Hello David My name is Janice from Canada. My Shannan/Shannon line is originally from the Dumfries area and after searching for a year in Dumfries for this line a Carlisle list member found them for me in Workington in 1881/ 1891 cencus. My grandmother who is still with me was born in Carlisle, England. Her mother was Sarah Shannan but died when when grandmother was only 10. She has vague childhood memories of visiting Dumfries with her mother to visit some of the Shannan/Shannon line. I put both variations of the name as in my search I have found it spelt both ways. On my g.grandmother's marraige certificate it is spelt with a 'an'. On the census it has 'an' in 1881 and 'on' in 1891. 1891 census for Carlisle, Cumberland (Fiche no 45, row G , no 5.) 27 Northumberland St, Caldewgate James SHANNON, age 37, traveller, born: Dornock, Scotland Janet, wife, 33, born: Middlebie, Scotland George, son, 13, scholar, b: Carlisle Walter , son, 11, scholar, Workington Mary, dau, 9, scholar, b: Carlisle SARAH. E. - dau, 7, scholar, b: Carlisle Joseph, son, 5, scholar, b: Carlisle James, son, 1, - , b: Carlisle 1881 census for Workington, Cumberland 5 Whitfield Street Workington Cumberland pro ref RG11, piece 5178, page 40 John SHANNAN, head, 27, married, b: Scotland Jannet SHANNAN, wife, 22, Scotland George SHANNAN, son, 2, Workington Walter E SHANNAN, son, 5mths, Workington I have not confirmed anything else about this family. There is a James Shennan born 1856 in Kirkbean to a Robert shennan and Isabella Duncan but I don't think this is Dumfries??? I don't know Scotland to well. Maybe there is a match somewhere. I was going to start investigating again now that the summer is over and my children are back in school but I just lost a stepsister in the last week and now my other grandmother has fallen ill. Janice Abdilla, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada