How wrong can I be? I had placed Arthur KNIBB below with a family from Leamington (exFenny Compton) who had moved to Manchester - Chorlton and Salford Districts. Then I found that father Tom had married his Amy 'Amelia' LLOYD in 02qtr1867 not seemingly 01qtr1865 as first supposed - hurrah for Freebmd! This put me on notice that Arthur born 02qtr1867may not be Tom's, hanky panky notwithstanding. But if not Tom's, who was his father? Now I had recorded his birth as at Stretford (a part of Manchester) and then it dawned on me to check if there was a Stretford District, only to find that there wasn't. (I had misread Michael's handwriting on his K/NIBB/S GRO extracted birth entries). Clearly as confirmed by Freebmd, he was born in the Stratford upon Avon District. Veritably a bard's tale this. Checking the database, I found I had another Arthur KNIBB from the 1901 census with the right credentials. He was married with a family at Lancaster, having married first in Salford. Naturally that had me questioning whether I had been right after all. However, I had a note that his 1881 census entry gave him as with his widowed mother Mary Ann, not Amelia. Mary Ann who? Her birth in Welford, Gloucs gave me no clues. Who else was born in the Stratford District around the time of Arthur. There was an Eliza KNIBB 1862 but I hadn't 'placed' her. So next, what about Stratford marriages pre 1867? I hit upon John KNIBB 01 qtr 1867 who, from the IGI, I had as marrying Mary Ann BOYCE. Apologies to Don here because I had allocated this marriage to his John KNIBBS born in Snitterfield, Stratford District 01qtr1840. Apart from the giveaway S, I noticed that the family had moved to Oxfordshire when he was young, so I shouldn't have ever 'placed' Mary Ann BOYCE with him. Find John KNIBB but how? Well, for starters, born c 1820 to match Mary Ann's age? Luck came into play here. Looking for Mary Ann originally, I hit upon Mary Ann SMITH who had married a Thomas KNIBB in Stratford upon Avon 25th Nov 1866. The father of Thomas, one of eight children, was a John KNIBB who had married Elizabeth JACKSON - her eponymous family are listed in the Shakepeare papers no less. He was a tailor journeyman from Ely Street, Stratford (1851 census) who lived until 1877. I had tentatively allocated an 1859 death for Elizabeth but I had no way of knowing it was her as the indices of the period don't give her age and the burial isn't on the NBI. It could equally have been her granddaughter Elizabeth's death. Well, no other Johns coming to the fore, I decided to check the 1881 census entry for Arthur and Mary Ann KNIBB at familysearch.org - quicker than loading up my CD Rom version. I had only previously worked on the microflimed photocopy of the Warwickshire KNIBB/S entries supplied to me years ago by Robin. What should I find at the household entry but Mary Ann with children named BOYCE and son Arthur KNIBB. So she was not born a BOYCE but married one then married a KNIBB. And where were they living? Ely Street! QED! See revised extracts from the database below. Lucky for some who now have Arthur in their tree (if verified to their satisfaction) but not for the genesreunited contact, Geoff KNIBB, who set this ball rolling by causing me to compare his updated data with my own. Have you got such a tale to tell listers? Or a doubtful K/NIBB/S ancestor of your own, who you'd like me to check out? bfn Alan EXTRACTS FROM K/NIBB/S DATABASE - 17th June 2004 E&OE John KNIBB Born c1810 Stockton Baptised 29Apr1810 Leek Wooton Died 1Qtr1877 Stratford District aged 77 Buried Occupation Tailor Journeyman Ely St Stratford Father Richard KNIBB Mother Sarah WOODFIELD Married (1) 2Mar1835 Stratford on Avon Warwicks Elizabeth JACKSON - 8 children already known to you. I reckon she died 04qtr1859 Stratford District Married (2) 18Feb1867 Stratford upon Avon Warwicks Mary Anne UNKNOWN (previously married to Unknown BOYCE) Born c1820 Welford Gloucs Baptised Died 2Qtr1893 Children ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Arthur KNIBB Born 2Qtr1867 Stratford on Avon Baptised Died 2Qtr1936 Buried Occupation Shop boy 1881 Sawyers Asst Lancaster 01 12 Farm Road Tranmere 1909? Spouse Sarah J SWEENEY 4Qtr1890 Salford District see below * Spouse Jessie CANAVAN 1Qtr1929 Birkenhead District see below # NB Eliza KNIBB Born 4Qtr1862 Stratford District Possibly a daughter of John and Mary Ann as an Eliza BOYCE of right age with her as daughter in 1881 but of course John only married her in 1867. * Sarah J SWEENEY Born c1864 Birkenhead Baptised Died 1Qtr1922 Children by Arthur ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Annie KNIBB Born 1Qtr1893 Manchester Baptised Died Buried Occupation Lancaster 1901 Spouse Robert C CAIRNS Alice KNIBB Born 4Qtr1898 Ratcliffe Baptised Died 2Qtr1928 (but only 27 so may not be her) Buried Occupation 1901 Lancaster # Jessie CANAVAN Born bef1912 ?? a second marriage 1938 to George V SMITH There you have it, right or wrong! Alan Jackson Host at The K/NIBB/S One Name Study & Mailing List Website address http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~knibbetc Did you know? 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