Hi Marged Thanks for your response, and yes I agree - there are many AUGHTONs from North Meols still around the Southport area today. But not, as far as I'm aware, a single SHORLICAR in sight, despite numerous entries under this name (+ variations SHORLICKER, SHORLIKER and SHERLICOR) in the parish registers of both Formby St Peter and North Meols St Cuthbert, commencing with the baptism in Formby of a Richard SHORLICAR, son of James SHORLICAR, on 9 October 1664. The name appears to have mutated from SHORLICAR to SHERLOCK in the Formby registers during the late 1790's. Formby fisherman William SHORLICAR was baptised as such in Formby St Peter on 3 June 1759, and was William SHORLICAR when he married Ellen RICE in the same church on 21 October 1788. Children were born in Formby as follows :- 1790 Thomas 1793 Elizabeth 1795 James 1798 Jane 1800 William The first three were baptised as SHORLICAR, but the last two as SHERLOCK. William b1800 is described as a son of William SHERLOCK & Ellen in his baptism entry and as William SHERLOCK in his burial entry on 29 September 1801. William b1759 and Ellen nee RICE are both described as SHERLOCK in their respective burial entries in 1801 and 1803. Jane b1798 is SHERLOCK in her baptism entry but was SHORLICAR when she married John LOVELADY on 19 May 1819. In the 1841 Census she's living in Formby with sibling James SHORLICAR (b1795) but in the 1851 he's James SHERLOCK. One real puzzle concerning this family is the marriage on 2 January 1833 in Liverpool St James of a Thomas BLEVIN and Elizabeth KENYON. Thomas was baptised on 27 October 1811 in Formby St Peter, son of Paul BLEVIN and Margaret nee MACKERALL. Elizabeth appears to have been baptised on 10 April 1812 in Formby St Peter, daughter of William KENYON and Mary. Thomas & Elizabeth BLEVIN had seven children born in Ainsdale or Formby, the youngest of whom was registered in 1842 as Elizabeth Sherlock BLEVIN. And when Elizabeth nee KENYON died in 1887 at the age of 75 she was described as Elizabeth Sharlock BLEVIN. The only logical explanation would be that Elizabeth KENYON's mother was Mary nee SHERLOCK, but I'm blowed if I can identify anyone of that name in either the Formby or North Meols registers. :-( Incidentally, I'm reliable informed that a Shorlicars Lane features in old maps of Formby. Regards Gordon From: "Marged" <marged36@btinternet.com> To: <eng-merseyside@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 8:30 AM Subject: Re: [ENG-MERSEYSIDE] AUGHTON/SHORLICAR/ECCLES/JONES/SHERLOCK >Sorry I don't have any real information to give you Gordon, but those >Aughtons from >North Meols are almost certain to still be around the Southport area - it's >one of those >Southport names. >I took a look in the phone book for Shorlicar but the nearest to it was >Shorleson. There >are, however, five Sherlocks in the area. >Marged