Hi Elaine, Don't worry about living at a distance from the scene of the action. I can't get to the Dorset History Centre and back in the day either so I do it from my 'Play Station'. I have Elizabeth bap. 4 Mar 1787 WStM by Thomas Morton COLSON, Curate, d. of Joseph SPRACKLEN & Ann TIZZARD, m. 27 Oct 1776 WStM. I also have her married to William CRITCHELL 7 Feb 1805 WStM. However, it is very difficult to distinguish between one candidate and another so I may be wrong with that marriage. Nevertheless, these census entries seem to support her birthdate:- 1841 Census of Winterbourne St Martin:- HO107/286/8 ED 14 Folio 7, page 9 William CRITCHELL 60 Ag Lab Y Elizabeth do 54 Y Hannah do 15 Y James do 14 Y 1851 Census of Winterbourne St Martin:- HO107/1858 ED 18 Folio 589, page 9 33 William CRITCHELL Head M 71 Pauper (Agricultural Laborer) Dorset Compton Elizabeth do Wife M 66 do Winterborne St Martin James do Son U 24 Agricultural Labourer do do 1861 Census of Winterbourne St Martin:- RG9/1356 ED 10 Folio 145, page 13 60 William CRITCHELL Head M 80 Formerly Ag Lab Dorset Compton Valence Elizabeth do Wife M 74 Lab Wife do Martinstown James do Son M 33 Maltman do do Mary do Daur in law M 43 Dressmaker do do Thomas do Grandson 8 Scholar do do James do do 5 do do do William died Jun qtr 1862 and Elizabeth died Sep qtr 1865, both Dorchester district. Unfortunately I don't have her burial to show her reported age at death. I have not connected with the SPRACKLINGs of Martinstown (also often spelt SPRACKLIN or ~EN). They lived there for many generations, the earliest entry in the Parish Register that I have found being Matthew SPRACKLING & Mary GROSE, m. 1 Jul 1661, probably Elizabeth's g.g. grandparents. As the earliest deposited register goes back only to 1653 my family connection must predate that. My SPRACKLINGs came from Wraxall, at least back to Richard SPRACKLING & Joan DIFFEE, m. 4 Feb 1684 Wraxall, my 6x g. gp. Then possibly back to Symon SPRACKLING bur. 1625 Wraxall. The registers start there in 1648. It is likely that the SPRACKLINGs migrated from East Kent to Dorset as the name has been known in Kent since the 12th C, probably an anglicisation of SPRAKALEGGE, an old Norse nickname or byname meaning 'creaking legs'. The Vikings and the Jutes used to overwinter in Kent and obviously some settled there and some moved to Dorset, probably by sea as there is little evidence of the name in the intervening counties until the mid-19th C. That would also have been the quickest and safest means of travel then. Regards, Michael ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elaine McLean" <elainemclean18@yahoo.ca> To: <DORSET@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2010 10:55 PM Subject: [DOR] SPRACKLING/CHANNING > Hi Michael, > > Thank you so much for writing and sending so much useful information. My > Elizabeth SPRACKLING is proving to be a little elusive! However, it is good to > be in touch with a member of the SPRACKLING family! > > > I did have in some old notes a possible family for Elizabeth being a Jospeph and > Sarah SPRACKLING who had a daughter about 1787, Christened in Winterbourne St. > Martin on 4th March 1787. This is the nearest I have got to a possible family > for her and it would mean she would be about the right age for her marriage in > 1810 to Emanuel CHANNING. I am glad you mentioned Winterbourne St.Martin now > being referred to just as Martin, I did not know that as I don't know the area. > > I have returned to researching this line after a long break and I have also > found in my notes additional children for Emanuel and Elizabeth CHANNING, a > William 1814 and Robert 1817 and a Maria also christened or baptised in 1822, > the same as their son John. I don't know if they were twins or merely baptised > together . > > Regarding Emanuel's second marriage, I have yet to discover the name of his > second wife but I will be working on that later, my main thrust has been to > track down more on Elizabeth SPRACKLING and hopefully to go back further with > Emanuel, it is not easy, especially at this distance! > > Kind regards and many thanks your helpful note - you must let me know - are you > on the same SPRACKLING line?? > > Elaine McLean > Mission, BC, Canada