Hi to Polly and Gordon Thank you very much for the information you both posted. I don't know yet if your SPENCEs are connected to those listed below, but here is some of the information that I have gathered to date re: my husband's Orkney ancestor, John William SPENCE, and his Canadian family. I have the following census from 20 May 1891 from the Province of Manitoba, District No. 8 Provencher, S.District D. Franklin: 171? Spence/ Name/Sex/Married or Widowed/Relation to head of family/Country or Prov. of birth/French Canadian/Place of birth of Father/Place of Birth of Mother/Religion/Profession John/M/52/M/(head)/Scotland/Scotland/Presb/Farmer Jane/F/45/M/(wife)/Ont/-/Ireland/Ireland/Presb/- William/M/25/-/(son)/Ont/ James/M/22?/-/(son)/Ont/ Thomas/M/19/-/(son)/Ont/ Jane/F/17/-/(dau)/Ont/ Margaret/F/15/-/(dau)/Ont/ David/M/14/-/(son)/Ont/ Christopher/M/10/-/(son)/Ont/ Andrew/M/7/-/(son)/US/ Annie/F/5/-/(dau)/Man/ Henry/M/3/-/(son)/Man/ The following information is from the "Marriages - United Church Archives" The son James,(of John and Jane) was born in MacNab, Ontario. At age 24, in Dominion City, Manitoba, Jan 9, 1893, he married Janet GILCHRIST, daughter of Duncan GILCHRIST and Ann MCNABB. Witnesses were Duncan GILCHRIST and Mary MCNABB. The son, William John,(of John and Jane) was born in Carleton, Ontario. At age 29, in Greenridge, Manitoba, Dec. 10, 1895, he married Isabella MCLENNON, age 23, dau. of Roderick MCLENNON and Amry Ann NEIL. Witnesses were Thos. SPENCE and Sarah MCLENNON. The following info. is from the Registration of Marriage (North Qu'Appelle) for persons listed. The son, Christopher, (of John and Jane), was born in Arnprior, Ontario. At age 28, Dec. 01, 1909, he married Agnes Lucy VIDAL, age 24, born in Katepwa, Saskatchewan, daughter of James VIDAL and Lucy BECK. I am now searching for the parents of John William SPENCE born abt 1839 in Orkney Isles. Hopes this info. helps someone in the SPENCE tree. If anyone has any further info. on any of the above names, please post to this list as I think it gives more benefit to more people than e-mailing directly, as proven by Polly reading Gordon's post and my reading both posts. Bye for now, Linda Spence in BC, Canada spencejc@intergate.bc.ca