KEFFORD & KIFFORD ROLL OF HONOUR ~ WAR DEATHS  
     
  As my research into the Keffords and Kiffords uncovered at least 3 to whom I am related,    
  including my Grandfather, this is a special page to commemorate the 13 Keffords and 3 Kiffords    
  who fell in the two World Wars. The 3 Kiffords were all related, all arising from a family in the    
  Watford area in the 1830/40s, probably as a variant of Kefford. Many of the Keffords were also related.  
       
  The lists are alphabetical by forename and by conflict and have been compiled from:  
     
    General Register Office Indexes (GRO)  
    Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)  
    Soldiers Died in the Great War  
    Imperial War Museum  
    1881, 1891 & 1901 Census  
    Family Recollection    
   
  As research is ongoing, the data is by no means complete and contains some guesswork.    
  To any relatives of these men I ask your forbearance over any inaccuracies or omissions and I will gladly  
  correct these upon receipt of further information.    
     
  I would also be grateful for any photos to fill the gaps of the eight whose pictures are still sought.  
  Click on the photo links to see the eight whose pictures have been traced.  
     
  Peter J Kefford    
  12 February 2008      
  Home        
   
  WORLD WAR ONE  
     
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
1 KIFFORD Charles John Frederick Private 12346 2nd Bn Leicestershire (D Coy) 25.09.1915 37
    (John Frederick Charles)   Killed in Action
        France & Flanders
CWGC Loos Memorial   Enlisted Mansfield      
Grave or Pas de Calais, France Photo Home 250 Victoria Street, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire    
Memorial Panel 42 to 44     GRO Army Deaths 1914-21 (Other Ranks) Volume Page
      Index   I 47 84
Other       Parents Charles Kifford & Sarah Martin Born  
Memorials   Married 1866 Poona, India 1878  
    Widow Emily Searridge HALIFAX  
    Married 1907 TAMWORTH    
Other Charles' forenames are transposed on his marriage and CWGC records - also on the 1881 Census.    
Details Mansfield - Those Who Have Died on Active Service - John Frederick Charles Kifford    
       
  Charles Kifford senior was a Sergeant with the 33rd Foot Regiment and was born in Watford in 1839, the son of Thomas Kifford  
Family and Jane Arnold. He saw service in a number of places and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (for Abyssinia, 1868)  
Line  when a Lance Corporal. Charles Kifford' brother Henry Kifford was father to James Kifford (No 5 below). Therefore, Charles John
  Frederick and James were 1st cousins. Also, 1st cousins once-removed from William Edward James Kifford (No 15 below)  
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
2 KEFFORD Charles Joseph Private 37342 Wiltshire t/f to 07.08.1918 19
        29209 8th Bn East Surrey Killed in Action
        France & Flanders
CWGC Dive Copse British Cemetery Photo Enlisted Birmingham      
Grave or Somme, France Sought Home 5 Colville Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham    
Memorial III E 6     GRO No Entry Found Volume Page
      Index   ? ?
Other   Parents Thomas Kefford & Fanny Winspur Born  
Memorials   Married 1895 ASTON 1899  
    Widow   ASTON  
    Married No Marriage Found    
Other Soldiers Died in the Great War has birthplace as Egham, Surrey. Birth entry and 1901 Census have Aston.    
Details CWGC data confirms Thomas and Fanny as his parents. 1901 Census shows him to be a brother to Francis Henry Kefford (No.3
  below).    
     
Family Thomas Kefford appears to have been born in 1871 at Sutton, Bedfordshire,  the son of John Kefford who was born at Potton in  
Line 1824, & Emily Griggs. He was the son of Richard Kefford and  Mary Mead. This makes Charles Joseph a 2nd cousin to  
  Frank Kefford (No 4 below). See also No 16 below.    
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
3 KEFFORD Francis  Henry Private 22605 9th Bn Worcestershire 03.11.1917 22
        Died of Disease?
        Mesopotamia
CWGC Baghdad (North Gate) Photo Enlisted Birmingham      
Grave or War Cemetery Sought Home      
Memorial Plot 11 Row J Grave 13   GRO Army Deaths 1914-21 (Other Ranks) Volume Page
      Index   I 55 325
Other   Parents Thomas Kefford & Fanny Winspur Born  
Memorials   Married 1895 ASTON 1895  
    Widow   ASTON  
    Married No Marriage Found Birmingham  
Other 1901 Census shows him to be a brother to Charles Joseph Kefford (No 3 above).    
Details    
     
     
Family Thomas Kefford appears to have been born in 1871 at Sutton, Bedfordshire,  the son of John Kefford who was born at Potton in  
Line 1824, & Emily Griggs. He was the son of Richard Kefford and  Mary Mead. This makes Francis Henry a 2nd cousin to Frank  
  Kefford (No 4 below). See also No 16 below.    
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
4 KEFFORD Frank Private 19499 1st Bn Bedfordshire 31.10.1916 28 ?
        Killed in Action
        France & Flanders
CWGC Loos Memorial   Enlisted Biggleswade    
Grave or Pas de Calais, France Photo Home Biggleswade    
Memorial Panel 41     GRO Army Deaths 1914-21 (Other Ranks) Volume Page
      Index   I 65 56
Other Biggleswade War Memorial   Parents James & Fanny Sarah Stratton Born  
Memorials Sutton Church War Memorial   Married 1882 BIGGLESWADE 1888  
  Bedfordshire Sutton Roll of Honour   Widow Gertrude Alice Gouge BIGGLESWADE
    Married 1910 BIGGLESWADE Sutton  
Other    
Details    
     
     
Family James Kefford appears to have been born in 1858 at Sutton, Bedfordshire,  the son of Simeon Kefford who was born at Potton in
Line 1820, the son of Richard Kefford and  Mary Mead. This makes Frank a 2nd cousin to Charles Joseph and Francis Henry Kefford  
  (Nos 2 & 3 above). See also No 16 below.    
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
5 KIFFORD James Private 23817 8th Bn Kings Own 12.04.1917 28
        (Royal Lancaster) Died of Wounds
        France & Flanders
CWGC Duisans British Cemetery Photo Enlisted Bedford      
Grave or Etrun, Pas de Calais, France Sought Home Wilstead      
Memorial Grave I Q 3     GRO Army Deaths 1914-21 (Other Ranks) Volume Page
      Index   I 19 164
Other Wilstead Church War Memorial   Parents Henry Kifford & Mary Sarah Hammond Born  
Memorials  St Peter's Church, Bedford   Married 1878 MARYLEBONE 1888  
  Wilstead (Wilhampstead) Roll of Honour Widow   LUTON  
    Married No Marriage Found Kensworth  
Other Soldiers Died in the Great War has birthplace as Hemsworth. The GRO entry is for LUTON district.    
Details Hemsworth should read Kensworth in the adjacent DUNSTABLE district as confirmed by the 1891 Census for Turvey,  
  Bedfordshire, where the family were then living.    
     
Family Henry Kifford was born in 1847 at Watford, the son of Thomas Kifford and Jane Arnold. He was brother to Sgt Charles Kifford,  
Line the father of Charles John Frederick Kifford (No 1 above). Therefore James Kifford and Charles John Frederick Kifford were 1st
  cousins. They were also 1st cousins once-removed from William Edward James Kifford (No 15 below).    
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
6 KEFFORD Joseph Leslie Corporal 2913 47th Bn Australian Infantry AIF 06.04.1918 26
           
           
CWGC Bournemouth East Cemetery   Enlisted      
Grave or Gloucester Road, Bournemouth Photo Home Mannuem Creek, Kingaroy, Australia    
Memorial Grave No. O. I. 143   GRO NORMAL DEATH INDEX Volume Page
      Index JUN 1918 CHRISTCHURCH 2B 821
Other Australian War Memorial   Parents Joseph Kefford & Annie Brown McDowall Born  
Memorials   Married 11.10.1886 Brisbane Queensland Aus. 20.10.1891  
    Widow   Warwick  
    Married No Marriage Found Queensland Aus.
Other Wounded in action in France and died of wounds in Boscombe Hospital, England. This explains his burial in England.  
Details A PDF file of his particulars (as required for the Australian War Memorial) can be downloaded from the AWM website.  
  By occupation he was a draper.    
     
Family His father, Joseph Kefford (jnr) was born at Bolton, Lancashire in 1860, the son of Joseph Kefford (snr) and Alice Taylor  
Line who married at Liverpool in 1845. Joseph (jnr) emigated to Australia c 1880 and Joseph Leslie was born in 1891.    
  Joseph (snr) died in 1879 at ORMSKIRK aged 62. The 1871 Census shows he was born in Pampisford, Cambs. c1819  
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
7 KEFFORD Leonard Private S/4/218736 R.A.S.C  t/f  to 23.04.1918 30
        25399 14th Bn R.Warwickshire (A Coy) France & Flanders
           
CWGC Lille Southern Cemetery Photo Enlisted Aldershot      
Grave or France   Sought Home Chequer Bank, Moulton, Northamptonshire    
Memorial Plot 3  Row C  Grave 17   GRO Army Deaths 1914-21 (Other Ranks) Volume Page
      Index (Listed as KEFFORDS) I 51 284
Other Moulton Parish Church Memorial   Parents George Kefford & Sarah Cole Born  
Memorials Northamptonshire   Married 1883 NEWPORT PAGNELL 1888  
    Widow Evelyn Louisa Fenton BRIXWORTH
    Married 1914 BRIXWORTH Moulton  
Other    
Details    
     
     
Family George Kefford appears to have been born in 1853 at Baldock, Hertfordshire,  the son of Joseph & Maria Kefford (nee Nunn?).  
Line    
     
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
8 KEFFORD William Private G/12448 7th Bn Royal Sussex  t/f to 23.10.1916 35
        G/40394 2nd Bn Middlesex Killed in Action
        France & Flanders
CWGC Thiepval Memorial   Enlisted Chichester   (Le Transloy)
Grave or Somme, France Photo Home 25 Osborne Road, Preston, Brighton, Sussex    
Memorial Pier 13 Face B   GRO Army Deaths 1914-21 (Other Ranks) Volume Page
    Index   I 69 359
Other Old Steine War Memorial, Brighton   Parents John Kefford & Emma Clark Born  
Memorials Family Grave, Nunhead Cemetery   Married 19.10.1876 Barton le Clay 11.11.1880  
  Peckham. Grave No. 35796/53SQ   Widow Catherine Elizabeth Humfrey LUTON  
  Poem: "In Chalky Fields of Picardie" Married 11.12.1904 Brighton Barton le Clay
Other Enlisted March 1916. Killed by shellfire 23.10.1916 near Le Transloy, France. No known grave.    
Details Commemorated on the grave of his parents John & Emma and brothers Harry & George (Horace) Kefford in Nunhead Cemetery.
     
     
Family John Kefford was born in 1857at Gravenhurst, the son of William Kefford, born 1832 at Haynes, and Eliza Armstrong. William snr 
Line was the son of John Kefford, born 1810 at Potton, and Mary Cherry. This John was the first son of William Kefford and Sarah  
  Roberts. This makes William Kefford a 3rd cousin to Eric Wilfred and Ivor George Kefford (Nos. 12 & 13 below).    
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
9 KEFFORD William  E (Ellis?) Private 24554 3rd Bn Lancaster Fusiliers t/f to 18.08.1919 24 ?
        433878 309th Coy Labour Corps    
           
CWGC Caudrey British Cemetery Photo Enlisted      
Grave or France   Sought Home      
Memorial Plot 3  Row B  Grave 26   GRO Army Deaths 1914-21 (Other Ranks) Volume Page
    Index   M3 360
Other   Parents Henry Ellis Kefford & Martha Jane Coppock Born  
Memorials   Married 1884 BURY 1895  
  Widow   BURY  
  Married No Marriage Found Radcliffe  
Other Possibly killed whilst clearing the battlefields after the war.    
Details    
     
     
Family Henry Ellis Kefford was born at Godalming in 1871, the son of Frances Kefford, a widow in 1881 when she and four children were
Line at Radcliffe in Lancashire. It is thought that her husband was William Ellis Kefford and that they married in 1857 at Tunbridge  
  Wells. It is possible that the family came from Sawston, since Frances had another son, William Ellis Kefford at Sawston in 1860.  
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
10 KEFFORD William  John Private CH/1476(S) 2nd Bn RMLI RN Div 02.05.1917 21
        (S Division) (Royal Marines Light Infantry)    
           
CWGC Douai Communal Cemetery Photo Enlisted 21.02.1916; Draft for BEF 21.11.1916; Joined 2nd RM Bn. 08.12.1916
Grave or (France 1276)   Sought Home 425 Rotherhithe Street, Rotherhithe, London SE16    
Memorial Row H Grave 16   GRO NAVAL DEATHS 1914-1921 Volume Page
    Index   RN 2152
Other   Parents William John Kefford & Sarah Jane Smart Born  
Memorials   Married 1895 ST GEO EAST ? 1896  
    Widow   MILE END  
    Married No Marriage Found Wapping  
Other William John was listed as missing on 28.04.1917. He died of wounds as a Prisoner of War in the Kriegs. Gef. Lazarette St. Clotilde
Details at Douai. The Germans held Douai through most of the war and RMLI left the area on 29 April 1917. He was a member of 'D' Company
  14th Platoon on 28.04.1917.    
     
Family Son of Mrs S J Kefford. Parents assumed to be the couple shown above. William John snr died in 1920 and is thought to have  
Line born at St Olave, London in 1870, the son of John and Margaret Kefford.  John was born c 1844 in St George in the East, London.
     
     
    WORLD WAR TWO    
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
11 KEFFORD Charles  Phillip Stoker 1 c/k 66397 R.N  HMS Wakeful 29.05.1940 33
           
           
CWGC Chatham Naval Memorial Photo Enlisted      
Grave or Kent   Sought Home      
Memorial Panel 38 Column 2   GRO NAVAL RATINGS WAR DEATHS 1939-48 Volume Page
      Index   6 2148
Other   Parents Alfred Edward Kefford & Edith Mary Perrine Born  
Memorials   Married 1895 LAMBETH 1907  
  Widow   ST GILES  
    Married No Marriage Found    
Other HMS Wakeful was torpedoed by a German E-Boat S30 on 27.5.1940 whilst evacuating troops from Dunkirk. She was cut  
Details in half and sank in 15 seconds. 740 men died (640 soldiers/100 sailors). Only 40 sailors/10 soldiers were picked up.    
     
  Alfred Kifford was at Westminster in 1881aged 20 with his birthplace given as Stapleford in Cambridgeshire. He & Edith Mary  
Family appear on the 1901 Census as Edward & Edith, living in Islington. Edward's age is 40 and his birthplace Stapleford.  
Line The GRO has an Alfred Edward Kefford born in 1860 at CHESTERTON. As the 1901 census has children born from 1885 onwards,
  he appears to have married twice, first in 1883 to Ellen Nash at ST GEO H SQ and then to Edith Mary in 1895.    
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
12 KEFFORD Eric  Wilfred 2nd 232403 Bedfordshire & Herts sec. to 19.07.1944 30
      Lieutenant Kings Own Scottish Borderers    
           
CWGC Bayeux Memorial   Enlisted      
Grave or France   Photo Home 62 The Baulk, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire    
Memorial Panel 13 Col 3   GRO ARMY WAR DEATHS 1939-48 (Officers) Volume Page
      Index   2 295
Other Biggleswade War Memorial   Parents Wilfred George Kefford & Ada Catherine Wyatt Born  
Memorials Biggleswade Roll of Honour   Married 1906 BIGGLESWADE 1915  
    Widow Barbara Betty Scott BIGGLESWADE
    Married 1944 BIGGLESWADE Biggleswade  
Other Brother to Ivor George Kefford (No 13 below).    
Details The tragedy of war for this family was the loss of both sons. The death of both without issue meant that the Kefford name  
  died out on this branch of the family.    
     
Family Wilfred George Kefford was born in 1882 at Tempsford, the son of William Kefford, born 1856 at Tempsford, and Elizabeth Ann  
Line Balk. William was the son of Thomas Kefford, born 1831at Tempsford, and Ann Osborn. Thomas was the fourth son of William  
  Kefford and Sarah Roberts. This makes Eric Wilfred Kefford a 3rd cousin to William Kefford (No 8 above).    
       
    Rank Number Regiment(s) or Ship(s) Died Age
13 KEFFORD Ivor  George Able c/ssx/31243 R.N ss Ettrick 15.11.1942 21
      Seaman   Also: Ville de Quebec    
           
CWGC Chatham Naval Memorial   Enlisted      
Grave or Kent