Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Hind-Yelf Tragedy

A recent comment regarding the Hind-Yelf branch of the family reminded me of this extract I came across from a New Zealand newspaper circa 1890s, of all places.


Quite how they picked up the details of this tragic tale on the other side of the world and why they thought it was worthy of reporting I'm not sure, but it certainly explains some of the confusions I had with regard to understanding the genealogy of this particular part of the family. I'm also intrigued at the mention of Guernsey as the island has come up a couple of times in different Yelf references, so it looks as though there may be some deeper links to be explored there








9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was thrilled to see this article as Joseph Yelf was my great great grandfather (by his "real" wife, not the unfortunate Ms. Hinds.) As I understand it there was some speculation he actually poisoned Ms. Hinds to get her money, but according to this that isn't true. Such a relief as I wouldn't like to be the great great granddaughter of a murdererer! Thank you so much for your interesting blog.

Anonymous said...

Hi Yelfy,
I do like a mystery and so just had to follow this Hind-Yelf story to find out more!
Firstly, as you know, it pays to keep an open mind about the spelling/transcribing of Yelf!!!
In 1891 Joseph is transcibed on ancestry as YELL and is a widower aged 72 at Hunney Hill Heytsbury Rd. Newport IofW with his 7 children all of whom have Hind as their middle name...Twins Frances & Gertrude are 15 [dressmaker], John 14 [stationers porter],Edith 13, Dora 10 and Gerald 8 [all scholars] and Archibald 6.
In 1881 Joseph is down as YELT on ancestry at Buxton Cottage Newport [if you look at the will for Edith who died as a spinster on 28/5/1935 the address is given as Buxton Cottage Hunney Hill Newport as it has stayed in the family]
Joseph is 62 a retired coachman [coachman is crossed out] and his wife Francis Elizabeth 40 born Gomalston Nottinghamshire, his children Francis & Gertrude are both 6 [twins born Canterbury Kent, John 4 b.Carisbooke, Edith 3 b.Newport and Dora 1 b.Carisbooke....and all listed as YELT on ancestry!
So looking for Frances Elizabeth Hind bc 1841 Gomalston Notts you find her there aged 4mths and her birth is registered AMJ 1841at Southwell Notts. V15 P447.
1851 you find her there aged 10 the daughter of Thomas Hind 46 a farmer of 350acres employing 6 labourers born Gonalston, his wife Frances E.43 born Wiverton Hall.
In 1861 you find them under HINDE.... Frances E. 21 with her parents Thomas 56 and Frances Eliz. 56 plus her brother John M. who is 25 with what appears to be a medical degree from London but "not pharmacy".All still in Gomalston.
In 1871 she is still in Gomalston and is described as 'Head' single 36 a cottager.
I have not found a marriage for her to Joseph but it seems they didn't marry and probably why the children have her surname as a middle name.
So now we come to Joseph born Newpert IofW.....is he the 22yr Joseph GELF b.Newport who is a groom in Normanton Notts in 1861 and marries Sabina Ann Maltby on the 5th May 1867 at St. Nicholas in Nottingham? In 1871 he is Joseph Yelf 50 a coachman b.Newport IOW with Sabina 43 and children Samuel 19, Lucy 13 and Henry 11 at Mapperley Hall, Basford, Notts.
BUT Sabina Yelf in 1861 is 35 with Samuel 8, Elizebeth 6, Lucy 3 and Henry 1 [all born in Nottingham] at Plutoff Row Notingham.......and I found her as SEBINA Ann YELFS 65 still listed as married] in Birstall Hill Park Leics. and as Sebina Ann Yelf b.1826 dies in AMJ 1900 in Leicester aged 74years.
Still up in Nottinghamshire, in 1881 I found Joseph Yelf 4 b.Nottingham as the stepson of Thomas Dixon 23 and his wife Jane 29 both born Newark. This Joseph was b.JFM 1877 Nottingham and died aged 12 in OND 1889 in Lincoln. When his mother married Thomas Dixon in JFM 1881 at Newark she was listed twice on V.7B P484 as Yelf AND YELPH.....these spellings do cause problems at times.
I hope this may help some of you Yelfs.

Corinne said...

He was my Great Great grandfather too, his daughter Gertrude was my great grandmother. She was not a twin,there was 11 moths between her and Francis (I have their birth certs0. They were both born in Canterbury where Joseph and Francis (Snr) eloped to. i would like copies of any family photos if there are any.

Paula Lofting said...

Hi everyone

My name is Paula and Gertrude was my great great grandmother too. My grandmother was Millicent one of the younger children of Gertrude's. This is a fascinating story! so glad I found it!

Paula Lofting said...

Corinne, I had no idea that they went to Canterbury. My nan and Gertrude and the rest of the family were brought up in southall Middlesex. Corinne I would be very interested to know which one of the Strange's was your grandmother

Anonymous said...

Paula, Gertrude was our Great Grandmother, not Great, Great! She was nan's mother.

Corinne said...

Great to have contact with you Paula, Royce William Strange was my grandad, he lived next door to the house I was born in, in Southall. Gertrude lived at Rectory Road. Have been trying to researh family tree, any info or photos you have would be really helpful. My mother was Doreen Strange, her sister is still alive. Millicent would be their Aunt.

Anonymous said...

hello! I am Joseph and Sabina (Maltby)Yelf's great-great grandchild. Their daughter Lucy was my great grandmother. It's nice to see so many of us descendents interested in the life of Joseph Yelf!

Corinne said...

Glad to see that people are still adding to this blogg. Joseph would be my great great grandad too, although it would be from his other partner Frances; whom he lived with on the Isle of Wight. What a sad story, what do you make of it all? Do you have any photos of Joseph? He does seem to have treated your great great grandmother very badly.I have an interesting transript of his court appearance; you may have looked it up already.