James Merrick lived most of his adult life in Yorkshire but his place of birth was Newent. Family tradition is that he walked from the Forest of Dean to the Yorks coalfields looking for work with his gaffer. My earliest record is of his marriage in 1877. He seemed to be a little inconsistent with his age giving a date of birth anything from 1853 to 1856. His father was also James and was described as deceased on the marriage certificate. I have been unable to trace a registration for his birth. Can anyone throw any light on Merricks in Newent? Cathy Bryan [email protected]