Lynn wrote : “Also note that a Japonner or Ornamental Japonner is someone who 'Applied Japanese style black hard varnish - "Japanning" What do you suppose he applied this to, would it have been on carriages I wonder?” Lynn: this topic has come up before. Have a look at the half a dozen emails in the Rootsweb Staffordshire-L archives for April, starting on 16 April, under the thread “Occupation Japannist?”, and the useful website reference in my own (separate) contribution “Japanner“ of 17 April. The Rootsweb reference is: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/STAFFORDSHIRE/2005-04, For the precise correspondence add /1113667144 and /1113738844 to the end of this url if you cannot easily spot them in the list. Best Wishes from Sydney, Oz, Keith Houghton,