Trish
Thank you so much for all your efforts. It is so very kind of you to spare the time. Yes, I am confused about Joseph's wife too! Where was she in 1841 and yes, she did contact the paper in 1846 to inform them of her husband's letter (I'd have thought that she'd want to keep the fact that her husband was a prisoner a secret, personally!). I wonder if she might have been his second wife?
I did look quickly on the IGI myself but wasn't able to find anything so you've done better than me. I've never got on with the new familysearch layout.
I wonder where Samuel's wife was in 1841 too? According to the other thread on the Turvey boys
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,306958.0.html Samuel married Margaret Brown 12 Jan 1858 at St Peter's, Hamilton but I haven't verified this. On his transportation record it stated under family life that he was married with 5 children but "single" (in inverted commas!) was noted under marital status!
The more I find out, the more confused I get!!
Julie