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Thank you Trevor.  Eryl was British but had lived in South Africa for years, would that make a difference?  I will try the GRO and let you know.

Thank you Trevor, yes that's when they returned to the UK at the end of his posting.  There was 1 child at that point (who IS still alive) and there is one more subsequently. 

Neither of the children have ever seen a marriage certificate, and the date they thought the marriage was has turned out to be extremely unlikely.  They are hoping to get to the bottom of it - both their parents are now dead, so we can't ask them.

Thank you, I will.  The pbenyon site says that she was a surveying sloop, but at the time of the 1841 census she was being used as a receiving ship in Liverpool.

Sue

Thanks Dan, I'll email the heritage centre and will PM you as they've removed your address.  I'd love to see a picture of Fanny!  I have a copy of their marriage certificate and it says Fanny was living in Penge (which is also where Jethro's parents were living).  If my research is correct, in 1871 she was a cook in Lewisham, which isn't that far away.  I can't find Jethro in 1871, but his family moved up from Devon at some point between the 1861/71 censuses.  I don't know whether you've researched them, but it's a convoluted story (however I have proved it without doubt).  They have been very hard to trace and I'd love to know their motivation for their actions, but I presume I never will, unless I get really lucky!  The newspaper report of Jethro's death was in the 'Morning Post' on 28 August 1890 - I tried to attach a copy but it wouldn't let me.  It's on FindMyPast.  Is there a way I can get it to you if you can't access it?
Do you have Ancestry?  I wonder if the easiest way for you to see the information I have is for me to share my tree with you (it's set on private because I had a problem with a man insisting I had siblings that I don't!!).
Sue

My stepfather Eric Bateson married Eryl Holder while he was stationed at HMS Goshawk at Piarco on Trinidad.  We're not sure of the date but it would be between June 1941 and October 1944.  We don't know if they married on the Naval Base or in a local church.  I need to find details of the marriage and preferably a copy of the certificate.  I have tried all the normal sites, with no luck.  Does anyone have any ideas?  The Registrar General's department on Trinidad will not deal with international queries!
Thanks
Sunic