www.925-1000.com

Goldworker and Bucklemaker .
(Most of the information provided by MCB . Thanks Mike ! )

The surname is recorded as either as Bulford or Bullford.

There is no conclusive birth record for him. His wife Elizabeth (see below) was born around 1725 so it is likely he was born 1720 - 1730. Family Search shows only one William Bulford christening during that period, in Uttoxeter in 1727, as the son of William and Elizabeth Bulford. It may be just a coincidence but as a William and Elizabeth Bulford had a daughter christened at St Nicholas Olave, London, in 1732 it could be that the entire family moved to the capital between 1727 and 1732.

Land Tax Records show our William Bulford's address as Bride Lane, Fleet Street from 1762 to 1775 .

1763
Christening record at St Bride’s for Ann, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Bullford, showing their address as Bride Lane.

1764
Burial record at St Bride’s for Elizabeth Bullford aged 39 years

1765
Marriage record at St Bride’s of William Bullford,widower and Esther Dickinson, widow

William, a son of the marriage, was christened at St Bride’s in 1768 but no other details are recorded.

1768
William Bulford was made free by redemption of the Wheelwrights Company and on his application is noted "bucklemaker".
Four men stood security for him: William Rix, Charles Mead, Elias Jones and Thomas Fielding . An Elias Jones recorded a bucklemaker mark in November 1782 at 14, Goswell Street who may be connected.

4th December 1771 - Old Bailey Proceedings t17711204-21
John Young was indicted for that he, on the king's highway, on Esther, the wife of William Bulford , did make an assault, putting her in corporal fear and danger of her life, and stealing from her person one ear-ring case, one gold-ring, with a bristol stone, value 5 s. one stone breast buckle, value 4 s. one penknife, value 6 d. and eighteen-pence in money numbered, the property of the said William Bulford.
"Esther Bulford. I live in Bride lane. I was at Finchley on the 14th of July; there were two post-chaises, my husband and a gentleman were in one, and my daughter and I in the other. As we were coming over Finchley-common .. .. .. two men came round the chaise .. .. .. and put their heads in the chaise, and threatened to blow my brains out if I did not give them my watch. I said I had none; then they demanded my money, and I gave them what is mentioned in the indictment, a paper ear-ring case, with a pair of gold wires in it for the ears, a little pen-knife, a breast buckle set in silver, and eighteen-pence in money.".

21 December 1773
William Bulford entered a Goldworkers mark at Goldsmiths' Hall. This was W+B
His address was given as 17,Bride Lane , Fleet Street.

[Richard Parr, another bucklemaker, was at Parsons Court, Bride Lane, Fleet Steet when he entered his mark as smallworker on 22 July 1772]

Land Tax Records show William Bulford as being in St Mary le Bow precinct from 1776 to 1784 although the actual address is not given. As St Mary le Bow is on Cheapside it is probable that the property was in Bow Lane since Trade Directories for 1779-81 show him as a gilt buckle maker and buckle maker at 54 Bow Lane which is between Cheapside and Mansion House.

William may be the man who is recorded on Land Tax records for Swinton Street, Camden from 1794 to 1803 and there is a burial record at St Andrews, Holborn in 1805 for a William Bullford, late of St Pancras,

Assumming that the William Bullford of St Pancras, buried in 1805 at St Andrew's Holborn is this silversmith , then his will is in the National Archives under :-
Will of William Bullford of Saint Pancras , Middlesex
Proved 3 January 1806
PROB 11/1436/13.

If anyone has with a copy of it, I'd appreciate a transcript, precis, or a PDF please !

We have a copy of the will .

3 January 1806
Will of William Bullford of Swinton Street in the Parish Saint Pancras , Middlesex but late of Bride Lane and formerly of Bow Lane proved at PCC - TNA PROB11/1436/13
Signed 5th January 1805

He appoints William Arthur of Constitution Row in the Parish of St Pancras as sole executor. He leaves a bequest to him " To my neighbour and friend,the aforesaid Mr William Arthur whom I consider my guardian and protector I wish to prove how much I think I feel benefited by his good advice I therefore give unto him two hundred pounds " .

"I give unto Mrs Hannah Bright thirty pounds if she continues to live with me at the time of my decease also Mrs Bullfords wearing apparel" Presumably she was his housekeeper. No mention of a wife so presumably he was a widower.

The major beneficiaries are however to the Clark family
£500 to Mr John Clark of Bull Street Birmingham, Warwickshire - Shopkeeper . He also gets all William Bullfords household effects and his children get £100 each . The residue gets split equally between the children

£30 to his brother William Clark (presumably also of Birmingham )

There is one other, minor bequest of one guinea to Peter Aspin of Fuller Court, East Smithfield

Witnesses :- Peter Henderson and John Enson

I have no idea of the relationship of the Clark family of Birmingham to Mr Bulford . John Clarke perhaps had married a daughter of William Bulford or even Bulford's widowed mother. We believe the Bulfords had children but there is no provision for any survivors in the will.
Nor do we have any clues to the relationship between Bulford and William Arthur