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My 3xgreat grandfather's first wife died in Brighton in 1863 and the death cert said "Phthisis. Years, certified". The exact number of years was not stated but it must have been at least 2, and it was certified by a doctor but as said, their name was rarely given at that time.

My grandfather's cousin said their gran, my 2xgreat gran was a very formidable rural Suffolk lady. I see pics of her she she does look like she could be Ena Sharples gran as well.  Just no hairnet.

Quote from: coombs on Saturday 18 May 24 19:32 BST (UK)

In the past week or so I have been going through some of my ancestors with a fine tooth comb yet again looking for new clues, and it can be exhausting and time consuming and often with little to no breakthroughs in getting further back.

The amount of breakthroughs I have been able to find has been venturing into branches that aren't necessarily, directly related (or whom I'm searching for), but have had dealings of some sort with the person or relative I'm researching. Some of the common records; wills, depositions and deeds. And one that can be easily overlooked is the witnesses on marriage records.

Witnesses to marriage records are fundamental. I used to buy some parish register marriage record CDs but many of the 1754-1837 marriage records just noted the names, dates and parish and omitted the vital witnesses, it seems some were taken from bishops transcripts. Now more scans of original records are coming online, it is easier to get names of the witnesses. Although it can be a kick in the gut when you find the witnesses, or one of them was a regular witness.

I also look at the 1710-1811 apprenticeship duties paid, and find several of my ancestors was listed as a master or apprentice. For example in 1745 in Burford, Oxfordshire I found my ancestor James Gater took on Thomas Wentworth as a baker apprentice. James' father James Gater was a maltster and may have come from Lambourn in Berkshire, and there was Wentworth families there, and one of them was a baker.

Also thanks for the update. I have a similar approach with my Ancestry tree where I have attached sources so they can be available at the click of a button, and I often add notes in the life events of them.

In the past week or so I have been going through some of my ancestors with a fine tooth comb yet again looking for new clues, and it can be exhausting and time consuming and often with little to no breakthroughs in getting further back.

I also know the feeling of circumstantial evidence but it being not strong enough to make a link. Such as with my 1700s London and Oxford Newman/Inkpen, Reeves ancestors, and even the chance they were not even born or baptised in Middlesex or Oxfordshire. Several of my North Oxfordshire ancestors had Warwickshire and Buckinghamshire roots further back. And my South Oxon lot had some Berkshire blood and Wiltshire further back.

And one ancestor sent to Australia in the early 1790s, then known as New Holland I think. A trip from say, Bristol to Oxford in 1800 was very, very easy and doable in comparison. Maybe a whole day's travel on horse and cart.