Hi John, In 1881 he is shown as born in Honiton which is close to Luppitt. Searching on Honiton I found 1851 NAME: William Goddard AGE: 15 ESTIMATED BIRTH YEAR: abt 1836 RELATION: Son FATHER'S NAME: William Goddard MOTHER'S NAME: Mary Ann Goddard GENDER: Male WHERE BORN: Axminster, Devon, England CIVIL PARISH: Axminster PHILLIMORE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH MAPS: View related Ecclesiastical Parish TOWN: Town COUNTY/ISLAND: Devon COUNTRY: England REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Axminster SUB-REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Lyme ED, INSTITUTION, OR VESSEL: 3d NEIGHBORS: View others on page HOUSEHOLD SCHEDULE NUMBER: 11 PIECE: 1862 FOLIO: 241 PAGE NUMBER: 3 HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS: NAME AGE William Goddard 37 Mary Ann Goddard 36 William Goddard 15 Charles Goddard 12 John Goddard 9 Samuel Goddard 1 and 1841 NAME: William Goddard AGE: 5 ESTIMATED BIRTH YEAR: abt 1836 GENDER: Male WHERE BORN: Devon, England CIVIL PARISH: Axminster HUNDRED: Axminster COUNTY/ISLAND: Devon COUNTRY: England REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Axminster SUB-REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Axminster NEIGHBORS: View others on page PIECE: 200 BOOK: 7 FOLIO: 7 PAGE NUMBER: 10 HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS: NAME AGE William Goddard 27 Mary V Goddard 26 William Goddard 5 Charles Goddard 2 Axminster is not too far from Honiton although on the other side to Luppitt. It is also possible young William did not know where he was born. Does the marriage certificate show William's father's name and occupation which could confirm the above? There is a tree on Ancestry with this info. Hope this helps Christine -----Original Message----- From: John Kirkland via Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2015 9:18 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [YORKSGEN] William GODARTH - Brick wall As requested, here is my abiding brick wall. William GODARTH said he was born in Luppitt, Devon in c1835. However, he is not baptised there according to the PRs, nor can I find his baptism anywhere else, nor can I find him at all in 1841 or 1851. In fact, the first time I find a record of him is in the Depot Description Book for the 17th Regiment where it records his enlistment at Taunton, Somerset in June 1853 when he was underage (17.5 years). His trade was said to be a Labourer. He fought in the Crimean war, married in the Garrison Church in Monteal, Quebec in 1859 and baptised several children in Canada, Ireland and at Aldershot Barracks. He left the army in 1875 and in 1881 he is in Wales working as a coachman. At some point he began to be called William GODDARD rather than GODARTH - in 1871 the family are GODDARD although in 1875 his discharge papers call him GODARTH. What has this to do with Yorkshire? By 1891 he is in North Bierley and in 1900 he and his wife Mary die in Bradford Registration District. His death is registerd in the name of GODARTH although by this time the children all seem to be using GODDARD and that was my grandfather's surname. All the references to GODARTH in FreeBMD are to my family. Where was he born? Where was he between 1835 and 1853? Who were his parents? Many thanks, John