Hi all I have a John Hughes in my tree who was my gg - grandfather. I also have a whole scenario for him which I now think is wild surmise and wishful thinking, so have decided to go back to basics. The known facts are these - he had two daughters called Catherine (sometimes spelt Catharine) with Mary, who presumably he married. Catharine No 1 was baptised at St Mary's Monmouth on August 1825, - parents John and Mary Hughes, he a sailmaker, spelling Catharine. She didn't last long and was buried 17 Sep 1825. They had another crack at the name five years later and Catharine No 2 was baptised 9 May 1830 in Monmouth. John is now a labourer. He fails to appear on any censuses, though Mary and Catharine do. The only other sighting is Catharine's marriage certificate of 13 Jun 1852, in which John is a sailmaker again and it doesn't say deceased. Mary could be a widow in 1851 census for St James Street, Monmouth, though hard to read. I've checked the transcripts on Mike John's site as well as the PRs in Gwent RO and have come up with a host of John baptisms and burials and several John and Mary marriages, and have also sent off for 2 death certificates: 1) Sept 1/4 1837 v26 p 43.This is John Hughes, an innkeeper, who coincidentally married another Mary. They ran a pub in Agincourt Square called the Reformers' Tavern. I had thought this guy might be the father of mine, but now doubt it. 2) Jun 1842 V26 p53 - sent for. Not him as too young (21 year old b 1821, son of Thomas). John and Mary are such common names it's hard to see the wood for the trees so what I thought would be a good plan is to round up some suspects and eliminate them from my enquiries! To this end, if anyone has ANY John Hughes, of an age to be begetting children in the 1820s and 30s, in Monmouth or immediate environs (I suspect that given his sailmaking occupation, if he is not in Monmouth itself, he is at least likely to be near the Wye, maybe even on the other side?) could you please let me have his details, parents and children. I don't need ancestors going back to the ark! If I can establish who he isn't, I might have a better idea of who he is! Or any other suggestions for identifying this pesky ancestor would be most welcome. Many thanks TTFN Joss