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Sweetheart, There is a difference between knowing how and where people lived, their occupations etc .... and their lives between the sheets ! I really do understand what you are saying, but the bottom line is, that ONLY Caroline knew who she was bedding, when and why ! and who fathered her children ! regardless of what names she had put on the birth certs! regardless of whether or not she was widowed. Keep us informed ! I'm intrigued ! Dancer x

Spot on Dancer. We'd all doubtless like to know more of what went on during the 3650 odd days between the census 'snapshots', but given the resources and data available thats virtually impossible. Maybe if a family kept a bible up to date with births, marriages and deaths, and they corresponded and that correspondance had been saved ..... but for most of us it will remain a mystery. Cant see the point in asking for information on this site if you 'want to get an idea of the history of my ancestors. Not just a lot of statisical information and dates. That means nothing'

No, I know what you mean Siobhan! I started off researching my maternal grandfather's family because there was something of a mystery there and I found out loads, with lots of juicy bits, although it took a lot of detective work!, then typed it all up and sent it around my rellies who were all very interested in it. I've also done lots on my grandmother's side, but that all seems to be 'so-and-so married so-and-so, lived at..., had ten children, so-and-so born ..., so-and-so born ...' etc. (all with the same names and occupations as each other) and it seems too boring to give the same treatment. What I've done instead is put it all up on Tribal Pages for them so they can look at it that way. One difference among many between the two sides is that I have got loads of wills from my grandfather's side and none from Granny's (a lot of her rellies were ag. labs or miners). Wills often do open it up and tell you all sorts of things about the family that you don't get from censuses and certificates (particularly as certain of Grandpa's family just lied about everything on the certificates anyway!) If you can find any wills, Siobhan, you may get what you're looking for. I would certainly be intrigued by the Caroline mystery and keep digging! Just as long as you are prepared to find out that she wasn't married to the father(s) of her children! Oh, and something so obvious I overlooked it... sometimes it is very difficult to tell the difference between an M and a W in the 'marital status' column on the census. And I see she is down as M on the 1901. Kate.