Hi Pauline I followed up your posting to see if there was any link to the Verdons in my tree. I didn't find any, but I found a couple of things that may be of help. Like you, I couldn't find Henry on the 1861 Census. But I found his brother Richard Edward. On the IGI, William & Sophia have several children:- WM EVERARD VERDON Birth: 04 JUL 1844 Christening: 08 AUG 1844 Holy Trinity,Salford, , Lancashire, England RICHD EDWD VERDON Birth: 12 OCT 1845 Christening: 15 MAR 1846 Holy Trinity,Salford, , Lancashire, England ANNA SOPHIA VERDON Birth: 28 MAY 1847 Christening: 02 JUL 1847 Holy Trinity,Salford, , Lancashire, England HENRY WALTER VERDON Birth: 20 APR 1849 Christening: 18 MAY 1849 Holy Trinity,Salford, , Lancashire, England CHAS GEO VERDON Birth: 22 APR 1851 Holy Trinity,Salford, , Lancashire, England In 1861, there is an R E Verdon, b. Salford, abt 1846, a pupil in Thornton, Fleetwood, Lancashire. Regards, Andrew Clarke In a message dated 4/5/2008 01:53:16 GMT Daylight Time, ppendlebury@iinet.net.au writes: Thanks Jean.l also followed up on that and that's part of the reason l think that it may be my Henry Walter Verdon.Henry can be found on all later census as born 1850 at Salford.He was the son of William Verdon who was the Curate at Holy Trinity,Salford.He had died and his mother Sophia,had remarried,her surname now being Verdon-Roe.She can be found at Eccles. Henry is supposed to be at school at the Manchester Grammar but l don't know how to find it on census.l still think that is him maybe mistranscibed as followup on Henry Erlam doesn't fit the picture.Any ideas gratefully welcomed,Pauline.