Hi Robyn, As an aside to what Dennis said. If the wife met him in Middlesex and was born in msx herself and she was the person that answered the census taker on census night, therein lies another problem. They both/or just the wife may believe he was born in msx. - there are also boundary changes to take into consideration.....although this would not apply for Canterbury/ middlesex - it's something to take into consideration in the future. Cheers Pam from Adelaide Australia > hello Robina, > > With ref; place of birth of your James Crampton. Kent or Middlesex? > > The differing places of birth given on census returns only provide a guide > for the serious researcher. To have different birth places recorded on > various census returns for the same person is quite common. If the place > of > birth is so important you will have to prove the place of birth by > original > documents relating to the birth. Sadly for pre- civil registration, 1st. > July 1837, such proof may well be impossible. > > Here is one case of my own which could have got into the 1951 to 1901 > census > returns and I am the suject. I was born at Hoo St. Mary in Kent and while > only a few weeks old was moved with the family to another part of Kent. As > a > result I grew up in the new parish and I was almost 18 years of age when I > discovered my birth place was some miles away. > > Sorry I can't help with the other questions. >