Chris, Thanks for your interest: BUSBY George BUSBY is a root ancestor of mine. I know, from an old copied page from a book called "A History of Northumberland" Vol 3 page 224 that George BUSBY was appointed Master of the Grammar School at Hexham on 24th June 1771. The entry mentions that he came from Gateshead. The entry I refer to also mentions that George BUSBY was "perpetual curate of Hexham". There is a footnote reference to a mention of his in "Gentleman's Magazine for 1799, p. 168." George BUSBY married Ann SCURFIELD at St Mary's Gateshead on 27 Mar 1769. They had a daughter called Fanny BUSBY, who married Edward HINDE of Cockermouth in Monkwearmouth on 3 Dec 1796. I don't know much about Edward HINDE, but believe he was a Sunderland solicitor. Fanny and Edward HINDE had 9 children as far as I know. One of them was Henrietta HINDE, born in Monkwearmouth on 19 Apr 1799. Fanny married James ALLISON (my GG Grandfather) on 13 Jul 1819. They built and occupied a large house at Cleadon/Whitburn called Undercliff(e). James ALLISON was a shipbuilder on Monkwearmouth Shore until 1833, when his lease ran out. He then became a brewer and founded the Allison Brewery, which was ultimately taken over by Scottish and Newcastle, sometime early in the twentieth century. NOBLE The NOBLES intermarried repeatedly with my COXONS, who do not connect with the mainstream Sunderland COXONS, coming originally from Usworth Hall. The COXONS were mining engineers and lived at Cleadon Towers for a while in the early 20th century, though their fortunes ebbed and flowed. Suzannah Bell NOBLE (1837-1875) married Samuel Bailey COXON (born 1834 @ Seaham Harbour) on 10 Apr 1858 at Benfieldside, Consett. I think there was also a VAUX/NOBLE marriage. STOREY Sarah Ann STOREY (1814-1860) Married Cuthbert VAUX at Holy Trinity on 14 Jun 1834. She was a daughter of John STOREY and Sarah STAFFORD. I connect to the STOREYS and the VAUX families through my GG Grandmother Mary TEMPERLEY, who married John Young GOURLEY in 1824. She was a daughter of Edward TEMPERLET (originally a Hexham family) and Margaret VAUX. John Young GOURLEY (1801-1868) and MARY TEMPERLEY were the parents of Edward Temperley GOURLEY (1826-1902), who was Liberal MP for Sunderland 1868-1900. Try as I may, I CANNOT find John Young GOURLEY's ancestry. I believe the family came for Fife, but that's as far as I have got with him. He lived at 5 St Bede's Terrace, Bishopwearmouth and any help with his origins would be vastly appreciated by me! ____________________ I hope that helps you, Chris. I have kept this as concise as I fairly can, but if you find any connection or require more, please let me know. Aye, Clifford Allison.