In a message dated 18/03/2009 19:09:05 GMT Standard Time, canton_cardiff_wales@yahoo.com writes: I do know that there were a family of COULTHARD who were "Engineer's"living in West Street,Gateshead in the 1851 census. However,I have Never found out where my William COULTHARD was in 1851? Graham: Perhaps you are aware of this and perhaps not - and it may or may not be relevan to your research! There was an enghineering firm named Coulthards in Gateshead in the mid-19th century. I quote Frank Manders' "History of Gateshead", p71 (1973: ISBN 0 901273 02 3). "The next locomotive engineer to set up a works in Gateshead was John Coulthard, who left Losh, Wilson and Bell's engine works at Walker in 1839. The 'Gateshead Observer' noted in September 1847 that 'The largest locomotive yet manufactured by Messrs Coulthard & Co of Oakwellgate was completed this week and placed on the line of the York and Newcastle Company, for whom it was built'. Coulthard's did not long survive the expansion of the great Greenesfield Locomotive works, and closed in 1865." I am not certain where those engineering works were. Manders says they were in Oakwellgate, but the road that became known as Coulthard's Lane led east from East Street, just south of the Ellison Glass Works. As I said, there may be no connection, but engineers named Coulthard cannot have been all that thick on the ground in Gateshead! Geoff Nicholson