Introduction

 

If you have LAWFORD ancestry in Hampshire, Dorset or Jersey there’s a good chance that we are related some where down the line. The reason being that most LAWFORD's in these areas, can be traced back to my 3 x great grandfather Charles LAWFORD (born circa 1760) or Ezekiel LAWFORD (married 1778) who I believe could be brothers. In total I have probably traced around 1000 descendants of Charles and Ezekiel.

The earliest knowledge I have for my LAWFORD's, occurs in Ringwood Hampshire. Before that it’s not clear, though if we listen to family legend, it would seem that they where either Dutch Pirates or French Protestant refugees who fled France to avoid prosecution. The interesting thing with these theory’s is that it’s said that they landed at Mudeford in Dorset and we know that the LAWFORD surname derives from residence by or at a muddy ford.

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