Thanks for your comments Charani. I realised while I was mulling all this over today, that on another line I'm researching (actually the line that married my HARRIS fellow) I have an ancestor who was at various points recorded as a Shoemaker 1841, a Stocking Trimmer 1844 and a Musician 1851, so I guess Henry HARRIS being a Musician and a Coppersmith is possible, though perhaps unlikely. I realise William may think he was born in Bristol for the reasons you've given. However, I think I've found his father Henry HARRIS in London (where William also moved to) in the 1851 and 1861. I can't locate the family at all in the 1841, even though in 51 and 61 Henry was at the same address in Lewisham Street, St Margaret Westminster. I've even trawled through the whole 1841 ED which contains Lewisham Street, but no sign of him. Perhaps some more trawling is required, if the family has been mistranscribed. Wildcard searches on Ancestry don't seem to have turned anything up. But on the 51 and 61, Henry gives his birth place as Bristol also - another reason to think William was born there. Thanks for explaining the Diocese to me. I have now ordered a birth cert for one of the children who appears with Henry in the 1851 census. Hopefully there may be more clues for me when I receive it. Many thanks again for your help Charani and I'll try the freereg site too, see if I have any luck. Best wishes Chris > Date: Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:47:57 +0000 > From: Charani <familyhunter@family-hunter.co.uk> > > It would depend if he was a full time musician or did it as a side > line or whoever completed the register may have made a mistake: but I > agree, on the face of it, it is a bit of a stretch. > >> What puzzles me is that my ancestor William Henry born c1825 maintains on >> the 1851 and 1861 censuses that he was born in Bristol. > > He could have been born somewhere just outside Bristol and that was > the nearest big place. Or he may have moved there as a small child > and not known it wasn't where he was born. Or he may have been born in > Bristol but christened elsewhere for some reason. > > A diocese is usually very much larger than the actual place whose name > it bears. Bristol Diocese would cover all the parishes in Bristol. > >> William Henry HARRIS x'd 1825 at Temple Bristol is apparently the only >> William Henry with a father Henry on the CD, per Tony's reply. So if the >> CD >> covers the whole of Bristol, where do I go from here........ > > The CD does cover the whole of Bristol. > > Have you tried www.freereg.org.uk in case he was baptised elsewhere? > It's unfortunate that HARRIS is quite a common name which is going to > make it that much harder. > ***************************************************