Doris Porter (dap111 @t hotmail.com) of Richards Bay, Republic of South Africa, writes: My family name is Dorrofield. My grandfather Henry Charles came from Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead to South Africa - year ??. He was married to Annie Luck. My great-grandfather Robert had two brothers James and Joseph. In 1911 Robert was 57 years. My late father was Robert Charles Dorrofield. Robert Dorrofield worked at John Dickinson - Hemel Hempstead.

About 30 years ago I corresponded with Violet Dorrofield of Croxley Green, Rickmansworth. My father had a list of approx. 5 Dorrofield families in Croxley Green. This has gone astray and as I am trying to build a family tree I would like to make contact. Have just recently made contact with a "C. Dorrofield" in Hemel Hempstead. Awaiting a reply to my letter. Have discovered photographs of "D. Dorrofield" Apsley Fire Brigade 1964 (I was D. Dorrofield before I married) - a "L. Dorrofield" is also mentioned in Eve Davies book re Hemel Hempsted. If you can help I would greatly appreciate it.

Your great grandfather was living with his parents at Two Waters, Hemel Hempstead, at the time of the 1881 census as the following information shows [Source: FHL Film 1341350, PRO Ref RG11, Piece 1444, Folio 112, Page 26]:

Robert DORROFIELD	Head	30	Card Maker	Hemel Hempstead
Eliza DORROFIELD	Wife	31	Factory Hand Envelope	Hemel Hempstead
Henry DORROFIELD	Son	6	Scholar	Hemel Hempstead
Fanny DORROFIELD	Daur	5		Hemel Hempstead
Robert DORROFIELD	Son	2	Scholar	Hemel Hempstead
Bertha DORROFIELD	Mother	68		Hemel Hempstead

My own records (based on Kelly's Directories where not otherwise stated) show that the firm Dorrofield and Dell was trading at 132 [later 229] Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead. In 1890, and in the 1891 census Robert Dorrofield, coal merchant, was living at the same address. In 1899 Dorrofield & Dell were coal merchants at 15 [later 34] Marlowes and by 1902 Dorrofield & Co were coal and corn merchants at the same address. In 1911 Dorrofield & Co provided horses in the work of laying out Randall Park, Hemel Hempstead, - work organised by my grandfather, Walter Richard Locke. [Source: The London Gunners come to Town.]

On the 23rd May, 1914, the local newspaper, The Gazette, reported that Mr R. Dorrofield, Blenhem Cottages, Marlowes, had died - and the trade directory for the same year records that Mrs Eliza Dorrofield kept apartments at 25 [later 65] Marlowes - a property which had earlier been called Blenheim Villa. I have no later record of the family in later trade directories accessible to me for Hemel Hempstead.

The 1881 census and the British Vital Records Index have other records of the name Dorrofield in South West Hertfordshire (and nowhere else in Herts, Bucks or Middlesex), although there were some Dorafield references in Aldbury. You would be well advised to check these sources - and also familysearch.

As a matter of policy I do not publish information on living people unless I know they are interested in genealogy. In any case the chief sources are already available online - see 192 - so you can look them up yourself.

You mention a reference to Dorrofield in a book on Hemel Hempstead by Eve Davis. In fact Eve has published 5 books on the subject - See the new page Books on Hemel Hempstead by Eve Davis.

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While writing the review of The Endless Web I notice that a J. Dorrofield was one of eight men working for John Dickinson at Croxley Mill(? book ambiguous) in 1881. He is possibly the 44year old Joseph Dorrofield (envelope maker, born Watford) living at Apsley Mill with his 45 year old wife, Fanny (milliner & dress maker, born Abbots Langley) at the time of the 1881 census. He may be Robert's brother Joseph.

April 2002

Doris Porter (dap111 @t hotmail.com)  commented:

1) I wish to advise that the Delderfield and variations of the Dorrofield names are linked They both originate from De La Ffelde. 

Possibly. You don't give your source and there are quite a lot of books on the history and origins of surnames, which do not always agree, and which often include an implicit "probably". Obviously if the  surnames share an origin this in no way indicates that people with the same name are related - there must have been many people who could have been described as living in a field in medieval times.

2) I received info from you in February, but cannot find any info on Henry Charles Dorrofield - son of Robert Dorrofield, in any of the genealogy databases. Can you help?

You don't say what information you were looking for. As Henry was born in about 1875 it is unlikely that there will be anything about him of the IGI at family search (see The Limits of Familysearch) or even the British Vital Records Index (1st edition) - although there may be information on his ancestors. Apart from the 1881 census the vast majority of possibly relevant records from the late 19th, early 20th century century are not available in computer readable form. You should have had no difficulty in ordering his birth certificate from HALS and he will presumably be recorded in the 1901 census once it becomes available online. If you know when his children were born you may be able to make an approximate guess at the date of his marriage and purchase his marriage certificate.

Some other information may be available (to order) at LDS family history centres but these are sometimes only open for a few hours a week and the nearest to you are at Pietermaritzburg and Durban - which I suspect is not very convenient for you. You may have little choice if you want some kinds of information but to pay someone in the UK to do research for you (HALS provides a service for the records they hold) - unless you can locate a UK relative who is also interested in the family history.

August 2002

Doris Porter (dap111 @t hotmail.com)  commented: With regard to your earlier comments regarding J Dorrofield (envelope maker at John Dickinsons, this is Joseph Dorrofield (1837-1918) who was married to Fanny Delafield (a derivative of the Dorrofield name)..

October 2002

Liz Rising (bilris @t flash.net) writes: I am a great granddaughter of the James Dorrofield who was a brother to the Robert Dorrofield mentioned by Doris Porter on Feb 2002. James had a daughter Beatrice who married Frederick Martin in 1904 in Rugby Warwickshire. I have more info if needed.

I will be letting Doris Porter known so that she can contact you.

January 2003

Doris Porter (dap111 @t hotmail.com)  reports: Have est. a direct link to Great-great-grandfather James Dorrofield aka James Dorfield 1812-1835; m.22/07/1832 to Bertha Ghost aka Betthia Goast. Would like to know whom James' parents and siblings were.  Tks for past help. Really appreciated.

You don't mention sources and in answering I assume that you have used familysearch and the British Vital Records Index without success, and have viewed the microfilms of any relevant records you have found in the index to see if there is any additional information on the originals. There is a problem with pre-1837 births/baptisms which is described on the baptisms help page on this site, and as a result it may be very difficult to trace the family back beyond this point. Clues as to where to look may exist on records you have already tracked down. For instance:

• Where was he married, was he from the same parish, who were the witnesses?
• As you claim him to be an ancestor presumably he had a child between 1832 (when he married) and 1835/6 (his death)? Where was the child born/baptised, and if baptised in a parish church how was his address and occupation described?
• Where did he die and/or where was he buried? (In particular was it a CofE or non-conformist burial ground?)
• Quite a few marriages were cousin marriages - and most were within the same social/religious grouping. Is there any relevant information on the Ghost family?

Caroline Guest (cguest @t warwickdc.gov.uk) writes: I have recently started researching my family history.  My Great Grandmother's maiden name was Dorrofield.  She was Amelia Dorrofield who married Joseph Payne and lived in Church Street, Rickmansworth.  She is listed in the 1881 census as a watercress shop keeper.  There is also a family called Dorrofield living in Church Street at that time who might be related.  If anyone can make a connection with the above I would be glad to hear from them..

I suspect that all the Dorrofields in South/West Herts are related. You might find it useful to contact the others researching people of that name. (Simply click on their name - in blue - to send them an email.) You may also find some of the sources mentioned above useful in your researches.

March 2005

Jack Dobson (jackandninadobson @t ntlworld.com) has a web site Delderfield Genealogy which also includes information of the Dorrowfield variant. He says can provided information in text form if this is useful. 

November 2005

Laura Dorrofield (ldorrofield @t zbddisplays.com) writes saying she is daughter of Alan Dorrofield, born in Hemel Hempstead, and they have much information leading to Dorrofields including a connection in Spain. I have forwarded her message to the others who have dontributed to this page.

If you can add to the information given above tell me.