Liz wrote: > You can always hope that one of the children has an unusual Christian name. > I've always found that extremely useful and I just type in the Christian > name and an approximate date of birth give or take two years. Certainly > when looking for a family on the census that's a great help. Then when they > go AWOL, remember many families put their toe in the water so to speak and > went abroad - even dentists were required in the colonies - they could have > married abroad and then come back. I've often found that and amongst the > children will be one born abroad. My start point was a lass who was born in France where her father seems to have trained as a dentist. He had a sister, Pauline, whose birth I have but that's all. Pauline is in the 1861 census but hasn't popped up in any subsequent census. I've been checking the passenger lists I have access to but with no joy :(( -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk