tiggi and cat,thanks for the research,im afraid i dont have any documentary evidence at the moment,just stuff ive found on census returns online over the past few hours.i had elizabeth mary,sometimes just mary,beaney b c1825 in my tree,she married my ancestor john coveney,but ive just discovered from another g u member that she was married before to a person unknown,so the marriage entry is intresting,though its possible mary was born as late as 1830,she married john around 1850.this g u member also gave me her son frederick b1847,fav.im pretty certain the ephraim beaney on 1901 is the frederick beaney on 1891,and that susan is the susan that frederick married,but was emma up to 1901.perhaps emma was her middle name.either way,i can find no record of an emma or susan shaw b sandwich or anywhere in kent on any census.the ephraim that went to america certainly sounds like him.i remember when i was looking at the beaneys from old wives lees,one of them was in england on one census,then 10 years later he was described as a naturalised american,but still in england,so he must have gone there and came back.imgoing to have another look at records then come back.regards and thanks again,nel.