In a message dated 24/10/2009 21:56:56 GMT Standard Time, oldscottiedogs@yahoo.co.nz writes: Is there anyone who has researched ANDERSON family,that can help me to find my 3x grt grandmother's,baptism and parents. STAMFORDHAM Bishops Transcripts give the following; Marriage 1 Feb.1813 Isabella ANDERSON of this parish,to William FORSTER of this parish(born StJohn Lee),by banns. Heather: From her age at death it would appear that Isabella Anderson was born c1791/92, probably, though not necessarily, in Stamfordham parish. However, my 1992 microfiche edition of the IGI does not mention her and, indeed, seems not to cover Stamfordham at all. My microfiche copy of the H M Wood transcript of Stamfordham parish registers to 1812 (not itself in Wood's handwriting but "out of that stable") does not show any Isabel(l)(a), Isobel(l)(a) or Isable/Isoble Anderson as having been baptised there between 1788 and 1797. This is disappointing, but perhaps we should think of why it is so. 1 Perhaps she was born elsewhere and her family only moved to Stamfordham when she was young. That way she would still have been "of this parish" when she married at Stamfordham in 1813. There are three ways around that one: 1a Search the IGI/Family Search site to locate where she might have been baptised. Problem - that will probably throw up very many possibilities. 1b Search Stamfordham baptisms during the "Barrington" period (1798-1812) and hope that her parents were still having children baptised at that time. If so, and it IS a long shot, you ought to be given the names of the parishes of which each was a native: they would both be clues. 1c Search Stamfordham baptisms for a wider period, say 1780-1800, seeking Isabella's siblings, and then hope that some of them were born early enough to have had their own children 1798-1812. In that case you would get the birthplaces of those siblings, which could well also have been Isabella's birthplace. 2 Isabella may have been baptised in a non-C of E church, in particular in one of the local Presbyterian ones, of which one was in Stamfordham itself, but don't forget the local RC church either - Cheeseburn Grange: its registers have been printed in one of the Catholic Record Society's annual publications. 3 Perhaps we have a clue in the, rather unusual statement that Isabella's husband had been born in St John Lee parish. Such mentions of the birthplace, as opposed to the place of residence, of the bridegroom are not normally given, but since it was in this case, perhaps Isabella was also "from" St John Lee. It could well be worthwhile checking it out. 4 A rather desperate suggestion this, but if any siblings were found, whether older or younger, it might be worthwhile trying to trace them in the 1851 census to find their birthplaces - if they were still alive then. 5 An even more desperate idea: Stamfordham churchyard is large and full of old stones, which have been recorded at least to 1851. I wonder whether any refer to Isabella's Anderson family. There are lists in the NDFHS Library at Bolbec Hall, Newcastle, in Newcastle Central Library and in Northumberland County Record Office at Woodhorn. Sorry I can't be more helpful, Geoff Nicholson