Hi Rowena
Thought I'd tell you what's been found ,we had a birth cert from Wiltshire for a James born 1845 , the mother was Rachel Keen and the father was Samuel West ,stated on the birth cert she and James were taken in by Isabella Keen , so we thought it was more than coincidence about the mothers name ,looked into it further ,Samuel that is on the 1861 census in Bristol had a sister called Rachel 1827 ,it looks as if James was illigitimate ,can't find anything on the census about a Rachel West in Wiltshire ,the little boy in the workhouse looks as if it is the James we are looking for ,and Samuel went back to England to fetch him and bring him up as his own ,I also found the rest of Samuels siblings ,or some of them anyway I think ,they are not on any census,s that I can find ,but the ones born after 1837 are on the birth records ,these are the children of Phillip Keen and Isabella Bull married Broughton Gifford 1/6/1817
Mary 1/10/1820
James 15/6/1823
Rachel 4/2/1827 I think she is the mother of James
Samuel 18/1/1829
William 25/5/1834
Ann 29/5/1836
Septimus 8/4/1838 verified on the BMD records
Emma 15/3/1838 verified on the BMD records
Eliza 23/12/1843 verified on the BMD records
Samuels children on the 1861 England census are Ann,Phillip,Eliza ,Rachel and James ,the same names as his siblings ,what do you think ,are they the same family
Only thing I don't understand is why I can't find anything on the census's about Phillip and Isabella ,they must have been alive on the 1841 as their last child was born in 1843 ,any ideas
Marion