Hi All, Does anyone have a reputable source of information for a marriage between my ancestor, Jane Ellen BUNCE (born circa 1852 at Chalgrove, OXFORDSHIRE) and Henry H. JACKSON (born circa 1854 at Birmingham, WARWICKSHIRE). I have exhausted all lines of enquiry, including ancestry.com and some private family trees which include my ancestor. Good wishes, Pat Malouf (Brisbane, Australia)

Dear Pat, > Does anyone have a reputable source of information for a marriage between my > ancestor, Jane Ellen BUNCE (born circa 1852 at Chalgrove, OXFORDSHIRE) > ... I'd be interested in _why_ you think such a person is your ancestor. I do worry that all I have written below is not actually helpful. And what was the name and date of birth of the child of Jane Bunce that is your ancestor? That would help to eliminate possibilies too. Anyway... As Ron says, according to FreeBMD, the only Jane BUNCE born in Oxfordshire from 1845 to 1855 is the Jane Ellen BUNCE, registered Thame registration district, March quarter, 1851. I note also that an Emma Bunce appears on the same page. Also, the Oxfordshire FHS transcript of the Chalgrove parish register gives us the baptisms of Jane and Emma Bunce, twin daughters of George and Jane Bunce (labourer), on 29 December 1850. This is consistent with the FreeBMD info - and Jane (Ellen) was presumably born in December 1850. Also interesting is Catherine Ann BUNCE, daughter of William and Drusilla, baptised 16 Oct 1850. And we note the burial of Emma BUNCE, infant, on 12 Feb 1851. In the GRO index, via FreeBMD, her name is recorded as "Ellen". I assume the index is mistaken. The 1851 census for Chalgrove is a problem, because George and Jane BUNCE have a 3 month old daughter called "Jane" [see HO 107/1726 folio 15], and William and Drusilla have a 6 month old daughter called "Jane Ellen" [see HO 107/1726 folio 13], and there is no "Catherine Ann", as Ron reported. This seems inexplicable. Because by 1861 William and Drusilla have a 10 year old daughter Catharine Ann [RG9/885 fol 14], and because of the parish register entries, and the age of 6 months given for their "Jane" in 1851, compared to 3 months for George and Jane's "Jane", I'm going to assume that George and Jane are the parents of the only Jane BUNCE born in Oxfordshire at the time. I may be wrong. So: by 1861, Jane Bunce has been widowed [death of George Bunce, Thame reg dist Sep quarter 1853, FreeBMD], and remarried [to Daniel HERBERT, Oxford reg dist Mar quarter 1854, FreeBMD; couldn't see this in any Oxford parish church in a quick scan], and is in the 1861 census at Chalgrove [RG9/885 fol 14] with an 11 year old daughter Jane Bunce. Jane HERBERT was once more widowed [death of Daniel Herbert, age 51, Thame reg dist Sep quarter 1866, FreeBMD], and remarried [to Joseph Stone, Thame reg dist Sep quarter 1868]. In the 1871 census [see RG10/1429 fol 8] she lives in Chalgrove with her husband, with 4 of her children by Daniel Herbert (including a youngest called Ellen), but not with Jane Bunce. So I'm not going to consider Jane Herbert further. You can find William and Drusilla Bunce on the previous page in the census. Using the Oxfordshire FHS 1871 census index, I can find in Henley a Jane Bunce, aged 22, born Chalgrove, domestic servant/cook [RG 10/1425 fol 125; household of Richard Rowse]. By 1881, Jane Bunce seems to have left Oxfordshire. The best match I can find is in Clapham, Surrey [RG 11/631, fol 631, household of William J Smith]. Age 28, a cook (servant), born Chalgrove. I can see why you might call yourself "22" when you are 20 and "28" when you are 30. There seem to be a total of 3 people called "Jane" born about 1851 in Chalgrove in the 1881 census: Jane Bunce, Jane Phelps, and Jane Webster. In 1891, you find Jane Harris, Jane Phelps, and Jane Webster. And indeed, we find in FreeBMD: Jane BUNCE and James HARRIS married in Wokingham reg. dist. Dec quarter 1883. Jane Harris is in the 1891 census at Reading [RG 12/991 fol 143], age 39, with husband James and 3 daughters. In 1901, she is in Hastings, Sussex [RG 13/864 fol 66], age 50, born Chalgrove, Oxon, with husband and 2 children (1 son born since 1891). In 1911, still in Hastings [RG 14/4735 registration district 69 (Hastings), subdistrict 2 (All Saints), enumeration district 5, schedule 109] with same family - only 1 child at home. So I think I have traced Jane Bunce from her birth to 1911 without her marrying ... > Henry H. JACKSON (born circa 1854 at Birmingham, WARWICKSHIRE Hence my questions at the start of this email. Best wishes Paul -- Paul Betteridge, Leafield, Oxfordshire pbetteridge@pobox.com