Hi Ian Welcome to the list. John and Philadelphia do seem to be elusive. The only possible sighting of John, and it really is a remote possibility, is of a John Pottle aged 31 sentenced to 1 month imprisonment for larceny in Surrey 4 Feb 1839. No other information that might help to confirm or otherwise that this is indeed the man you are searching for. Jon Baker Dorset OPC Co-ordinator www.opcdorset.org -----Original Message----- The particular Pottle I'm interested in was christened (2 April 1809) JOHN RIDEOUTE POTTLE. He married (4 November 1835, Old Church, St Pancras, London) PHILADELPHIA GODDEN, from Sussex, who was six years his senior. I have so far failed to find these Pottles in 1841 and 1851

Does anybody have any idea why the name 'Philadelphia' was such a popular womans name in the 1800s ? It has clearly died out completely since but it seems strange that it was so prevalent back then. Just pondering ....... Peter

Many thanks Jon for your reply and for the possible lead. The surname is frequently mistranscribed in the census. In later life Philadelphia's surname is rendered as 'Pittle' and 'Bottle'. The criminal connection is by no means implausible: one of Philadelphia's sisters had two sons who were convicted of crime: one transported (aged 14) to Tasmania for theft, the other sentenced to 20 years for coining. The search continues! IAN