Alan, Thanks for doing this research. I have this info already and Clara's birthplace is marked down for several places, which I have checked but so far been unable to find her. There is also another census entry for them for 1861 for Bonsell - perhaps they moved and were counted twice. In the 1851 Census Susanna is marked as "wife" but as you state that might not have been the case. I have tried various permutations of Clara Bonsell/boxall/boxshill/and other surnames but none seem to be right. The best candidate for her mother seems to be a Susanna White who appears in the census (there is also another person with the same name but has a son). oh well - I 'ill keep digging Jeff In a message dated 20/07/2012 10:24:27 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: Jeff, Not sure if it helps but there seems to be a choice of birthplaces, none Midhurst, with a 2-1 vote for Herts. Do you have later census versions? 1851 census at Haslemere, Surrey has on the High Street Charles Boxall Head 42 Sadler & Harness Maker(?) Hastings Susanah Wife 41 Middlesex Chelsea Clare(?) Daughter 3 Hastings - looks like Heastings 1861 has at Deptford St Paul, Pomeroy(?) Street Charles Boxsall (Bonsell says Ancestry) Head 54 Saddler & Harness Maker Sussex Salehurst Susanah 46 Wife Middlesex Chelsea Clara daur 13 scholar Herts Aldenham 1871 All Saints, Southampton Charles Boxall Head 65 Master saddler Robertsbridge Sussex Susan Mar Wife 60 Milliner Middlesex Chelsea Clara Daur 21 Photographer Herts Elstree I wondered whether the apparent parents were together when Clara was born. In passing, the Clara Susannah Hill baptised at Aldenham 3/10/1847, probably died in 1848. Alan 1350 [email protected] wrote on 20/07/2012 00:24: > > Hi there, > > Some time ago I posted a request about my ancestor Clara Boxall whose > birth/baptism remains elusive. Her father was Charles Boxall of Salehurst, and > her mother Susanna (surname unknown) of Chelsea, Middlesex. > > I am wondering if Clara was actually short for something else - although > her daughter was called Clara Kate. Could it be that Clara was actually > Clarinda or Clarissa or Catharine? In the Novel Clarissa, the subject is > routinely called Clary by her mother. Does anybody have a source which indicates > "derived" names? > > Susanna's death certificate has her named as Susan, so that may be a case > in point that lower classes (Susanna ended her days in the workhouse) found > certain names too "difficult" to live with. > > So I am looking for a daughter of Charles Boxall and Susanna, called > "Clara" born/baptised about 1848 - what about the one in Midhurst (Clarissa > Boxall) about this date? > > > Many thanks > > Jeff 3646 ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message