Hi After some years of trying to solve a 'mystery' I think I have finally cracked the puzzle. My great great grandmother, Emma BEASLEY, married Joseph BURNELL at Whitchurch Parish Church in 1883. On their marriage certificate she states tht her father is Anthony BEASLEY a cooper. Emma and Joseph have six children - on three of the birth certificates her maiden name is given as SHUFFILL and on three it is given as BEASLEY... I finally managed to locate Emma BEASLEY on a census prior to 1891, as i found her in 1871 living in Whitchurch with her grandparents John and Elizabeth SHUFFILL, her mother (I assume) Emma BEASLEY, and another grandchild John GRACE. I believe that although the mother, Emma BEASLEY, states she was married, i don't believe this to be the case as I cannot find a trace of a SHUFFILL marriage to a BEASLEY... I suspect Emma BEASLEYS father was Anthony BEASLEY a cooper born in Whitchurch, who spent some time in Canada between the early 1870's and 1875. Would there be some bastardly bonds or something similar for me to look at somewhere for around the time of 1860 (when Emma was born)??? I would also like to hear from anyone who may be connected to either the SHUFFILL family or the GRACE family. Kind regards Tezz _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself with cool new emoticons http://www.msn.co.uk/specials/myemo

Hi In view of my previous post re SHUFFILs and GRACE, I thought it might be a good time to purchase the Bucks 1861 Census...Can anyone tell me iif its ben released yet...? Kind regards Tezz _________________________________________________________________ It's fast, it's easy and it's free. Get MSN Messenger today! http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger

>My great great grandmother, Emma BEASLEY, married Joseph BURNELL at >Whitchurch Parish Church in 1883. On their marriage certificate she states >tht her father is Anthony BEASLEY a cooper. >Emma and Joseph have six children - on three of the birth certificates her >maiden name is given as SHUFFILL and on three it is given as BEASLEY... Sounds as if she was illegityimate when born and that her mother later married Anthony Beasley, her father, so that she was known by courtesy by his name afterwards, but occasionally some awkwared vicar knew her baptismal name and insisted on it. >I believe that although the mother, Emma BEASLEY, states she was married, i >don't believe this to be the case as I cannot find a trace of a SHUFFILL Try variant spellings - Sheffield, Shufild, Sheefild, Shurvil and Beesley, Biesley etc. The marriage may be quite a while after Emma's birth >marriage to a BEASLEY... I suspect Emma BEASLEYS father was Anthony BEASLEY >a cooper born in Whitchurch, who spent some time in Canada between the early >1870's and 1875. > >Would there be some bastardly bonds No - that system ceased in 1834.There might be a Petty sessions case and an affiliation order after this, but if Anthony paid up, and obviously meant to marry Emma when he got back or some time, then there may be no official record. Newspapers are the best source for this. -- Eve McLaughlin Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society