Holland-Hayward Family

History of the Hayward family of Peasenhall, Suffolk, UK

It has been a difficult and 'very sporadic' exercise since the 1980s sorting out the riddle of the family of Gertrude Ruth Hayward, who was born on 27 December 1859, supposedly at Peasenhall, Suffolk, England, where she at the very least grew up. 

We know her father was named Samuel Hayward, while her mother's name was almost certainly Naomi, nee Rowe (although Gertrude's death certificate is not yet to hand to confirm this!!). She was the couple's second daughter, according to her notice of marriage published in Napier, and this ties in exactly with the daughter named Gertrude of Samuel and Naomi, whose older sister was Agatha - the name of one of our Gertrude's sisters.

We are of the understanding that she was actually born in Peasenhall, but this cannot presently be regarded as certain. When she was aged eight (about 1867-8), the family moved to France, where Samuel managed the Dieppe branch of an English implement firm. She spoke of having been there during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and described having the soldiers of both sides using their implement shed as accommodation as the front line ebbed and flowed. This ties in exactly with the family that shows up in the Census records for Peasenhall.

We also know that her paternal grandmother (evidently the second wife of Gertrude's paternal grandfather) was named Maria Hayward. She said she was aged 79 at the time she wrote a letter to Gertrude dated 11 May 1885. Thus she was born about 1806.

We know too that when Gertrude's husband, George Potticary Holland, visited England supposedly in 1880, but much more likely in 1890 (as the days and date of the year he quotes match 1890 and didn't occur in 1880 or parts in between), he had the name of Gertrude's presumed sister mentioned in the diary. This was "Miss Florence Hayward, Hackney Road, Peasenhall, Suffolk."

From all the collection of information - some of which may not be guaranteed factual at this time - we can offer as probably 'fact' at this time the following:

Gertrude Ruth Hayward is almost certainly the second daughter of Samuel Hayward (born Sibton about 1833) and his wife Naomi, nee Rowe. Naomi, in turn, had been baptised at Peasenhall on 29 September 1833. Samuel and Naomi had married on 27 November 1856, with Naomi's father, James Rowe making his mark to indicated that he had witnessed the marriage. Naomi's mother was the former Jemima Self.

Samuel Hayward (Gertrude's father)  was a journeyman carpenter and had been living in Peasenhall since at least 1851, when he (or rather Samuel 'Haward') was an 18-year-old apprentice carpenter there.

By the 1861 Census, Samuel and Naomi had two daughters, Agatha M. Hayward, aged three, and Gertrude aged one. Both girls had been born at Sibton, but the family was now living at Badingham Road, Peasenhall.

By the 1871 Census, Samuel and Naomi have disappeared (they were then in France), but another Samuel Hayward (born Framlingham about 1787) and his wife Maria Hayward (born Sweffling about 1809) were living in Peasenhall. With them was their seven-month-old grandson Herbert W. Hayward, who had been born in Dieppe, France. Samuel the grandfather was an agricultural labourer, while this Maria Hayward is within three years of the age Gertrude's grandmother would have been. Thus, given the recording complications of the era - and even the memory of an elderly lady in 1885 - this could still be her.

Sibton Parish records indicate that Samuel Howard (sic), son of Samuel Howard, a labourer, and his wife Maria, nee Baxter, was baptised on 16 December 1832.

Sweffling Parish records show that Maria Baxter, daughter of William Baxter and his wife Mary Ann, nee Denny, was born on 15 June 1809 and was privately baptised the following day. Such a quick procedure would normally suggest that the new baby was not expected to live. However, it would appear that she lived to a very advanced age.

Samuel Hayward, who was aged 84 and living in Peasenhall with his wife Maria and infant grandson Herbert W. Hayward at the time of the 1871 Census, appears to be the child of that name and son of George Hayward and his wife Elizabeth, nee Pollard, who was baptised on 5 April 1789 at Framlingham. This couple, who produced at least four other children there, had issued Banns of their impending marriage at Framlingham between 25 September and 9 October, 1785. They were not, however, married at Framlingham, suggesting their marriage perhaps occurred in the wife's presently unknown home district.

Possibly George Hayward, father of the elderly Samuel of Peasenhall (and great grandfather of Gertrude), was George 'Heyward', son of John and Sarah Heyward, who was the only George with a compatible surname to be baptised at Framlingham around the right time. This child was baptised on 4 March 1763.

The 1881 Census indicates that the family is back in Peasenhall, but minus Agatha and Gertrude who were working away from home  - and also the children's mother Naomi. Samuel Hayward, now aged 48 and recorded as a carpenter, is living with five of his seven known children, and also his father-in-law, in Rendham Road, Peasenhall.

His children living at home are: Emily I. Hayward, aged 18 (born Peasenhall) who was described as the housekeeper; Florence E. Hayward, a 17-year-old pupil school teacher (born Peasenhall); Maria J. C. Hayward, scholar aged14 (born Dieppe, France); Frederick S. J. Hayward, scholar aged 12 (born Dieppe); and Herbert W. Hayward, scholar aged 10 (born Dieppe)

The 1881 Census records that Agatha Hayward (aged 23 and described as having been born at "Plasenhall", Suffolk) was working as a nursemaid at Queens Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, to the children of Horace and Mary Frere. Horace was from Yarmouth, Norfolk, and Mary from Norwich, Norfolk.

The 1881 Census also records that Gertrude Hayward (aged 21 and born at Peasenhall) was working as a household domestic servant to the Rutherford family. She was living at 9 Windsor Road, Ealing, Middlesex. Living at the house were: Margaret Rutherford, a 65-year-old widow born at Doddington, Kent, who was the head of the household and two of her adult sons. These were Charles James Stuart Rutherford (unmarried, aged 35 and born in Calcutta, Bengal) and Henry Armand Rutherford (unmarried, aged 29 and born in Cape Town, South Africa), who was a commercial clerk in a gelatine manufacture's office. Also living at the house was Harriot Payne aged 24, a cook in domestic service, who was unmarried. She was born at Ho....ton Bridge, Middlesex.

The 1881 Census finds the aged Maria Hayward living in The Street, Peasenhall. She was by then a widow aged 70 (now born about 1811?), who had been born in Sweffling. She was described as head of the household and her occupation was as a nurse (SMS). Also living there was Sarah Barnsby, a 76-year-old widow born in Sweffing who was a lodger, and Marie Stead, who was married, aged 46 and born in Sibton. Perhaps they were close relatives of Maria Hayward's? 

So this generally sets the scene for Gertrude's emigration to New Zealand with her employers, the Rutherford family, who all sailed from London on 20 August 1883. The party that sailed for New Zealand as saloon passengers aboard the Wanganui were Henry and his wife (who was not present in 1881 it seems), Mrs Rutherford senior (i.e. Margaret), Charles (Henry's brother presumably), Violet and Margaret (Henry's children who Gertrude was supposedly caring for, who must have been very young at the time), Margaret Peavoy (another servant?) and Gertrude. 

Gertrude's diary of the voyage tends to suggest that Margaret Peavoy was probably the children's nurse, and that Gertrude herself was the well-to-do Rutherford family's domestic servant. Many emigrants boosted their status somewhat when they described their former rather lowly positions to their descendents. Ida Allen referred to her mother (Gertrude) as having been a governess to the Rutherford children. This seems unlikely. 

Florence E. Hayward married Wesley Smith, also of Peasenhall, at Kingston Hill in Surrey on 10 May 1892. This couple had one son Frederick Smith, who in turn married Dorothy Jessup on 26 Dec 1925 at Belton, Suffolk. This couple in turn had three daughters and a son. This website finally came into existence in on 2 January 2003 a few hours after one of these three daughters contacted me (Val Burr of Palmerston North, NZ), the great granddaughter of Gertrude, as a result of our mutual contact with John V. Hayward. The internet makes it easier to display pictorial information to people on opposite sides of the world.

For resource details, click here for John V. Hayward's notes on the family's origins. Splitting this page from its resource notes significantly reduced the length of this webpage.