On Fri, 20 Dec 2013 11:15:32 -0000 Josephine Jeremiah" <jojeremiah@dsl.pipex.com> wrote Hi Colin, I've looked at your www.talltalesfromthetrees.blogspot.com and noticed a piece on your 3x great-uncle, Thomas Richard Guppy (1797-1882). I remembered the name from a message that I sent to the list in February 2005, which includes the information that his wife was called Henrietta Collins Jennings. I've written a few pieces on Tall Tales From the Trees about the Guppys - Thomas Richard's mother and father were both inventive engineers and Brunel drew on the expertise of all three: http://talltalesfromthetrees.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/sarah-maria-guppy-nee-be ach-1770-1852.html. His wife Henrietta's sister Caroline Collins Jennings married my great great grandfather William Henry Castle, son of Thomas Castle who ran the Bristol Whisky Distillery in Cheese Lane. William Henry's sister Mary married William Edward Acraman of the Bristol chandlery company, who built a warehouse on No. 1 Quay which became Bush House and eventually the Arnolfini. It seems to me a few powerful families were all very closely intertwined in Bristol in the early 19th century! A look at the lists of mayors and sherriffs at the time confirms this - eg Michael Hinton Castle, William Henry's cousin, sherriff in 1809 and 1832 and mayor in 1812. He was also involved in the family distillery, and was president of the Anchor Society in 1820: http://talltalesfromthetrees.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/michael-hinton-castle-17 85-1845-and.html. Daft story, recorded at the time in a letter I now have, about Henrietta and Caroline Collins' aunt Henrietta Collins nee Paterson being sent a fish through the post in 1797: http://talltalesfromthetrees.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/henrietta-patterson-1737 -1824-and-gift.html. Enjoy!