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        I have the Will of my maternal great great grandfather, Joseph Todd (1821-1892) written in 1891 when he says “I hereby give and bequeath unto my sister Elizabeth Hinchliffe all my share and interest in the property situated at Chester le Street in the County of Durham for her sole use during her life….”
   In his widowed sister Elizabeth Hincliffe’s (1823-1894) Will of 1894 she doesn’t refer to the property except by saying “ my real and personal estate...”
   Joseph and Elizabeth’s father was another Joseph (circa 1788-1851) an excise officer who had lived in Cumberland, Westmorland, Yorkshire and Lancashire, dying in Manchester, but I have not been able to locate a will.  Neither have I found any direct link with Chester-le-Street.  Except that a possible near relative of Joseph’s, Thomas Todd (circa 1784-1847), another excise officer, married Ann Burrell in Chester-le-Street in 1812 – the groom of Shiney Row, Houghton-le-Spring and the bride of 'this Parish'.  Thomas died in Salford, Greater Manchester but again no trace of a will but his widow, in the 1851 census, describes herself as “proprietor of houses”.  Again no will.

I wondered if the voting registers for Chester-le-Street for the period my ancestors held property there would show Todds or Hiinchcliffes having a right to vote there but that their abode was in Manchester?  If so, are there registers on-line?

A long shot I know, but I would like to know more about the County Durham connection.  Thanks in anticipation.

As a child in the 1950s I went with my family from Manchester to Douglas on several occasions, always staying at the same guest house.

I would love to find out where it was (and perhaps find it on Google maps) but all I remember was the landlady's name was Mrs Corlett, and from an old photo the guest house seems to have been  called Alwyn with a possible house number 32.

I realise the surname is not uncommon on the island but wondered if anyone out there could assist me.

Thanks
Ken

Lancashire BMD has a marriage of Thomas Dickinson to Sarah Kay in 1857 at St Johns, Manchester, and I wondered if anyone had access to the marriage registers?

I'm not sure if this is our Thomas Dickinson, so father's name, occupation, witnesses etc would be most helpful.

Thanks

Does anyone know where I can find marriages at St Stephens, Reading c1870-1880?

Looked at the Berkshire Record Office website and they only seem to have baptisms [from 1865] but no marriages!

Can't even find a history or photo of the church via a web Google search.

Having been unable to find a marriage of George Barwick [b1843 Grove - d 1898 Earley, Reading]
to Emily Withers [b1855  Reading - death unknown as she later married a SMITH] I wondered if finding the christening of their first born might provide a clue.

The first child we know, from censuses, was Henry Barwick b 29 July 1877 at 18 Arden Terrace, Cumberland St, Earley.  However, the BMD indexes have a Walter Barwick born 1875 and died aged 4 in 1879.  If this is the son of George and Emily she would have been 20 when he was born.

I can't find a christening or burial on Family Search or FreeReg so I wondered if anyone could suggest what church the christening and burial might have taken place?

This might help pinpoint the wedding.  Of course because of the 12 year age difference it is also possible that George was already married so never married Emily, although he was shown as single on the 1871 census when he was a lodger at Rupert St, Reading, a gardener age 27.

Thanks