Hi all This was for Dorset list, but I thought it would be of interest to SRY & MDX as well as there are connections within both of these counties. "This is my first foray into Dorset, having been on other lists since 1993. At present I am attempting to track down some descendants of Bennett people from St. Anne Soho 1700's. I appear to have done so within the past couple of days. My g.grandfather, Frederick Bennett emigrated to Australia c.1852 and during the 1990's I found his parents and siblings at Soho, Westminster on the 1841 census etc., found marriages for most of them from original parish registers, children and grand-children. Frederick's sister Emily proved difficult. She had married a George Wiltshire, carpenter/painter at St. Anne's in 1865 and by 1872 they had four children - James 1865, George William A 1868, Frederick Benjamin 1869 and Emily Ellen Eliza (named after her Bennett aunts) 1872 - all born Marylebone. Sadly George Wiltshire had died prior to the 1881 census and I was stuck with Emily and her children (surname changed to Willsher) living at 5 Saville Row, Marylebone, not found in 1891,1901 or 1911. For about 15 years, nothing found until now. Almost by accident, attempting to correct a FindMyPast census page, I found that the surname had been changed again, to Willshen. And what happened next was what all genealogists wish for -- virtually only two families by that surname in the whole of England. 1891 found the family in Kingston upon Thames and to cut a long story short, George William A Willshen had married Alice Hannah MERCER 1893, then six children - one in particular William Leslie R Willshen married Alice M Hill 1930, Bournemouth, two known children, boy and girl both born Bournemouth district, (May not be able to mention them as they are probably still living!). Again, Edith Ada Willshen b. 1894 had married Frederick A.J. SARGENT, Kingston 1920, two male children born 1922 and 1920, Christchurch, the first child marrying a lass named DRAYTON 1943, Bournemouth. Once again, Hettie Willshen b. 1902 appears to have married (as far as can be gathered) a gent surname of WRIGHT 1928 Bournemouth and two 'known' children from that marriage, a girl 1930 Bournemouth and a boy 1934 Bournemouth. As this early information is only gleaned through FindMyPast and FreeBMD some of it is open for questioning. I have not been able to find a probable marriage for James or for Frederick Benjamin Willshen, though there is a death of a Frederick Benjamin 1908, age 39, which fits perfectly, and as he was 32 and single in the 1901 census, seems not to have married. Another surname that is connected to the Willshens is HOUSTON, so if any of this rings bells with anyone on this list, please email." Cheers Graham Melbourne Australia