Gyford, The family
By 1909 the Gyford family had made their home in Saxham Street, setting up business as tailors.
The father William Thomas Gyford had been born in Suffolk but as a licensed hawker he traveled to Norwich where he met and marreid Matilda Vincent and for a few years they set up home there.
Charles George Gyford (1890 -1938)
Charles was born in Norwich, Norfolk in 1890. His parents had met and married there
The family moved back to his father’s home town of Stowmarket before, in 1909, they moved into Saxham Street, Stowupland. In the 1911 census Chas’ occupation is given as a shop assistant, a clothier in ‘fancies and tailoring.’
In 1914 Charles enlisted as an engineer in the Suffolk Regiment (service number 46572) but 2 years later he transferred to the Royal Flying Corp, becoming a fitter for the RAF, On August 2nd, 1916 he was promoted to A mech 3 with a wage of 2s, he possibly saw service in France.
1918 sees him back in the family home. We have little information about the families business till 1927 when it is named in Kelly’s Trade directory
In 1933 his mother, Mathilda died, 7 years after her husband’s death. She had apparently been in poor health but had been able to continue serving cheerfully in the shop.
Two years later, in his mid 40s Chas married Elsie Florence Margaret Garrard, the daughter of a local farmer, Charles Garrard. (In 1901 the Garrard’s were farming further along Saxham Street)
We know that by 1937 Gyford’s was trading from a large purpose built shop on a plot adjacent to Saxham Cottage.
In 1938, Chas committed suicide and is buried in Stowupland cemetery. At his inquest his older brother said he had always been a nervous child.
Charles Gyford’s parents, Matilda and William, had married in 1883 in Norwich, Norfolk.
30th October 1883, Thomas William (known as William) married Matilda Sarah Vincent in the Holy Trinity Church in the parish Of Heigham, Norwich,
On their marriage certificate, William was a grocer, his father also known as William, is deceased, Matilda’s father, Samuel, is some kind of worker.
Matilda had been born in 1859 in Norwich, she married at the age of 24 and moved to Stowmarket, Suffolk by 1897. She died in Stowupland in December 1933.
Thomas William Gyford had been born in Stowmarket in July 1848. He was one of 6 children. In the 1870s he moved left Stowmarket, working as a hawker. His father Gy William died in Stowmarket before his son’s marriage and William settled in Norwich for a few years and married Matilda. By 1897 they had returned to Stowmarket. he died in Stowupland in July 1926
Matilda and William had 4 children, 3 whilst living in Norwich and one after their return to Suffolk. Their eldest child May was born in 1886, William Vincent was born in January 1889, and Charles George was born in April 1891. Their youngest daughter Daisy Florence was born 16th February 1897.
