m. (1) John Staniford Hallifax, (2) Henry Curwen.
__________________

TFPL, June 2021: At last I have found the first wife of John Staniford Hallifax.  There were several things that led me to the right place to look:

1. That on a family Tree of the Hallifaxes that was updated at least until 1942 and included me and Martin but not Olivia, it included that J S H had married a Dora Howard Walker.

2. In 2009 I had been contacted by one of the sons of her and John’s son who said they came from South Africa.

3. FamilySearch has within the last few years added thousands of records, with the source documents, to their website for South Africa and made this freely available.  From their website, I found first the death certificate of John S Hallifax, second the marriage of John S to Dora H Walker.

All this changed some very insubstantial information to something much more solid and confirmable from public records.
___________________

Her birth index, confirmed by the same full name at marriage, the same age as at marriage and by her mother’s maiden name which was also given to their son:

First name(s)         Dora Howard
Last name             Walker
Birth quarter         3
Birth year            1895
Mother's maiden name  Conyers
District              Wharfedale
County                Yorkshire
Country               England
Volume                9A
Page                  149
Record set            England & Wales Births 1837-2006
__________________

In her first census, of 1901, her father was not present at Uplands, Ilkley, Wharfedale, Yorkshire

First name(s)  Last name  Relationship  Marital status  Sex  Age  Birth year  Occupation  Birth place
Mary Elizabeth   Walker  Head  M  F  43  1858  -                          Leeds, Yorkshire
Arthur Cecil C   Walker  Son S  M  18  1883  Learning dress goods merchanting  Yorkshire
Douglas Conyers  Walker  Son   S  M  17  1884  Wood sorter         Ben Rhydding, Yorkshire
Audrey M C       Walker  Daur  S  F   8  1893                      Ben Rhydding, Yorkshire
Dora Howard      Walker  Daur  S  F   5  1896  -                   Ben Rhydding, Yorkshire

Ref:
Archive reference  RG13
Piece number       4066
Folio              109
Page               21
Combined:          RG13, piece 4066, folio 109, p. 23  
___________________

In 1911 she was with a clergyman’s family as a Visitor and at School, born in 1896 at “YoKshire Ben Rhyding”.  So it must have been her but how she came to be there, I have no idea.

For her parents in 1911, see her father’s Notes; he had reappeared.
___________________

On 18th March  1920 a Dora Howard Walker embarked on the SS Lapland at Southampton with a Douglas Walker who was twelve years older than her (her brother presumably) and his wife for New York.  All three of them stated that their country of future intended permanent residence was England.
___________________

On her husband’s second marriage his status was given as divorced.

When did the divorce happen?

Might she have married again?  Where?  What surname did she end up with?
Yes, East London, Curwen - to answer those three questions.
__________________

her second husband died two years into their marriage.  I wonder how this left her financially?  She certainly returned to England, might it have been soon after her bereavement?  Had her son already moved to England then?

Her death index, including her birth date which is precisely in the registered quarter:

First name(s)  Dora Howard
Last name      Curwen
Gender         Unknown
Birth day      24
Birth month    7
Birth year     1895
Death quarter  4
Death year     1977
District       Huntingdon
County         Huntingdonshire
Volume         9
Page           0973
Country        England
Record set     England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007
__________________

Her probate index:

1978
Curwen, Dora Howard of 237 Chesterton Rd Cambridge died 11 December 1977  Probate Ipswich  14 April £10812 781201783N

Will ordered: there sounds a strong chance that she will include some reference to her son, who also lived in Cambridge, and if so that will be the first public documentation for his birth.
___________________

Bingo!  In her will she expressly referred to

1. “my son John Laurie Conyers HALLIFAX” in her appointment of him as executor.

2. “my said son” in the clause making her bequests.

So there now formal record in a public document to the fact that her son was just that.

The next step will be to obtain the record of John’s marriage to show that his father was, precisely John Staniford Hallifax and that will then give that formal public record of the relationship.
__________________

Her will was dated 14th March 1965 when she had been living at Birley Court, Dilwyn Herefords.

The probate recorded that at death she was living at 237 Chesterton Road, Cambridge and was previously of Birley Court, Dilwyn, Herefords.
__________________

From Family Search, courtesy of  National Archives of South Africa (praise be!)

The following is my transcript of an image of their marriage certificate:

Cert No:                   195 of 1926
At:                        St George’s Cathedral, Cape Town, Cap, S Africa
Date:                      19 Feb 1926
                      His                           Hers
Race:                 European                      European
Name                  John Staniford Hallifax       Dora Howard Walker
Age:                  27                            30
Country of birth:     England                       England
Status:               Bachelor                      Spinster
Occupation:           Farmer
Residence:            Champagne Zastron, O.F.S.     Rhydding, Yorksjhire, England
Marriage Permission:                      By Banns
Consent for Minors:                       NA
Nuptial Contract:                         With

Celeb rant:    I E Passins(?)  Dean
Denomination:  Church of the Province of S.A.
Witnesses:     Constance Joy, Cicely Tylden, G T ???
____________________________

Their marriage certificate from an image of the page in the register and transcribed by me:

Cet No:   129/1945
At:       East London, East London district, Cape Province
On:       28th September 1945

                   His                           Hers
Race              European                       European
Name              Henry Curwen                   Dora Howard Hallifax (born Walker)
Age:              66                             50
Birth place:      Scotland                       England
Status:           Divorcee                       Divorcee
Occupation:       Retired Medical practitioner   Housewife
Residence:        Pearce St, berea, East London  Park HotelDunmore(?) Ave East London
Banns/Licence:                       Special Licence No 129272
Consents:         NA                             NA
Antenup Contract                             With
Remarks           Divorce order filed            Divorce Order Filed

Couple’s Sigs:    H Curwen,  M M Hallifax
Witnesses         (illegible!)
Asst Magistrate:  P E Todd
___________________________