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If any descendants of Stephen Gifford, of Norwich, Connecticut, are interested in pursuing his ancestry, I am posting the following clue. I believe that it very likely refers to him, although of course it should only be taken as a clue for further research. This could be done in records at the Guildhall Library and Society of Genealogists in London.
The apprenticeship abstracts at British Origins, a for-pay database, show that Stephen Gifford (parentage not stated in apprenticeship) was apprenticed on 10 July 1656 to Francis Pound, of London, in the Blacksmiths' Company. The original record is in the records of the Blacksmiths' Company at Guildhall Library this should be examined.
Also apprenticed in the same company was Thomas, son of Bartholomew Gifford, of Baydon, Wiltshire, laborer, apprenticed on 15 Jan. 1651/2 to Francis Pond (Pound), of London, in the Blacksmiths' Company. I've traced this Thomas later --- see http://home.comcast.net/~pgifford11/
where earlier generations are given.
Chances are that Stephen was Thomas's brother, since they apprenticed to the same man. But unlike Thomas, who received his freedom of the company, Stephen never did. Thus he either died or disappeared before he became of legal age.
The name Stephen Gifford was rare and this person would have been the precise age that Stephen Gifford of Norwich was. It could well be the case that Stephen broke his apprenticeship and somehow came to New England.
A researcher might search the court minutes of the Blacksmiths' Company at the Guildhall Library (Ms 2881/1-7) to find out what happened to Stephen. If he disappears, the chances are very strong that he went to America.
I would also search the copies of the parish registers of Baydon and Ramsbury, Wilts., at the Society of Genealogists. Stephen likely was a son of Bartholomew, but the baptismal record needs to be located.
Paul Gifford
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