Hi Listers, My grandfather William Henry BAKER always told us he was born almost within the sound of Bow-Bells. On his marriage certificate to Harriet GOODE in Southsea, it states he was 27 yrs of age, whilst his father William Baker was deceased. Witnesses were a John Tyzack and Emma Goode. The Goode family came from Haslingfield in Cambridgeshire. I have obtained William Henry's RN records and it states he was born 26 April 1876 in Bromley-by-Bow. The age on his marriage certificate then corresponds with the year of birth on his Records but to date I have not been able to locate such a registration. When I was about 9 yrs of age I recall asking his mother's name, whilst I am sure he told me it was Naomi, a name completely unfamiliar to me at that time. Having trawled the 1881 census I came across a Baker family living in Bethnal Green, where the father was a William Baker aged 52 yrs (born Suffolk) and surprisingly a much younger wife named Naomi, born Middlesex. Their eldest son was William aged 6 yrs, a second Alfred and a third John, all born locally. I then found an Alfred in the army the 1901 census, based in Devon, whilst a John also in the army was based in Deal (Kent). There are so many coincidences that this family is becoming a "must". My grandfather retired to Devon and a strange story in the 1950's was that he was recognised from the back by a woman who called him "Mr Baker" and suggested he hurried-up as he was likely to miss the bus! The woman went onto the bus which was going in a completely opposite direction to where my grand-parents lived. My grandfather has said he had two brothers whilst we know he might have run-away from home and joined the Navy, even giving a false date or place of birth? . Alfred Baker could well have remained in Devon having left the army, which is how the story over the Mr Baker and bus confusion now seems so plausible. Oddly enough there is a Naomi Baker who was buried in Elham, Kent, the village where my cousion now lives! My grandfather was awarded a DSM in 1917 and later that same year recommended for his acts of bravery in trying to help victims of the Halifax (Nova Scotia) explosion. We were never aware of this until I obtained his RN records. He served as a coastguard in Donegal, Ireland which is where my mother and her second sister were born. I have managed to obtain a copy of the 1911 Irish census, which shows the family. He returned from Ireland and served as a coastguard at Padstow and Teignmouth before retiring to Pinhoe near Exeter. He passed away at the age of 80 yrs. Should this family sound familair to anyone or should there be any other persons seeking the family, i would be more than pleased he hear from them. William David JAMES, Brittany, France.