I wonder if SKS would do a look up for me at the Record Office. I would like the baptism and parents for Lavinia WILLIAMS born about 1824 in Newport, I think, and her sister, Sarah (Humber?) WILLIAMS, born about 1809. There's no rush I know everyone's busy at this time of year. Lavinia married Edward Kennet MINTER in 1845 and Sarah had a daughter that year who she named, surprisingly, Rosina Minter SANDERS. I wonder why Sarah would want to give her daughter her brother-in-law's surname? Another item of interest relates to the cover of last month's journal. In 1841 Lavinia's mother, Mary WILLIAMS, was the innkeeper of the Vine Inn then in Pier St. By 1851 Sarah's husband, Thomas SANDERS, had taken over. The 1861 census shows Thomas still the innkeeper and the Vine Inn between Sivier's Hotel & the Royal Victoria Yacht Club so I think that means that the Riviera Hotel was originally the Vine Inn?! Can anyone confirm? Best wishes ............ Ros.

On 15 Dec 2009 at 23:20, Ros Fletcher wrote: > I wonder if SKS would do a look up for me at the Record Office. I > would like the baptism and parents for Lavinia WILLIAMS born about > 1824 in Newport, I think, and her sister, Sarah (Humber?) WILLIAMS, > born about 1809. There's no rush I know everyone's busy at this time > of year. > Have you not looked at the IGI at FamilySearch? There is nothing shown for Lavinia but there is a baptism of Sarah Humber Williams at Newport on 8 June 1810 (batch no. I039421). No source given but it's one of those relatively new "funny" I batch numbers. The IGI also has the marriage of EDWARD WILLIAMS and MARY HUMBER at Alverstoke (near Gosport on the mainland of Hampshire) on 10 July 1805. Given Sarah's middle name, this seems likely to have been her parents' marriage. The batch no. is M073576, source the Alverstoke parish registers. Gosport is, of course, a major naval base. I wonder if Edward was in the navy? -- Roy Stockdill Professional genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE