I was very interested in this MI from Whitehaven St. James posted on the Carlisle List, which I have just joined, and I wonder if the originator could tell me if he copied this from the gravestone itself or from a previous transcription. Henry Ritson only son of the late Mr John Ritson of Tallentire died 22nd December 1849 aged 3. Also of Catherine his wife died December 14th 1850 aged 37. Also Marian their only daughter, beloved wife of G.J.Muriel, J.P. Surgeon of Whitehaven. Born August 21st 1845 died December 23rd 1920. Also John Henry Moore their only son born August 21st 1847 died at Hinning House, Bootle June 6th 1909. It appeared to give a lead on the family of John Henry Moore Ritson who married Sarah Grice of Bootle. However, several things puzzled me. One was that both Henry and John Henry Moore were described as "only son" when they were both alive at the same time. Also why Henry was included in both their names although the elder had not yet died when the younger was born. I also had a lead to the possibility that the names of "Mary Muriel" whom family charts said was married to Richard Grice of Bootle, Sarah's youngest brother, were that of her first and maiden names not two first names as I had hitherto presumed. Good stuff. I set off to investigate and you may be interested in what I found. Here I must give much thanks to Archive Books for the Bootle Parish Registers and the compilers of Free BMDs, CFHS for their census books amongst others including the LDS Church plus the unknown relative who compiled the chart in the first place. First I looked at the 1851 census for Whitehaven to see if I could find the two surviving children Marian and John Henry Moore Ritson. I was surprised to find that their mother Catherine, said to have died 14 December 1850 was alive and well, a widow aged 37 and a Proprietor of Land and Houses. They lived at Gregg's Court which appeared to be off Tangier Street. I have not yet been able to find from Free BMD however when Catherine and her husband died. Now my reading of the MI was that Henry Ritson was the son of John and Catherine and died aged 3 in 1849 and that John and Catherine had two surviving children, Marian and John Henry Moore Ritson. I could find no baptisms for these children as children of John and Catherine or John only. >From Free BMDs I found matching marriage entries for Marian Ritson and George John Muriel Q2 1868 in the Whitehaven Registration District so that checked out. I next turned to the Bootle Parish Registers and found the marriage of John Henry Moore Ritson and Sarah Grice on 13 Oct 1875 at Bootle. I was surprised to find that JHM Ritson gave his father as "Henry Ritson, Spirit Merchant". There was no reason for him to give a false identity for his father. His age and unusual combination of names indicated that it was indeed the same person. I then went back to IGI and found baptisms for Marian 16 Oct 1845 and John Henry Moore Ritson 30 Aug 1847 both at Whitehaven St. James as children of Henry and Catherine. This was beginning to put quite a different light on the MI wording. I then started to deduce that it should read something like as follows:- HENRY RITSON was the only son of JOHN RITSON of Tallentire (IGI baptism for Henry son of John at nearby Bridekirk 22 Oct 1815). He died 22nd December 1849 aged 33. HENRY's wife CATHERINE died 14th December 1850 (but she didn't unless the 1851 census was wrong as is very unlikely) HENRY and CATHERINE had two children. Marian married George John Muriel, Surgeon of Whitehaven (quite right). John Henry Moore Ritson died at Hinning House (the home of his wife's youngest brother RICHARD GRICE). A further twist to the tale. As previously mentioned RICHARD GRICE's wife was probably MARY MURIEL. Unfortunately no marriage for them in Bootle Parish Registers. A last thought. I turned to the Banns Register. There three entries from the end were the Banns for Richard Grice of Bootle and Mary Harcourt Muriel of Whitehaven St. James called on 10/17/24 June 1900. Now I am almost certain though not yet proved that Mary Muriel was the daughter of George John Muriel and Marian nee Ritson. Therefore she was also John Henry Moore Ritson's niece so when he died at Hinning House it was at the home of his brother-in-law married to his niece. A typically Cumbrian state of affairs. >From 1901 census Index it appears that the Mary Grice married to Richard was born in Staffordshire. Looking through for likely Muriels on the 1881 census I identified two presumed brothers at a boarding school in Epsom, one born Staffordshire and the other Whitehaven. Muriel is too unusual a surname to make this a coincidence. I now think that George John Muriel and Marian Ritson had the following children at least - MARY HARCOURT born c. 1868 in Staffordshire (married Richard Grice, her uncle's wife's brother) HENRY born c. 1870 at Alrewas, Staffs. At boarding school in Epsom 1881. Church of England Clergyman at Lichfield, Staffs 1901 GEORGE BERTRAM bap 23 June 1871 Whitehaven St. James, son of George John and Marian Muriel. At boarding school in Epsom 1881. MARGUERITE HELDER born Q3 1872 Whitehaven I have been unable to find George John and Marian Muriel with their two daughters Mary and Marguerite on the 1881 census. Unless the spelling of their name is wildly out it is possible that they were out of the country, perhaps in India or Ireland for example and that is one reason why the two sons were in boarding school. Much is still to be proved or disproved of course but what a lot of information I got from one MI which turned out to have suspect wording after all. As has been said many times, there is usually a grain of truth in there somewhere. My thanks to the originator of these MI postings. Jill