Terence, I would suggest the possibility that Abbie is the mother of Thomas' first wife. She lived with them and the wife died. Thomas then married Louise. Abbie is still Thomas' mother in law. John **************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog, plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com. (http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)