Hi have a look here for the legalities http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~awoodley/regency/marry.html basically until the The Marriage Act of 1835 marrying a brothers widow was legal (if frowned upon), however the relationship would be just cause for voiding the marriage if the bride/groom (or anybody else objected) After 31/8/1835 all subsequent such marriages were illegal and thus void (but not any which had occurred earlier) In 1907 the Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage act of 28 August made it possible to marry one's sister-in-law Finally in 1921 the Deceased Brother's Widow's Marriage Act was passed which made marriage to a brother-in-law legal. So in theory it would not have been allowed, although in practice if nobody admiutted what was going on it could have happened (especially if they used different priests/churches) Hope this helps Anthony Why is it when you think you have it all in order, do you find something that unravels everything that you thought you had set in concrete? Elizabeth Ann HOUGHTON married John OGDEN, 1885, Earlestown, Newton In Makerfield her father as Thomas HOUGHTON, fitter (a copy written out by hand) 1881 find Elizabeth Ann with widowed mother Margaret and other siblings, Caroline is the youngest aged 3, all living with an uncle John HOUGHTON. The latest death I find for a Thomas HOUGHTON in Warrington Reg Dist is in 1875. (searched 1881 - 1875) I have her brother Samuel's birth certificate from 1873 indicating Thomas HOUGHTON, iron turner, as the father and Margaret (nee STOCKTON) as the mother. I needed Elizabeth in 1871 and found her today but the father to the children and husband to Margaret is a William HOUGHTON!! I have a marriage certificate for Thomas HOUGHTON (filler) and Margaret STOCKTON in 1862 at St Elphin's, Warrington his father is George HOUGHTON (a copy duplicate of original) I have found Thomas (a turner), son of George and there is a younger brother William, John is also there in 1861. Can Margaret really have got through three brothers??? Or is it just a census error??? Advice welcome! Thanks, Ian. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.6/378 - Release Date: 28/06/2006