This is a place for any Medford families out there who have roots in Caribbean islands (possibly linked with Chandler, Dowden, Gill, Greaves, Searles, Whitehead, and others).

Example:
Dillon MEDFORD (1901) son of William Alleyne Medford and Louisa Ann ?.  Dillon married in 1922 to Phoebe GREAVES (1904) daughter of Fredrick Lewis Greaves and Beatrice Dowden.  Dillon had at least 4 other siblings.

Arthur Evens MEDFORD (born 3-Apr-1887 St. Vincent) who in April 1942 (at 55, just before WWII began) left St. Vincent for NY.  In NY he lived with Mrs Hortense Medford (at 556 West 185 Street).  He worked at Harry Threus & Co (on Broadway).  Arthur was 5'8" 140lb, blue eyed, brown hair and of ruddy complection and sported a tatoo on his right forearm.

Are you able to link him to our families?

Robert MEDFORD (b. 26-Mar-1894 Barbados) who in Apri 1942 left Barbados for NY.  In NY he lived on his own (at 3407 Edgemere Avenue, Far Rock, Queens NY).  He worked for himself as a painter (at 199 B 33 Edgemere Far Rock).  Robert was 5'10" 165lb, grey eyed, brown hair and light complexion and a scar on the right side of his neck.

Can you link his family...?

Here are four Caribbean Medford's who died at Gorgas Hospital (at Panama Canal) between 1906-1991:

• Joseph MEDFORD b.1896 Grenada d.12 Mar 1943 Gorgas.
• John E. MEDFORD b.1887 British West Indies d.8 Dec 1966 Gorgas.
• Rachel MEDFORD b.1893 Barbados d.28 Oct 1964 Gorgas.
• Mary MEDFORD b.1897 Barbados d.26 May 1943 Panama.

On 24th March 1906 a family of Medford's left Trinidad on the vessel S. S. Maracus arriving at the port of New York on the 1st April 1906:-

Mrs M. MEDFORD (aged 36, born abt. 1870 Trinidad)
and her two children
Miss M. MEDFORD (aged 19, born abt. 1887 Trinidad)
Master MEDFORD (aged 5, born abt. 1901 Trinidad)

The family where travelling with the Legall and Adams family all where to stay at 416 West 36th Street in New York City, the daughter had previously visited the USA.

[Source: Ellis Island, New York Passenger List (1892-1924)]

On 1 September 2009 Marilyn Hinds (Zolea) wrote:
"I was born and lived in Grenada until 1976 when I came to the USA. Clarence Cecil Searles was married to Maple (b.abt 1933) who is the sister to my mom - Myntrude MEDFORD.  My mom passed away in June 1987, and two of her brothers Kevern Rodney MEDFORD (1929-1997) and Cedric MEDFORD (also know as Polly) passed away in 1997. One of her other brothers Edwin M MEDFORD (1936) lives in Southern NJ.  When I first came to the United States I lived with Clarence Searles and my aunt Maple. My dad was Mortley Hinds, also from Mt. Moritz.  He worked for many years with W. E. Juliens (the Port Agent on Young Street St. George) and then worked at the Food Fair (on the Carenage) until his retirement."

The redoubtable Mrs. Molly MEDFORD:

Many educators who have passed on in the annuls of Grenadan history. They often dedicated their entire lives to preparing the young minds of our youth to accept the challenges of academia and hopefully prepare them for the wider world.

These educators have often been the corner stone of our communities - serving as mentors, Fathers, Mothers, Brothers and Sisters, installing great values in their students and provided them with the necessary tools to go on in life to become very successful, obtaining professions such as Doctors, Lawyers, Scientists, Chemists, Educators, Nurses and Entrepreneurs and so on, the list is endless without limitation to professions.

To that end in 2008 an Annual Educators Scholarship Fund (formally the Head Master's Scholarship) was developed to honour educators particularly from St. Johns Parish (to provide financial assistance as outlined in the stated purpose).

Amongst the 26 names associated with the award is one Mrs. Molly MEDFORD.

It would be a lovely epitaph to include her MEDFORD family story here amongst the other names we share. Can you tell her story, do you have her picture?

Does anyone know anything about the Grenadian Ian MEDFORD who died in the USA in July 2008?

Margaret Jane MEDFORD
Margaret was christened in St Andrew Barbados in either 1841 or 1848.  She married John Edward Christopher GREAVES (b.?1840) on 19 Dec 1867 in St Andrew Barbados. They had at least 5 children - Laura (c.1868), Rebecca Christian (c.1870), James Alleyne (c.1872), Ella Edith (c.1875) and Mary Brandford (c.1883).

If anyone has seen the Marriage Record for Margaret Jane and found her daddy and has discovered parents of her and her husband, then let the group know.

Or if your family are, in fact related to this line then let us know!

A little note on the earliest Medford to the Caribbean:

By 1680 one Mathew MEDFORD (who owns 10 acres) lived in St. Philip, Barbados.

Mathew Medford married (by banns) Eliza Curtys in 1716 and his brother
Thomas Medford married Eliza Cox (2 years later), both in St. Philip, Barbados.

Much later, 1914-1925, James F Medford still owned 'Cheltenham' plantation (26 acres) in St Andrew, Barbados.

[Ref: 'Omitted Chapters From Hottens'; Barbados Records 1637-1800]

On 25 May 2010 Jeol Searles wrote:


Esther Medford (1931-2010 nee Dowden)

Esther passed on 24 May 2010, also known as Muz, of Mt. Moritz, St. George, Grenada - was the wife of Nicholas Medford (a former employee of the Food Fair in St. George’s and Grand Anse).

She was also mother to Clifton 'Meddy' (employed with Renwick Thompson and company limited), Yvonne (who married Ernest Searles and now resides in Australia), Angella 'Gella' (a former employee of White Cane Industry), Agatha 'Cris' (also a former employee of Food Fair), Maria Dowden and Jan Edwards (who is employed with Demerara Mutual Life).

Esther was sister to Joyce Louison (who resides in Canada), Antoinette (who married a Waite and also resides in Australia), Lashley 'Sam' Dowden.

She was the grandmother of fifteen (15) and a great-grandmother of another seventeen (17) ... I hope you all leave a message here!

Mother-in-law to Ernest Searles (as we mentioned, who resides in Australia), Victor Edwards and Ivy Medford. Sister-in-law to Kathleen Greaves.

She leaves behind many nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends including Nella and Allan Medford, the Greaves, Harris, Dowden, Searles, Ottley, Streete, Briggs and Ross families in Grenada and the U.S. and the entire Mt. Moritz community.

Her funeral took place on Monday 31st May 2010 (at 2 p.m.) with a funeral service at the Anglican church (Mt. Moritz). Esther was interned at the Mt. Moritz cemetery.

Heartfelt messages of condolences were expressed by Magelie Greaves, Joel Searles, Ric Greaves, Suzie Greaves (Brooklyn), Yvonne Searles (Australia), Maude (NY), and many other.