Thank you so much Jan I cannot begin to say what a joy it is to receive your email and finally establish Richard's wife and say how gratful I am to you. Richard STEAR's father John Henry STEAR was indeed a farmer in Jersey and I suspected Alice may have been the wife as I have found an Alice STEAR suddenly appearing in the census after 1890 but stating 'single' as marriage condition.  I also suspect they may have emigrated as I have been unable to find a death for Richard I am now searching for Alice's death certificate. my sincere thanks Helen ----- Original Message ---- From: JAN HIBBERD <jan.hibberd@btopenworld.com> To: "helaine@talk21.com" <helaine@talk21.com> Sent: Thursday, 23 October, 2008 5:01:46 PM Subject: Re: [PORTSMOUTH-GOSPORT] STEAR, GOFTON, DENT, WHITE Hello Helen I've found the marriage you are after. Richard James Stear married 9th or 27th Nov 1890 St.Marys Portsea to Alice Dent. Him 24, her 20, both single. Him a seaman RN of HMS Excellent, her of 22 Leonard Road. Fathers Henry Stear a farmer and George Dent, a billiard marker. Regards Jan --- On Wed, 22/10/08, helaine@talk21.com <helaine@talk21.com> wrote: From: helaine@talk21.com <helaine@talk21.com> Subject: [PORTSMOUTH-GOSPORT] STEAR, GOFTON, DENT, WHITE To: ENG-HAM-PORTSMOUTH-GOSPORT@rootsweb.com Date: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 7:09 PM Hello Listers, I am new to your list and wonder if by any chance one of you may be able to help. I am trying to find my GG Uncle Richard James STEAR, born St. Helier, Jersey c1865 but decended of the South Hams STEAR herd.  I have already establised with the help of Naval Records and Census where he was upto 1919 when he was invalided out of the Navy, but after that I have no idea where he went (no death recorded on FreeBMD). FreeBMD (volume 2b page 582 March 1890) Portsea records state that a Richard James STEAR married either Martha Ann GOFTON or Alice Mary DENT (the other groom was Richard Ernest WHITE) I am hoping that this is my Richard James STEAR and following a wife may be more helpful. My next step is to establish which of these women Richard STEAR married (as he was serving on board HMS Inflexible in 1891 and Royal Oak docked in Malta at the time of the 1901 census) I have been unable to attach either of the above brides to the grooms (searching for Richard WHITE has also drawn a blank possibly he was also a serving sailor).  I am hoping someone may recognise and maybe eliminate one of these couples. Helen ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-HAM-PORTSMOUTH-GOSPORT-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message