Chris, Thanks for your reply and hope to hear from you more on your return. I should add that I have found one John Smith in Tynemouth Parish, baptised at Christ Church, North Shields on 31 July 1796, son of Russell Brown (a customs officer) and Mary Rich. However, I know from 3 sources that he died in Newcastle on January 1819, aged 22. So he is not our man (who married in London 1815). I have found another John Smith baptised at All Saints, Newcastle on 1 September 1794 (parents George and Mary). He is now our prime suspect, a date that is consistent with his known birth on 19 April 1794, except that he was born in North Shields. Hence my question about taking a baby from North Shields to Newcastle for baptism. However, I think I have now found the answer to my own question, as Russell and Mary had their nine children baptised variously in Christ Church, North Shields and All Saints, Newcastle, and St. Andrews, Newcastle, although I suppose that might have reflected living in both places at different times. Anyway, I am still most interested in hearing from anyone researching Browns in the North Shields/Tynemouth area in the late 1700s. Nigel Brown -----Original Message----- From: chrismorgan4@btinternet.com [mailto:chrismorgan4@btinternet.com] Sent: 04 November 2014 17:08 To: Nigel Brown; northumbria@rootsweb.com Subject: RE: [NMB] John BROWN, North Shields, 1794 Currently away from home so no access to records. My wife's family descend through John and Joseph Browns, master mariners from South Shields, although I haven't proved back to your era so they could have come from anywhere. There were a lot of ships, a lot of masters - and a lot of J Browns. Who knows, we may have a connection. Chris Morgan -----Original Message----- From: Nigel Brown via Sent: 04/11/2014, 16:45 To: NORTHUMBRIA@rootsweb.com Subject: [NMB] John BROWN, North Shields, 1794 I am hoping someone on the list will have local historical knowledge of North Shields. I am looking for my 3 x great grandfather John Brown (yes, I know, one of the most common names in England) born North Shields (or perhaps anywhere in Tynemouth) on 19 April 1794. We know this date from his Merchant Navy Register Ticket in London, where he spent all his adult life. There are lots of Browns in North Shields but I can find no sign of john baptised at Christ Church, North Shields which I understand was the parish church for Tynemouth. However, there is a possible candidate at All Saints, Newcastle on 1 September 1794 (parents George and Mary). The question is: what is the likelihood that people in and around North Shields would have had their child baptised in Newcastle then. I do know that Christ Church was being renovated around this time and wonder if this might have anything to do with making such a journey. Thanks in advance for any help or advice. Nigel Brown