Whilst looking at the Husseys in Kingsclere I decided to find out who the wife of the James Hussey who founded Hussey's Bakery actually was. 'Kingsclere Woodlands Story' says James Hussey started the business at the age of 45 in about 1960........, he married Emma (nee Kearlsey) from Mapledurham. I could not find any baptism for an Emma Kersley and I think Mapledurham is wrong for birthplace although the 1861 Census has her born Mappeldurham. Later Census have it as Mapledurwell. Marriages Mar 1857: HUSSEY James & Kearsley/Kersley Emma, Southampton 2c 7 So I looked for in Census records for an Emma Kearsley/Kersley and found 1851 Census, Eastrop Lane, Basingstoke: William Lawes, head, M, 55, carpenter, Basingstoke Pamela Lawes, dau, 22, dress maker, Basingstoke Emma Kersley, dau, wid, 26, miliner, Basingstoke Pamela Kersley, gr-dau, 1, -, Basingstoke the child is Births Jun 1850: Kersley Isabel Pamela, Basingstoke 7 56 and this marriage/death to match the census record Marriages Sep 1847: KEARSLEY Tom & LAWES Emma, Basingstoke 7 95 Deaths Dec 1849: Kersley Tom, Basingstoke 7 41 Now for Emma LAWES, there is a baptism entry on 18 Jul 1824 in Basingstoke for Emma, dau of William & Hannah LAWS. There are other baptism entries for children of William & Hannah LAWES. Elizabeth ca 1813, Church Oakley Stephen ca 1817, Cliddesden William ca 1820, Ellisfield George ca 1822, Ellisfield Pamela ca 1829, Basingstoke the birth year of last of these matches that of the 22 year old Pamela in the 1851 Census mentioned earlier, so I think they are all siblings of Emma. Ther is no marriage for William & Hannah in the Hants Marriage Index but this marriage from the IGI fits the age of first child WILLIAM LAWES & HANNAH MARSHMAN, 11 JAN 1813, Thatcham, Berks and the 1861 Census seems to confirm this 1861 Census, London Street, Basingstoke: Emma Kersley, head, wid, 35, milliner & dress maker, Basingstoke // William Laws, head, 64, carpenter & builder, Baughurst Ann -do-, wife, 64, -, Thatcham // the date of the Hussey/Kearsley marriage meant some of the children recorded for James Hussey in the 1861 Census were born before that marriage. So who was their mother, a check in the Bapt Index showed a James with wife Mary Anne having children in Monk Sherborne. KWS says James came from there, and the Marriage Index has this entry: 24 Dec 1835, Hussey James, Spencer Mary Ann, Pamber 1841 Census, Monk Sherborne James Hussey, 25, woodman, Y Mary Hussey, 22, -, Y George Hussey, 5, -, Y Betsy Hussey, 3, -, Y Mary Hussey, 1, -, Y The 1851 Census has wife as Mary Ann, age 32, born Monk Sherborne It seems likely she died as result of birth of the youngest son of this marriage: Births Jun 1853: Hussey John, Basingstoke 2c 144 Deaths Jun 1853: Hussey Mary Ann, Basingstoke 2c 107 I don't have an email address for Gary Cusworth or Roger Dobbs (authors of KWS) but perhaps someone could pass this info on the them for inclusion in a possible revised edition and perhaps the living Husseys would be interested ;-) -- John Lewis Debian & the GeneWeb genealogical data server