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My greatgrandmother was Jane Fletcher Gibson. The first trace of her I have is the 1871 census when she is aged 2 and living with her parents Nathan and Ellen Gibson in Dalton, Lancashire. (Nathan and Ellen crop up here and there as Nathaniel and Eleanor.) Nathan married Ellen Young in 1865 and I've found a William (b. 1868) and two Hannahs (b. 1867, d. 1869, and b. & d. 1872) who appear to be children of theirs but no trace of Jane's birth.

Nathan died in 1874 back in Cumberland, and I haven't found a clear sighting of Ellen and Jane in the 1881 census. However, in Everton, Lancs there is:
James Merdith of Cumberland,
his wife, Ellen, of Gosfer (no county listed),
James Merdith, son, aged 11, born Liverpool,
Jane Gibson, daughter, aged 5, born Workington, Cumberland

A James Meredith was born to James and Ellen and christened in Workington on 22nd June 1876, so I am wondering if this is the right family with a few recording errors. Or perhaps James wasn't on the ball with information. His wife was from Goseforth which sounds suspiciously like Gosfer, and it seems the childrens ages and birthplaces have been transposed. This would also mean that James got his stepdaughter's birthplace wrong.

I can't find a marriage for James and Ellen so don't know if she was a widow.

Also, I can't find Jane on the 1891 census. In November that year she married my greatgrandad Henry Summersgill. her address was 50 Stone Hill St, Walton, Lancs, but that house was empty when the 1891 census was taken. Her marriage certificate is the first time the middle name Fletcher crops up (it doesn't appear to be a family name) and one of the witnesses to the marriage was a J. Fletcher. I speculate that she may have been living/friends with a family called Fletcher but it's a wild guess.

Jane is a mystery.

This may not be the right place to post this so please move if necessary.

Our family recently rescued an old photo album which was destined for the tip. Its owner, a family friend, is going into aged care and her surviving descendant isn't interested in the album.

There are photos and memorabilia of the HALL family of Newtown, Hobart. On the distaff side the family names going back are RULE then CAMPBELL (Marian Margaret). HUMPHREYS is another family connection.

There are beautiful old studio portraits and snapshots, plus various items from The Friends' School in Hobart and other bits and pieces. I am happy to copy anything and pass it on, or perhaps there is a family member who would be interested in some of the items. Otherwise the album will stay with our family.

I am descended from Jeremiah Andrews, a blacksmith, who was christened in North Curry on 31st December 1820 (his parents were Robert and Jane), and Elizabeth (surname unknown) who was born around 1816/7 in North Curry, if census returns are to be trusted.

There is no marriage certificate that I can find (which doesn't surprise me since none of their children were registered last time I looked) but there is a curious marriage between a Jeremiah Andrews and Martha Dauncey in Wincanton on 4th December 1838. That's quite a way from North Curry, I know. Also, he is described as being "full age" which wouldn't have been correct for my chap.

In the 1841 census, my young Jeremiah is living with his recently widowed mum and a couple of younger siblings back home in Nth Curry, and I can find no record of a Martha Andrews anywhere. By the 1851 census, Jeremiah has moved to Taunton and acquired a missus (my Elizabeth) and a bunch of kids, and also a son, John, aged 11 and born in Hatch. By 1861 John has headed off.

Was John the son of Martha Dauncey, I wonder. Did she die and their child came to live with his father? Or did they just separate, which might explain the lack of a marriage to Elizabeth.

I've searched without success for evidence of John's birth, Martha's death, Martha's remarriage, any other children, another Jeremiah Andrews, etc. etc. Essentially, any explanation which has occurred to me. Nothing seems to fit.

Any help or suggestions gratefully received.

This is the longest of long shots but I've tried coming at it from various angles with no success.

My paternal grandparents were Charlie Evans and Carrie Pole of around Halse & Bishops Lydeard, born in 1884 and 1886 respectively. They were friends with a couple, Jim and Mary Rowles (whom my dad called uncle and aunt but they may not have been). Jim and Mary had an adopted son Teddy and a daughter Cissy (who was also possibly adopted.) Cissy had an illegitimate son called Lennie and she was murdered by Lennie's father. She had just posted a letter to Carrie one Sunday evening so Carrie had to testify.

Lennie became organist at Failand church. He died at about 50. I assume he was Leonard Rowles but I can't find a birth registration. Leonard Austin Rolls b. Bedminster 1892, doesn't fit as his parents are wrong according to census data. Leonard John Rowles b. 1908 in Bridgwater might be him but I can't find supporting data. I can't access the 1911 census at present. I guess he may have been registered under his father's name, in which case I'm sunk.

My problems are that I'm not sure how Rowles is spelt, and I have no idea what Cissy was short for, and I don't know when this murder happened or what Lennie's father's name was. These non-facts make chasing down the story very difficult, especially when I'm in Australia.

My grandparents were married in 1918 and I'm guessing my grandmother testified under her married name, Caroline Evans. I assume the murder happened somewhere between 1918 and 1939 but it could have been later. I also assume it happened somewhere in the Failand area.

Any and all help would be appreciated.