born at Croydon, Surrey
• Alice Rosina, daughter, age 20, single, occupation: Domestic [servant], part time; born at Bournemouth, Hants
• Thomas Cyril, age 16, single, occupation: apprentice in clock factory; born do. [ditto]
• Arthur Charles, son, age 14, occupation: house boy; born do.
• Dorothy Nellie, daughter, age 12; born in South Norwood, Surrey
• John Henry James, son, age 10, born do.
• Harold Nelson, son, age 9, born do.
• census place: 11 Buxton Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey^[12]

1939 register (England

• John H.J. Dunford, male, born 10 April 1900, married, occupation: butcher
• Viola [sic] A.,† female, born 11 February 1902, occupation: unpaid domestic duties [Note: †Scott surname written in at a later date.]
• Edna M.‡ female, born 14 June 1923, single, occupation: chemist’s shop assistant [Note: ‡Clarke surname written in at a later date.]
• Kenneth J., male, born 27 December 1925, single, at school
• address: 48 Benhurst Gardens, [Selsdon, parish of Sanderstead], Croydon, Surrey^[13][14]

Sources

1. ↑ General Register Office, England and Wales. Index of Civil Registrations of BIrths. Index entry: John Henry J Dunford, 2nd quarter ending 30th June 1900, Croydon RD (Surrey), vol. 2a, pg. 289. Transcript by Keith William Wawman (1929–2009) of Horley, Surrey, genealogist, and relative in the Wawman line, 2001-03-14; confirmed to digital image online at ancestry.com (accessed 2006-05-14).
2. ↑ General Register Office of England and Wales. Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth. Extract: Superintendent Registrar’s District: Croydon, Registrar’s District: Croydon, Counties of Croydon and Surrey. No. 30. John Henry James Dunford, born 19th April 1900 at no. 26 Thirsk Road, South Norwood, Croydon U.D.; son of Henry James Dunford, carpenter (journeyman) and Charlotte Dunford formerly Wawman; informant: C. Dunford, mother, of 26 Thirsk Road, South Norwood; registered 31st May 1900, Edwin Bailey, registrar. Copy purchased by Alison Kilpatrick, 29 September 2020 (ref. COL554000/2020/10).
3. ↑ England. National School Admission Registers and Log-in Books, 1870–1914. Whitehorse Road Infants School, Thornton Heath, Surrey. Extract: Admission no. 4235; date of admission: 27 April 1904; name: John Dunford; parent: Henry Dunford; residence: 26 Thirsk; date of birth: 19-4-00. Transcripts per DC Thomson Family History, Croydon Archives. Archival ref. SCH146-2-2. Digital image online at ancestry.ca (accessed 2020-10-10).
4. ↑ England. National School Admission Registers and Log-in Books, 1870–1914. Whitehorse Road Manor Junior School, Thornton Heath, Surrey. Extract: Admission no. 5215; date of admission: 8 April 1907; name: John Dunford; residence: 26 Thirsk; date of birth: 19-4-00; parent: Harry Dunford; last school: Infant Dep’t; date of last attendance: 6-5-10. Transcripts per DC Thomson Family History, Croydon Archives. Archival ref. SCH147-1-2-4. Digital image online at ancestry.ca (accessed 2020-10-10).
5. ↑ England. National School Admission Registers and Log-in Books, 1870–1914. Whitehorse Road Infants School, Thornton Heath, Surrey. Extracts: (i) Admission no. 527; date of admission: 25 February 1913; name: John Henry James Dunford; residence: 65 Harrington Road; not claiming exemption from religious instruction, date of birth: 19-4-00; parent: Henry James Dunfor; last school: St Saviour’s, Croydon; date of last attendance: 15-5-14; reason for leaving: exempt by age. (ii) Admission no. 528; date of admission: 3 March 1913; name: Harold Nelson Dunford; do. [ditto], …; date of birth: 19-12-01; do., …; date of last attendance: 12-6-14; reason for leaving: left district. Transcripts per DC Thomson Family History, Croydon Archives. Archival ref. SCH127-2-7. Digital image online at ancestry.ca (accessed by subscription, 2020-10-10).
6. ↑ General Register Office, England and Wales. Index of Civil Registrations of Marriages. Index entry: John Dunford and Violet Chapman, 1st quarter ending 31st 1922, Croydon RD (Surrey), vol. 2a, pg. 502. Transcript by Keith William Wawman (1929–2009) of Horley, Surrey, genealogist, and relative in the Wawman line, 2001-03-14; confirmed to digital image online at ancestry.com (accessed 2006-05-14).
7. ↑ General Register Office of England and Wales. Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage. Extract: Marriage solemnized at St. Alban’s Church in the parish of St. Alban’s, South Norwood, Surrey. John Dunford, age 22, bachelor, occupation: butcher, resident of 85 Whitehorse Lane, father: Henry James Dunford, electrician. Violet Chapman, age 20, spinster, occupation: char woman, resident of [same], father: Edward George Chapman, warehouse man. Married on 27 February 1922 according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, after banns, by the Rev. Chas. P. Bardsley, Vicar; witnesses: George Edward Chapman, Ellen Harriet Chapman. Copy purchased by Alison Kilpatrick, 2010-07-22 (ref. no. 6, application no. 2495865/2, MSE 976069.)
8. ↑ General Register Office, England and Wales. Index of Civil Registrations of Deaths. Index entry: John H.J. Dunford, aged 40 years, 3rd quarter ending 30th September 1940, Croydon RD (Surrey), vol. 2a, pg. 1274. Digital image online at ancestry.com (accessed 2006-01-29).
9. ↑ General Register Office of England and Wales. Certified Copy of an Entry of Death. Extract: Registration district: Croydon, sub-district: Croydon North, County Borough of Croydon. John Henry James Dunford, male, aged 40 years, of 48, Benhurst Gardens, Selsdon, Croydon, occupation: journeyman butcher, died on 10th September 1940 at 85, Whitehorse Lane;‡ cause of death: due to war operations; informant: certificate receive from E. Taberner, clerk to the Croydon Council; registered 12th September 1940, Cyril E. Wilson, registrar. Copy purchased by Alison Kilpatrick, 2005-05-05 (ref. no. 178, application no. COL310175, D&YB 020617). [‡ John Dunford’s wife’s parents’ house.]
10. ↑ England & Wales. National Probate Calendar. Index entry: “DUNFORD, John Henry James, of 48 Benhurst-gardens, Selsdon, Surrey, died 10 September 1940, at 85 Whitehorse-lane, South Norwood, Surrey; Administration: Llandudno, 14 March (1941) to Violet Annie Dunford, widow. Effects £526.” Digital image online at ancestry.ca (accessed 2011-02-06).
11. ↑ Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Civilian War Dead in the United Kingdom, 1939–1945. (7 vols.) Extracts: (1) “DUNFORD, John Henry James, age 40. Son of Henry James Dunford, of 65 Grange Park Road, Thornton Heath, and of the late Charlotte Dunford; husband of Violet Dunford, of 48 Benhurst Gardens, Selsdon. 9 September 1940, at Whitehorse Lane.” John died, with son Kenneth, at 85, Whitehorse Lane in Thornton Heath.” (2) “DUNFORD, Kenneth John, age 14. Son of Violet Dunford, of 48 Benshurst Gardens, Selsdon, and of John Henry James Dunford, 9 September 1940, at Whitehorse Lane.” London: Peter Singlehurst, 1954-57. Digital image online at ancestry.ca (accessed 2010-07-22). Extracts available online at cwgc.org (accessed 2010-07-22).
12. ↑ England 1911 Census. Household of Henry James and Charlotte Dunford, with children: Albert George, Alice Rosina, Thomas Cyril, Arthur Charles, Dorothy Nellie, John Henry James, and Harold Nelson, in Thornton Heath, Surrey. Original record: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA) Series RG14, 1911. Archival ref. piece 3361, G14PN3361 RG78PN126 RD39 SD3 ED39 SN97; registration district: Croydon (no. 39), sub-district: West Croydon, enumeration district no. 39, civil parish of Croydon. Digital image online at findmypast.co.uk (extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 2010-05-27).
13. ↑ England 1939 Register. Household of John H.J. and VIolet Dunford, with children, in Croydon, Surrey. Original record: 1939 Register (Series RG101), The National Archives, Kew, London, England. Archival ref. RG 101/1338G, registration district and sub-district nos. 31/3, enumeration district: CMLY, borough: Coulsdon and Purley Health District Co[—]; schedule no. 213, sub-schedule no. 1. Digital image online at ancestry.ca (extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 2020-10-11).
14. ↑ Surrey, England. Electoral Registers, 1832–1962. Extract: Register of Electors, 1936. Eastern Parliamentary Division of the County of Surrey. Polling District of Selsdon & Farleigh (V) (2 parts–part 1). Parish of Sanderstead (part). in the County Electoral Division of Sanderstead. John Henry James Dunford, no. 722, and Violet Anne [sic], no. 723, at 48 Benhurst Gardens. (pg 16.) Record held by Surrey History Centre; Woking, Surrey, England; Surrey Electoral Registers; Reference: CC802/53/2. Digital image online at ancestry.ca (extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 2022-03-10).