That was my thought also They may appear as witnesses which is not that common in my experience its usually siblings or other relatives but as there is no relationship given how would you know they were the parents Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 20/06/2012 12:49, Christine Benson wrote: > Hi Nivard and All, > > I think Ann meant that if she found a Thomas in the censuses and he was > alive in 1861 then he could not be her Thomas as she knew hers was dead. > > One of the trees I looked at gave the parents as witnesses. However that > leaves the question - How can you know that witnesses are parents? > > Christine