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I’m trying to find parents and a baptism record for my 3 x Great Grandmother, Ann Pike. She was born around 1764 in Churston Ferrers, Devon, and in 1789 married Philip Hannaford of Stoke Gabriel.
I’d be very grateful for any help with this.

I am researching the Lias family for a friend, and have come across some anomalies!

William Lias, b 1821 in Hittisleigh, Devon, was a Royal Marine From 1839-1862.

He married Jane Couch in 1844, and in the 1851 census she is living with three daughters in East Stonehouse. William is not listed, so probably away on Military duties.

William seems to be one of 7 children born to Richard Lias and his wife Mary. However, William's baptism record lists his surname as Hutchill, and his parents are also listed as Hutchill in the 1841 census, although by the time of the 1851 census have the surname Lias.

At first I thought I must have muddled up two families, but Hittisleigh is a very small village, and I cannot find enough records to support two different families, it seems to me that for some unknown reason the surname was changed.

I wondered if perhaps Lias had been a maiden name somewhere in the family but no evidence of that as yet.

William's sister Mary (b1834), was Hutchell, in the 1841 census, yet by 1851 she is listed as Mary Ann Hatchel Lias, working as a servant in Throwleigh, Devon, and on her marriage record is Mary Ann Lias. I'm reasonably certain that these records all refer to the same person.

There is a possible older sister, Sarah, (b 1816) whose baptism record lists her as Lias.

Her brother Richard (b 1832), was Hutchell in 1841 and thereafter Lias.

Next brother George (b 1838) was Hutchell in 1841, Lias in 1851 then in 1861 is listed as George L. Hutchill. The "L" possibly stands for Lias?

Then Eli Lias, (b1840),  again Hutchill in 1841 and Lias thereafter. Named as Elias Lias on his burial record.

Elizabeth Lias, (b 1842), appears from the first time in the 1851 census.

I haven't been able to find all the baptism records for these children as yet, but in various records the parents are given as Richard and Mary, Hutchill or Lias.

I have a baptism record for Richard Hutchill, (b 1795) with that surname, parents William Hutchill and Jane. There is a marriage record for Richard Hutchill and Mary Millman in Sept 1816, and the daughter Sarah mentioned above was baptised in November that year, although surname Lias, so may not be their daughter, although her parents are given as Richard and Mary.

I'm feeling very confused! Can anyone throw any light on this family, please?

Once upon a time there was a girl named Mary Quested, born in about 1765, who married George Pilcher in Fordwich, near Canterbury, in 1786. I am trying to find out who her parents were, at the moment there are three possible baptisms for her.
1. 21 May 1765 in Wye, parents Thomas Quested and Frances.
2. 3 Nov 1765 in Smeeth, parents John Quested and Sarah Head.
3. 1 July 1764 in Kennington, parents James Quested and Elizabeth Perkins.

Just wondering if anyone knows whether her parents' names would be on the original marriage record? I have looked through most of the Trees on 'Ancestry' which include her, and nearly all of them have her parents as John and Sarah, but there is no actual proof of this, they all seem to have other Trees as their sources, and many of them have her death in 1785/6, before her children were born!! I have John and Sarah's family, and Mary and George's descendants. Also have James and Elizabeth with their Mary, but nothing for Thomas and Frances.

One faint clue is that George and Mary named two of their children John and Sarah. But I'm not sure whether naming patterns were adhered to at that time?

There are two other marriages for a Mary Quested, one to James Drowley in 1784 in Canterbury, and one to Edward page in Elham in 1784.

I'd be very grateful if anyone could advise me how to identify the correct parents for Mary!

Many thanks

Donald Mcpherson was born in Newtonmore in 1808, and in 1835 he married Janet Kennedy in Ardclach, Nairnshire, where they continued to live. Their son John was my Great Grandfather. However. Donald appears to have had an earlier marriage, to Margaret Mcbarnet, which resulted in a daughter, Anna Bella Mcpherson, born and registered in Alvie in July 1835, according to her marriage record (from Scotland's People). This record also gives the names of her parents. I have been unable to find a birth record for her, and neither have I found a marriage record for Donald and Margaret, in fact, no records for Margaret at all. I'm presuming that she died in childbirth, or soon afterwards, as Donald and Janet's marriage was only two months after the birth of Anna Bella.

Also, there is a grave for Donald and Janet in Dumphail churchyard, where he was buried next to his mother Elspet (as it was winter).

"Erected by the family of the late Donald McPherson, Farmer, Kerrow in affectionate remembrance of their esteemed father who died 25th July 1873 aged 64 years and of their mother Janet Kennedy relict of the above who died at Clermiston, Mid Lothian 7th Dec 1893 aged 85 years and is interred here. "

But no mention of Margaret.....

Does anyone have any knowledge of these people, please, or where I might be able to find any information?

Many thanks, Jan

I am researching the family Tree for a friend, and the mystery starts with her Grandmother, Mabel Elsie Palmer, b 21 aug 1889 in Hammersmith. (date from Death record). There was some confusion about her parentage-it seems that the man her mother (Harriet King) married, Charles William Palmer, was not her blood father, but took her in when he married her mother in 1895.
His first wife was Elizabeth Ann Baldwin, born about 1844 in Kings Lynn, Norfolk. There are Baptism records for their children, ie, Elizabeth Ann, (b 1866), Charles William,(b 1878) Earnest (b 1881), and Frederick,(b 1887) all born in Kensal, London. Elizabeth Ann (the mother) died in 1895, and Charles remarried almost immediately, to Harriet King, b 1856 in Soho, London.
In the 1881 census, Charles and Elizabeth are living in Lydia Row, Regent St, with their children Elizabeth, Charles and Earnest-there is a gap of 12 years between the first two children, which is rather strange!
In the 1891 Census, Charles and Elizabeth are still in Regent St, with Charles, Earnest and Frederick.
 I have been searching the 1891 census for some time for the whereabouts of Harriet and the other four children, but can find no trace of them.
 In the 1901 Census, Charles and Harriet are living in Regent Street, Willesden, with Frederick, and four children, Horace (1888), Mabel (1889) Amy(1892) and Nellie(Eleanor, b 1894). These four were all born in Hammersmith, and I can find no Baptism records for them, so I’m presuming that they are not the children of Elizabeth and Charles, as they are never seen living with them.

 In 1911 Harriet is now a widow, living in the same house in Regent Street, Willesden, with Frederick, and recorded as having had six children, all still living, and a marriage of 24 years. However, in her marriage record (to Charles Palmer) she is described as ‘Spinster’! At the time of the marriage, both she and Charles were living in Hampshire Hog Lane, Hammersmith. Hence I am wondering if perhaps Harriet and the other children were living there in the 1891 census. I have done numerous searches for them, but no luck so far. Harriet’s father, Edward King, is found in Church Road, Hammersmith in 1891, which is not far from  Hampshire Hog Lane. I have found a reference for that lane in the National Archives, which is RG 12/35 folio 62, but cannot get to this on the Ancestry site. It is only a very small lane, off King Street, between Cromwell Avenue and Rivercourt Road.
There is also the possibility that Harriet was using a different surname for herself and the children. My friend would like to order a birth certificate for her Grandmother, to see if we can solve the mystery of her father-did Charles have another family, or was he kind enough to take on Harriet's children when he married her? There is a rumour in the family that Mabel was illegitimate, possibly even a French father. So her surname may not have been Palmer when she was born. Does anyone know if it is possible to find a birth record with just the christian names, date and place of birth? It's also possible that the dob is incorrect, I suppose!
I would be very grateful for any help with this-I've evn tried going through the 1891 hammersmith census page by page, but cannot find Hampshire Hog Lane, although I have by no means finished this task!