Hello Linda and Tony Many thanks for the details of the St Mary's Portsea marriages featuring William ELLIOTTs. I thought it might be the St Thomas fiche that you did not have. As the William ELLIOTT who married Elizabeth NORTH at St Marys, Portsea was a bachelor and his marriage was after the birth of my ancestor it would seem more likely that my William ELLIOTT who married Jane CROSBY in 1840 was the son of William ELLIOTT and Elizabeth EVANs who married at St Thomas in 1788. I do have another favour if I may ask, as my William ELLIOTT born c1790 is probably the married? mariner found in the 1851 census. As far as my father recalls the census recorded him as married and if this is the case he must have had a third wife. I think wife no2 (Jane CROSBY) is the Jane ELLYETT who died Dec 1846 Quarter Portsea. On the IGI there is a further William ELLIOTT marriage that might be a third for my man: William ELLIOTT to Harriet POOK on 29th September 1847 at Saint Marys, Portsea. Please would you be so kind as to check this marriage to see if this William was a widower? His first marriage may well be the one to Elizabeth PAYNE in 1816 as he would have been about 26 at the time. Unfortunately I have no idea who the witnesses Anne ADAMES & John ADAMS were so no clues there. Now if only all these Williams had had middle names to distinguish them, life would be a lot easier .... Kind wishes and many thanks for all your help. Carol in Berkshire, UK