Ann I would order the microfilm, it's always worth double checking. You could look for the baptisms of Thomas's children and also see if there is a marriage between a Thomas SUNDERLAND an a Rachel. This should give an indication you are on the right track. Best of look with your search Chris in a very sunny Stockport> > Hello listers> > I am looking for suggestions on where/how to look farther back in time for my SUNDERLAND ancestors in Yorkshire (Halifax to Bradford and Bingley). As I am in Canada my searching has been limited to Internet resources up to this point in time. I seem to have run out of appropriate certificates to order and I have not found any sources earlier than the 1841 census. The IGI has some potentially helpful information about birthdates but for now I can't verify that I found the right folks. The family does not have a consistent history of church affiliation butit does seem like everyone was baptised at that time. An LDS microfilmcontains "Bishop's transcripts of Halifax parish registers from 1600 to1879". It seems like my most useful next resource but wonder if therewould be enough information to verify that I've found the folks I'm lookingfor. > > I have the marriage certificate of my 2nd great grandparents, Joseph Sunderland and Ann Stansfield - both born in 1828, in Halifax. They married in Halifax on 16 Sept 1849. Joseph's father was named Thomas Sunderland and Ann's father was James Stansfield. Might the parish register have something not on the certificate from the GRO?> > The 1841 England census shows a Sunderland family, headed by a Rachel (possibly widowed), living in Halifax. Son Joseph was the right age - listed as age 12 in 1841 (close enough). The names of the children correspond with names used in the family through subsequent generations. The IGI has the marriage of a Thomas Sunderland to a Rachel Wood in 1817 - which also fits this family as Rachel's oldest son was 22 yrs old in 1841, and thus would have been born 1 to 2 years after that marriage. > > I have not yet ordered the LDS microfilm (referenced above) from which this marriage information was extracted. Could I reasonably expect to verify from that film, that I have the correct Thomas Sunderland (and Rachel Wood) as I have no idea of their parents names? > > Any pointers/opinions would be much appreciated.> > Ann Burns> Ottawa ON Canada _________________________________________________________________ The next generation of Windows Live is here http://www.windowslive.co.uk/get-live