Besfords

Featured articles

John William (Jack) Besford

John William Besford was born on 20th November 1891 at 19 Church Street, Amble, Northumberland. Always known as Jack, he was one one of twelve children, eight of whom survived to adulthood.

David Besford (skipper)

David Besford was the skipper of the St. Patrick trawler in Lowestoft.

Dr John Besford

Dr John Besford is a retired Harley Street dentist, famous for his specialism in prosthodontics.

John Charles Preston (Jack) Besford

Known as Jack, John Charles Preston Besford was a dentist and amateur swimmer, who became British and European swimming champion, and won the British backstroke title seven times from 1927 to 1936.

Besford family in Northumberland

Explore the rich history of the Besford family in Northumberland through a series of articles written by John Hornsby.

The family can be traced back to James Besford, who was married in Rothbury, Northumberland, in 1679.

Discover the story of George Besford, who was injured in the Battle of the Somme, and later worked in the lamp cabin at Woodhorn Colliery, Ashington.

Find out how Jack Besford, who left school on his 13th birthday to work down the mine, would go on to become a leading trade unionist. His greatest achievement was to secure free secondary education for all children in Northumberland.

David Besford (1897-1991)

David Besford was the son of David Besford and Mary Besford (neé Turnbull). David was born on 1st February 1897 at Middleton Street, Amble, Northumberland.

David Besford (1863-1954)

David Besford was born on 11th September 1863 at Cowpen Colliery. He was the son of John and Margaret Besford.

John William (Jack) Besford

John William Besford was born on 20th November 1891 at 19 Church Street, Amble, Northumberland. Always known as Jack, he was one one of twelve children, eight of whom survived to adulthood.

George Besford (1893-1966)

George Besford was born at 19 Church Street, Amble, Northumberland on 31st January 1893. He would go on to serve in the Northumberland Fusiliers in the First World War.

Mary Besford (later Thompson/Turner) (1888-1985)

Mary Besford was the daughter of David Besford and Mary Besford (née Turnbull). She was born on New Year’s Eve 1888 at Togston Terrace, Broomhill, Northumberland. She was David and Mary Besford’s first child ( of 12). Her father was working at Broomhill Colliery in 1888.

Thomas Besford (1899-1994)

Thomas Besford was the son of David Besford and Mary Besford (née Turnbull). Thomas was born on 8th November 1899 at Chevington Crescent, Northumberland.

Places

Discover the places associated with the name Besford, in many cases linked to Besford in Worcestershire and Shropshire.

Besford Court

Besford Court was the last great, gothic English country house. It is a Grade II*-listed building, located in the village of Besford.

Besford House

Besford House, Belle Vue, Shrewsbury, was built originally as a private residence in 1893. In 1911 it was set up a boys’ home, as a way of getting children out of the workhouses. It has now been restored as a family home.

Besford Church

The church of St Peter in Besford is a wonderful example of English church architecture and one of only a few timber frame churches in England.

Besford Water Tower

Besford Water Tower was built in the early 20th century to supply water to nearby Besford Court.

Besford Station

Besford railway station served the village of Besford, Worcestershire, from 1841 to 1846 on the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway.

Unsolved mysteries #

Help us get to the bottom of the unsolved mysteries of the Besfords.

🔍 Why did John Besford and Margaret Patterson marry in All Saints’ Church, Newcastle? (1850)

🔍 Why did William Besford die in Scotland? (1879)

🔍 Where was James Besford born? (1650s/60s)

🔍 Who was the George Besford buried at All Saints’ Church, Rothbury? (1721)

Pickles

Dr Besford’s Aubergine Pickle was created by chef Cyrus Todiwala in honour of dentist Dr John Besford, a regular diner at his restaurant. It is “bold and delicately spiced”.

As head chef at Namaste, east London, in the 1990s, Todiwala observed that once customers had tasted his range of home-made pickles, they would ask to take some home. He began bottling pickles on a small scale, and has since increased production to meet demand.

Dr Besford’s Aubergine Pickle

Latest articles

George Bestford (1897-1968)

George Bestford was born on 1st October 1897 at Bensham, Gateshead. His parents were Thomas Bestford and Elizabeth Ann Bestford (née Reed) who married in 1889.

Border Reivers

The Border Reivers were essentially raiding families during the 15th to early 17th centuries on both sides of the border between England and Scotland. They lived outside of the laws of both countries and would not submit to their efforts to impose order. The Reivers engaged in theft, rustling, arson, kidnapping, murder and extortion. Their actions led to the terms “bereavement” and “blackmail” being added to our language.

Scottish Ancestry of Mary Besford (née Turnbull)

The Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border. Read more about the Reivers and the Reiver family names which occur in Mary Besford (née Turnbull)’s ancestry.