Hi Keith You wrote: >Hi list > I can"t trace my ancester after the 1861 census he or his family are not on the 1871 census, his wife is widowed in 1881, >but I can"t trace his death, as anyone got any ideas I can persue? It's difficult to speculate. Perhaps the surname was misspelled in the 1871 census and/or on his death cert. or the family was out of the country in 1871. If you'll provide more information about him -- name, wife's name, birth dates and places, the household from the 1861 census -- perhaps someone will be able to help. Lynne