Hi Pam, We cannot say for sure how Samuel Bushell met Emma but we can SUPPOSE that he had come into Ramsgate harbour on a Ship, being a Master Mariner and all. Did you find Emma on the 1871 Census as wasn't at home with her widowed mother then so I thought maybe she had gone to Hampshire or Hastings where she gave birth or at least registered her daughter Harriett's birth? The 1851 Census you mention, the wife is Susan Wright 28 Born Chatham George Wright 30 Born Ramsgate Corporal Marine Charles Wright 1 born Gillingham Births Mar 1850 Wright Charles Thomas Medway 5413 Deaths Dec 1851 Wright Charles Thomas Medway 5267 I did find George's Christening in Littlebourne 29 AUG 1820 to John Redwood Wright and Jane Terry Marriages Mar 1849 Wright George Medway 5387 Marriages Mar 1849 Bennett Susanna Medway 5387 Susan Bennett aged 15 is a Servant to Coal Merchant Benjamin Rous of Nelson Alley Broad Street Gillingham on the 1841 Census Class: HO107; Civil Parish: Gillingham; County: Kent; Enumeration District: 12; Page: 13 - Hundred: Lathe of Aylesford Chatham and Gillingham Possible baptism for Susan and thats 12th October 1823 Chatham Kent to Charles and Mary Bennett, also baptised on the same day to same parents is Elizabeth Bennett. You can contact Whitfield Archives near Dover to see if they have George's admission papers to the Minster Union Workhouse but I have a feeling they will suggest you take a trip down there to view them, or it will be a huge fee for them to search for you. Would you like to see a picture of the workhouse? Good luck with it all Regards Suzannah ----- Original Message ----- From: Pam (Ntl) To: Suzannah Foad ; isle-of-thanet@rootsweb.com Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 12:04 AM Subject: Re: [ISLE-OF-THANET] George Redwood Wright and family Dear Suzannah Thanks for all this information! I think I have found George in the 1851 Census, at the Royal Marines Barracks in Chatham, along with his wife and baby son Charles (who I assume died in infancy, as I can find no trace of him later on). There was also a niece - Emma Thompson aged 3, born in Gillingham. The image is pretty grubby though! I have found John Redwood Wright and his wife Jane (Terry), who were, I believe, George's parents. John was born in Littlebourne. I think his parents were Thomas Redwood Wright (b 1760) and Sarah Sandwell and I believe (although I would need to prove this line) that Thomas Redwood Wright's parents were Thomas Wright (b 1735) and Thomazine Skinner. Thomazine's parents were Noble Skinner and Margaret Redwood and I think that this is when the Redwood name came into the Wright family and was used down the years. All of these families were from Thanet. I think that George may have had a drink (and possibly gambling) problem as my mother remembers her grandmother Maria (George's daughter) being very anti-drink and gambling - if that landed them in the workhouse, then I could possibly understand her antipathy. However, I guess that George may just have been discharged from the Royal Marines with no pension to fall back on - does anyone know if there is some way that I could find out how long they were in the workhouse for? Maria married Frederick Tom Porter and I have his navy service record, showing all the ships that he served in - he entered as a boy sailor and had a long career in the Navy. Before he (finally) retired, he was in the Coastguard Service and I have his Good Conduct Medal - seems I have become the custodian of the family history! I am intrigued by Emma, though. I wonder where she met Samuel? He was a Rotherhithe boy and when I've looked him up in the various census returns, he was living with his widowed sister (Harriet Pentreath) the last record was in 1871 when her was living with her in Stratford Le Bow - he married Emma after his sister's death. Thanks for the help, kind regards, Pam.