Hello all. I am wondering if anyone can help figure out a puzzle. My great great grandmother was Mary Ann Spratt. She was born in 1871/2 in Hampshire (possibly Eling or Bramshaw). She married Stephen James Holmes who was born 1873 in Titchfield, Hampshire. Stephens parents were John Holmes and Kitty Spratt. Kitty's parents were James Spratt and Harriet Henbest. Anyways, my puzzle is this: Mary Ann Spratt cannot be found on the 1871 census. I assume this is because her mother may be pregnant, hence she is missing. In 1881, Mary Ann is with her grandparents, James and Harriet Spratt (Kitty's parents). They are living in a farm house at the time, and next door is a Spratt family in a cottage. In 1891, she is living with her aunt and uncle, Harry and Harriet Jane (Spratt) Smith, along with her future husband, Stephen James Holmes, and a Henry Spratt, who we believe is an illegitimate child of Mary and Stephens. I am trying very hard to locate her parents, and seem to be having great difficulty. I am wondering if the Spratts next door in the cottage may be her parents, and at the time of the census, she was next door with her grandparents? Can anyone possibly help shed some light on this please? I am in the process of working around it, by recording each census with the families, and building a tree this way at the moment. I live in New Zealand, so find it difficult to find answers sometimes. I know later on, her and Stephen move to Bartley and live in Hope Cottage. I have found a picture on the net with the Cottage and a blurb about standing outfront is Mary Holmes and children (early 1900s). Thank you, Jace