Hello List, I posted this query a few weeks ago but only got one reply so I'm now looking again to see if anyone can come up with any inspirational suggestions! I recently traced the birth of my 3 x gt grandfather to the Thomas Coram Foundling Hospital, where he was admitted in 1802 at the age of 2 months and rebaptised Samuel Foot. His mother was Ann Thomas, born in Devon, a servant working in London, who was 'seduced by promises of marriage' by a certain William Hawkesley, a porter with Mrs Sheldon of 7 Milk Lane, Cheapside. Needless to say, the marriage never materialised and William disappeared from the face off the earth, evading all attempts by the Foundling Hospital authorities to track him down! Ann Thomas was apparently of 'good general character', apart from this one unfortunate lapse, but, after Samuel's admission to the Foundling Hospital, she too vanishes. I would like to see if I can trace either William or Ann. William does not appear in the 1841 Census so may have died; neither does Ann - she may have married or died. I can find no marriage or death record for either William or Ann in civil registration, London/Devon Parish records or Pallot's index. I've combed Ancestry using a birth date from 1760 onwards for either of them but no even vaguely suitable candidates have emerged. The Foundling Hospital records do not mention either Ann or William after the initial enquiries into Ann's petition to admit Samuel to the Hospital. Mrs Sheldon of Milk Lane seems to have moved on by 1841 as well. Samuel, incidentally, was indentured as an apprentice on 4 Aug 1818 to Thomas West, a surveyor, of 98 High St in the parish of St Mary le Bone. He was to be instructed in household matters and the business of a surveyor. New indentures were drawn up for him on 20 Feb 1820 to a Mr Stillies/Stillion (?), a tailor of 5 Pancras St, where Samuel would be instructed in his business, so apparently the surveying career didn't work out. In the 1841 Census, he is listed as 'in prison'. Anyone got any ideas where I can look now or what line of investigation I should follow? Many thanks, Jennifer