Hi Everyone, I have reached a total impasse with my family research into the HARRIS & BURRIN families of Cowley & Beckley Oxfordshire. I myself was a Harris (born in London) & I have been searching for over 10 years to discover where my Great Great Grandfather was born. I have the following information: JOHN BURRIN was born in 1788 in Garsington He was father to: WILLIAM BURRIN 1824 Cowley Oxfordshire who married HARRIET HARRIS 1823 Beckley Oxfordshire. HARRIET HARRIS father was a JOHN HARRIS & he was a Labourer They married on 30 August 1852 in the Parish Church St Helens Abingdon, Berkshire (I have the marriage certificate) William is listed as a Mason, but in successive census gives a joint occupation of a Publican (in Cowley) & Cricketer. They have the following children all of whom were born in COWLEY: JOHN BURRIN 1853 Professional Cricketer WILLIAM BURRIN 1855 MARY BURIN 1857 DAVID BURRIN 1859 Professional Cricketer EDMUND BURRIN 1863 Professional Cricketer JOHN BURRIN married ELIZA ANN HIGGS (Beckley) on 30th June 1879 (I have the marriage certificate) in the Parish Church Beckley. They had one son JOHN WILLIAM BURRIN born in Cowley Marsh. JOHN BURRIN dies on 3rd October 1884 in Cowley Marsh (I have the death certificate) & his infant son, JOHN WILLIAM BURRIN died on 5th October 1884. I also have memorial cards for these deaths. I do know that members of the families who were not professional cricketers were ground keepers etc. I understand that many of the folk living in the Cowley Marsh area were associated with cricket in some form. There were also members of the HARRIS family who were professional cricket players & visited (from London) to play matches in Oxford. I believe that some of the BURRIN & HARRIS families played for England. I understand from research on Cricket Websites that DAVID BURRIN was a good bowler following in the Lillywhite fashion!!!?. Other incidental information I have discovered mainly from the Newspapers of that time. WILLIAM BURRIN (senior & junior) appears in the Petty sessions frequently anything from serving drinks out of hours, allowing a horse to wander, to assault. His name also pops up frequently in the Sport Columns re his Cricket prowess. to play matches in Oxford. I believe that some of the BURRIN & DAVID BURRIN in 1891 gives evidence of a drowning is stated as being the Custodian of Christ Church Cricket Ground. IN 1869 a SARAH BURRIN is charged with selling drinks outside licensing hours. Though I have been unable to establish to which public house this refers to. In 1886 there appears a lengthy case in which ELIZA ANN BURRIN appears. This is to do with the damage of her husbands gravestone in Cowley Church by three young girls. There appears lots of other incidental information mainly about cricket matches that various members of the BURRIN family play in; death following a long & painful illness (WILLIAM BURRIN), a lingering illness (DAVID BURRIN), Various sales of oats, indecent assault & an accidental shooting. I have invested in the following Oxfordshire Family History CDs Parish register Transcripts for Headington Reg. District Vol 1 Parish Marriage index 1538 1837 Monumental Inscription Transcript for both Cowley & Beckley None of these have taken me any further forward though. I would really like any further information on the following: Anything on the HARRIS family compared to the information on the Burrin family I have nothing apart from the marriage of William & Harriet. Anything on the BURRIN family White Swan Public House, Cowley, which the BURRIN family ran. Information about the importance of Cricket in the Cowley Marsh area. If anyone one can assist I would be really grateful. Living in North East Scotland I am heavily reliant on information via on line sources and the occasional inter library loan. With many thanks Sharon Kirk (nee Harris) Banchory, Kincardineshire, Scotland