Hi Graham Many thanks for your information . re your query about Willans/William - I have not really noticed any Willans - but I have not been able to find William Dixon either but I will keep a look out for both now. Re Ireland - we feel that he could be Irish for the reasons listed in my earlier email. Problem is as you identify no census records for Ireland. and to keep paying for "possible" birth records (not that I have found many) can be pretty expensive. I am hoping as more counties in Ireland come on line re BMD we may be able to identify. Do you have any special links to search Ireland online? I dont know if he was hiding in Ireland - dont think so as he was pretty easy to track in UK from 1871. Mind you if he was hiding = he did a pretty good job of it! Re Wards - my current connection is that I married a Ward. However I do have Ward's on my fathers side = Caroline Ward, born 1839 married James Turner. They both came from Birmingham but lived in Middlesex for a few years. Her father was Thomas Ward. Sorry I cannot help with the NZ Ward - some of my family did emigrate there but not Ward. I know my Abraham Dixon had a son Frederick - is this any relation to you? Jan