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Allen C. Alford was first introduced to AAFA as an ancestor of Judith Ann Morreels, AAFA #0337 in the AAFA ACTION, December 1990, issue 11, pg 17. More was published on him in the AAFA ACTION, September 1991, issue 14, p 64, "Descendants of Zina Alford of NY, 1789-1871." In that same issue on p 65 was an article submitted by Judith about Allen's brother: "William C. Alford of Hancock County, OH."

As we were researching Missouri Alfords for this issue of the quarterly and for the meeting in St. Louis we came across Allen C. Alford in Grundy County, MO, in the 1870 census. We did not recognize him since Judith made no mention of Grundy County. The age shown in the 1870 census was seven years off. The census data did not come close to any Allen we had in the main AAFA data base. You can see the census details in the complete 1870 Alford MO census elsewhere in this issue.

Grundy County is in the northern part of Missouri just a little west of center. To the best of our knowledge there had never been an Alford there before and has not been one since. Allen was surely one of those we call transit Alfords - just in Missouri on his way west. Grundy County is just one county north of US 36 which is the main east-west highway in northern Missouri running from Illinois to St. Joseph and St. Jo, as you probably know was one of the main Missouri points of departure for the west.

Allen's supposed birth in 1835, and his wife and children all of Ohio, suggested he would be found in the 1850 census of Ohio with wife and child and either in Ohio or New York in 1850 probably with parents. A search in OH and NY for an Allen Alford born 1835 were fruitless. The next logical step was to look for an Allen C. Alford in the 1880 census. Thanks to the set of 1880 census CDs produced by the LDS church such a search is quick and easy and lo and behold - there he was in Eureka, Humbolt County, CA. It listed him as age 50, still carpentering, and the same wife, Ellen age 44. Based on the 1870 census she would have been only 37. The only child in 1880 was Jerry Alford age 21. The 1870 census had a child Charles age 11. We assume this is the same fellow who was probably really Charles Jeremiah Alford or Jeremiah Charles Alford. With this data we still were not getting a hit in the data base.

Finding him in the 1880 census of California suggested he might also be in the 1900 census. When we checked this data there he was in Bucksport, Humboldt Co., CA. It was just Allen C and Ellen but the census told us he was born December 1828 and she was born Nov 1837. More significant were two footnotes we had made to that census. The note said "he born Dec 3, she born Nov 22" and that note meant we had more somewhere. Using the birth date of 1828 we immediately found Allen in the main data base with references to Judith and his data in the AAFA genealogy file.

If you have looked at the 1870 census data you will have noted that there was a daughter Alice, age 9. She did not appear in the 1880 census so our first assumption was that she died crossing the plains. As it turned out she was Judith's ancestor. She was Ivy Alice Alford born Apr. 24, 1861, just as indicated in 1870, and she married (1) Aug 31, 1879 Albert James Race and (2) Emil Bleuler. She died May 17, 1908 and is buried in Alhambra Cemetery, Martiniez, Contra Costa Co., CA.

Last August our website received the following message. Aurilla Alford was Allen's mother and you will see Allen, listed in the old bible transcript. We gave this lady Judith's name and address. We never did receive the scanned pages.

Dear Sir,

Some years back I found a small portion of what belonged to an old family bible, the front hard cover, blank page probably that followed the cover and the page where births and marriages were to be listed. Those being the only parts extent to that bible.

Being a genealogist myself and a lover of just about anything old, I purchased those 3 items. And having had those packed away for about 15-20 years, I've recently come across those again. I figured I should check online now to see if I could find anyone researching this line of family. And luckily I've found your sight online.

I've checked some of your online databases and find you don't have some of the data which is in these 3 pages. I'm sure this will be a wonderful addition to your Alford line of decendants. I will try at some point to get a scanned enhanced copy of these individual pages and send to your association address, that I've found listed on your website. Until then I will now type what I have found within those pages.

Front Cover of Bible on backside of front cover are glued newspaper clippings of 2 death announcement/obituaries:

        DIED
ALFORD -- At her residence, in Biglick township, on 10th day of September, 1873, Mrs Aurilla Alford, aged 82 years and 28 days.
The friends of the deceased desire to return thanks to those who so kindly assisted in taking care of her the last hours of her illness.
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Mrs. Alford, an old resident of this township, died yesterday. She, in company with her husband, who died two years ago, lived to see the wilderness where they had settled changed into a rich and properous community. She was a lady of strict integrity, respected by all who knew her.

**Note** just these 2 glued clippings are there. They measure about 2¼ inch wide X 1 inch length. **

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Next plain page in old faint writing in center of page reads:

Hannah B Henderson Bible
Presented to her by her mother

Aurilla J Alford
July 4th 1873

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Ornate Border Page:
Left Column printed Parents:	Right Column printed Record:
Zina Alford	Aurilla Alford
born Feb 11th AD. 1789	born August 23rd AD. 1782

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Flip side of Ornate Border Page:
Left Column printed Births:	Right Column printed Births:
Charles C Alford	Mary Ann Alford
born Aug 7th AD 1812	born May 7th 1817
Frederick Alford	Aurilla Alford
born Nov 14th 1813	born Aug 8th 1819
William C Alford
born Aug 18th 1815
Frederick Alford	Hannah B. Alford
March 7th 1822	born May 15th 1826
Allen C Alford
born Dec 3rd 1828
Orton Alford
born Apr 3rd 1831

**Note** The entry for the 4th person, another Frederick does not say Born. So this could be a death date or a 2^nd child born on that date.

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This is all the data contained and transcribed within those 3 pages. I hope this is of great value to yourself and others who are researching this lineage. I'm hoping this makes someones day a fantastic one:)

Sincerely,
Ms. A.H.