VALDER

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My maternal great-grandfather, Albert Edmund Valder (1877-1938) was born at Folkestone, Kent. He was the fourth child of the eight born to Alfred Peter Valder (1846-1904) and Emma ANDREWS (1849-1929) who married at Mersham, Kent in 1869. Alfred was a horse-drawn cab driver who took his family to Brighton, Sussex in about 1882. See my Sussex Valders page for details about that and subsequent generations.

Alfred Peter Valder (1846-1904) was born at Lyminge, the third child of Frederic Valder (1809-79) and Mary HOGBEN (1804-63). Frederic began his working life as a schoolmaster, working in his father's school at Lyminge. When the National Schools system began the schoolteachers jobs went to other people so Frederic then worked as a plumber, painter and glazier. His academic background was still in evidence though, he acted as the enumerator for his part of Lyminge in 1841, 51, 61 and 71. I must apologise for his misunderstanding of the instructions for 1861 when he only entered the initials for wives and children rather than their names. If anyone needs help deciphering these census entries then please contact me. I have the parish registers on microfiche and can probably supply most of the missing names.
Frederic Valder's other two sons John and Frederick Henry both married and had children in Kent. Neither seems to have left any Valder descendants. John (1844-1927) married Susannah HYDE (1850-1928) in 1880. John became quite a prosperous "riding master" in Folkestone, he had one son, Albert John (1885-1952) who married Alice Maud TAYLOR in 1914. Albert and Alice had two daughters who both married but it's not known if they had any descendants. Albert John (1885-1952) left a will and also acted as the executor for the will of his uncle Frederick Henry. Frederick Henry (1842-1923) had three children with his first wife Ann DEAL (1845-76) but only one, Sydney Alfred (1875-1960) survived. Sydney became a sailor and emigrated to Auckland, New Zealand. He married but is not believed to have had any children. I am indebted to Ron Blackford of Auckland for providing me with the New Zealand information about Sydney.

Frederic Valder (1809-79) was born at Sandwich, the fourth known child of John Valder (1780-1866) and Mary BOORN (c1780-1843). My cousin Bob Valder discovered that John ran a school at Lyminge from at least 1811. An advertisement appeared in the Kentish Gazette of that year for Mr. Valder's Academy for Young Gentlemen.

Frederic Valder (1809-79) is only known to have had one brother, Henry Robert (1804-69), who lived to have children. Henry worked as a tailor in Dymchurch, Hythe and London. Mysteriously, Henry died in 1869 at Brighton, Sussex, this was about 13 years before his nephew, Alfred Peter Valder, moved his family there. Henry married Elizabeth CASTLE (1813-92) at Dover in 1837. They are known to have had four children: Elizabeth Mary, Adolphus Harry Peter, Charles Henry Castle and Gustavus. Very sensibly Adolphus and Gustavus abandoned their given names and were usually known as Harry and Ernest respectively. Ernest does not seem to have left any descendants.
Harry Valder (1839-1913) appears to have been rather a colourful character but his exact movements are difficult to track. He married Ann Castle SAVAGE (1842-1915) in 1868 and they appear to have had six children, the first two in London and the rest in Hythe and Elham. Three of their sons married and had children, my cousin Bob Valder and I have been in contact with living descendants of two of Harry's grandsons. I have also been contacted by a relative of a descendant of Harry's youngest daughter Jane (1883-?) who married James Joseph CORBOY in 1908 in London.
At his marriage in Hythe Harry Valder said he was a musician but at the 1871 census he was working as a Customs Officer in London. When one of Harry's sons married in 1901 Harry gave his occupation as gentleman. The 1881 census shows Harry's wife Ann and five sons living in the workhouse at Elham, Kent. There was no sign of Harry but Ann said she was married. In 1891 Ann was in the workhouse on her own and said she was the wife of Harry, a musician. Again, no sign of Harry.
An extensive search of the area later showed that Harry Valder was lodging at a public house at Hythe in 1891 and working as a general labourer. With the release of the 1881 census index Harry's whereabouts were revealed and explained why Ann was in the workhouse. Harry was in Canterbury jail! I have yet to investigate why he was there. Despite their tribulations Harry and Ann both lived to the age of 73, not bad for the times.

Returning to my ancestors: John Valder (1780-1866) was born at Sandwich, the son of Peter Valder (1753-1815) and Susannne SAXTY. Peter was probably a publican but qualified to vote through ownership of property. John appears to have been the only surviving son.

Peter Valder's ancestry has not been fully established but the earliest known Valders at Sandwich appear in about 1690. We believe they may have come from Belgium or the Netherlands.

Together with my mother's cousin, Bob Valder, I am conducting a study of all the UK Valders. Our Sussex Valder ancestors are detailed on the Sussex Valders page. The VALDER One-Name Study page gives details about the other UK Valders. Bob started the research ten years before me but he hasn't been actively researching for a long time.

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