Articles

Sir Alexander Besford was the son of John de Besford and Joan de Harley.

The Domesday Book reveals Besford was quite small relative to other Domesday settlements, but paid a comparatively large amount of tax.

Eleven streets in the UK carry the name Besford, from Manchester and Luton to Shrewsbury and Birmingham.

George Turnbull and Mary Barron were the parents of Mary Turnbull, who married David Besford (1863–1954) in December 1887.

Jack Besford and Agnes Hewit married at Morpeth in 1914. Their two children were born at Rosalind Street, Ashington.

David Besford and Mary Turnbull had twelve children, born at Broomhill and Amble from December 1888.

The Besford Boys were a group of North East children who were sent by Sunderland Council in the 1940s and 50s to attend schools run by the Roman Catholic Church.

John Besford and Margaret Patterson had eight children, born around Cowpen and Blyth from 1851. Their son Robert lived just 22 days.

Robert Besford married Ann Goodfellow in 1788, two years after the death of his first wife left him with three daughters under eight. They had two children.

Robert Besford’s three daughters by his first wife Mary were baptised at Thockrington between 1779 and 1784.