Twyford’s connection with the infamous lawman, Wyatt Earp

Richard Bedford from Twyford married Ann Horwood from Weston on the Green on 18th Nov 1793 and made their home in Twyford. The census report show that they were still living in Twyford in 1851

They had a daughter Ann, born in Twyford on 25th Dec 1799 and baptised at Twyford Church on 5th Jan 1800.

Their daughter, Ann, married a John Cadd of Hillesden on 12th Feb 1827 and made their home in Preston Bissett.

Ann and John Cadd had 5 children, the youngest, Annie Elizabeth, was born on 20th July 1842. She was 5 years of age when the family emigrated to Australia on board the Mariner. They left in the spring of 1847, arriving in Port Adelaide in September of that year.

Ten years later in 1857, Ann and John Cadd left Sydney together with two of their children and spouses accompanied also by Annie aged 15. After a very rough 15-week voyage, they arrived in Los Angeles.

Annie was promised in marriage to 32-year old Ambrose Peck Alexander and they were married in December 1857. Annie was only 15 at the time.

The family purchased land and had 9 children, but Ambrose died in 1884 at the age of 59 leaving Annie and her eldest boy William to run the farm.

The Pioneer Society was formed in 1888 and Annie joined the society in 1893. One of the members was Nicholas Porter Earp, father of Morgan, Virgil and the infamous Wyatt Earp – OK Corral fame and gunfighter of the West.

Annie married 80-year old Nicholas Earp on 14th January 1893 and so became Wyatt Earp’s stepmother. Nicholas’s swearing and frequenting of the saloons was probably too much for Annie’s Mormon upbringing. Her sharp tongue led him to spend more time away from home with his daughter and he died in 1907.

Annie lived another 24 years until 1931 aged 89 and is buried with her first husband Ambrose. Her mother Ann died in 1865 and is buried in San Bernardino and her father, John, died in a self-inflicted shooting accident in 1871.

 


Wyatt Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an Old West lawman and gambler in Cochise County, Arizona Territory, and a deputy marshal in Tombstone. He worked in a wide variety of trades throughout his life and took part in the famous gunfight at the OK Corral, during which lawmen killed three outlaw Cochise County Cowboys. He’s often erroneously regarded as the central figure in the shootout, although his brother Virgil was the Tombstone City and Deputy U.S. Marshal that day, and had far more experience in combat as a sheriff, constable, marshal, and soldier.