Jon you are right about a mix-up,(when is my family not) the problem I have is that in the 1841 census the father is not there and the head is Mary which could be Mary Simms but she is not born in the county so it is difficult to track her down and in the 1851 she is gone and the daughter Elizabeth is the head so no place of birth for Mary but Elizabeth was born in Bexley Kent. Now stay with me there is a marriage M165442 10 Nov 1818 Stone By Dartford Kent of a Charles MITCHELL and Mary Ann PARKHURST. Also there is a bap C130922 19 Aug 1821 Bexley Kent of an Elizabeth MITCHELL. This would tie in with the 1851 census for Elizabeth's age. But it all still boils down to the marriage details of Charles and Mary, which one is it to be. Regards your findings on the same line I don't think the other children were born in Ken as they are all listed as Gosport area in censuses.

Just a little extra Mary is still alive in the 1861 and her son William is living with her together with a granddaughter Lydia Hambleton. Now Mary is listed as being born in Dartford which would match M165442 10 Nov 1818 Stone By Dartford Kent of a Charles MITCHELL and Mary Ann PARKHURST. Think we are getting near.

bob, Try the Sussex-Plus rootsweb list if you're not already on it, they are a very helpful bunch! Jon