Thanks to some great research skills, Nivard seems to have sorted it all out. It looks like we shouldn't be in Sussex, Notts or even Huntingdonshire, but Northamptonshire. But Elton looks right on the border, so there mat have been some realignment over time. Thomas' father Oates Cliff Goodwin is born 1787 at Elton to Richard Goodwin & Susannah Cliff. Unfortunately three submitted trees at Family Search incorrectly suggest Oates died in 1788 and 1792. Perhaps there was a second son given the name of the dead child. The real death is 1876 in Thrapston Apart from the wrong location, there are a series of variants for his given name. In 1841 he's Oak, in 1851 he's Pate, in 1861 he's Oatscliff, and in 1871 he's Oats. Thomas appears with the family in 1841. We still haven't found Thomas after 1851, but if Maureen is a descendant she should know something of his fate or his children. Perhaps using Northamptonshire for his birthplace may help. My fear is that he may have died or migrated which makes further census searches a waste of time. Peter