Hi Joe, Marriage registration in the June qtr 1881 at Coventry reg district of a Hannah GILBERT and one of the other names on the page is that of a Thomas WHEATCROFT - sounds a likely candidate. I can't imagine there would be any barrier to the marriage between Sarah & Samuel as there is no blood relationship involved at all. The actual 1901 census image shows Samuel married to a Harriet who was born c 1868 at Bedworth. I, too, cannot find a death registration for Sarah Jane nor a re-marriage for Samuel. Janet > Parish records for Bedworth All Saints show that on 24 January 1892 > Sarah Jane Gilbert married Samuel Whitcroft. The 1891 census record has > Samuel and future bride Sarah Jane living in Mill Lane with his father > Thomas Whitcroft. Hannah, the mother of future bride Sarah Jane is > shown as wife to father Thomas. > > I'm attempting to understand this rather tangled situation and would > welcome assistance from your more experienced members. Was it considered > acceptable to marry a step sibling? > > I cannot locate a marriage record for Thomas Whitcroft [father of the > groom ] and Hannah Gilbert [mother of the bride]. Also, in the 1901 > census Samuel Whitcroft is shown living with wife Hannah [Ridgeway] - > but again I can find no marriage record; nor a record of death for Sarah > Jane.