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Hi,
Please can somebody look up John Elphick (b abt 1833 in Maresfield) in the 1841 and 1851 census?

Regards

Mark

Hi,
Please can somebody look up Martha Sellens (b 1838 in Westfield) in the 1861 census?

Thanks

Mark

Hi,
Please could somebody look up Edson Merrill and his wife Elizabeth (b Elizabeth Holman Sellens) in the 1860, 1870 and 1890 for Iowa.

Edson Merrill was b abt 1816 in New Hampshire (according to the 1880 census).  He was one of the founders of Manchester, Iowa.  He should be found in Manchester (or Delaware County) in 1860, 1870 and 1890.

Elizabeth was born in abt 1817 in England.

Regards

Mark

Every now and then I get sidetracked from research on my direct line and end up investigating somebody who seems interesting.  I guess that there are my own personal “Rootschat Challenges”. 

In this case I started out with the intent of learning about Dr George Bodle who named an area of Auckland, New Zealand after a small village in Sussex (Alfriston).  After some convoluted research (a story for another day) I came across the Sharpe family. 

This family includes Alfred Ingram Sharpe who was born in about 1861 in Brompton, Middlesex to Alfred George Sharpe and Sophia Grace Ingram.  In Sep Q 1883 he married Gwendoline H Meredith, the daughter of George F and Eliza Meredith.  In 1891, Alfred and Gwendoline were living in Fulham with their children Alfred Gerald Meredith, Gladys Mary and Doris Margaret in the house of  George and Eliza Meredith.

In 1901, Gwendoline Sharpe is living  with her widowed mother and her children Gerald, Doris and Gladys.  Gwendoline’s husband Alfred is not living with them.  Interestingly, Alfred Gerald isn’t using his first name and is listed under Gerald.

Also in 1901 there is an Alfred Sharpe living in Richmond, Surrey.  His wife is listed as being Amy I M Sharpe.  Living with them are their children Douglas and Mary and sister-in-law Fanny J Stanley.  Douglas was born in Bygrave, Hertfordshire.

In Sep Q 1895 (according to Free BMD), Alfred Ingram Sharpe married Amy Isabel M Stavely in Hitchin District.

Alfred Ingram Sharpe died in Dec Q 1909 in Richmond District.

Could it be that these two Alfred Ingram Sharpes are the one and the same?  It is a very rare name.  Did Alfred leave Gwendoline and his children to marry Amy?  Did his son Alfred Gerald “change” his name (at least temporarily) to Gerald to reflect disappointment with his father?

Alfred Gerald and Gladys Mary went on to marry into wealthy families.  Colonel Alfred Gerald Meredith Sharpe married Kathleen Beatrice Alice Ricketts, the daughter of Sir Frederick William Rodney Ricketts, 5th Baronet.  Gladys Mary Sharpe married Cecil Martin Egerton (Leveson-Gower), a descendant of the Duke of Sutherland.

Does anybody have any insights that might help clarify the above?

Regards

Mark

Hi,
Please can somebody look up Adelade Sellens (b 1857 in Sedlescombe) in the 1871 census?

Thanks

Mark