My grandmother Lizzie Gale married John Hoare Hodder in July 1902 at St. Barnabus in Hove, the marriage certificate gives her father as James Gale, Farmer, deceased. Her age is given as 30 leaving one to assume she was born about 1972. However her death certificate for July 1921 quotes her age as 57, giving a birth date around 1964/5. I haven't succeeded in finding either James Gale or Lizzie Gale. Does anyone have knowledge of this family? Felicia

Felicia, You don't give any information on place of birth for Lizzie. I believe that they are probably in the registration district of Lambeth in the 1911 Census under the names of John Charles & Elizabeth Sarah, I don't have access to that particular Census but hopefully someone can supply the information. There is a good possibility that Lizzie was born in Berkshire, I found a good fit in the 1881 Census (which you should be able to access on the IGI site) living in Warfield which comes within Easthampstead in Berkshire. The family consists of James age 45 born Reading, Sarah age 42 born Wokingham as are the 2 eldest children James age 18 & Elizabeth age 15, the next John age 13 born Bracknell, the rest were Mary age 11, William age 9, Caroline age 7, Henry age 4, Alice age 3 and Fred age 1, all born Warfield. James Gale is a farmer of 65 acres in what I think is 'West End'. I have found James in the 1871 Census but he is unmarried which would indicate that Sarah was probably a widow when she married him probably sometime after the 1871 Census, although the childrens ages don't give any strong indication when apart from the fact that Mary was the first one born in Warfield (but her age would indicate a birth prior to the 1871 Census) If this is your family then James is not Elizabeth's father (but stepfather) and her birth name would not be Gale. I have been unable to clearly identify the family in any prior Census or Elizabeth post 1881 nor is there an obvious marriage entry giving a prior surname (that can be matched back to a Census), but others may have more luck. I can follow James through the 1891 & 1901 Census so he was possibly alive in 1902. As to James Gale in the 1871 Census he is living with his mother Ann (who is head) and brother Thomas in Warfield farming what I think is 'West End' Farm. In the Census James place of birth does vary slightly, in 1871, 1891 & 1901 it is Caversham (Oxfordshire), however the Berkshire/Oxfordshire boundary is close and the boundary has moved so it is quite common to see Berkshire and Oxfordshire interchanged both in formal documents and in general use. I hope that is of some help. Bob Hills ________________________________ My grandmother Lizzie Gale married John Hoare Hodder in July 1902 at St. Barnabus in Hove, the marriage certificate gives her father as James Gale, Farmer, deceased. Her age is given as 30 leaving one to assume she was born about 1972. However her death certificate for July 1921 quotes her age as 57, giving a birth date around 1964/5. I haven't succeeded in finding either James Gale or Lizzie Gale. Does anyone have knowledge of this family? Felicia ***************************************