His first school was at Petone School admitted 8th May till 2nd September 1905 when at school at Canvastown, Nelson; Parent/guardian his sister Mrs Wm Pope.  Address - Canvastown;

Evening Post, 11 April 1907: A series of burglaries at Newtown and Kilbirnie recently resulted in the arrest of a fifteen-year-old boy named Frank Guilford, who appeared .before Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., in the Juvenile Court, to-day. He pleaded guilty to the charges, which included the theft of £12 from the house Edward Blomfield at Kilbirnie. It was stated by the police that the boy, who lived with his mother at Kilbirnie, had been going wrong for some time, and in two of the cases he had broken into houses "like an old burglar". ln one of the cases he had been assisted by a young relation of the man whose money was stolen, who showed him where the money was. That boy admitted that he had spent some of the money, and Guilford said he had lost the remainder. After hearing of previous convictions against the boy, his Worship ordered him to receive 6 strokes with the birch and to be committed to the Burnham Industrial School. The boy cried loudly on hearing the decision, and pleaded hard to be allowed to stay with his mother, promising to be a good boy in fixture. His Worship, however, refused to give him any further chances.

Evening Post, 18 Feb 1913 - Francis Henry Gordon Guilford, a labourer, 21 years of age, who was arrested yesterday, was brought up on a charge of breaking and entering the house of Frank Shennan. at Island Bay, and stealing there a five-shilliiig piece and a sum of £6. Inspector Sheehan asked for a remand until the 26th itist. This was granted, bail being allowed in one surety of £100 or two of £60.

Evening Post, 26 Feb 1913: BREAKING AND ENTERING - YOUNG MAN'S CRIMES. A young man named Francis Henry Gordon Guilford was charged before Mr. Riddell, S.M., to-day, with breaking and entering the dwellinghouse of Francis Edward Shennon, at Island Bay, 'on 12th January, and stealing therefrom the sum of £6 5s. Chief-Detective Broberg conducted the prosecution. Francis Edward Shennon gave evidence as to leaving his house about 3 o'clock on the afternoon of the 12th January, and on returning a couple of hours afterwards found that someone had entered the house in his absence and stolen £6 5s from 'a chest of drawers. Edward W. Dinnie, finger-print expert, deposed that the finger-prints on a workbox brought to the Finger-print Office by the police and those of accused were identical. Detective Lewis stated that in consequence of a report from the Finger-print Department he arrested accused, who at first denied the charge, but subsequently he made a statement admitting his guilt. Accused was also charged with breaking and entering the dwellinghouse of William Talbot, at Newtown, on the 15th inst., and stealing £5 15s 6d and eight 1d stamps, the property of Rose Bryant and others. Evidence of the loss of the money was given by Christina Talbot, Rose E. Bryant, and Bella Bryant. Detective Lewis, who arrested accused, said that Guilford admitted the charge of entering the house and stealing the money. Accused handed back to witness £4 3s 4d of the money ho had taken. Accused, who pleaded guilty, said he was sorry for having committed the offences, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

Dominion, 10 Mar 1913: YOUNG HOUSEBREAKER. AND SOME FAMILY HISTOKY: Francis Henry Gordon Guilford , 21 years of age, was brought up for sentence on certain charges of housebreaking, to which he had recently pleaded guilty. Mr. O'Leary, who appeared foi the young man, said that probation could not be asked for, as Guilford had previously been convicted of three charges of theft, and sent to the Buniham' Industrial School. Since coming from there he had earned 30s a week at the book. .binding trade, and had contributed to the support of his mother. Counsel suggested that his Honour might defer sentence, and give the young man. a chance to see if he could obtain employment and get back on the straight .road again. Mr Ostler informed bis .Honour that Guilford's brother had gone, mad in gaol while serving a sentence for, a serious offence, and a sister of the prisoner had been sentenced for theft. His Honour did not think that this was a case that could be controlled.merely by suspending a "sword of Damocles' over the prisoner. 'In many cases that. had been found most effective, but it would not likely be so in this case. Prisoner had gone about these crimes in characteristic fashion, and it appeared as if he needed detention for reformative treatment. A sentence of two years' detention for this purpose was imposed, his Honour, recommending tho Invercargill Prison, without making any definite order. 1915 - Evening Post, 31 July 1915,CALL TO ARMS: WELLINGTON'S RESPONSE, The following additional recall to have handed in their medical papers at No. S Group Office, Buckle-street, after having been, examined by the- doctor - Guilford, Francis Henry Gordon, labourer

WW1 -Category defaulters Reg No R10/3274; last address Martin St, Wellington Name: Francis Henry Gordon Guilford; Residence City: Wellington

Evening Post, 24 Aug 1915: REINFORCEMENTS - A COMPLETE LIST NAMES OF MEN. Following is the official list of names of the men from Wellington and the suburbs who went into camp yesterday : — INFANTRY  F. H, G. Guilford,

Evening Post, 19 Nov 1915: NINE PERSONS ARRESTED: Some excitement was caused in that portion of the city at, about 10 o'clock last night by a well-organised police raid on No. 58, Elizabeth-street. As a result of the raid, which was carried out by Sergeants Fitzpatrick, and Wilcocks, and Constables ODea, Kail, and Parkinson, nine persons were arrested. They all appeared before Mr. B. G. A. Cooper, S..M., at the Magistrate's Court this afternoon, and their names, together with the charges brought against them, are as follows - Henry Giles and Rosina Henry, (keeping a brothel and consorting with prostitutes), Alice Hawthorne (keeping a brothel and consorting with prostitutes), Jessie Sutherland (assistant in the management of a brothel and consorting with prostitutes), Ethel Florence Guilford, Andrew Price, George Wells, Leonard Henry Boeker and Francis Henry Gordon Guilford (consorting with prostitutes). Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for all defendants. All the cases were taken together. The four women appeared to be quite young, and all were respectably dressed. In opening the case, Inspector Hendrey related some sordid details. The man Giles, he said, had permanent employment at a shooting gallery. and earned about £4 per week. The woman Henry lived with him and Mrs. Giles. She was married to a soldier now on active service, and was drawing 21s per week from the Defence Department. Among the others were two men—Guildford and Boeker, who were wearing the King's uniform. Whether they were entitled to do so or not he could not say. He understood that they should have gone away with a Reinforcement draft. They alleged now that they were on sick leave. Price was a married man, but made no attempt to support his wife, who was ill and entirely dependent on her mother. Each defendant entered a plea of not guilty.The police case closed just before 5 o'clock last evening, and the hearing was then adjourned until Monday afternoon. Bail, was allowed the accused—£10 in every case

Evening Post, 29 Nov 1915: Reserved^ decision was given by Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., in the Magistrate s Court to-day, in the cases arisin" out of a recent raid by the police on a house of ill-fame in Elizabeth-street Rosina Henry was fined £3, with the alternative of fourteen days' imprisonment, for having kept a brothel; on the idle and disorderly charge she was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. Alice Hawthorne was also convicted of having kept the brothel, and was ordered to come up for sentence when called upon as her hnsband is willing he look after her. Jessie Sutherland, for having assisted in the management of the house was fined £2, with the alternative of going to gaol for seven days. On the idle and disorderly charge she was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. Ethel Florence Guilford, alias Pope, was convicted of having assisted in the management of the house, and George Wells was convicted of having consorted with reputed prostitutes. As they had been in gaol for some days they were convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. Charges against Francis Henry Gordon Guilford (who wore the King's uniform) and Henry Giles of having consorted with prostitutes were dismissed.

Evening Post,  22 May 1919: FOR TEN YEARS DEPRIVED OF CIVIL RIGHTS - MILITARY DEFAULTERS; WELLINGTON DISTRICT LIST - In pursuance of section 8 of the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Act, 1918, the Minister of Defence has caused to- be prepared and has now published in the Gazette the list of military defaulters, and he declares such list to be the Military Defaulters List under that Act. Guilford, Francis H. G., Martin street

Evening Post, 22 May 1933: "TOO FREQUENT" BURGLARY OFFENCES PRISONERS SENTENCED DANGEROUS CRIMINAL.' Described by the police as an exceedingly dangerous and clever criminal, Francis Henry Gorman Guilford was sentenced to two years' imprisonment on each of eight charges of breaking and entering and theft and one charge of theft, the sentences to be concurrent. He was also declared a habitual criminal. "It is quite hopeless granting leniency to a man of this type," his Honour said. "He has been convicted time and again for offences of this kind, and it is quite obvious he cannot or will not reform." Mr. Macassey said that the prisoner had a very bad record. He had been living a life- of crime for tho past twenty years. In 1929 he had been sentenced to four years' imprisonment on ten charges similar to the present ones, and ho had been out of gaol just a month when he had committed the present offences. He also had had a number of convictions in Australia.

Evening Post, 14 July 1937: FAST WORK BY TWO DETECTIVES - HOUSEBREAKER CAUGHT - To be arrested by detectives on the same afternoon on which he broke into an Austin Street residence was the "misfortune" of Francis Henry Gordon Guilford, alias Francis Clark, a labourer, aged 45, who appeared before Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court today charged with breaking and entering by day on July 7 the dwelling of Wilfred Lawson, at 101 Austin Street, and stealing articles of a total value of £11. Detective-Sergeant P. Doyle prosecuted. Ethel Annette Lawson, wife of Wilfred Lawson, said that she resided at 101 Austin Street with her husband. At 9 a.m. on July 7, 1937, she left the house for the day, being the last person to leave. Before leaving she securely locked all doors and windows. At 5.55 p.m. she returned to find that her brother, who also lived in the house, had arrived before her. As a result of what he told her, she found that a wedding ring and a keeper ring had disappeared from a box on the dressing-room table, and that a goldfilled .watch, chain, and fruit knife, and two gold bangles were missing from an attache case. She identified the articles produced as the ones stolen. The property was valued at £9. Later she found that the bathroom window at the rear of the house had been forced open. She did not know the accused.

Arthur William Piper, a book-binder, a brother of the previous witness, said he left the residence at about 7.30 a.m. on July 7, and returned at 5.5 p.m. He found the front and back doors securely locked, but a few minutes later found that his watch fob was missing from his bedroom. He identified portions of the fob produced, which he valued at £2. The same evening, he found that the bathroom window had been forced open.

Detective N. J. McPhee said that on the evening of July 7 he and Detective S. C. Browne located the accused in Lambton Quay endeavouring to dispose of the property produced. First the accused said he found it, but later admitted it had been stolen. Witness produced a statement signed by the accused. In it the accused admitted entering the house at about 2.30 p.m. through the bathroom window, after knocking at the front door. The accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

Evening Post, 19 Aug 1937; TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS: PERIOD IN PRISON - MAN GRANTED PROBATION Francis Henry Gordon Guildford, a labourer and bookbinder, aged 45, who has spent all but one of the years since he was sixteen in prison and has been once declared a habitual criminal, was given a chance by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) in the Supreme Court today, when he appeared for sentence for breaking and entering a house and committing theft. Remarking that it did not seem as if the prisoner had ever had a chance, his Honour placed him on probation for two years. Guildford was represented by Mr. P. D. N. Verschaffelt. Mr. Verschaffelt said that since he was sixteen the prisoner had spent twenty-eight years in gaol and had missed every Christmas. He knew he had to get a term of imprisonment, but did not want to be declared a habitual criminal. An officer of the Salvation Army said his authorities were willing to take care of the prisoner, and would send him to an institution at Addington. The probation officer said Guildford had already been declared a habitual criminal and his probation continued automatically. "As long as you are indulging in your criminal practices it is in the public interest that you should be kept in gaol to prevent you from continuing those practices," said his Honour, "but if there is anything like a reasonable possibility of your reformation then I think it is equally m the public interest that you should be given a chance to reform. The Salvation Army has undertaken to take charge of you, and you are willing to be taken charge of by the Army. - NO CHANCE GIVEN. "You say, and I dare say there is a good deal of truth in it, that you have never been given much of a chance. I gather that that is so. From your record I don't say for a moment that that is the fault of the authorities; I don't suppose it is anybody's fault but your own. I think I am justified, notwithstanding your record, in giving you an opportunity of going straight, and you will be placed on probation for a period of two years, on the condition that you place yourself under, and remain under, the control of the Salvation Army authorities during that period. They will look after you and endeavour to give you a chance to become what you never have been, I'm afraid, a respectable citizen. ' "The Court is going a very long way in giving you this chance, but I think I'm justified in doing it; but I want to warn you that if you don't behave yourself while the Salvation Army authorities have charge of you, or if you don't obey them, or if you clear out from their control, it will be their duty immediately to inform, the probation officer, who, in turn, will have you brought before the Court on tins charge, on which you will be sentenced. "The result may be, seeing that you have previously been declared a habitual criminal, that you will spend the rest of your life in prison. "Thank you very much, your Honour, for the first chance I have had,"said Guilford from the dock......,. His Honour: I hope you will show that the leniency of the Court has not been misplaced. His Honour said the public was indebted to the Salvation Army for taking an interest in such a case and doing its best for a man for whom, if the Salvation Army did not take that interest, there would be no future except continuous imprisonment.