Hi Ann, There are several trees on Ancestry with both this Thomas and the Thomas that Darryl found. However the tree owners have not linked the two Thomas's. Why not as they appear to be connected. Would it be that Thomas senior was not a gardener as per the marriage but a blacksmith? Could Thomas senior have semi-retired by the marriage and become a gardener? Or do the tree owners know something else? Contacting these people might be a good idea. Christine -----Original Message----- From: SBS Engineers Research Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 4:44 AM To: YORKSGEN@rootsweb.com Subject: [YORKSGEN] BRIGGS One Name Study Good morning/night list My GG Grandfather Thomas Briggs was a blacksmith. He married Maria Richards 22yrs old (born Devon) 08 May 1854 in Sheerness, Kent. Three months later he suddenly died on 09 August 1854 aged 24yrs. Cause of death Purpura/Haemorrhage. The marriage certificate lists both of Maria's parents but only Thomas's father...also named Thomas (a gardener). Mother may have been deceased and not having her name makes it hard to find Thomas (Jnr) birth records etc. I have spent years looking for him in Kent to no avail. So now I'm looking in Kent. I have posted this message to the Kent email list - no answers or advice thus far. Every time I find a Thomas Briggs born about 1830 - he is still alive in the 1861 census - therefore NOT mine. Regards Ann Spiro baskett@one-name.org briggs@one-name.org http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Baskett Blacksmiths & Related Occupations http://blacksmiths.mygenwebs.com ..... Ancestors in Yorkshire? http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/index.html; www.ryedalefamilyhistory.org; www.wharfedalefhg.org.uk; www.yorkshireparishregisters.com; www.yorkshireroots.org.uk; ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to YORKSGEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Christine The trees you refer to are mine plus some 'cousins'. I have started quite a few trees on ancestry.com which deal with different BRIGGS families (some with a Thomas). I am in touch with their descendants who have had more luck in finding their Briggs ancestor than I have. I have indexed a few hundred Briggs marriages which I'll give to the Guild of One Name Studies for their Guild Marriage Index and likewise for Briggs PROBATES. A few months ago I started a dropbox and all information for BRIGGS goes into it and I share it with all the other BRIGGS surname followers who contact me. Likewise, they place any new info they find in the dropbox and share it. Interestingly, my English cousins didn't know much at all about their ancestors until I sent them what information I had. I had found some old letters amongst my grandfathers belongs that went back to 1933-36. Correspondence from the UK to my grandfather in Sydney, seems to have stopped suddenly about 1936. For many years my mother tried to find our English cousins and having letters returned with 'not here anymore' on them. So approx 10years ago, I went to the Salvation Army missing persons office here in Perth. She gave me a form to fill out listing all known names and old addresses for the UK. Two weeks later, the Salvo's called me and told me they had found my cousins and that I would be hearing from them very soon. It was a wonderful feeling to find them. We have met a few times and keep in touch monthly. We did get to swap some old letters and photographs etc. I found out the reasons for the correspondence drying up between my grandfather and his siblings. It was to do with divorce and bitterness and also his brother who had been a stretcher bearer in the war, and suffered with PTSD and cut himself off form others. All I want is to find the birth records (and mothers name /siblings if any) of my Thomas Briggs. Kind regards Ann Spiro Devon FHS member #15914; Kent FHS member#9397; Isle of Wight FHS member#1551 WAGS Inc Member#1288; Glasgow & West Scotland 7040; GOONS member#5101